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Somewhere between the Plinko, the wild boar hunt and the Jet Pong, it became clear that Birdie's Links and Drinks wasn't about golf. Not exactly, anyway.

It is, instead, a golf-themed playground that's family-friendly but suitable for adults.

Sure, Birdie's Links and Drinks will probably be the biggest and most wide-ranging indoor golf center in Delaware when it opens Wednesday, Jan. 10, in Middletown.

Birdie's was a project more than two years in the making, built from the ground up by a Delaware mother and two sons. Mother Marge, and sons Dylan and David Hannum, got the idea after falling in in love with golf during the boredom of the pandemic.

The 30,000-square-foot restaurant, full-service bar and entertainment complex — located next to the Middletown Crooked Hammock Brewery and a business called Cowboy Painting, whose chickens got loose during construction and wandered over to Birdie's — does indeed boast two psychedelically black-light lit 18-hole mini golf courses, themed for pirates or the retro universe of the 1980s and '90s.

But there's also a full restaurant and bar, golf simulators, and a world of new-school bar games. We took a tour before opening day. Here's what to expect.

Previous coverage:It's got it all: Indoor golf, BBQ, beer. And it's opening in Delaware soon

Middletown openng:Bubbakoo's Burritos brings unusual menu to Delaware

2 black-light mini-golf courses look like a Disney ride or psychedelic 1980s TV

Do not ingest psychedelics, or anything else that might make you confused or unsteady, before entering the dizzying Day-Glo rainbow of the mini-golf courses. Upon entering, we found ourselves focusing and de-focusing our pupils amid the eye-glazing glow.

On the "retro" course, Marge and Homer Simpson sit endlessly on a loveseat, minus Bart or Lisa, radiating bright yellow above a rumpled and glowing rug. One hole starts with a golf-ball Plinko game, a la "The Price is Right," a process that's at least as satisfying as any actual golfing. Another hole starts with a pinball plunger, letting the ball gutter into a golf green.

All sculptures featuring familiar characters, from forlorn E.T. to triumphal Superman, were appropriately licensed by their makers, said Birdie's co-owner Dylan Hannum.

In the pirate course, should you choose to wear the appropriate eyewear, the black-light art is also 3-D. With specs on, the course's painted backgrounds recede into the wall, opening out into coves containing nefarious pirates or dangerous octopi. One pirate on the course, who looks suspiciously like Johny Depp, is deniably not Johnny Depp.

The holes on the two courses don't look particularly difficult to adult eyes, we'll admit. But Dylan Hannum assures us they're trickier than they look.

One 18-hole course costs $12. You can play both, or the same one twice, for $20.

8 golf simulator bays also offer soccer, dodgeball and ... boar hunting

For adults with more golf chops, there are eight HD Golf simulator bays that let you bring your own clubs — or rent the house set — and tee off on courses that range from Pebble Beach to the ultra-exclusive Canadian course of Memphremagogg. (We recommend that serious golfers bring their own clubs, or face the frustration of unfamiliar ones.)

Hit the ball into the padded projection screen, hard as you like, and laser sensors will detect the motion of the ball and re-create its arc on a virtual course, plopping you sadly into the sand trap or victoriously on the green.

Putting is also possible, though it seems terribly difficult.

Those eight high-tech simulator golf bays, rentable by the hour, boast an almost interminably wonky set of statistics to assess your golf swing. The simulators will inform you of the angle of your club face, which way your swing leans, the ball speed speed, the angle of your hit and how far you'll likely hit a ball if you keep on dragging your left leg like that. (Dear lord, who taught you to do that?)

Up to six people can hang out in each simulator bay, at rates from $55 to $75 an hour depending on the time of day.

Soon, Birdie's plans to bring in a golf pro to offer real expert advice, backed up by the nagging precision of state-of-the-art technology.

As non-golfers, we were at least as captivated by the boar hunt, one of multiple alternative games offered by the HD Golf simulator bays. Birdie's offers a gym class's worth of equipment in addition to golf clubs and balls: dodgeballs, bats and baseballs, basketballs, soccer balls. Each belongs to a corresponding game in the simulator bay.

While firing off a (clearly fake) bright-blue plug of a shotgun at a herd of virtual boar, it was hard not to imagine a tipsy bachelor/ette doing the same while a buddy holds their drink. Maybe an office party or a birthday party. Maybe even a date — though we admit we have never gone boar hunting on a date.

The Birdie's restaurant and bar is a clean-lined, leafy hall of recreation

Far from an afterthought to accompany the golf, the most expansive space in the voluminous Birdie's entertainment complex is a hundred-seat restaurant and bar offering burgers, pulled pork or smoked chicken salad sandwiches, loaded fries, nachos and a collection of salads cutely named "The Green."

You know, like the green on a golf course.

A full bar is in play. And while the beers are from major distributors for now, Dylan Hannum says they plan to connect with local craft breweries.

Interspersed around the bright-lit and tightly clean-lined space, decorated with Instagram-friendly hanging greenery, are a wealth of modern bar games. Foosball tables. A golf version of beer pong called "Putterball." Giant Jenga. Giant Connect Four. Cornhole.

Under one table, you can kick a mini-soccer ball at each other, scoring goals in nets beneath each of your feet without ever upsetting your beer. Jet Pong, a space age take on beer pong, involves ping-pong balls thrust up on whooshes of air to hover eerily in front of you. A digital display keeps score, so you don't technically have to drink in order to lose.

Each game, like the pool table at the right kind of roadhouse, is blessedly free. Consider it a brightly modern take on Dave and Buster's, but without the aggressive Vegas-hangover vibes. Call it Dave's and Dylan's and Marge's, perhaps. Or maybe just "Birdie's," Marge's late sister and the place's fond namesake.

Birdie's Links and Drinks opens Jan. 10 at 320 Auto Park Drive, Middletown., 302-520-4653, birdieslinks.com.

Matthew Korfhage is a business and development reporter in the Delaware region covering all the things that touch land and money. This may include tacos, oysters or beer. Send tips and insults to [email protected].

Delaware's version of Clark Griswold from the holiday classic film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" has 33,696 glowing reasons for folks to see his holiday light show this year.

Manny Duarte, 57, of Middletown, has his light show on view in his front yard (103 Cazier Drive, Middletown), which the public is free to view daily from 5 p.m. to midnight, until the final day on Sunday, Jan 7.

While visitors may not notice it, Duarte doesn't crank his LED lights up to full power. This has nothing to do with him trying to cut costs on his electric bill, which balloons to $800 during the holiday season, he explained.

"If I put them all at 100% brightness, it's so bright that you wouldn't be able to stand looking at the lights," said Duarte, who added he uses "a couple hundred" extensions cords for the display.

Duarte's fourth annual holiday light show features over 2,000 more lights than last year. The goal for this year's display was to fill in empty spaces, rather than double the number of lights he used last year, he said.

'Bob's Burgers' song in Christmas light show

Whether cruising along in your car, or walking on foot, visitors within a few blocks of the house can choose their favorite songs from the light show by visiting his website (mannyslights.remotefalcon.com) and tuning into 97.7 FM.

Eighteen songs are available like The Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick" to "Twinkly Lights" from the cartoon "Bob's Burgers.''

Duarte synced his lights to songs to small Christmas trees that "sing'' along with the tunes.

There are two 10-foot-high screens that display images complementing whatever song is playing. That includes a video for Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You."

Last year Duarte was surprised the most selected song from visitors was "Here Is Our King" by the Christian group David Crowder Band. That's Duarte's favorite group.

"When I put that song out there, I didn't know how people would [receive] it. And then it ended up being the most requested," he said.

"Maybe people started thinking about what Christmas is all about, and not just getting presents," Duarte added.

Planning for Christmas show starts in February

Duarte is an IT specialist and owns a company named Omnimaven. He handles everything from running network wires to setting up servers and PCs, wireless networks, phone systems and security cameras.

In 2021, Duarte told Delaware Online/The News Journal that programming the lights to sync with his songs took between three weeks to eight weeks — for each tune. He starts planning for each light show around February.

That same year Duarte gained national exposure after Newsweek reported on his second light show.

The attention he's since gained from local and national press has helped to bring more eyes to his Christmas light show.

Christmas lights request for mom in hospital

Duarte said he does the Christmas display to make others happy.

That's why he left his lights up for an extra two weeks last holiday season after some folks told him they otherwise wouldn't be able to make it.

One of those requests was from a daughter whose mom had health struggles and got discharged from the hospital after Christmas.

"It really touched my heart because ... her mom was in the hospital," Duarte explained.

"She missed all of Christmas. So she wanted to bring her mom by [my house] after New Year's. That felt good."

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at [email protected]. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.

More Entertainment News

The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating a building fire that occurred in Middletown on Saturday night December 16, 2023 at approximately 7 PM.

The Volunteer Hose Company of Middletown was notified of a brush fire in the area of 1800 Middleneck Road. While responding to the original call, the responding units received reports of a building fire at the same location. Upon arrival the Fire Department found heavy fire and smoke coming from a large two-story commercial egg producing facility. Command immediately called for a 2^nd Alarm to assist with extinguishment of the fire. Multiple Fire Companies from Delaware and Maryland responded to assist.

Deputy Fire Marshals were called to the scene to investigate the origin and cause of the fire. At this time the fire is currently under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. No injuries were reported and the fire caused an approximate 1,000,000 dollars in damage officials said. Approximately 200,000 chickens perished in the structure, fire marshals said Sunday.

Breaking Report

On Saturday evening, just before 7:00, the New Castle County’s 911 Center received multiple reports of chicken houses on fire in the 1800 block of Middle Neck Road, west of Middletown.

Upon receiving these calls, the incident commander immediately directed dispatchers to start several water tankers to the scene. Firefighters arriving on scene reported fire showing from two story chicken house and struck a second alarm.

During their initial attack on the fire, crews worked to secure the water supply that would be needed to battle the blaze.

About 40 minutes into the fire command received an urgent message from a firefighter reporting that the fire was in the nearby grain silos. Command ordered an immediate evacuation of the structure, asking dispatch to sound the evacuation tones.

At about 50 minutes into the fight water supply command requested three additional tankers from 911 dispatch.

Despite the water supply difficulties encountered during the operation command was able to bring the fire under control just after 11:00.

Emergency crews remained on the scene well into the early morning hours of Sunday, ensuring that all remaining hotspots were fully extinguished and that the scene was safe.

Further details regarding the cause, circumstances, and damage estimates of the fire will be provided once fire investigators release their official report.

Salesianum School benefitted both from who B.J. Alleyne is as well as who he used to be Friday night at Rocco Abessino Stadium.

Alleyne was among several heroic figures as the Sals thwarted determined Middletown 24-14 in a DIAA Class 3A Football Tournament semifinal played before an overflow crowd.

He rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. But it was his 52-yard touchdown pass to William Neuman late in the third quarter that keyed the Sals' win. Alleyne, who played some quarterback last year at Delaware Military Academy, took a pitch from quarterback Ryan Stoehr and threw to Neuman.

"We've been running it since the beginning of the season," said Alleyne, who also had a TD pass against Appoquinimink. "We were just trusting that everybody was gonna do their job. We ran it in practice and it didn't work. I threw it out of bounds, but Billy Neuman told me it'll work in the game."

Salesianum (11-1) will seek its eighth state football title and first since 2013 in Friday night's Class 3A title clash with Cape Henlopen at Delaware Stadium.

"We've had this day-by-day, week-by-week mentality," said two-way senior lineman Andrew Sellman. "Every time we do that, it puts ourselves in the best position to get to where we want to be. We're finally where we want to be."

Middletown (8-4), which had lost to Salesianum here 37-14 on Oct. 27, drove 72 yards to pull within 17-14 on quarterback Austin Troyer's 2-yard keeper. But Nicholas Strusowski's 57-yard kick-off return put Sallies in position to score again on Alleyne's 2-yard run with 7:06 to go.

Interceptions by Jake Zeigler in the end zone and John Casale at midfield then thwarted Middletown's final two possessions. Matthew Copeland had a first-half interception for the Sals.

Salesianum's defensive effort was also keyed by seven sacks. Middletown had drives stopped on downs at the Sallies 25-, 20- and 13-yard lines and also had a field-goal try rejected by a stiff wind.

Troyer passed for 199 yards and Makai Walker rushed for 122 yards on 24 carries for Middletown. The Cavs led 7-0 after Troyer's 12-yard first-quarter TD pass to Ariyon Matthews.

The Sals then took a 10-7 lead into halftime on Colin Maradik's 32-yard field goal and Alleyne's 16-yard TD run that closed a five-play, 53-yard drive. It featured an 18-yard pass by Stoehr, who replaced starter Brady McBride midway through the second quarter, to the speedy Jasir Gaymon, whose long kickoff return led to the field goal.

"We made some huge stops and got some big turnovers," Sallies first-year coach Gene Delle Donne said. "And the offense picked up first downs when necessary. We pulled a couple tricks out of our back pocket on the toss pass and a reverse. So they stepped up when they needed to."

Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at [email protected] and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.

On Monday the National Weather Service (NWS) Mount Holly, located in New Jersey, conducted a damage survey following a tornado event in Middletown, Delaware on Sunday.

The survey aimed to assess the extent of the damage caused by the tornado and provide valuable information about its strength and path.

The tornado, rated EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, had an estimated peak wind speed of 100 mph. It traveled a path of approximately 1.19 miles in length and had a maximum width of 200 yards officials said.

The tornado originated in a field just west of North Bayberry Parkway, about 4 miles northeast of Middletown. Prior to the tornado’s formation, the area experienced notable rear flank downdraft straight-line wind damage in the Bayberry South neighborhood. Several homes along South Bayberry Parkway, Puccini Lane, Chopin Drive, and Ravel Lane sustained minor cosmetic damage, including soffit and gutter damage, and some shingles and siding were blown off. One home on Chopin Drive experienced a small section of roof damage.

As the tornado continued northeast, it crossed Route 896, causing some minor damage to small signs and the Bayberry North neighborhood sign. A single-family house and detached garage near the intersection of North Bayberry Parkway and Route 896 also sustained cosmetic damage, along with several trees in the vicinity.

The tornadic circulation intensified northwest of the aforementioned property, resulting in damage to small to medium-sized softwood trees along North Bayberry Parkway. The tornado then proceeded northeast, causing minor damage to a park playground and pavilion. It crossed a field and a pond before impacting a home along Plato Place, where it caused cosmetic damage and blew down a fence.

Moving into a tree line, the tornado uprooted several trees before entering the residential area along Milford Drive. At this point, the tornado reached its maximum width of approximately 200 yards. Additional trees were uprooted or snapped, and some homes suffered minor cosmetic damage along the western loop of Milford Drive.

The tornado continued northeast, strengthening further as it approached the western loop of Milford Drive. A line of cedar trees had most of its trees uprooted, and homes in the area experienced varying degrees of damage. One home’s detached garage had a blown-in garage door and a pushed-out exterior wall, while another home had its back deck porch roof completely destroyed. Outdoor furniture was blown away, and a hot tub was flipped over. Another detached garage sustained minor cosmetic damage.

Proceeding along Ethel Court, primarily tree damage occurred, including another row of cedar trees that were blown down. The tornado then followed Bullen Drive, slightly turning left as the circulation began to occlude. Numerous small trees sustained varying degrees of damage, particularly on the eastern side near the intersections of South Red Fox Circle and North Red Fox Circle. Homes along Bullen Drive were impacted, with significant damage occurring to one house where the attached garage roof was blown off into the front yard. Chimneys, windows, and siding were also damaged in other residences.

The tornado dissipated as it reached Hyatts Corner Road, north-northeast of Angelo Court. In addition to the tornado damage, the NWS survey team identified straight-line wind damage in the surrounding areas. A semi-truck was blown over on Route 1 southbound, and some corn was blown down in a field east of US Route 13. This damage was determined to be the result of straight-line winds and not related to the tornadic circulation.

Further northeast of the tornado’s dissipation point, sporadic tree damage and minor cosmetic damage to homes were found in residential areas along Port Penn Road, including Sugar Pine Drive and Dutch Neck Road. Additional blown-down corn was also observed in fields along Dutch Neck Road. These areas experienced straight-line wind damage.

The NWS Mount Holly extends its gratitude to the New Castle County Emergency Management and Mr. Lou Ruh for their valuable assistance during the survey.

Officials said that the information provided in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event and publication in the official NWS reports.

No fatalities were reported as a result of this incident.