Fairway Pool is drained for the year, but the Pool House at 6136 Mission Road has new hours. Since mid-September it has been The Golf House, a city-run indoor golf simulator. It's open to the public from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, and its snack bar serves hot dogs, pretzels, beer, hard seltzer and wine.
Fairway covers 1.1 square miles and has about 40 businesses. In August, the plan to put a restaurant in the former Houlihan's on 53rd Street fell through again. That makes the newest place in town to grab a drink and a table with friends this fall a room the parks department runs next to the pool's turf field.
What the Pool House turned into
The Golf House runs from September through May, or "from Labor Day to Memorial Day," as the city puts it. It held a ribbon cutting on Saturday, September 12, with free popcorn, hot dogs and soft drinks for anyone who came to try the bays. Public hours started September 14.
There are two simulator bays. With so few bays, the booking rules count. Non-members can reserve up to seven days ahead, and every membership tier gets earlier access to openings.
| Option | What you get | Fairway resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly bay | 1 hour, 1 person; $5 per added guest, up to 3 guests | $35 per hour | $35 per hour |
| Par membership | 4 one-hour bay credits a month, 1 day early booking, 10% off extra hours | $110 per month | $125 per month |
| Birdie membership | 8 credits a month, 2 days early booking, 15% off extra hours | $220 per month | $250 per month |
| Eagle membership | 16 credits a month, earliest booking, 20% off extra hours | $440 per month | $500 per month |
A group of four pays $50 for an hour: $35 for the bay plus $5 for each of the three guests. Members can play from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., well outside the public hours.
The leagues began this month. The October two-person scramble plays four weekly rounds from October 5 through November 2, costs $80 per person, and takes registrations until 8 p.m. on October 10. Registration for the October singles league closed October 5. The monthly competitions feed into an inaugural Fairway Cup and a postseason tournament in May.
A snack bar with a wine list, run by the parks department
The snack bar keeps the same 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. hours as the bays, though some items aren't served until 11 a.m. It's a pool-concession menu with a few additions: chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, candy and ice cream, plus beer, hard seltzer, wine and a soda fountain.
The city wrote the drinks in on purpose. Fairway's parks master plan, adopted November 10, 2025, describes the simulator as a way to make the Pool House usable off-season and to earn year-round revenue from programs and private rentals. It also calls for a policy on responsible alcohol service at approved group rentals. The city's own description promises "a fun night out" and "a place to gather."
Every Fairway resident has heard that pitch before, and it usually came attached to 53rd Street.
Six years of plans for 2820 W. 53rd St.
The former Houlihan's at 2820 W. 53rd St. has been the city's main hope for a sit-down dinner spot since the restaurant closed. The Johnson County Post called the empty space "a key piece of real estate for a future dining-out option in a city with limited development options." Here is the timeline, as the Post reported it:
- December 2019. Houlihan's closes for good after 16 years in Fairway.
- 2023. Kansas City restaurateur Whitney VinZant first shows interest in the site.
- April 2025. W. VinZant Restaurants floats a family-friendly brewery, which later becomes a restaurant concept called American Fire.
- December 2025. The City Council approves a development agreement with a community improvement district. It adds a 2% sales tax on diners, with up to about $1.7 million reimbursed to the developer over 22 years.
- May 2026. The city signs an updated agreement setting an August 1, 2026 construction start and an April 1, 2027 completion date.
- Early August 2026. The city tells residents in an email newsletter that the restaurant group is "not able to proceed."
The parties described the collapse differently. The city said the restaurant group and the property owners couldn't reach a lease agreement. David Block, president of Block & Company, told the Post the landlord had been "prepared and ready to make a deal" the whole time. Mayor Melanie Hepperly said in the city's newsletter, "Economic development is rarely a straight path."
City Administrator Nathan Nogelmeier told the Post there is no set timeline for deciding what comes next. Block said non-restaurant tenants are possible, but he thinks residents "would really like to see a nice restaurant in there." The next City Council meeting is October 12.
The Golf House was already funded before August
The timing makes the Golf House look like a quick fix for the Houlihan's news. The city's records say otherwise. The 2025 Pool Report set aside $100,000 from the 2014 Sales Tax Fund for the simulator. The plan was to install it once pool hours wound down in August and finish by Labor Day. Minutes from the October 13, 2025 council meeting show the project in the 2026 budget with the same schedule.
So the two projects ran on parallel tracks for most of a year. The private restaurant at 2820 W. 53rd St. needed a lease, a tax district and two development agreements, and it still didn't happen. The public room on Mission Road needed one budget line, and it opened on schedule.
The city also points to golf history to explain the choice. Fairway, incorporated in 1949, got its name because it sits near several golf courses and country clubs. The Golf House site says the facility "continues that tradition." Those country clubs are private. Anyone can book a bay at the Pool House for $35.
The rest of October runs along 53rd Street
West of the empty Houlihan's, the Shawnee Indian Mission at 3403 W. 53rd St. has the city's busiest month of programs. The city's Parks & Recreation department lists the Mission's site director in its fall guide, and many of the guide's classes and events are held on the Mission grounds.
- Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 40th annual Fall Festival, with Indigenous dancers, a craft fair with dozens of local artists and crafters, Drum Safari, food trucks, living history demonstrators, wagon and pony rides, a rope bridge, games and archery.
- All fall. "Trespassers Beware! Fort Conley and Wyandot Women Warriors," a traveling public art exhibit. It grew out of the story of the Conley sisters and Fort Conley at Huron Cemetery, which Chief Judith Manthe of the Wyandot Tribe of Kansas presented at the Mission in August.
- Wednesdays, October 7 through 28. Beginning Crochet, four classes at the Mission, $110 for residents and $120 for non-residents.
- Friday, October 23, 9:30 a.m. to noon. Homeschool Day, with pre-registration required.
- Saturday, October 24, 3 to 4:30 p.m. A cemetery history program at Fairway's Methodist Cemetery, a couple of blocks from the Mission, with pre-registration.
On other days, the Mission is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The suggested donation for walk-in tours is $5 per adult and $1 per child.
The city's own events take over the last week of the month. On October 25, from 4 to 7 p.m., Driveway Trick-or-Treat sends a parade of Halloween-themed vehicles and inflatables through Fairway's streets. Registered children get a bag of treats delivered to the edge of their driveway for $5 per child. The city's event page lists the registration deadline as both October 18 and "TBD," so check with the City of Fairway before you count on a spot. The next morning, October 26, is the city's first voluntary curbside leaf pickup, at $45.
After the trick-or-treat route ends, the Pool House stays open until 8 p.m. with two bays and a cooler of beer, steps from the pool's turf field.
New amenities are one of the first things buyers ask about in a small city like Fairway, and this season the Golf House is the one to mention. If you're thinking about selling and wondering how this fall's changes come across to buyers, the LIVIN KC team can walk you through it over coffee or a bay rental. Start with a free home valuation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
