Blind Date: Lindsay and Grant, whose date at Topgolf came just short of a hole in one

Welcome to Blind Date, the Agenda’s blind date series.

This is the latest in a multi-part series in which I match single Charlotteans of all ages.

Applicants sent me a few details on things like their views on politics, religion and marriage and trusted me to send them on a true blind date.

Those selected don’t know anything about their date except the essentials – name, age and one thing that I thought would make them a good match. They don’t even get to see a picture.

After sifting through over 1,100 applicants, I set aside several pairs and, based on their survey answers, set up a date I thought they’d enjoy.

Next up: Lindsay and Grant.

Lindsay, who works in the healthcare industry, is a Charlotte native with a love for sports, almost every neighborhood and the events that are popping up all over the city all the time. She describes herself as a “fun-loving person that knows when to be serious” while her best friend would say she’s the “life of the party” and “always down for whatever.”

Grant, also in his early 30s, has lived in Charlotte for most of his life and works in the real estate world. He’s a fan of the city’s breweries, food and outdoor activities, and describes himself as an “easy-going guy who likes spending time with friends and family” while his best friend would say he’s “f***ing awesome.”

I matched them because they both love all the things Charlotte has to do (and fill their free time the same sort of activities), enjoy the same sort of bar atmosphere and both seem easy going with good senses of humor.

Because they both prefer interactive dates that allow for some sort of distraction in case things get weird, and their love for sports, we sent them to Topgolf for a round of golf, drinks and food. Here’s how it went.

How do you feel about the dating scene in Charlotte? And if you’re in it, how are you meeting people?

Lindsay: I don’t date that often, but it definitely sucks to have to rely mostly on apps and the internet. Nothing’s organic anymore. But I think a lot of the change that comes with that kind of stuff is your age. If you asked me how the dating world was online when I was in my twenties, yeah, it was a lot easier and a lot more casual. But then when you’re in your thirties, it’s kind of something you just don’t want to do. You’re not looking for anything casual anymore, but that’s what you expect the dating apps to be, but I’m also not at the point I want to pay for something using Match or eHarmony. It’s a second job trying to keep up with this stuff.

Grant: I think it’s fine. I go on dates every now and then, but not recently, since I’m not actively seeking that right now. I’ve met people through friends, but had actually not done online dating until last month. I went out with someone I met on Bumble, and it was fine, but Bumble is kind of a lot to keep up with.

How did you feel leading up to the date?

Lindsay: I was kind of freaking out after you initially reached out, like, ‘What was I thinking doing this?’ But I got more comfortable after we found out where it was.

I’m not a shy person by any means at all, so the anxiety came from thinking about having to walk up to him, he’s wearing a blue shirt, should I bring an airport sign? Day of, I had no nerves at all. I just wanted to go play some golf.

Grant: I had a friend that told me about this series and I was skeptical at first, but when you reached out to me, I was kind of excited to meet somebody new and figured, ‘What’s the worst thing that could happen?’ I didn’t think I’d have a bad time or anything, but I wasn’t nervous once I committed. I was looking forward to it.

What was your first impression?

Lindsay: I just thought he was a normal looking dude. He had really kind eyes and we had the one-armed hug when we first met. It was fine, just a normal dude.

Grant: I could tell at the beginning that she was pretty outgoing, so I thought, ‘Well, this should be easy and we’ll have a fun time.’

Did you guys get along? What’d you like about each other, and what was the vibe? Was there chemistry?

Lindsay: Yeah, we got along pretty well. We’re in the same range and he grew up in Charlotte, too, so we talked about stuff that’s changed since we were younger. We had a couple of odd things in common, which was cool. He’d just finished a book I had read, and neither of us are super impressed with the dogs that are everywhere in Charlotte, which you never hear from a man, but…

There wasn’t a spark or chemistry there for me. It was more of a friends thing, but I did have a great time. It was a good date, but it wasn’t there romantically for us.

Grant: Yeah, we got along. Like I said, she’s outgoing and easy to talk to. We talked about everything, and golf itself is a quick way to pass an hour, so it went by pretty quickly.

I think I had a good time and she was fun, but it was more like hanging out with a friend or something.

How did you leave it?

Lindsay: He got my number, we hugged bye and that was it. That was it; I didn’t get the ‘Did you get home safe?’ text or nothing, which, I don’t want to be like, ‘Oh, chivalry,’ but… I didn’t say it to him either, but I think that’s a nice thing to do. He seemed like a nice guy that normally would do that, but it didn’t happen that day.

Grant: I gave her a hug, said I had a good time and said goodbye. I got her phone number, but I didn’t text her or anything, so… I’ll probably just leave it where it is. We had a good time, but we’ll probably leave it where it is.

What rating would you give the date? Let’s do it on a one to five scale.

Lindsay: It’s hard because it could’ve been a five if we’d had that spark. I’d give it, overall, a four.

Grant: It’s a four out of five. I had fun hanging out and meeting her, but it was more friendly than anything else.

Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.