Lion’s Den Mini-Golf proprietor James Bazinet in the lower level of his 5,000 square foot mini-golf emporium, March 10. Photo by Chris Marchand

By Chris Marchand

Mini-golf has always been a bit of a family obsession, says James Bazinet.

“One of our favourite things to do on our holidays was mini-golf,” he said. “We’d stop in all sorts of places to play.”

It’s true, there’s something so simple about a putter and the elaborate challenge of navigating a ball to a hole that seems to remove barriers between people of all ages.

The proprietor of one of Dryden’s newest businesses says his goal is give Dryden something fun to do.

The 5,000 square foot facility, a former second hand store, was cleaned and renovated over the past few months. Existing drywall was finished, washrooms were brought up to code for handicap accessibility and black lights were installed in the golf space.

The golf holes themselves were purchased from an American outfit and installed on the main and lower levels of the building.

The comfortable ‘living room’ and snack area received some floor tiles and a counter to accommodate the sales area. Bazinet says it makes sense to create a comfortable space for the non-golfers in the group to sit and relax by the fireplace, watch a movie or enjoy a snack.

“We’ve had people who couldn’t actually golf, but they want to give their kids something to do so they come and sit on the couch and relax. You can read, or we have Netflix to pick a movie or a TV show.”

Bazinet says it would be nice to attract the high school crowd, offering a fun and wholesome activity.

“It can be safe place for them to come and do something,” he said.

He says the Lion’s Den has been a popular choice thus far for birthday parties. He says the building’s large size means he is able to easily accommodate large groups of all ages.

Lion’s Den has recently hosted groups from Community Living and plans to host an upcoming group of seniors with the Grace Haven Adult Day Program.

As the operation is not Bazinet’s only job, his hours of operation are limited to the evening thus far.

“Hopefully it will grow into something more that I can eventually live off of,” he said.

At the moment Lion’s Den is open 6-10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 6-11 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays.