A MODERN TEE In Renton, Wash., golf balls are flying from a Boeing aircraft assembly plant at a sprawling new togolf sports and recreation facility that opened Friday.
TopGolf Renton-Seattle is the company’s 78th location and first in Washington state, where golfers of all skill levels flocked to hit golf balls, play games, eat, drink and take in the atmosphere amid the heat wave.
Topgolf uses the Toptraser, a technology-assisted driving range experience. Each ball hit through three stages from 102 different bays is tracked by cameras that quickly transmit information such as speed and distance to video displays. Golfers can play games like “Angry Birds” or “Jewel Jam” or simulate on famous courses around the world.
But being a good golfer isn’t par for the course.
“Seventy-five percent of the people who come in here don’t consider themselves golfers, or have never left a golf club,” Paul Howard, the facility’s director of operations, told GeekWire during his visit. “It’s a misconception that TopGolf is only about golf. It’s more about having a good time, getting together with friends.
“And it’s all open,” he said, revealing more than 65,000 square feet of space including multiple bars, outdoor patios, lounges, private meeting rooms, an executive conference room, three indoor swing bays and more. .
Topgolf has arrived as tech-enabled golf culture is on the rise in the Seattle area. Five Iron Golf, a high-tech indoor golf experience with 10 other U.S. locations, opened in March in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Hip-hop star Macklemore, who owns a golf fashion store called Bogey Boys, will take an ownership stake in the five irons and serve as a brand ambassador.
Renton is one of two “core” Topgolf locations, meaning it comes with more bells and whistles than the company’s traditional locations.
The ground floor has a skylight central atrium architectural design and two giant video screens to broadcast any major sporting event on television. There is a retail store, swim up bar, shuffleboard, air hockey and foosball tables. Outside there are additional televisions, games and fireplaces on the balconies on each level.
The venue can hold hundreds of people and Howard expects them to be close this weekend because the venue is sold out for Saturday. Topgolf also hosts special events while you hike.
“We count one event as two since Johnny’s 10th birthday party [hitting] Bayes, for Boeing to buy the whole building,” Howard said.
The location, 30 minutes south of Seattle, feels “centrally located,” said Howard, and Topgolf is sure to attract large tech companies from all over the state, as well as the Puget Sound region.
“In other areas, people drive two to three hours to get to Topgolf and have that experience,” Howard said. “We can welcome guests from Vancouver, BC.”
Topgolf’s arrival in Renton is the latest sign of change in this manufacturing-based suburb of Seattle. GeekWire spent 2018 here reporting on the city’s history and development aspirations. Topgolf is a 3-minute drive from the new Southport complex, which has over 700,000 square feet of office space.
Topgolf Renton, which employs nearly 500 associates, is located near The Landing, a sprawling shopping and dining development that opened in 2007.
Phil Vanavong of Marysville, Wash., came down to the new Topgolf, a state engineer, and brought seven friends to play. He had previously been to Topgolf in Austin and Las Vegas and was happy to now have a closer option in Portland. He thought he might come to Renton once a month.
“They’re not working… or, they should be!” He laughed as his friends stormed out of their workplaces, including companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks and Compass.
Andrew Irvin of Puyallup, Wash., was playing with his wife, Vanessa, and young sons, Jordan and Trey.
“This is a place where you don’t have to be a golfer to play,” Irvin said. You can enjoy yourself without everyone criticizing your swing. You find your own bay and do what you want.
I took my swap (see tweet below) from a third tier bay on Thursday. Using a selection of drivers from the clubs provided, I hit 40 balls in an hour and worked up a good sweat trying to hit the far targets on the range. I was impressed with the ability to see the direction of my ball on the nearby screen and get the distance for each shot.
I had a sandwich drink and bite while watching the golf balls fly from all directions and had some delicious “Cheesy Mac Bites” in between swings.
Misty Skater of Kent, Wash. Jamaican girlfriend Jordyn Lewis played golf at Garfield High School in Seattle.
Malaysia heard about Topgolf through Instagram and her mother signed up for two hours.
“It was fun,” Misty Skeeter said. “It was a bit difficult finding the right way to hit or focusing on what to aim for. But it was fun. “
Joe Lynch of West Seattle and his friend John Blevins of Bothell, Wash., were “playing” and enjoying some beers at Pebble Beach. Blevins has previously played Topgolf in Las Vegas, Arizona, and at the “Lounge by Topgolf” indoor facility on Google’s Kirkland campus east of Seattle.
“I drive for golf lessons anyway,” Blevins said when asked if he regularly makes the trek to Renton. It gravitates toward technology, drinks and food, and a party atmosphere for golfers and non-golfers all in one place. “Good for kids or friends on a day out.”
When asked if Topgolf is a place to work on his golf game, Lynch said it’s more for fun.
“You’re not working on your game after these couple,” he laughed, pointing to their glasses of beer.
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