Swingers Dupont Circle — Local services in Washington

Honestly pretty disappointing and a huge waste of money. The aesthetics are fun and pretty much every staff member except for one was phenomenal, which is why I gave 3 stars instead of 2. tldr everything is overpriced, check in procedures take about as much time as the actual golfing and they essentially have you piled on top of each other once you get inside.

I wasn't able to get a reservation online so I called and asked about walk ups. It was suggested that I arrive early, as the line would likely be long. I got there at 11:40 (they open at 12) and was told that I wasn't allowed to "just stand there". okay fine. I go across the street to get a coffee and wait. At 11:50 the line almost immediately gets long so I rush over to get a spot. The actual process of getting people in the door is kind of jumbled and mismanaged, but every staff member I interacted with (except for one guy at the door who acted like he was a bouncer at a club and was barking orders at other staff members and customers alike) was great.

After ID checks and everything I finally make it downstairs. The 12:00 spots are full so we have to wait for the next one. We order a few drinks (a mimosa and a Jack and ginger) and it takes 20 minutes. For two drinks with two ingredients each. First, there's no Jack Daniels, so someone has to grab it from upstairs. Then there's no orange juice and someone has to grab that too. We have time to kill and the bartender is nice, so whatever. When we get another round, almost the same thing happens. 20 minutes for two drinks. The drinks were also super overpriced, but that's not surprising at a place like this.

When it was finally our turn, The party in front of us has seven half drunk guys who took forever (because... there are seven of them and they're half drunk) and we're stuck waiting for them after every hole. I realize it's not the staffs fault, but it doesn't make sense to start larger parties before smaller ones for exactly this reason. The holes are also way too small and you're pretty much done with the entire course in about 30 minutes (If we hadn't been stuck behind the other party it likely would've been less). Tbh, it should just be one 18 hole course, but they need to squeeze profit out however they can and instead choose to pack you in like sardines.

Might be worth trying once for the novelty but I...

I attended this location Friday, June 30th, 2023. It was not my first time coming, but was worse for sure. I will begin with what things went right that night. Good things: My waiter Ellis was great and kind and served my group well. We took our bill to the game, and I wish I did not do that because If I paid at the dining area I would have tipped him personally. The ambiance was nice as usual and we were having fun until our 7th hole.

Terrible things: I purchased a ticket for a late-night game with my group online. We were supposed to have the final time slot at 11:00 PM. During our game, another group of six was ahead of us and we were playing at a normal pace. However, the attendants managing the game allowed two groups of couples to pay for later tickets and asked if my group and the one in front of us could kindly let them pass since they were smaller. We agreed and continued to have fun until we reached the 7th hole. The manager of the establishment then informed us that we could not finish our game, even though there were only two holes left, and asked us to let other groups go ahead of us. This was despite the fact that we had arrived early and started on time. The establishment refused to compensate us for the inconvenience. We had bought packages that included two drink tickets, which we didn't even get to use. This experience was a disappointment and the management's attitude towards customer service was poor. It's unfair to allow other groups to purchase tickets for a later time slot when those who pre-paid and arrived on time cannot finish their game. I strongly advise against allowing other groups to pass you in line. This establishment does not value its customers and I won't be returning.

UPDATE: I had previously given a 1-star review, but I am now hopeful that things can be resolved after speaking with the general manager. We came to an agreement on how to make things right. The manager on duty at the time was new, but they assured me that everyone should be able to finish their games. I am grateful for their prompt and considerate response to our situation. I will provide an update after...

Came here with my son at 7:45pm before dinner reservations close by. No mention of needing to be 21 on the website. Manager spoke to me. Was nice but showed me I had to go to a booking screen to see the small print of 21+. If you are going to have a bunch of games in there one would think you’d be a little more clear on how you market the establishment. Would give 0 stars if I could.

My feedback to the response from my review - note ... I have not received a response Hi Chris,

Thanks for responding to my review.

I want to be very clear: the experience was a real disappointment and frankly a pain. I showed up with my son, excited to check out the venue, only to be told we couldn’t enter. That’s frustrating for any customer but even more so when there’s no obvious mention of the 21+ policy on the homepage or location landing page. Most people aren't clicking into booking flows or legal fine print just to confirm whether they can walk in the door.

What bothered me even more, though, was how your response misrepresented the situation. You said the 21+ policy is “noted throughout” the website and booking process but that’s simply not true for a typical user. I just went through the site again with fresh eyes: there’s nothing on the homepage, nothing on the DC location landing page, and no age gate or obvious banner anywhere. The information is buried and that’s on your team, not the customer.

I work in customer-facing businesses, so I respect having clear policies. But if you’re going to operate a strict 21+ model, you need to make it unmistakably clear upfront. Otherwise, it feels like a bait-and-switch.

If you want to avoid more of this kind of feedback, I suggest:

Adding a clear 21+ notice to the homepage and the DC location page

Including an age gate or pop-up that appears before booking or exploring the site

I appreciate your offer to make it right, but I’m not looking for a comp or a gift card. I’d just like you to fix this for future guests. That’s what would actually...