Little T’s Mini Golf to celebrate grand opening with ribbon cutting ceremony

Little T’s Mini Golf will be celebrating its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce today at 11 a.m.

Little T’s got its start after its owners, Scott and Brandi Tavegia, purchased Mountain Home’s old mini-golf course back in February.

The Tavegias became interested in opening a mini-golf course they attended Bitty & Beau’s Coffee’s grand opening in North Carolina. The coffee shop, which now has 22 locations throughout the U.S., focuses on incorporating individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities into the workforce by pairing those individuals with non-disabled workers.

That focus and commitment spoke to the Tavegias as they thought about the future for their son, Andrew, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth. And while the life of a barista wasn’t in the cards for Scott and Brandi, their passion for hiking and mini-golf would eventually lead them to Mountain Home.

After deciding to open a mini-golf course, Scott began drafting a business plan to open a mini-golf course. The Tavegias’ first opportunity to purchase a course would happen in their home state of Maryland in 2020.

While looking for property, the pair came across an abandoned course in their hometown. Sadly, the property owner refused to sell despite the Tavegias clearing all Maryland business hurdles.

The refusal to sell turned out to be a blessing in disguise after Maryland began shutting down businesses after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Scott and Brandi said the shutdown would have bankrupted them.

With their dream on hold and a pandemic raging, the couple focused on moving forward.

In May of 2021, they would visit the Mountain Home area for the first time while on vacation for their anniversary. While exploring the area, Scott and Brandi looked at several properties before being informed about All About Fun, a closed mini-golf course off Highway 5.

With the help of several local community members, including Arkansas State University – Mountain Home’s Kyle Davidson, the Tavegias were able to secure funding for their new business idea.

They put a bid on the property and began the process of selling their own home in Maryland. By August of 2021, the Tavegias had moved in with Brandi’s mother while awaiting the finalization of the sale in Arkansas.

The sale was finalized on Feb. 22 of this year, allowing the family to finish their move to Mountain Home. They named their new business Little T’s in honor of their son, Andrew.

Little T’s Mini Golf & More rests on over three acres of land and sits directly across the street from Baxter Regional’s Wellness Education Center. With a full 18-hole zoo-themed course from Harris Miniature Golf Courses Inc., one of the world’s premier mini-golf course makers, Little T’s course feature working streams, banked greens, rough turf, a footbridge, and a waterfall.

And while the bones of the course were solid, the Tavegias had their work cut out for them as they worked day and night to clean up the course and repair or rebuild anything that was damaged.

Over the past several months, they’ve installed several animal statues of tigers, elephants, and hippopotamuses that are scattered throughout the course. They’ve also worked on refurbishing the course’s main building. That building features a full ice cream shop, a working kitchen, and additional space to host birthday parties or meetings.

The ice cream shop and kitchen are expected to open in the near future. An outdoor area with several outdoor games like Jenga and cornhole is also planned for future expansions. The entire facility and course are ADA-compliant.

Little T’s Mini Golf & More is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays are reserved for hiking!

Tickets to play cost $8 for ages 11-60 and $7 for children 5-10. Children four and under get in with their parents for free. For those “experienced kids” over 60, tickets will run $6. Veterans also pay $6 at the door. Additional rounds cost $4.

For more information on Little T’s Mini Golf & More, contact (870) 701-3066.