A VIRTUAL golf bar is preparing to open its doors to customers offering a fun night of food, booze and 18 holes of fun.

Bunker 19, in Southend’s Alexandra Street, will host a grand opening event on Saturday after weeks of preparation by owner Dan Day.

Customers will be able to take part in virtual golf competitions and pick up tips from Mr Day, as well as enjoying food from the “Oak and Smoke” grill restaurant all while sipping on beers and cocktails.

The new business is opening in the former site of Bakers Bar, which was replaced by Elements Nightclub from 2009 to 2015 and then succeeded by the Venue Bar until 2020.

The virtual golf bar will be serving booze by the Leigh Brewing Company to ensure a range of drinks are flowing throughout the night as well as a guest magician who will be on hand to keep guests entertained.

Owner, Dan, is optimistic that the grand opening will give people a real taste of what the new venue has to offer.

He said: “We want Saturday to be very casual, with free walk-ins to give people a chance to see what we are about. The bar will be up, and Leigh Brewery will be there to help us celebrate the opening of our doors.

“The golf screens will be up as well, so we will be doing a one-hole competition and a par three nearest to the pin in three shots competition too.”

The club joins the likes of the Terrace Bar, Twelve Cocktails, new club Sun Rooms 2, and The Alex pub in the area as business owners aim to create a “mini Shoreditch” in the area.

Dan added: “We will have a golf pro in and a Dynamo style events magician, who I am trying to get to perform a trick in the golf bay.

“We just want people to be in here from 5pm on Saturday to see what they can do and then on Sunday, we will be opening to families. From Monday we will be offering 15-minute sample sessions from our golf pro too.

“It will be more relaxed and the following week, out standard booking system will open up.”

The family fun-day on Sunday will be from 1pm and Monday 27 will have taster sessions from noon.