Four years in the making, the company behind Topgolf driving range and entertainment venue is one step closer to securing a space to open a location in downtown San Diego.
Founded outside London in 2000 by brothers Steve and Dave Jolliffe, Topgolf is a redesigned driving range that uses microchip technology inside golf balls to make driving balls its own unique game. The company is now owned in part by Carlsbad's Callaway Golf Company and currently operates 57 locations, most of which also house an event space, restaurants, bars, and multiple entertainment rooms.
Topgolf International has proposed a $40 million, 68,000 square-foot facility for San Diego's bayfront in the space where the rental car companies were sited before relocating to their new headquarters. The Port of San Diego Commissioners voted 5-1 last night to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement to discuss a lease on a the 7-acre site on the easternmost area of East Harbor Island. This agreement required the board to waive its standard competitive bidding process, and the parties have until the end of 2020 to finalize a formal lease. Topgolf executives will return to the board in approximately 6 months with a more detailed plan.
The plans for the San Diego location of Topgolf call for a three-level indoor/outdoor building to be constructed with 102 hitting bays in addition to gaming areas, an all-day restaurant, multiple bars, event spaces, parking for 450, and a public deck with prime views of downtown San Diego's skyline. Topgolf has been trying to negotiate a location to open a San Diego branch since 2015. The earliest the San Diego Top Golf would open would be mid-year 2021.
For more information, visit topgolf.com/us.
