You can party with your loved ones and get in a few swings in a unique atmosphere as we bring 2023 to a close, with a laser show, DJ and all your favourite bites and drinks at the hottest place in town.

Unlimited selected beverages are yours to ring in the new year and start 2024 with a bang, with early-bird bookings going fast. Festive parties start from AED 299 per person.

If you purchase before December 15, you will receive AED 100 off your NYE package for Levels 2, 3 (T&Cs apply). Level 1 is also available for AED 1,500 per bay for up to 6 persons.

• Pricing (min of 4 pax per bay, max of 6 pax)
• Level 2 and 3 AED 799 pp house beverage package, AED 599 soft drinks package and under 12s are AED 329
• Premium Bay AED 899 pp house beverage package, AED 699 soft drinks package and under 12s are AED 429

VIP Suite Experience (10am – 1am)

If you want to make a special evening even more special, the intimate VIP Suites will make it a night to remember.

Lux Suite (Level 1) for up to 20 guests

• AED 12,000
• 2 Topgolf hitting bays with unlimited gameplay
• Drinks: Unlimited select beverages, cocktails and soft drinks
• Food: AED 2,000 credit redeemable from a la carte menu
• Garden access

Executive Suite (Level 2) for up to 20 guests

• AED 25,000
• 2 Topgolf hitting bays with unlimited gameplay
• Drinks: Private bar with unlimited deluxe beverages, cocktails, soft beverages and mocktails
• Food: Pass-around canapes on arrival, premium buffet with live carving and seafood stations, selection of mini desserts
• Private smoking balcony

Chairman Suite (Level 3) for up to 20 guests

• AED 30,000
• 2 Topgolf hitting bays with unlimited gameplay
• Drinks: Private bar with unlimited deluxe beverages, cocktails, soft beverages and mocktails
• Food: Pass-around canapes on arrival, premium buffet with live carving and seafood stations, selection of mini desserts
• Private smoking balcony

If you cannot wait for the bells, there is always Christmas one week earlier.

From 11am until 2pm on December 25, Topgolf Dubai’s Christmas Brunch is the place to be. With beverages on arrival ahead of a traditional Christmas platter bay-side, you can enjoy Christmas Day golf-style, with more unlimited select beverages throughout the afternoon. You can sing along to a live DJ as you eat bay-side — and take advantage of a fantastic range of kids’ activities to keep the whole family happy as you work on that shot. Santa has promised to swing by himself!

• AED 499 inclusive of select house beverage
• Soft beverages package at AED 329
• AED 129 for children below 12 years old

Sometimes it is tough to get free on those specific dates, but Topgolf still has you covered.

Until the end of December, the range can sort you out — family, office, sports team or besties. You can enjoy two hours of game-play and a delicious selection of festive sharing platters and Christmas hats to top off your experience.

• AED 479 per person (6 people per bay)

Topgolf, Emirates Golf Club, Emirates Hills 2. Tel: (0)4 371 9999. Email: info@topgolfdubai.ae. topgolfdubai.ae

The post Bring in 2024 with a swing at Topgolf Dubai appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 2020 US Open champion is the headlining name in a group planning to launch UnderPar Life, which is billed as a competitor to Topgolf. According to D Magazine, the company’s first location will be at Hawks Creek Golf Course, a municipal course just outside of Fort Worth.

“Expense is a barrier to most things in life,” Dechambeau told D Magazine. “It is an unusually high barrier to experience the joy of golf. UnderPar Life at Hawks Creek is the first of many locations designed to redefine access to golf by reducing cost barriers. Our initiatives are geared toward making golf more affordable, approachable, and enjoyable for everyone. Our approach, partnering with municipally owned golf courses, removes significant financial obstacles and allows us to grow the community of golfers.”

The two-storey, 16,000-square-foot venue is expected to have 42 hitting bays in addition to a short game practice area. There will also be a fitness area, a golf academy, three bars, and a kitchen led by celebrity chef Christian Lehrmann. Here’s a look at more renderings of the project:

?BREAKING: LIV Golf champion Bryson DeChambeau is part of a DFW team launching Topgolf competitor UnderPar Life. Their first venue will break ground on Hawks Creek Golf Course in the coming months.

My story: https://t.co/0XvJcIrsxg

Flyover: pic.twitter.com/CzBxBs2fDz

— Ben Swanger (@Rbi_Ben) October 23, 2023

“UnderPar Life will be, hands down, the premier public-use golf practice facility in the state of Texas,” co-founder David Deering said. “And it could very well be the premier facility in the entire United States.”

Bryson DeChambeau is launching a Topgolf-style golf venue in Fort Worth, TX.

'UnderPar Life' will include:
• Two stories, 42 hitting bays
• 500-yd driving range
• Tour-level short game area
• Instructional academy
• Fitness center
• Three bars
• Celebrity chef-led kitchen pic.twitter.com/8sb6M3ii7F

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 26, 2023

Construction on the project is expected to break ground sometime before the end of the year, with the first UnderPar Life to be completed 12 to 18 months after that. But that’s just the beginning with investors planning to open 30 locations across the country.

“We think we will have regular customers who never hit a golf ball,” Deering added. “No one has ever said: ‘Hey let’s go to the Topgolf for lunch,’ but people will do that at UnderPar Life.”

The post Bryson DeChambeau behind new Topgolf competitor, UnderPar Life appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
Normal driving ranges simply can’t contain Bryson DeChambeau anymore. Earlier this year, the RBC Heritage went as far as having two giant cranes holding a net above the existing one to keep the PGA Tour’s longest player from hitting dangerous drives toward a road and Harbour Town’s eighth green. It was all for nought because Bryson withdrew before the tournament, but you get the point. He’s becoming a bit of a menace.

So it should come as no surprise to learn that over the weekend a Topgolf couldn’t contain him either. DeChambeau posted video to TikTok of him launching a golf ball off the property and then telling Topgolf, “we might need to get taller nets.” Have a look:

@brysondechambeau @topgolf we might need to get taller nets? #fyp #golf ♬ original sound – PonderMusic

Either that, or maybe make Bryson use kids clubs.

DeChambeau hasn’t played since helping Team USA win the Ryder Cup in September. Unless you count reaching the quarterfinals in his long drive contest debut. He’s set to play Brooks Koepka in a made-for-TV match next week. And if there’s some sort of long drive element, well, good luck, Brooks.

Actually, this isn’t the first time a video of someone belting one over the netting at Topgolf has surfaced. Yankees outfielder/celebrity golfer Aaron Hicks, who recently got engaged to Tiger Woods’ niece, pulled off the trick earlier this year.

TopGolf might want to call the RBC Heritage to see if it can borrow those cranes.

The post Bryson DeChambeau smashes golf ball over the net at Topgolf, continues to be a driving range menace appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Mike Stachura
To show how dramatically 2020 flipped for the golf equipment business, all you have to do is consider Callaway Golf. In April, the company was quickly searching for emergency capital and its CEO, Chip Brewer, had announced he was forgoing his salary in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Barely six months later, the equipment maker’s pace of recovery was exceeding expectations, golf emerging as a safe, socially distant activity during the pandemic and participation numbers surging.

Last week, Brewer orchestrated one of the largest deals in golf business history with the announcement of Callaway’s $2 billion merger with Topgolf. Callaway, which already had a 14-percent stake in Topgolf and has been invested in the company since 2006, will combine with Topgolf in an all-stock transaction. The deal brings the premium golf brand and the driving range/entertainment venue under the Callaway portfolio, which also includes apparel/outdoor equipment brand Jack Wolfskin and apparel company Travis Mathew. Topgolf has 58 driving range/entertainment centres across the U.S., as well as the Toptracer Range business, which turns standard driving-range bays into digital learning and practice centres that enable users to play and compete on virtual golf courses.

Brewer spoke with Golf Digest about the merger and what to expect from Callaway and Topgolf moving forward.

Golf Digest: Not the year you might have predicted back in March and April, right?

Chip Brewer: We had no idea where it was headed. It was crazy. We were just worried about survival, and no clear path for that. But clearly golf has been a net benefactor in all this. I think when we look back, [this year’s participation surge] is going to increase the long-term growth rate of the game. Without commuting to work, you might have the ability to go play nine holes with the family—or, quite honestly, visit Topgolf—that you didn’t have before. And I don’t think that part will ever go back to where it was.

As for Topgolf, you two have been circling each other for a long time. Why was this the moment, as opposed to two years ago or five years from now?
Topgolf was on its way to becoming an independent public company at the beginning of the year. We were concentrating on doing our own thing, and both of us were going well. All of a sudden COVID happens, and everybody’s world is turned upside down. The IPO is off the table. We are in survival mode. But then the golf world comes roaring back. Our business is stronger than ever, and the tailwinds associated with it are pretty clear.

For Topgolf, they had to shut down, but then they were able to open back up, and now they’re in a really attractive spot, too, because they have the trends of golf and the trends of people wanting to have safe social connections. Both of these businesses are really well-positioned for the trends and reality of a COVID world and a post-COVID world.

Callaway CEO Chip Brewer

Are these two different audiences, or does Topgolf strongly feed the traditional game, too?

What excites me about it is it really makes our total addressable market so large. It really is just a math equation that gets really exciting from a business perspective and a synergy perspective.

There are 24 million people in the U.S. that play golf according to the National Golf Foundation. A lot of those people play one time a year so are they Callaway’s addressable market? Well, maybe, but are they going to buy a $1,000 set of irons or a $500 driver? Unlikely. [But] if you can digitize this driving range and make it more fun, you can connect with a player who’s working on his game, track all his shots and know exactly what he’s working on. Callaway then has access to that golfer’s data and can immediately and directly connect with that golfer. I think with the input and reach of Callaway Golf, we’re going to be able to grow that faster and use all that data.

What specific things might we see between the two businesses going forward?
Now that we’re merging these companies, I’m clearly going to tell my marketing team, ‘Help Topgolf out.’ I want to see Topgolf occasionally on the sides of hats. I want to see it on tour. I want to see it in our marketing, in our consumer reach. I want to see it with partners. I want to see us drive same venue sales, visits into Topgolf. It’s in our best interest to do that. They will drive us, and we will drive them. Both sides will grow.

What does this union say about the game as a whole? And given the huge participation numbers we’ve seen this year, where does Topgolf go from here? Couldn’t it be said that a lot of those non-golfers who might have gone to Topgolf in the past actually went out and played golf this year?
Candidly, I think this is just good for golf. You have to have access to golf somewhere to get into the game, and Topgolf is that access point. The fact is you don’t have caddies anymore. Way back, caddying was the way to get into the game. Now, it’s Topgolf. It’s fun, the reach is broad and it’s going to get bigger. It really creates a kind of flywheel effect, where it’s creating new golfers and then you can get them even more interested and move them further down the path of becoming more avid because they go to a Toptracer Range. The fact that it’s good for golf makes me happy, as well. I don’t have the luxury of doing it just because it’s good for golf, but you know that’s important to me.

No question there’s a different directional growth opportunity here. Golf’s problem of growth is that it’s always looked internally and that can only go so far. This is different, no?It is working and the reason I believe it is, is you have to look at it more broadly. You know, it takes a long time to see that kind of growth in the data, and Topgolf had to get enough scale to have that kind of wide impact on the game. Topgolf to this point has been a regional play. I think it does fine in all the places it’s gone to, in all kinds of weather. It can be in Minneapolis, it can be everywhere. But they haven’t grown it to the point where it can have that kind of large-scale impact. It hasn’t penetrated a place like California yet. And if you want to move the needle, you have to be there. You have to get into New York. You have to get national. There’s 58 of them but there’s going to be plans for 200.

I imagine the fun part of this for you isn’t the way Callaway benefits, but how you can make Topgolf better, right?
Exactly. I really believe both businesses are better as a result of this merger. It’s just so clear to me, and I believe in it so fervently. It’s one of the more obvious scenarios where both companies are complementary and making each other better so clearly so quickly.

The post Callaway CEO Chip Brewer on Topgolf merger: ‘This is just good for golf’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Tod Leonard
Business-wise, Callaway and Topgolf were already joined at the hip. After a merger was announced Tuesday, they have gone all-in with each other on the future of the golf-as-entertainment platform.

The companies said they have entered into a definitive merger agreement in which they will combine in an all-stock deal. Callaway said the number of shares to be issued is based on Topgolf’s implied equity value of approximately $2 billion, including the 14 percent already owned by Callaway, which first invested in Topgolf in 2006.

RELATED: A beginner’s guide to Topgolf

In its press release, Callaway said Topgolf generated approximately $1.1 billion in revenue in 2019 and has grown at a 30-percent compound rate since 2017. Callaway called Topgolf “a high-growth platform with attractive unit economics across its business that will benefit from Callaway’s strong financial position that can fully fund Topgolf’s growth plans at an attractive cost of capital.”

The transaction is subject to the approval of the shareholders of both Callaway and Topgolf, as well as regulatory approval. The companies expect to complete the transaction in early 2021.

The deal comes amid a big upswing in business for Callaway as golf has experienced a boom in participation and sales during the coronavirus pandemic. Callaway is estimating that it will have net sales of $476 million in the third quarter that ended on Sept. 30. That is up 12 percent over last year. The company said its e-commerce is thriving, including a 108 percent increase in soft goods sales this year.

“The world is rediscovering golf in a way that has led to a record quarter for our company,” Chip Brewer, Callaway’s president and CEO, said in the release. “Both our golf equipment and soft goods business are recovering more quickly than we expected, and our third quarter projections reflect this momentum.”

Founded in 2000, Topgolf has 63 locations around the world, and it reports having more than 23 million guests in 2019, with more than 50 percent of users identifying themselves as “non-golfers.” It also has expanded from fixed, stand-alone buildings to more than 7,500 range bays that use the Toptracer technology that fans see every week on televised golf broadcasts.

The post Callaway bullish on its merger with Topgolf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Adding exciting context to images shared on social media this week, Dubai Golf chief Chris May said the target areas at Topgolf Dubai in Emirates Hills were currently being installed and recruitment underway with on-boarding and training of the new staff to begin in August.

“We are on schedule to open in late October,” said May. “We are excited about bringing Topgolf to Dubai and are sure that it will popular with anyone who has never played golf before, as has been seen in the U.S. where 70 percent of Topgolf users are non-golfers. I think golfers will like it too.”

Rising from the old Faldo course driving range at Emirates Golf Club off Sheikh Zayed Road, the 60,000 sq ft facility will feature 102 bays spread across three levels. There will be two VIP bays on each level. Played to the backdrop of music in a souped-up, floodlit driving range, Topgolf players hit microchipped balls to targets where accuracy and distance are rewarded in a series of different points scoring games. Results are instantly flashed up on big-screen TVs in climate-controlled hitting bays where participants also enjoy food and beverage. Each bay is essentially a private driving range tee with waiting staff. Up to six can play at a time.

For the first time, May has revealed the other activations designed to make Topgolf Dubai a lure for newcomers and more experienced golfers alike.

“The lower level of the building incorporates a café and cool mini-golf concept featuring 9 holes each based on a different sport, which will be perfect to enjoy in a group or for kids parties,” May said.

“The mid-level is the entry-level for the Topgolf experience. The first thing that will hit you is the stunning Topgolf outfield and even more stunning skyline of Dubai. In addition to the Topgolf bays, there is a significant retail area close to the entrance. ’The Yard’, the main F&B outlet, is located on this level and will be the best place in Dubai to watch all sports on the big screens.

“The upper level will give the best views of the Dubai skyline and will feature a number of areas available for corporate or private events.”

The existing par 3 course at Emirates Golf Club will be operated from the Topgolf Dubai building with the 1st hole being changed to the current 2nd hole.

F&B is all part of the experience as Topgolf Vegas shows.

The post Topgolf Dubai takes shape, on schedule for October opening appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In arguably the most significant development for the game in the Middle East for more than 30 years, Topgolf is coming to Dubai. The Emirate has been home to the region’s first grass course since 1988, and is the trailblazer once more with a three-level, 60,000sq foot Topgolf Dubai in development at the Emirates Hills venue off Sheikh Zayed Road. The Dubai venue is the largest international Topgolf, and brings a slice of Vegas to the Emirate along with its famous party atmosphere to the royal and ancient game.

Played to the backdrop of music in a souped-up, floodlit driving range, players hit microchipped balls to targets where accuracy and distance are rewarded in a series of different points scoring games. Results are instantly flashed up on big-screen TVs in climate-controlled hitting bays where participants also enjoy food and beverage.

RELATED: Topgolf Dubai finally set to open

It promises a much-needed participation boost for the game in a region where golf doesn’t come cheap. Whereas traditional forms of the game can be an intimidating experience for newcomers, non-golfers have flocked to Topgolf given its less formal, family-friendly and fun first ethos.

If you’ve never tried Topgolf, here’s a summary on what’s going on inside venues around the world:

● ●

What is Topgolf Dubai?
The venue will feature a three-story driving range with multiple dining outlets, bars and hospitality spaces. The range is populated by over 90 bays which you group can rent by the hour. Each bay is essentially a private driving range tee with a waiting staff. Six can play at a time.

What skill level is required?
If you’re a skilled golfer, the games present a novel if accessible challenge. But if you’re new to golf, intermediate or not very good, it’s stress-free because it’s an all-inclusive environment.

What sort of games do you play?
Topgolf offers  multiple game options but the most popular is simply called “Topgolf.” It’s basically a driving-range with target practice. Players aim at one of several enormous targets scattered around the range. The more accurate your shot and the farther away the target, the more points you score.

Can you bring your own clubs?
The serious golfer can bring their own clubs, although the venue does provide clubs that are suitable for all ages and abilities which are included with the bay fee.

When will it open?
Watch this space. Anyone can keep up to date on the latest developments by following the Topgolf Dubai Instagram page @TopgolfDubai

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Topgolf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Not after the team at Emirates Golf Club released this teaser video of the Middle East’s first Topgolf venue. Check it out:

.@Topgolf Dubai coming along nicely! pic.twitter.com/UMce1pwEzC

— Emirates Golf Club (@EmiratesGC) August 23, 2019

Dubai Golf Chief Executive Chris May confirms the venue, currently in build on the old Faldo course driving range at Emirates G.C., is on schedule for a June, 2020 opening.

That means a climate-controlled option for golfers established and new when the mercury again soars in 10 months time.

RELATED: Emirates Golf Club to open Middle East’s first TopGolf venue in 2020

Incorporating the latest Topgolf and Toptracer game technology, Dubai TopGolf will feature a total of 102 bays over three levels (34 on each level) including four private VIP bays. There will also be a large sports bar.

“The build progress is really pleasing. This is going be a great addition to the scene in Dubai both for golfers and the non-golfing community,” May said.

“It’s going to be great hitting balls into the outfield target area with the stunning backdrop of the marina in full view.”

Topgolf brings technology – and a party atmosphere – to the royal and ancient game. Played to the backdrop of music in a souped-up, floodlit driving range, players hit microchipped balls to targets where accuracy and distance are rewarded in a series of different points scoring games. Results are instantly flashed up on big-screen TVs in climate-controlled hitting bays where participants also enjoy food and beverage.

RELATED: A beginners guide to TopGolf, the best way to enjoy golf while knowing nothing about it

The post Topgolf Dubai on target for June 2020 opening appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Mike Stachura
For the first time in 14 years, the number of golfers in the U.S. as counted by the National Golf Foundation showed a measurable increase. While it’s technically within the margin of error for the NGF report’s methodology, the number of people in the U.S. age 6 and up who played at least one round of golf in 2018 increased to 24.2 million, up from 23.8 million in 2017.

The annual NGF Golf Participation Report also showed positive numbers for golf interest beyond the traditional on-course experience. The count of those who hit balls at a traditional driving range or entertainment venues like Topgolf or Drive Shack, or only played golf on an indoor simulator also grew to 23 million, a jump of 10 per cent. Counting on-course and off-course participation, the total golfer pool in the U.S. is 33.5 million people, a four-per cent increase from 2017. This off-course participation group was first highlighted in 2016.

The NGF report also showed the number of beginning golfers at 2.6 million, “a figure near historical highs,” according to the NGF.

One specific area of growth for the game is those at retirement age. While the number of golfers in the 18-34 age group held steady at 6.1 million, golfers who were 65 and older jumped from 3.6 million in 2017 to 4.2 million in 2018. Still, “those in the 18-to-34 age group represent 25 per cent of traditional golfers, and, even more significantly, 44 per cent of off-course only participants.”

The number of junior golfers dipped slightly to 2.5 million, but there is increasing interest among girls. In 2000, the number of girls playing golf accounted for 15 per cent of all juniors; now it’s more than one-third.

According to the NGF, the increase in the number of golfers came in a year that saw an almost five per cent decrease in rounds played in 2018. The report suggests the rounds played drop is directly tied to a difficult weather year. Last year was the third wettest in the U.S. since 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The post This might be the most encouraging news about golf participation in a decade appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
Following the recent report that the golf industry drove $84.1 billion in economic activity in the United States in 2016, an increase of 22.1 percent since 2011, the U.S. National Golf Foundation offered more modestly encouraging numbers about the health of the game with Tuesday’s release of its annual Golf Industry Report.

In 2017, 23.8 million people played golf on a course, roughly the same number as the previous year. Participation off-course, in the form of play at facilities such as Topgolf or at facilities with on-screen simulators, though, rose 7 percent, to 21.7 million. The total number of golfers who played on-course or exclusively off-course settled at 32.1 million, slightly more than in 2016.

Of the 23.8 million on-course players, the NGF defined 19.5 million (roughly 95 percent) as “committed” golfers, individuals who say golf is one of several ways they like to spend their recreational time. That number was down from 20.1 million in 2016, the first time since 2011 that the industry had seen year-over-year growth. These golfers account for approximately 95 perent of all rounds played.

Breaking down participation by age, young adults (ages 18 to 34) accounted for 6.2 milion of the on-course golfers (or 26 percent). That total remains the same from 2016, “contradicting claims that the sport continues to lose millennial golfers” according to the NGF.

Meanwhile, the number of newcomers to the game continued a four-year increase, rising to 2.6 million. These beginners are a more diverse lot than the overall golf population in that 35 percent are women (compared to 24 percent overall), 26 percent are non-caucasian (18 percent overall) and 70 percent are under age 35 (37 percent overall).

Related: Golf directly drove $84 billion in U.S. economic activity

While the number of overall golfers saw a small increase, rounds played for 2017 fell to 456 million from 469 million in 2016, a 2.7 percent decline. According to the NGF, that decrease “is consistent within average weather-related fluctation of 2 to 3 percent.” However, it was a lower number than was reported in 2014 (458 million) and 2015 (466 million).

The industry continued to see a retraction in golf facilities, with 205.5 courses closing in 2017 while 15.5 courses opened, a 1.5 percent net decline to 14,794 facilites. Renovation, rather than new construction, is the largest current source of U.S. golf course development activiating with roughly 1,100 course renovations taking place since 2006.

As for golf’s overall reach, that number was calculated at 97.6 million, a 3.2 percent increase from 2016, thanks to a rise in the number of people who watch and or read about golf, but don’t play, to 65.5 million.

The post National Golf Foundation sees signs of encouragement in latest annual participation report appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.