Top Golf
When: 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: 10900 Westside Parkway, Alpharetta
Cost: $5 membership fee, $25-45 per hour, per bay; Groups of children younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
More info: 770-217-0513 or www.topgolf.com/alpharetta
PGA professionals and amateur golfers alike are flocking to a unique driving range in Alpharetta.
Top Golf, at 10900 Westside Parkway, is a “golf entertainment experience” with competitive games, a full-service restaurant and three bars on its three stories of hitting bays.
The restaurant and bars aren’t the only thing setting Top Golf apart, however.
Every ball, assigned to each player, comes with advanced microchip technology to track the accuracy and distance of a player’s shot.
“Top Golf is basically a social entertainment experience,” said Morgan Wallace, communications specialist for Top Golf. “Players can hit with a group of up to six people in their bay, and they essentially hit the microchipped golf ball into an outfield and into targets. It’s similar to golf, darts and bowling combined.”
Visitors can play seven different games, after paying a $5 membership fee and a $25 to $45 hourly fee, depending on the time of day.
“The golf ball immediately relays the accuracy and distance of your shot, so players can see how far they hit it and where they hit it onto the field,” Wallace said. “And there are seven different games you can play in the bay, based on what type of golf skill you are looking to improve or just practice.”
In the signature game, “Top Golf,” players score points by hitting balls, assigned using microchip technology, into any target. The more accurate the shot and the farther the distance, the more points earned.
Other games include “Top Scramble,” splitting players into teams; “Top Drive,” challenging players to aim at the furthest targets; and “Top Chip,” using only the closest targets.
But players don’t need any golfing experience to take part in the games, Wallace said.
“It’s very social,” she said. “It takes the intimidation out of the game of golf, because you don’t have to golf for 18 holes, you can literally just go hit a golf ball or two. And if it’s not your thing, you can sit down and enjoy a beverage and watch television in the bay. There are entertainment options, really and truly, for everyone.”
Interested players can also take lessons at Top Golf. Prices vary, but lessons are available for youth and adult individuals, private groups or clinics.
The full bar offers many traditional mixed drinks and wine, while the restaurant offers fresh food made in-house with a menu including everything from crab cake sliders and a buffalo chicken flatbread to “bacon mac’n’cheese spring rolls.”
Top Golf Alpharetta has more than 100 climate-controlled hitting bays, more than 230 high-definition flat-screen TVs, a rooftop terrace with fire pits and 3,000 square feet of private event space.
For more information about Top Golf, call 770-217-0513 or go to www.topgolf.com/alpharetta.