Popular High-Tech Golf Center Coming To Brooklyn Center
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The outdoor golf season in Minnesota is shorter than most golfers would like, but soon they may be able to keep score year-round.
TopGolf is a high-tech golf center that has become a hit in more than 30 cities across the country.
And it's now on its way to the Twin Cities.
It was 50 degrees and cloudy when Paul Schwaninger teed off at Brookview Golf Course in Golden Valley Thursday.
"Just a few, beautiful months here. That's about it," Schwaninger said.
While better weather is ahead, Schwaninger is excited that golfing during a Minnesota winter won't sound so crazy in the near future.
"Very excited to see them come up here," he said. "I've been surprised it's taken them this long to get up here with how big golf is in Minnesota."
He is talking about TopGolf in Austin, Texas: a 65,000-square-foot facility that serves food and drinks at your very own bay.
Curt Boganey, Brooklyn Center's city manager, recently visited Austin's TopGolf center.
"It is golf. It is dining. It is entertainment. It is a wonderful, wonderful experience," Boganey said.
TopGolf bought Brooklyn Center's Regal Cinema, which will soon bring the ultimate indoor golf experience to the metro.
"Their hope is to start construction this year so they can be operational by mid-year 2018," Boganey said.
The way it works is you step onto a playing pad, wave your club in front of a sensor then swing away.
The balls have a microchip to keep track of your distance and score, a unique idea that Boganey thinks will drive golfers to Brooklyn Center.
"It's going to bring tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of visitors each year," Boganey said.
TopGolf stands for "Target Oriented Practice Golf," and they hold tournaments year-round in Texas.
But it's not just about golf. They have pool tables, shuffle boards and a sports bar. About 70 percent of the customers at TopGolf in Austin are actually non-golfers.