When golf experienced its first boom, towards the end of the 19th century, it demanded inland terrain that resembled the game’s seaside origins.
It was a tricky business, necessarily limited by geography and stymied by clumsy machinery.
More than 150 years later the sport doesn’t need land and the technology knows almost no bounds.
It’s a very different world.
More proof of this has been provided by the unveiling of a multi-year partnership between Topgolf, which utilises Toptracer technology to provide sports and golf entertainment at more than 100 venues worldwide, with TGL and WTGL, the innovative indoor golf leagues based at Palm Beach State College’s SoFi Center in Florida.
The partnership aims to connect TGL and WTGL with Topgolf’s millions of golfers via the playing of its official competition holes, watch parties and promotions.
“TGL and WTGL are redefining how modern fans consume golf, which aligns perfectly with our mission to make the game more accessible through tech-driven innovation,” said David McKillips, Topgolf’s CEO.
“Through our partnership with TMRW Sports (TGL’s creator), our Topgolf venues and Toptracer Range partners are able to turn casual viewers into active participants by giving millions of players a taste of TGL and WTGL action in real time.”
Speaking to GGP, McKillips discussed his experiences with Topgolf since his appointment in February of this year.
“I spent my first 100 days in the role visiting 100 of our venues around the world which was fantastic,” he said.
“Topgolf is the ultimate sports entertainment and golf destination, and in that sense it is also the ultimate gateway to golf.”
McKillips is aware that the R&A and national federations are now embracing the fact that there are alternate methods to being recognised as a golfer.
Where once only club-affiliated players were counted now anyone using indoor facilities, driving ranges or the likes of Topgolf are included.
“Nearly three-quarters of new golfers first experience the game through Topgolf or a similar product,” McKillips said. “That’s great for us but also for the sport because it’s growing the whole ecosystem of golf.”
McKillips is also keen to capitalise on what Topgolf can offer that a traditional golf course cannot.
“We’re open early and we’re open late, and we’re open 365 days a year in most of our locations,” he said.
“You don’t have to spend three, four, five, six hours playing. You don’t need to learn etiquette or fear looking foolish. You just turn up and enjoy it socially. If you get that itch, play more, practice more and it might lead to the green grass of a golf course.
“Topgolf is very special in the ecosystem of the entire sport because 30 percent of users are golfers while 70 percent are social users.
“Golf is our backbone but we’re also adding arcades, entertainment, watch parties and providing a full-family experience.”
Previously president and CEO of CEC Entertainment, which operates the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant chain, with a background that takes in senior roles with Six Flags amusement parks and DC Comics, McKillips wants to leverage his background.
“My background tells me that entertainment and golf is a winning combination,” he said. “I love the opportunity. I can see an increase in Topgolf’s entertainment product. I see an amplification of our food to make it Instagram-able. And I see increased celebrity collaborations in our retail.
“And for the golfer there will be an increase in the provision of tournaments, leaderboards, new virtual courses and new ways to play.
“We also have a huge opportunity in regions and countries where green-grass courses are closed for large parts of the year. That allows golfers to extend play beyond current restrictions – in the northern U.S., for example, but we’re also opening in Abu Dhabi, we’re building in Dubai, we’re under construction in Madrid and we have another location in China.”
In addition to cutting expenses, McKillips is seeking to expand the product. He wants to focus not only on the acquisition of new golfers but also the retention of them.
McKillips joined Topgolf shortly after the private equity firm Leonard Green and Partners acquired 60 percent of Topgolf ownership from Callaway Golf, which retained 40 percent.
The deal valued Topgolf at $1.1 billion.
That was down from the $2 billion valuation when Topgolf merged with Callaway in 2020. With that in mind McKillips’ early travels were not just focussed on understanding the customer experience, but also refining management.
In May the company laid off 300 employees to free $40 million.
In addition to cutting expenses, McKillips is seeking to expand the product. He wants to focus not only on the acquisition of new golfers but also the retention of them.
“The youth market is one of the fastest-growing areas in golf,” he said. “With that in mind we’ve had $5 bays this summer and it’s been tremendously successful so far.
“Then we’re also leaning more into female golfers and especially young female golfers, which has huge growth potential.”
And his ultimate aim? “We’ve made a commitment to grow the game and get 10 million new committed golfers by 2030.”