Topgolf: Hits the Pacific NW with new Hillsboro facility

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Updated: September 1, 2016

Topgolf, the fastest growing trend in the golf world. Never heard of Topgolf? You will soon.
Topgolf was founded in London in 2000 when two brothers were taking swings at a driving range and wanted to liven up their experience and sharpen their games at the same time. What they came up was Topgolf.

There are now 28 locations – with the new Hillsboro spot being the 28th and newest Topgolf locale and the first Topgolf location in the Pacific Northwest.

What makes Topgolf tick are two things: A terrific place to practice with golf balls that have computer chips in them that can track how far and how accurate you are hitting the shots. There is an area for food, drinks and even a concert stage. It’s no wonder that many people who hit Topgolf are not even golfers, just people looking to hit a few golf balls and party at the same time.

The new Hillsboro Topgolf location is typical Topgolf – with 230 high-def television screens, three levels of hitting bays and 102 climate-controlled bays throughout the facility. And if the number of visitor from other Topgolf locations have drawn hold up, it is possible that the new Hillsboro location will see up to 450,000 visitors in its first year. And the funny thing is, nearly half of the visitors will be non-golfers.

There is no stopping the Topgolf movement. A total of 7-10 new facilities will open in 2016 and another 7-10 are expected to open in 2017. This is the way golf was meant to be played and practiced. For those of us who like to get instant feedback while hitting practice shots and imbibe in a cocktail or two at the same time, this is the perfect mix of golf and practice.

And this Topgolf craze is not just for any particular gender or age. Men and women, boys and girls, young and old have all turned Topgolf into their new golf hangout. Some come for the practice and the chance to hit golf balls with computer chips, others come for the chance to hit at targets and have a meal. It doesn’t really matter. Topgolf seems to have it all.