By Emu Devine
For readers of The Brunswickan of drinking age, your local campus newspaper is excited to provide you with some of the most pertinent, insightful reporting anywhere in Fredericton. This reporter comes to you with a review of one of the most unique establishments this city has to offer: Par 94 Golf Bar and Lounge. Located on Queen Street, this bar hosts a virtual golf driving range patrons can play on and rent out in advance. Alongside the more anticipated golf themed decor, this lounge stands out for its distinct personality when compared to the more archetypal bars it neighbours. Interested in learning more? Come join us on a rundown of the experience there.
For this review, I decided to bring along a friend of mine and their partner for the evening. To tell you a little secret, I cannot stand beer, but in the name of journalistic integrity I knew I would need additional tasters to provide our Brunswickan readers with the most holistic, nuanced review possible. How could I imaginably review any bar neutrally with my penchant for fruity cocktails? No, I had a responsibility to bring the University of New Brunswick campus the most hard-hitting reporting I could. And alas, Par 94 does not appear to have their drink menu uploaded or accessible anywhere online, their website or otherwise, so we would have to go in blind.
Entering the lounge, the main room was mostly empty. We went on a Thursday to avoid any incredibly large crowds, but were surprised there were not more customers. A loud crack and thud would rattle the tables every minute or so. Against the back wall, at least a third of the patrons present were huddled around a projector screen, evidently the driving range simulator. Every club swing sent a ball hurtlingfuming into the fabric, forcing the entire weight of the screen against the wall as the computer and projector evidently tracked the speed and angle of the shot. The noise slowly melted into theour background, much as a familiar phone alarm blends in with the cacophony of everyday sounds — not overpowering, but just anxiety-inducing enough to keep prompting your attention.
We all grabbed bar seats, got comfortable, and took in the atmosphere. The furniture throughout looked surprisingly high-quality, and the walls were all so clean they looked freshly painted. I ended up ordering a whiskey cocktail, while my assistant tasters picked out a pint of beer and cider, respectively. We all found them quite tasty, but I noted that my cocktail was more watery than I would have preferred. Without a golf simulator available to rent, we could only look on from afar.
This is where I have to let you in on another secret. I do not know anything about golf. I knew going in a lot of the attention to detail would inadvertently go over my head, but having no context for the game the bar is themed off of absolutely impacts my verdict. The other patrons using the simulator, who seemed to be much more passionate about golfing, were clearly having a good time. While I cannot speak on the personal experience of having a deeper appreciation for Par 94’s theme, I have to assume its core audience must be the golf lovers of Fredericton.
All in all, we ended up spending about an hour and a half there chatting amongst ourselves. Near the end of our visit, and after my friend had finished his beer and what was left of his partner’s cider, he took us over to the wall where a decorative golf-themed blazer jacket was hanging on display. He tipsily gestured toward the sleeve, then proceeded to go into an in-depth rant on the design principles of menswear and lambasted the jacket for its shoddy quality. At that moment, it felt like the proper time to call it a night and head home. Par 94 was a unique experience, and I had never experienced an atmosphere like theirs before! Their drinks were decent, although I think this could only be a strong recommendation for the golf lovers of UNB to explore. Just make sure to rent the simulator in advance!
