James Jarvis, owner of Traveling Bear Indoor Mini-Golf, poses with Hole #18, a tribute to coal miners.
By Gloria Oster
Gloria Oster is retired from the School of Education at King University. She is the co-chair of the A! Magazine for the Arts committee.
Where can a person go to enjoy lovely acrylic murals of area landmarks, play a round of indoor mini-golf and maybe even have a hot dog and a piece of cheesecake? Such a multi-sensory experience comes in the form of The Traveling Bear Indoor Mini-Golf at 1125 Old Euclid Center in Bristol, Virginia.
James Jarvis, the owner, wanted his 18-hole locally themed indoor course to rival anything a visitor might experience in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. He chose the iconic, ubiquitous black bear of our area as a logo to represent his concept of “traveling” locally to understand the array of experiences the region offers. His project took seven months to become reality; the opening was July 28, 2023.
Jarvis took a creative approach for his business model. Seeking community partnerships, he wanted to promote a beloved family activity, popular since the 1960s, as well as highlight local businesses, encouraging locals and tourists to explore entertainment, history and services that are easily accessible within an hour and a half of Bristol. Each of the 18 holes is sponsored for a year by a local business and is decorated with appropriate props designed to pique curiosity, encouraging Jarvis’s patrons to explore that business or activity. As a result, the unique course is visually entertaining as well as appropriately challenging. With local Mom and Pop partners, Jarvis fulfilled his mission, hoping to serve families for years to come. The Traveling Bear website shares information about the sponsors on their website.
To make this concept come to life, Jarvis enlisted the aid of artist Leah Dowell. Each hole represents a place, person or concept unique to the area, and Dowell’s artwork serves as a backdrop for each. “Leah is my wife’s cousin, and I knew the talent she had. Her talent far exceeded my expectations. I knew she would bring the pieces to life that I had visions of. Collaborating with Leah with her amazing talent took my ideas to the next level,” Jarvis states. Dowell estimates the amount of time invested in the murals tops 24 hours. As the work progressed, “I pushed myself to add more detail into each one,” she states. Dowell is largely a self-taught artist who enjoys doing portraits of people and pets. She likes working with charcoal and watercolor as well as acrylic paint.
All the murals are hand drawn and hand painted with no shadow drafting. A favorite of Jarvis’s is hole #7, entitled “The Blue Ridge Parkway.” He explains, “This hole is wrapped in beautiful red oak that was harvested from an 80-acre farm in Mountain City.” Dowell’s background mural depicts an evening sky with mountains in the background, a touch of fog rising. Among Dowell’s favorites are a butterfly-shaped hole with Dolly Parton’s portrait in the background and one entitled “Just Fishin’,” a nod to the Holston River. One hole pays tribute to Classic Studio by incorporating one of their soundboards.
Originally, Jarvis had planned on having one mural, but once he saw Dowell’s artwork that plan changed. The original plan “quickly turned into my painting many more murals. There were a few that I was given creative freedom to paint, provided I stayed consistent with the theme. We debated with other family and friends as to which [images] would look best alongside the craftsmanship of the hole itself,” Dowell states.
The construction of the course was largely completed by Jarvis and his cousin Eric Crutchfield. Jarvis credits his father and grandfather for helping hone his skill in woodworking. Hole #18 is a labor of love and an homage to his heritage. “I was born in Coalwood, West Virginia, and the three most influential people in my life were my grandpa, my dad and my uncle.” These coal miners in his family are honored with a 3-D painted coal miner and some mining artifacts that belonged to them. If a person scores a hole-in-one on this hole on the first try, they win a prize.
A round of mini-golf is $11; Children 3 and under play free with a paying adult. A military discount of 10% is available. On Wednesday, a special rate of $9 per person applies. Group discounts are available; homeschool groups have used the course as a physical education option. The course is designed to be ADA compliant and wheel-chair accessible. Adaptive golf clubs are on site. Assisted living residents have enjoyed the course since its opening. A well-stocked concession stand offers lots of options for refreshments.
Jarvis is offering a Valentine’s Day special: For $25, you and your special person can play a round each of mini-golf plus enjoy two hot dogs, two drinks, and two bags of chips or two nachos and two drinks. Special door prizes will be given as part of the package.
For more information about The Traveling Bear Indoor Mini-Golf, follow them on Facebook or check the website at travelingbearminigolf.com.
