Georgia Magazine - April 2021 - 31

Admiral Axe, Clayton
admiralaxe.com
Admiral Axe co-founder Josh Brown will be the first to
admit that his decision to open an ax-throwing venue stemmed
from self-interest-not in the business sense but rather out of a
need for entertainment.
" We live in a small town, and there aren't a lot of date-night
options beyond dinner and a drink, " Brown says. " We found
ourselves driving to Atlanta, Greenville [S.C.] or Asheville [N.C.]
to have something different to do every few months. "
Brown and his partners decided to give themselves and

COURTESY MOLLY DUNN

s

about how Habersham [County] needed some more
entertainment. We wanted to create something where people
could stay close to home and spend their money locally. We
also wanted to provide the community with something new and
something different. "
The Axe Armory opened in June during the height of
pandemic shutdowns. And despite the challenges of social
distancing, sanitation and limited hours, the venue already has
garnered a loyal following.
" Obviously we are ready for the next step: the day the virus
is more under control. We are ready for that day, " Hill says.
" Because if we are doing as well as we are right now, we feel
like the sky's the limit when people are super comfortable with
going out again. "
The Axe Armory features 10 throwing lanes spread out
through a rustic early-1900s building. Patrons are allowed to
bring their own food and alcohol in from other businesses in
the entertainment district, which allows open containers in a
designated area.

Ax-throwing venues are popular for group outings. These sorority
sisters from the University of Georgia held a father-daughter event
at Lumberjaxe in Athens.

their community some entertainment options a bit closer to
home.
Like many other owners, his passion for ax throwing was
born on a whim. He and his wife noticed a venue near the
brewery they were visiting in Greenville, S.C., and decided to try
it out.
" We had a blast, experienced a new activity and laughed
more than we had in a hot minute, " he says.
Fortunately for Brown, an ax-throwing venue blended
seamlessly with his already highly successful outdoor sports
outfitter, Wander North Georgia. Brown-along with his brother
Alex and two other partners-founded Wander in 2016 and
opened Admiral Axe in the Wander storefront's basement in
2019. In its first year of business, the cozy venue hosted nearly
10,000 patrons.
Brown says Admiral Axe was intended to be a familyfriendly environment while still offering beer, league nights and
other special events.
Admiral Axe was forced to close down in March 2020
because of the pandemic and reopened only sporadically
throughout 2020. However, the owners are aiming for a
relaunch later this year if conditions allow.
Cameron Whitlock is a Douglasville-based freelance writer.

Some other places to throw axes in Georgia
* Appalachian Axe Challenge, Summerville; (706) 808-0595;
appaxechallenge.com
* Axe Master Throwing, Sugar Hill; (404) 692-3667; axemaster.com
* Axe Throwing Atlanta, Atlanta; (404) 480-0644; axethrowingatlanta.com
* Axe Town, Covington; (470) 444-1351; axe-town.com
* Bad Axe Throwing, Atlanta; (844) 818-0999; badaxethrowing.com
* Bear Axe Throwing, Pooler; (833) 232-7293; bearaxethrowing.com
* Big's Axe Throwing, Dalton; (706) 529-4514; bigsaxethrowing.com
* Blade & Bull Axe Throwing, Savannah; (912) 349-0628; bladeandbull.com
* Bury the Hatchet, Sandy Springs; (404) 974-4831; burythehatchet.com
* Columbus Axe Throwing, Columbus; (706) 392-0291;
throwcolumbusaxe.com
* Freedom Mill Axe Throwing, Cumming; (770) 887-5200; freedommillga.com
* Highway to Hell'n, Cleveland; (706) 865-1835; hwytohelln.com
* Ironmonger Taproom + Axe Throwing, Marietta; (470) 231-8894;
ironmongerbrewing.com
* Lumberjaxe, Athens; (706) 995-7405; lumberjaxe.com
* Maniaxe Throwing, Macon; (478) 305-7789; maniaxe-throwing.com
* Rome Axe Throwing, Rome; (706) 237-7129; romeaxethrowing.com
* Skoll Axe Throwing, Valdosta; (229) 392-2698; skollaxe.com
* The Southern Ox Axe Throwing, Monroe; (678) 620-7374;
thesouthernox.com
* Splinters Axe House, Warner Robins; (478) 551-4876; splintersaxehouse.com
* Stumpy's Hatchet House Columbus, Columbus; (706) 221-3978;
stumpyshh.com
* Sublime Axe Throwing, Hartwell; (706) 521-9622; sublimeaxethrowing.com
* Twisted Timber Axe Throwing, Albany; (229) 573-7489; bit.ly/twistedtimber
www.georgiamagazine.org

29-31_Around_GA_0421.indd 31

31

3/11/21 2:49 PM

http://www.admiralaxe.com http://www.appaxechallenge.com http://www.axemaster.com http://www.axethrowingatlanta.com http://www.axe-town.com http://www.badaxethrowing.com http://www.bearaxethrowing.com http://www.bigsaxethrowing.com http://www.bladeandbull.com http://www.burythehatchet.com http://www.throwcolumbusaxe.com http://www.freedommillga.com http://www.hwytohelln.com http://www.ironmongerbrewing.com http://www.lumberjaxe.com http://www.maniaxe-throwing.com http://www.romeaxethrowing.com http://www.skollaxe.com http://www.thesouthernox.com http://www.splintersaxehouse.com http://www.stumpyshh.com http://www.sublimeaxethrowing.com http://www.bit.ly/twistedtimber http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Georgia Magazine - April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - April 2021