Dallas-based golf facility chain Topgolf is "trying to shed golf's elitist image by making it accessible to the masses -- particularly new, younger masses," according to Ashley Rodriguez of AD AGE. The company at its 24 U.S. locations has "reimagined the sport, injecting youth, neon lights and plenty of big-screen TVs." Topgolf at its current growth rate "expects to attract more than 18 million visits" in '17, "up from 4 million last year." Ten new Topgolf locations are "slated to open this year." Kantar Media research shows that the company last year "spent less than $18,000 on U.S. measured media." It instead "focuses on local outreach and enhancing the game experience through social efforts." Topgolf "charges marketing managers at each location to tap into nearby events such as rodeos and pub crawls, for example, with sponsorships and cross-promotions." Topgolf VP/Sales & Marketing Susan Walmesley said, "Our audience base is so young that they're interested in localized content. They want something that's personalized for them." Topgolf's "lead agency" is Dallas-based The Marketing Arm, and Nebraska-based youth-marketing agency Archrival "handles experiential campaigns aimed at teens and 20-somethings through pushes with Red Bull and other brands." Topgolf "urges fans to share their visits, using 70-inch social-media screens introduced in partnership with AT&T last year to post customer photos from each location." The company is "working to make mobile more integral to the experience." Its app, released for Apple devices in '13, "lets users check scores, view leaderboards by facility, buy priority passes, see menus, locations and events, and change the channel on the TV in their hitting stall (one of the most popular uses)." The brand for the next phase of the app "aims to introduce a Fitbit-style leaderboard so players can compete with friends whenever and wherever they visit, somewhat like a fantasy-sports league" (AD AGE, 4/6 issue).
