Michigan Golf Journal October 2019

the world – ŝŶ ^ŽƵƚŚ <ŽƌĞĂ͕ ĨŽƌ ĞdžĂŵƉůĞ͕ ƚŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ŵŽƌĞ ƌŽƵŶĚƐ ŽĨ ŝŶĚŽŽƌ ŐŽůĨ played than outdoor . In a ƟŵĞ ǁŚĞŶ ůĂŶĚ ŝŶ ƵƌďĂŶ areas is at a premium and ĨƌĞĞ ƟŵĞ ŚĂƐ ŵŽƌĞ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƌĞ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶ͕ ƚŚĞƐĞ ŝŶĚŽŽƌ ŐŽůĨ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ ĂƌĞ ĂŶ increasingly-popular form of engagement. ůů ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ ŚĂǀĞ ƐŝŵŝůĂƌ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ʹ ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ Ă ĨƵŶ͕ ŶŽŶͲŝŶƟŵŝĚĂƟŶŐ ŽŶͲ ƌĂŵƉ ƚŽ ĂƩƌĂĐƚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽ the game and, hopefully, create more golfers. No ŵĂƩĞƌ ŚŽǁ ƚŚĞLJ ƉůĂLJ͕ ƚŚĞ industry is eager for the ŶĞdžƚ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ ƚŽ ĐĂƌƌLJ ƚŚĞ torch, drive revenues, and ůĞƚ ƚŚĞ ŐĂŵĞ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ impact on their lives. dƌŽŽŶ 'ŽůĨ džĞĐƵƟǀĞ Chairman Dana Garmany, who oversaw the largest golf management company in the world for almost ϯϬ LJĞĂƌƐ͕ ĐŽƵŶƚƐ ŚŝƐ ǁŝĨĞ among those who got ŝŶƟŵŝĚĂƚĞĚ ŽŶ Ă ƌĞĂů ŐŽůĨ course but felt comfortable at Topgolf. ͞^ŚĞ ǁĞŶƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƚĞĞ at Pebble Beach as a new player, looked around all the people and said, I’m not ŚŝƫŶŐ ŝƚ͛͘ ^ŚĞ ƉŝĐŬĞĚ ŝƚ ƵƉ͕ walked out in the middle of the fairway and dropped ŝƚ͘ dŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƟŵŝĚĂƟŽŶ factor in golf,” he says. “We’ve got to make sure it’s more of a hit-and-giggle thing; like nobody cares. She now plays in a group ĐĂůůĞĚ ͚&ŝǀĞ ĂŶĚ tŝŶĞ͛͘ That’s all she wants to do. We have to make sure that group of people isn’t looked down on because they’re not playing 18 holes and ƉŽƐƟŶŐ Ă ŚĂŶĚŝĐĂƉ͘ ͞dŚĞLJ͛ƌĞ ƐƟůů ƉĂLJŝŶŐ money and they’re out there enjoying it, so what do we care?” Among Topgolf’s guests ǁŚŽ ĂƌĞ ŶŽŶͲŐŽůĨĞƌƐ͕ ϵϰй say they feel comfortable at a Topgolf venue. Whether it’s kids, women or newcomers who have never swung a golf club before, this type of facility provides a fun, welcoming on-ramp to the game. E'& ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ĮŶĚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŽīͲĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ ĐĂŶŶŝďĂůŝnjŝŶŐ ŽŶͲĐŽƵƌƐĞ͕ ƌĂƚŚĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ŵŽĚĞƌŶ ĨŽƌŵƐ ŽĨ ŐŽůĨ ĂƌĞ ĐŽŵƉůĞŵĞŶƟŶŐ ŽŶĞ ĂŶŽƚŚĞƌ͘ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ E'& study found that 75% of ŶŽŶͲŐŽůĨĞƌƐ ǁŚŽ ǀŝƐŝƚĞĚ dŽƉŐŽůĨ ƐĂŝĚ ƚŚĞLJ͛ƌĞ interested in playing on a ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͘ ŶĚ Ϯϵй ŽĨ ŐŽůĨĞƌƐ ƐĂLJ ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ Ăƚ dŽƉŐŽůĨ ůĞĂĚƐ ƚŚĞŵ ƚŽ ƉůĂLJ ŵŽƌĞ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ŐŽůĨ͘ The intent is to not only engage with current golfers, but to introduce ŵŽƌĞ ŶŽŶͲŐŽůĨĞƌƐ ƚŽ ŚŝƫŶŐ a golf ball with a golf club in an entertaining and non- Big Shots Golf Michigan Golf Journal Kī ŽƵƌƐĞ 'ŽůĨ 'ƌŽǁƚŚ