Sawyer Yards Booming

Celebrity-backed, upscale miniature golf concept rolls into Sawyer Yards

Golf star Rory McIlroy invested in Puttery.

Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

A high-style, celebrity-backed miniature golf course is coming to Sawyer Yards. Puttery, described as a “competitive socializing and entertainment golf experience,” is scheduled to open by the end of 2021.

Developed by Dallas-based Drive Shack in partnership with golf star Rory McIlroy, Puttery aims to elevate playing miniature golf experience with a lively environment and technology that keeps score for players. The 23,000-square-foot, two-story Houston location will feature four, nine-hole courses along with multiple bars and DJs to keep the party going.

“Puttery is an immersive, unique, and one-of-a-kind entertainment golf experience – it is an exciting and logical partnership for me and my investment group,” McIlroy said in a statement. “I have been collaborating with the Drive Shack team for more than two years on Puttery and have remained engaged throughout its entire evolution.”

In addition to golf, Puttery touts a full range of food and craft cocktails that are designed to provide adults with a full evening of entertainment. Houston will be the venue's fifth market, joining Dallas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Washington, D.C.; and Miami.

“This isn’t your typical night at the mini-golf course. Puttery will offer Houstonians and visitors an experience unlike any other,” Drive Shack Inc. president and CEO Hana Khouri said. “We’re looking forward to bringing Puttery to the area and setting the tone for strategic and rapid growth ahead.”

Upscale miniature golf experiences look poised to become the next entertainment trend. Puttshack, a concept similar to Puttery, announced last month that it will open downtown in the Shops at Houston Center in late 2022. PopStroke, a mini-golf course that has partnered with golf legend Tiger Woods, will also open in Katy next year.

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a taste of Nola

French-trained Houston chefs team up for one-night-only Mardi Gras dinner

Courtesy of Chardon

Suckling pig porchetta muffuletta with olive salad, smoked ham demi-glace, and provolone sauce.

Two top Houston chefs are teaming up for a one-night-only salute to the flavors of Mardi Gras. Taking place Friday, February 6 at Chardon, the Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler dinner unites chef EJ Miller of Chardon with New Orleans native Dominick Lee, who will open progressive Creole restaurant Augustine’s later this year.

The three-course, $95 dinner (optional beverage pairing, $55) begins with an starters for the table that include poached shrimp with Muối Ớt Xanh (Vietnamese green chili dipping sauce) and bread service of a po’ boy roll with duck fat butter. Appetizer choices consist of escargot Rockefeller, Creole bucatini, and hog head cheese pâté en croûte.

Entree selections dive deep into Louisiana culinary traditions with choices that include gumbo Americana with duck breast, suckling pig porchetta “muffuletta,” and chicken-fried rabbit. A bone-in New York strip is available as a supplement. For dessert, choose from king cake profiteroles, sweet potato and black lime Mont Blanc, and “Zydeco crunch.” Everyone leaves with a warm beignet for the ride home.

“This dinner is about celebrating shared roots, creative freedom, and the joy of the season,” Miller said in a statement. “Chef Dom brings an exciting, modern Creole perspective that pairs beautifully with our Texas French approach. It’s festive, indulgent, and meant to be enjoyed together.”

“Creole and French cooking are inherently entwined. They come from the same place but tell different stories,” Lee added. “Chef EJ and I share a respect for tradition and a love for pushing these narratives forward, and this dinner is a chance to bring those two conversations to the same table.”

Miller has been Chardon’s executive chef since the French restaurant opened in February 2025. His resume includes time at SaltAir Seafood Kitchen, Riel, Muse, and International Smoke, celebrity chef Michael Mina’s short-lived, smoke-infused restaurant in CityCentre.

Two years in development, Augustine’s will open later this year at the Hotel King David in Third Ward. Lee brings a diverse array of experiences to his role, including working as the executive sous chef at Indian fine dining restaurant Kiran’s, the executive chef of globally-inspired Poitín Bar & Kitchen, and two years working and studying in Italy.

Seats for the Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler dinner are available on OpenTable.

news-you-can-eat dinner