Justin Miles and Josh Jones have been working on a miniature golf course project for the community to enjoy.

“It’s an idea that has been lingering for a little over a year, and we have been hard at work for about the last eight months ironing out the logistics of everything,” Miles said.

“Since Facebook has a way of muddying the water and stirring up confusion, we wanted to take a moment to clear the air about the mini golf project,” he said.

“First and foremost: this is a privately owned business, not a city project. We’ve been working behind the scenes on something we believe could bring fresh foot traffic, tourism, and life downtown. Because of the positive economic impact we hoped to create, we felt it was fair to ask the city for a little support, not ownership, just support.”

“This is not a get-rich scheme. This is a passion project. One we’ve poured time and heart into because we love this town and wanted to bring something new and fun to it,” Miles said.

The parking lot that was looked at was across from Sharky’s Pub and Grub on North National Avenue.

“It was presented to us—we didn’t go after it blindly. It’s a public city-owned lot, not owned by any one private business. After getting some initial thumbs-up from a handful of downtown business owners and neighbors, we decided to bring it to the  Fort Scott City Commission to test the waters and get their input.”

“That (recent) commission meeting was the public communication step. It was the beginning of the conversation, and we hoped a public hearing would allow everyone to share thoughts and be part of the process. But instead of discussion, we got a Facebook frenzy.”

“To be clear, we never intended to take over the entire lot. In fact, plans included Wall Street adjustments to add new parking, and we hoped to use only about 50% of the lot, leaving 15–20 public spots.”

“But at this point, if it even needs to be said: We will not be moving forward with that location. We’re disappointed, sure—this wasn’t the welcome we hoped for. But we hear you.”

“We’re now going back to the drawing board, exploring new options, and reevaluating the overall feasibility of the project.”

“We truly appreciate everyone who has supported this idea and shared constructive feedback. Thank you for being part of the conversation—even if it came a little louder and messier than expected,” Miles said.

“We are surveying possible options and what will work best for us moving forward.”