Tee time

As the Topgolf in Henrico County approaches its opening date next month, excitement is high not only among golf fans, but also among fun-seekers and entertainment lovers.

On a recent tour of the complex under construction on Westwood Avenue, Cliff Twiggs, Topgolf's director of operations, pointed out numerous recreational opportunities that will be open to guests looking simply for entertainment – whether or not they use the three-tiered, 72-bay driving range.

Topgolf's first-floor bar boasts an 18-foot television screen, and a seating area above also overlooks the big screen – one of roughly 200 TV screens throughout the venue. One lounge, known as the "Swing Suite," features a virtual reality system guests can use to try their hand at pitching a baseball or playing "zombie dodgeball" or virtual golf.

The Henrico site (Virginia's fourth, joining Alexandria, Ashburn and Virginia Beach) will also feature a putting green, and will be one of only three Topgolf venues to offer a miniature golf course.

In the restaurant and bar areas, craft beer enthusiasts will be able to choose from a generous selection of locally-made beverages – which Topgolf staff are busily sampling as they meet with brewers to prepare. Night-time guests, noted Twiggs, will enjoy the added spectacle of sweeping views of city lights from the rooftop terrace.

So although the venue is clearly golf-centric and aimed at growing the game (providing free practice for high school golf teams and youth charities), it is designed to appeal to a wider and more diverse audience, Twiggs emphasized.

"Golfers and non-golfers – everyone can come and have a good time," he said.

Evolving area
For Henrico County officials, Topgolf is welcome not simply as an entertainment complex projected to attract some 350,000 visitors a year, but as a sign of what could become a new wave of development in an industrial area of the county.

At a ground-breaking ceremony last fall, R. Joseph Emerson, the county's planning director, noted that officials have been eyeing the Westwood section along I-195 for years, and hailed Topgolf's arrival as a significant step toward growth and revitalization of the neighborhood.

Sandwiched between Richmond's booming Scott's Addition area and the Midtown section of the county, the neighborhood has the potential for a mixed-use community like Libbie Mill where citizens can live, play and work. An August hiring event drew hundreds of jobseekers to the site and should ultimately result in close to 450 new jobs for the area, according to Twiggs.

Perhaps just as welcome as the economic development, however, is the Topgolf tradition of connecting with the community through its various charitable ventures.

It's a favorite topic for Amber Drew, marketing manager, who noted that Topgolf's involvement in charitable giving is one of the things she found most appealing about working there.

“I felt immediately connected to this company when I learned of how sincere they were in giving back to the community through true social responsibility," said Drew.

Opportunities for local charities
At the corporate level, said Drew, Topgolf partners with such national non-profits as Make-a-Wish, Folds of Honor and Bunkers in Baghdad.

Through Folds of Honor, Topgolf has helped to provide annual academic scholarships, tutoring, and educational summer camp assistance to children and spouses of disabled or fallen service members, who often may not otherwise qualify for federal scholarship assistance.

The Bunkers in Baghdad organization provides new and recycled golf equipment such as balls, clubs and turf to military troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan so that they can enjoy golf – a popular form of stress relief – in their leisure hours.

Topgolf also has a program known as Lifetime Heroes that supports local military (active duty as well as veterans) and first responders by offering discounts on monthly membership and game play. Last year, according to the website, Topgolf locations were visited by 509,650 Lifetime Heroes, including police, fire, and EMS and military personnel.

And just as Topgolf staff members are meeting with area brewers to find their favorite local beers, they are sifting through information about Central Virginia non-profits to consider which organizations they might want to support here in the region.

Among the more notable examples of local efforts are the tournaments led by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who has teamed with Topgolf to raise funds for Dell Children’s Medical Center. In 2015, Brees raised $250,000 to support the CARE Program at the Center.

For the local nonprofits that meet Topgolf criteria but may not be chosen as local partners, there are still opportunities to raise funds using spirit nights and other methods.

Topgolf also provides volunteers to certain local charity events that meet the company's criteria. Employees have volunteered at food banks and in classrooms and hospitals, said Drew, citing more than 8,200 hours of volunteer work by Topgolf associates annually.

Perhaps one of Topgolf's most inspiring examples of corporate giving is illustrated by the story of Gary Smith of Chicago – easily one of the company's biggest fans.

Diagnosed in his early 60s with Parkinson's disease – the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's – Smith began searching for ways to manage his symptoms. Thanks to the climate-controlled hitting bays at Topgolf, he was able to play year-round at the site in nearby Naperville, and noticed immediate improvement in his flexibility, mobility and general well-being.

When Topgolf learned of Gary Smith's situation, the company not only gifted him with a complimentary Platinum Membership and custom-designed set of Callaway golf clubs, but also donated $10,000 to the Parkinson's Foundation in honor of Smith for World Parkinson's Day.

"When my neurologist saw me, she immediately noticed the difference and told me that my 'PARscription' was to socialize and exercise," said Smith, noting that Topgolf allows him to do both. "I thank God for Topgolf every day."

"There are countless stories out there of lives that have been positively changed through the volunteer and charitable efforts of Topgolf associates," Drew said.

"I’m immensely grateful to be a part of a team that demonstrates on a daily basis how much they really care.”

For details about Topgolf, visit topgolf.com.