The PGA Tour and LPGA yesterday announced an agreement with Topgolf that "all three parties hope will advance grow-the-game efforts," according to Larry Bohanan of the Palm Springs DESERT SUN. Efforts with Topgolf will "include cross promotions between the two tours as well as the Web.com Tour and PGA Tour Champions circuit, utilization of Topgolf facilities when one of the tours is in a Topgolf area and reciprocal distribution of content from the tours through Topgolf platforms." LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said, "Topgolf venues are bringing new people to the game and many of those people are then also taking up the game in the traditional sense on golf courses. Everyone is taking notice of Topgolf’s innovation and creativity and we look forward to working together to continue introducing our game to new audiences." Bohannan notes the deal is part of what the strategic partnership reached in March between the PGA Tour and LPGA "might bring to the two tours" (Palm Springs DESERT SUN, 5/11). The FLORIDA TIMES-UNION notes the tours are "hopeful that customers who swing a club for the first time at a Topgolf facility will eventually decide to take up the game on a green-grass venue." The National Golf Foundation "surveyed Topgolf customers and calculated that between 250,000-to-500,000 people were introduced to the game for the first time at Topgolf" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 5/11). Golf Channel's Geoff Shackelford said the golf tours are "interested in getting a younger audience, attracting that kind of demographic." Shackelford: "Go to a Topgolf, you feel an energy, you feel something that is different than what you get at a normal golf course. That is translating to bringing people to the game, and so they are excited about that" ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 5/11).
