Topgolf will open its West Des Moines location, Iowa’s first, on Sept. 6, the company announced Thursday.
A mild winter allowed construction of the $13 million, high-tech indoor-outdoor driving range, planned since 2022, to proceed ahead of schedule. The facility on the northwest corner of Mills Civic and Jordan Creek parkways near Jordan Creek Town Center will have 72 indoor-outdoor climate-controlled hitting bays, the company said in a news release.
Topgolf, which also will have a restaurant and full-service bar, is the largest of several golf and dining venues slated for, or recently opened, in the Des Moines metro. In November, indoor interactive mini-golf restaurant Putts & Pins opened near Jordan Creek Town Center. Bombers, a driving range bowling alley and mini-golf entertainment center in Johnston, is under construction.
Topgolf will employ 300 people at the West Des Moines location and will be set up to host events, corporate meetings and family outings, according to the release.
“We are thrilled to bring the first Topgolf experience to Iowa and the greater Des Moines metropolitan area,” Topgolf Chief Operating Officer Erin Chamberlin said in the news release. “Topgolf is all about having fun and making the game of golf accessible to everyone — even the most inexperienced Player! We’re excited for residents and visitors alike to experience our unique style of play.”
“We are so proud to have the first ever Topgolf in the state of Iowa here in West Des Moines,” said West Des Moines Mayor Russ Trimble. “This game-changing entertainment venue will draw even more people into our city and will provide our residents with yet another fun activity for the whole family to enjoy.”
Here’s what else to know about Topgolf.
Topgolf is an interactive driving range company founded in the early 2000s. Its driving ranges use its patented Toptracer technology, employing balls with radio frequency identification tags, to track the accuracy and distance of each golfer’s drives.
Topgolf’s locations typically offer bar food like chicken wings, burgers and chips and queso that can be ordered in its onsite restaurant and bar and also delivered to hitting bays.
Topgolf’s sensors track everything from ball flight to club speed.
Topgolf has several games guests can play, from ones that award points for every ball hit to accuracy games where players try hit targets at distances ranging up to more than 200 yards. Guests also can play virtual versions of some of the most famous golf courses in the world, like California’s Pebble Beach.
Guests can be of any skill level, and can bring their own clubs or use free clubs Topgolf provides. They also can rent higher-grade clubs, if they wish. And Top Golf will offer a club it calls the Sure Thing that helps beginners achieve a better swing.
The West Des Moines facility will have about 35,500 square feet of usable floor space on two levels, according to plans approved by West Des Moines officials in October. Eight of the 72 hitting bays — four on each floor — will be luxury suites.
Hitting from the climate-controlled suites, customers can enjoy Topgolf in any season.
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Golf equipment manufacturer Callaway Golf bought Topgolf for $2.6 billion in 2021. In August, Topgolf Callaway Brands announced that same-venue sales had decreased 8% during the second quarter due to “softer than expected traffic at our Topgolf venues,” CEO Chip Brewer said in a news release.
Philip Joens covers retail and real estate for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.
