High tech golf proposed at The Lakes at El Segundo
A TopGolf facility similar to what has been proposed for The Lakes. Illustration courtesy of TopGolf
A futuristic driving range that combines microchip-embedded golf balls, a sensor-laden field, and a lounge area featuring gourmet food and drinks has been proposed at The Lakes at El Segundo.
TopGolf, a company based in Dallas, Texas, hopes to operate the 20-year-old driving range that is attached to the 9-hole municipal golf course. In late August, the company presented its vision to the City Council for a $15 million dollar renovation of the facility to the City Council.
The city, which built the golf facility in hopes of generating revenue, has found it necessary to provide a subsidy to keep The Lakes open.
“As it stands now, The Lakes is not a profitable enterprise fund for the city,” said Ted Shove, the city’s director of economic development. “As a matter of fact, it’s struggled a little bit to break even.”
TopGolf is a new driving range concept that originated in London and has thus far opened in seven cities in both the U.S and Britain and plans to open five more American facilities by 2013.
“TopGolf is a revolutionary sports entertainment company that has essentially reinvented the way golf is played,” said Randy Starr, the company’s chief development officer. “It takes the intimidation out of playing golf. It actually speeds up the game.”
The idea was borne out of desire to make golf practice more enjoyable by turning it into a game, Starr said. Microchips in each ball track every shot a player takes at 11 “green-sized” sensor-embedded circular targets from 25 to 225 yards away from the tee area. A projection flat screen provides immediate information about every shot hit.
“We then know every ball you ever hit,” Starr said. “There is no lying about your score.”
Starr said that because the game promises to remove barriers that prevent new players from playing – such as the embarrassment of having other groups of golfers wait behind novice golfers – the Professional Golf Association has partnered with TopGolf as a way to engage new prospective players. Golf club maker Calloway has also partnered with the company, providing clubs free-of-charge at each facility so players needn’t own clubs to play.
“This is not just for golfers,” Starr said. “This is for people of all ages and skill levels.”
Starr also touted the company’s success thus far in the American market. Slightly more than 91 percent of those who play become repeat customers, he said, and the facilities create 104 full-time, benefited jobs year round and up to 250 jobs seasonally. A similar-sized facility in Allen, Texas, is projected to produce $38 million in local revenue over the next ten years.
He also said that the company very carefully chose El Segundo as its entry into the Southern California market.
“We spent a lot of time looking at where we want to go in Southern California,” he said. “this is not an easy market. We spend a year looking, and [El Segundo] came out at the top of our list.”
The council received the report enthusiastically.
Council member Bill Fisher said that TopGolf appeared to be the kind of amenity that makes a city more attractive to visitors and prospective residents alike. He saw the proposed facility as spurring economic vitality.
“I think this is a fantastic thing for our city, not only for residents but for the commercial sector,” Fisher said. “TopGolf moving here is going to be a great asset.”
Council member Dave Atkinson identified himself as a novice golfer and said he’d played at a TopGolf facility in the Chicago area. He was impressed.
“I think the concept is incredible,” he said. “I think anyone in this room, if they went there and hit just one bucket, you are in.”
The TopGolf proposal will make its rounds through an extensive public input process, going before several city commissions and committees as well as civic entities such as the Rotary Club.
But after the TopGolf presentation at the Council’s Aug. 21 meeting and a subsequent Daily Breeze story, the city has received some negative feedback from area residents and golfers who favor the current, somewhat more low-key configuration. Also, the renovation would result in the shortening of three holes on The Lakes course in order to accommodate a larger parking lot.
Shove stressed that TopGolf is far from “a done deal.”
“There are some misperceptions out there,” he said. “Every bit of input, be it a complaint or compliment, is rolled into the overall process, and can be addressed,” Shove said. “Ultimately, we would look for some kind of mitigation to address those issues. Once the input process comes to the City Council, and they are presented with the facts and findings as to whether or not this is a viable option for the city – at that point, they may decide whether or not to take a pass on this, or move forward. But the process has just begun.”
For more information, see topgolf.com/elsegundo.