Local Couple Brings Miniature Golf Course to Westfield
Photographer / Amy Payne
Birdies miniature golf facility is now in full swing for Hamilton County and Indy residents alike to enjoy.
Central Indiana native and Carmel High School grad Jessica Lynch, and her husband Kevin, a professional hockey player who most recently played for the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, originally conceived of Birdies as an ideal business to operate during Kevin’s off-season time from May through September.
“We wanted to build something that would be enjoyable for both of us, for now and when I retire,” Kevin says.
The dearth of miniature golf options in the Westfield and Carmel area was one of several additional factors that influenced the couple’s decision to open their own facility, according to Jessica.
“We had been thinking about opening a miniature golf course for the past three years,” she says. “With our hockey lifestyle, having the summers off kind of like your average school year, we thought the miniature golf business was a perfect fit. So it was that and figuring it would be a good business for life after hockey. That was how the idea came into play.”
The Lynches spotted land next to Grand Park that they felt would be ideal for their mini-golf concept and retained New Jersey-based Harris Miniature Golf to help with the design and construction process.
“Being close to Grand Park is so great – we know a lot of kids and families are constantly coming up that way,” Jessica says. “It’s very much an all-ages place and this area is great for that. We couldn’t be happier to be operating the business in this area.”
After breaking ground late this winter the Lynches finished construction on the 36-hole course in under three months, subsequently hosting a grand opening celebration in late July.
“It was fun to work with our contractor and build and design the Birdies golf course from scratch,” Kevin says. “We feel like it’s a perfect fit for Grand Park and the Westfield area.”
Jessica says the northside community has rallied around the concept since the July opening, and Birdies hosted more than 10,000 mini golfers in just its first four weeks of operation.
The Lynches are still working to perfect their facility — next spring they plan to open a family-friendly restaurant and rooftop bar at Birdies, which they feel will complement the course well. The restaurant will feature mainly American fare, while the upstairs bar will offer apps and shareable plates in addition to beer, wine and cocktails.
“We’re really excited to get the entire project finished, and we think the restaurant will really make the whole place feel even more complete and seem like a true destination spot for families,” Kevin says.
The Lynches both describe themselves as entrepreneurial spirits. They met during their sophomore year at the University of Michigan and were married 18 months after graduating.
“When we were trying to pick a home base, we thought that since I drag her away from her family for eight to nine months out of the year, it would be good to settle down in her hometown here in Indiana,” Kevin says. “Especially having kids, we figured being close to her parents’ house would be good.”
At Birdies, players can opt for 18 or 36 holes, and the course is fully landscaped with waterfalls, a rock cave, a flowing creek and more. The Lynches plan to add distinct seasonal touches to the course like pumpkins in the fall and lights around Christmas time.
“The course almost looks like a garden, with a ton of fun holes to play,” Jessica says. “There are no cookie-cutter shots. It’s much more than just a summer golf place too, and we’re going to make it work most of the year. We visited a lot of courses to figure out what we liked and didn’t like, to make our own course special, and I think the result is worth it.”
Birdies is located at 632 East State Road 32 in Westfield. For more info call 317-450-3202 or visit them online at birdiesindy.com.
