Is TOP GOLF worth the Money?

NickGerst · January 25, 2013

Is Top Golf worth the money?

The snow is finally here in DC. I wanted to practice this weekend.

I have never stepped foot in a top golf. $40 gives you $50 worth of games, but the site doesn’t explain how much a game costs. Any help would be appreciated!

http://topgolf.com/alexandria/play/pricing/getting-started/

NickPhillips · January 27, 2013

I go to top golf quite a bit, if you are military/fire dept/police each game consisting of 20 balls is 5.75, if not, the cost per game is 7 dollars. The bays are heated and the food/drinks are better than bar food and reasonably prices. I love top golf, I can sit for hours and watch tv as they have them in every bay, hit some balls, grab some queso and chips and just have fun.

NickPhillips · January 27, 2013

I forgot to say its nice to go with non-golfers as the rental clubs are free to use, and they have women's, men's, and kids for lefties and righties.

Timanator · January 27, 2013

For golf, no!
For drinking and chill with friends, still prob not.

Big L · January 28, 2013

I've hit theTop Golf in NOVA a few times with some friends who live in the area. If we go, it's usually because our wives our attending a shower of some sorts or some other event that does not allow us time for a full round of golf. Top Golf is a nice alternative since we can still hit some balls while eating and having a few beers. It's fun and something different, but I don't see myself going there all the time if I lived nearby.

displayname · January 28, 2013

Worth it for practicing golf, no. Worth it for causal drinks, a new twist on happy hour, convincing your wife/gf/non-golf friends that golf can be fun, then yes. It's a fun commodity, but you really should look at it more as a bar with one really big video game attraction. If you are looking to hit balls and improve, it will offer minimal returns and your money would be better spent at a normal range. But it is a ton of fun, and a great way to introduce new people to the game.

FairwaysToHeaven · January 28, 2013

i was in houston for work and passed top golf and wished my hometown had a top golf, but $7 for 20 balls, no thanks. guess its more fo a social game atmosphere than somewhere to go and get some practice.

BMDUB · January 31, 2013

Go to hilltop golf. Heated bays, usually quiet and its like 13 bucks for 100 balls I think. Top Golf is great but I refuse to pay that much $.

dplasters · January 31, 2013

Hilltop and Oak Mar both have heated bays in the NoVA area for much much less. I'm sure there are others but those are the two I have used.

Jim Clark · February 6, 2013

Exsqueeze me! $7 for 20 balls! Are you friggin kidding me?

J5isalive · February 6, 2013

I went to the one in Chicago when i was up there for business... I had a blast.

prsgtrman · February 7, 2013

top golf is more about going for a couple of beers and hanging out with your friends than anything else. its a little pricey. i certainly wouldnt go there to practice other than the free sandbunker out back.

umassgolfer · February 7, 2013

To me, top golf is basically best thought of as golf meets bowling. You play against your friends, gain points each turn, joke around with each other when its not your turn to hit. I would never use it for practice or game improvement but if you have a few golf buddies it is a good way to hit a few balls in a laid back, fun game setting that is different from on-course.

wvuwhat · February 7, 2013

TopGolf is great, but it is certainly not a practice substitute.

It's best for grabbing a drink or two with a co-worker, taking your wife/GF and introducing her to golf, and in some cases a good reason to get off the beltway when there is serious traffic.

Auditor_Kevin · June 3, 2014

Wanted to add my two cents since I hit up the TopGolf here in the Chicago suburbs from time to time. I agree with the poster above - it isn't a very good practice substitute.

For starters, the balls are in pretty bad shape. Half of them are now bald. My last trip had me hitting some balls that had dirt caked to them, even though there is no dirt on the range.

The balls are also some of the deadest range balls I've ever seen. On a trip last week, I wasn't playing particularly well and decided to eff it and just hit some drives. The balls went NOWHERE. They are dead to the point of affecting club selection too. I have to club down one to two clubs when using them just to get the same distances I get out of decent range balls on real grass.

Lastly, they don't do a very good job of repairing their sensors. I can literally tell when they do it because one trip I'll go and a solid 10% to 15% of my shots that land on target don't count (usually the ones closer to the edge). And I use the second floor and have perfect eyesight so I see exactly where the ball went in. I'll hit one on target and it just plain doesn't register. I can manually adjust the score but then I disqualify myself from the leaderboard.

Then I'll go there again and all the sudden all the targets are working again. They let the faulty sensors really pile up before committing the resources to fixing them.

The place is fun, the bar and menu selections can't be beat - but if you're looking for a regular practice facility - this probably isn't the place for the typical WRXer.

edited to add: I go at lunch when games only cost $3.50 each. Much better value for 20 balls then later in the day when it can cost up to $7. That's insane for some of the worst quality golf balls I've ever seen.