In a promotion sanctioned by the World Golf Foundation, the 13 Topgolf “sports entertainment communities” around the U.S. will offer free five-minute lessons with slow-motion video swing analysis on April 15, while trying to “set a company record for most golf lessons taught in one day.”
Topgolf, the fast-growing “sports entertainment community” company, has announced that it will offer free five-minute golf lessons that will include slow-motion video swing analysis powered by Ubersense, as part of a nationwide promotion on April 15 that will coincide with the National Golf Day coordinated by the World Golf Foundation’s WE ARE GOLF initiative.
Topgolf, which currently has 13 U.S. locations with another 11 under development, is a golf-oriented entertainment complex that currently serves more than 4 million guests annually in its 16 worldwide locations (including three in the United Kingdom). For its “Topgolf U” instructional feature, players hit golf balls containing computer microchips that track each shot’s accuracy and distance, while awarding points for hitting targets on the outfield.
Topgolf (the first three letters stand for “target oriented practice”) was founded in the U.K. in 2000 and opened its first U.S. location in Alexandria, Va., in 2005. The company was sold to a private investor group that includes Callaway Golf in 2011. It now has U.S. locations in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois and several throughout Texas (it is headquartered in Dallas). New locations are currently being developed in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Virginia, as part of the company’s drive to have 50 U.S. locations by 2017.
In addition to golf-oriented practice, instruction and games, each Topgolf facility also offers “an upscale and playful experience, featuring an impressive food and beverage menu, music, games, climate-controlled hitting bays, and hundreds of HDTVs,” the company says. Each Topgolf center also strives to “bring fun, interactive experiences to the community through its Topgolf U lessons, leagues, tournaments, KidZone parties, and social and corporate events.”
Through the April 15 promotion, Topgolf says it will attempt to “set a company record for most golf lessons taught in one day.” (While hours may vary for some locations, Topgolf locations will be open from 9 a.m. to midnight on that day.)
“Topgolf has engaged substantial numbers of millennials and introduced a significant amount of new people to the game over the past few years through its fun, entertaining and relaxing environment,” said Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation and administrator of WE ARE GOLF. “Offering free lessons on April 15 at its 13 locations nationwide is an ideal way to celebrate National Golf Day and expose people to the game.”
As part of other National Golf Day activities on April 15, leaders from the golf industry will meet in Washington, D.C. with members of Congress, the executive branch and federal agencies to discuss golf’s nearly $70 billion economy, $4 billion annual charitable impact, and many environmental and fitness benefits. The discussions will emphasize the game’s nearly 15,350 diverse businesses, 2 million employees, tax-revenue creation, tourism and ecological value.
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