We’ve known that the new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at Mercato in North Naples is going to be golf-themed when it opens this spring, but we didn’t know until this week that it also will include nine holes of miniature golf in the venue’s lobby.
The previously reported sightings of a T-Rex, King Kong and a great white shark near the former Silverspot Cinema’s entrance are part of the HappyLand Movie Miniature Golf, which will celebrate a different movie at each hole. HappyLand, of course, derives its name from “Happy Gilmore,” Adam Sandler’s movie comedy spoofing professional golf.
“Naples is a golfer’s paradise, so we knew we had to do something special there for our first Florida location,” said Alamo CEO Michael Kustermann. “HappyLand will be a unique venue for our guests to relax, enjoy a few drinks and hit golf balls into an alligator’s mouth. We couldn’t be more excited about it.”
The gator will be the centerpiece of the ninth hole. It features a human hand in its open mouth as another nod to “Happy Gilmore,” where the coach character, Chubbs, lost his hand to a golf course gator. Another hole features the goofy gopher from “Caddyshack.” In addition to saluting “Jurassic Park,” “King Kong,” “Jaws,” “Happy Gilmore” and “Caddyshack,” other holes highlight the films “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Birds,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Strange Brew.”
In addition to its “tap-it-in” mini golf course, HappyLand will feature a full bar with 24 beers on tap and a golf-themed signature cocktail list, including an alcohol-free option called the Victory Lap. Naples-based Riptide Brewing Co. will offer its Olde Naples Blonde Ale under a private label named Chubbs’ 19th Hole Blonde Ale. Inspired by the “Happy Gilmore” character portrayed by Carl Weathers, its custom beer tap handle will be in the shape of Chubbs’ wooden hand.
HappyLand opens 30 minutes before the first movie each day and closes after the start of the final show of the evening. Play is open to all guests age 3 and up. Players start a round by purchasing a token from the concierge and redeeming it at golf ball vending machines where they can choose a specific ball color. Tokens cost $7 for adults and $5 for children 15 and under. Every $20 spent at the HappyLand bar earns guests a free token.
The lounge and mini golf course will be available to rent for events, parties and screenings, with multiple high-definition TVs and space for 50 people.
In celebration of its first Florida location, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema will give away a year of free mini golf and a year-long, two-person subscription to Alamo Season Pass, its monthly subscription service that entitles subscribers to one free movie per day. Entries close May 31 on its website.
Any area film fan who joins Season Pass will get their second month free in an offer available for a limited time after the grand opening in Naples. The Season Pass options, named after a famous line from the classic movie “Jaws,” feature Big Boat, Bigger Boat, Biggest Boat, Bigger Boat Plus and Biggest Boat Plus, range from $16.99 to $37.99 per month.
The new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is being built out in Silverspot’s former 33,652-square-foot space on the second floor of Mercato, the mixed-use center located near the northeast corner of U.S. 41 and Vanderbilt Beach Road. Its 11 theaters at 9118 Strada Place are being updated with about 650 luxury recliner seats and a 4K digital projection system. The movie-going experience includes a menu of scratch-made food, local beers on draft and craft cocktails that will be served to guests in their seats by servers trained to not disrupt the movie experience.
By the way, Alamo is truly serious about minimizing audible disruptions to the movie-going experience. The cinema chain enforces its zero-tolerance policies of no talking and no texting during movies. Guests arriving late are not admitted to the theater but are given the option of exchanging their ticket for another showtime or receiving a raincheck.
Film fanatics can also expect signature programming from Alamo. This includes interactive movie parties with new or classic films enhanced with games and props, brunch screenings with a specialty menu of mid-morning favorites, live Q&A events with filmmakers and actors, as well as regular specialty series such as Terror Tuesday and Weird Wednesday, celebrating the best of genre filmmaking.
The addition of Alamo fits Mercato’s goal to cater to the cinephile by bringing a unique arthouse experience to Naples that will serve as a point of differentiation to any other theater in Southwest Florida, said Adam Schwegman, partner and executive vice president of leasing at North American Properties, which manages Mercato.
“We were keen on bringing a unique, over-the-top entertainment addition to the already exceptional cinema experience that is Alamo,” Schwegman said. “HappyLand will be the cherry on top, making it a true hole-in-one destination for the Naples community.”
Schwegman leads NAP’s leasing team to focus on a thoughtful, experiential merchandise mix at each of its projects, which includes Mercato. That’s the basis of a recent reboot of Mercato to reposition the 15-year-old property as more of a community entertainment destination.
Debuting in September 2009, Silverspot’s lease expired last summer in Naples and was not renewed by NAP. “After a fantastic run we felt it was time for a change,” Schwegman said.
Alamo is not leasing the nearly 7,500-square-foot space on the eastern side of the escalators above The Pub at Mercato that Silverspot expanded into with a 12th screen and lounge area a decade ago. That space also has not been leased to another business yet.
The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.
