The Golf Bar

Some years ago, perhaps in the last century, I received a press release from The Golf Bar on Tithebarn Street – then described as something of a revolution in the way bars would work in the future.

Instead of simply having a pint, you could play golf too, on some sort of Wii-like simulator. It sounded incredible – what other forms of new leisure bar could we expect in the 21st Century? – but in those days I didn’t tend to stray much further than Concert Square, which was rather nice all those years ago.

So, the Golf Bar remained unexplored, like Moorfields Station and the sex shop down the road. Only occasionally did I venture over to Old Hall Street to see the proofs of the student newspaper before printing.

As I’ve been working in that area of town for the past year I’ve walked past it a few times, but only recently remembered that press release and its significance.

This is what it looks like these days, nestled between the wonderfully-named Hackins Hey and Tempest Hey, and residing in the badly-named Churchill House. It looks like an Anthony Burgess nightmare.

It’s been derelict for some time, at least two years by my reckoning, which makes this Yelp review – dated May 2010 – all the stranger.

“You’ve found us…” proclaims the faded sign above the door. A little too late, it would appear.