Topgolf Tampa Bay

By: Brianna Pearson

Looking for a weekend activity to escape the madness of finals? Head over to Topgolf! Topgolf is located in Tampa at 10690 Palm River Road. TopGolf is an indoor/outdoor driving range with different levels and games, an awesome restaurant and full bar for students 21 and older.

At Topgolf, there are over 100 climate-controlled bays to play at. There are three floors available to play on and over 20 bays on each floor. A bay includes a set of women’s clubs, a set of men’s clubs, the ball dispenser and a table and chairs for mid-game snacks. When standing on your bay, you tap your club to the sensor on the ball dispenser, and it will send a golf ball to your feet. When looking over the entire field, you’ll notice multiple colored holes and targets. There are four red targets that are 25 meters out, two yellow targets that are 50 meters out, one green target that is 90 meters, orange is 125 meters, blue is 150 meters, white is 185 meters and the net at the back is 215 meters away from your bay. The further you hit the ball, the more points you can accumulate; each golf ball contains a microchip to track how far you actually hit the ball.

There are nine different game settings offered to play. The Topgolf setting is the signature game that most people choose. With this setting, you score points by hitting any target; the more accurate and further you hit, the more points to will get. Another setting is Top Scramble which is a beginner setting where players are split into teams and the best score on each ball is used for the team score that round. Quick 9 is the newest level at Topgolf; it is a speedy game of accuracy in which you’ll get three shots at red, three shots at yellow and three at the green. The closer you get to the center of the target the more points will be earned. The last shot at each target will be worth double points. TopChip is a short game in which players have five shots at red, five at yellow and 10 shots toward the green target. If you hit the correct target, you’ll earn points, but if the wrong target is hit, points will disappear. TopShot is just like TopChip but more focused on accuracy. The basis of TopScore is the further you hit the ball the more points will be earned. TopDrive is for more experienced golfers. It is the same as TopShot but again, more focused on accuracy. TopContender is only available for special events and leagues. The last setting is TopPressure. With this, you have to try hitting in all nine sections; this setting is all about accuracy and patience.

Topgolf also has an awesome restaurant at this location. When I went, I got pretzel bites, a coke and an amazing burger. There are currently some new foods such as the ‘Brontosaurus’ ribs and the Mega Burger. The ‘Brontosaurus’ ribs cost $25 and take about 30 minutes to get after ordering. They are Hickory-smoked beef ribs with house barbeque sauce and served with potato salad. The Megaburger is a 40-ounce certified Angus burger with caramelized onions, American cheese, chipotle aioli, tomato and pickles served with French fries. This burger is a little more expensive though, costing $29. The pretzel bites came with Pabst Blue Ribbon cheese sauce and it was so delicious; they were nice and warm and perfectly paired with a cold Coke. I got the classic burger which only costs $11; it was a nice and juicy burger with melty American cheese and bacon. I would completely recommend a burger to anyone wanting to visit Topgolf.

The environment is amazing. Topgolf is open until late so at night all of the bays are lit up as well as the targets. It has a great nightlife factor especially when you are surrounded by friends. Music plays all day and night with a mix of pop and country. There are over 200 televisions, free wifi and a rooftop fire pit offered as well.  They also offer college night deals on Wednesdays from 8 to 11 p.m. including discounted, unlimited gameplay and deals on food and drink.

Topgolf is open from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; on Friday and Saturday, they are open until 2 a.m.

Make sure to head out to Topgolf for a fun and relaxing weekend and take a break from the stress of finals.

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