WASHINGTON — Last fall, it was reported that Topgolf in Alexandria, Virginia, the first one the company built in the United States back in 2005, was on the verge of closing, with the land to be rezoned for mixed residential and retail. Seven months later, that’s no more true than it was at the time.
In October of 2015, the landowner of the Kingstowne site told Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay that he had decided to end their lease with Topgolf. But that was just 10 years into a 25-year lease, and Topgolf has spent the past year sinking a six-figure investment into the property, including new targets, turf, rental clubs and, in the next couple weeks, new patio furniture.
In the meantime, there has been no progress on any other plans.
“If and when the landowner decides that it wishes to redevelop the property, they will submit a proposal which will be reviewed by a number of entities, including my office,” McKay said in an email to WTOP. “No such proposal has been submitted at this time.”
Even if a proposal is eventually submitted, the community around the location will have a major say in what happens next.
“The Lee District Land Use Committee, a group of representatives from several neighborhood associations in Lee District, meets with the developer and vets the proposal. The developer is expected to meet with affected communities, as well,” McKay continued.
“The Land Use Committee will ultimately take a vote on the application based on their own opinions and those living in their respective communities. Once a decision has been made by the committee, whether positive or negative, the Planning Commissioner and Supervisor typically vote the same way, as has been the case since 1976.”
For its part, Topgolf has a new director of operations set to join the team — one whose primary focus, according to marketing manager Stephanie Wielinski, is to work on improving relationships with the local community.
Parking has long been a problem for the site, which has only 180 spaces in the lot attached to the property and is shared with a Ruby Tuesday. The new site in Loudoun County is nearly 50 percent larger and has a newer generation of technology than the Alexandria site, but was never meant to replace the original site more than a 30-mile drive away and much closer to Washington. There is also no plan to expand the current Alexandria facility beyond its two levels and 76 bays.
“We’re not going anywhere in the foreseeable future,” Alexandria Topgolf director of sales Casey Eliff said last week, adding that Topgolf’s CEO gave reassurances to staff to that effect the day after the story broke last fall.
Adrienne Chance, director of corporate communications for the head Topgolf office in Dallas, didn’t shut the door on an eventual relocation, but stressed the same points.
“We are still evaluating a potential move in the future, but nothing is changing in the near-term,” she told WTOP, noting that construction on a new site would take 9-12 months.
“Topgolf Alexandria will definitely remain open for business for the foreseeable future … and continues to be one of our top-performing locations in the country.”
The Alexandria location handed out roughly 150 free lessons on National Golf Day a couple weeks ago, even though most of the people who partook had no idea there was any kind of celebration going on before they walked through the parking lot. But that has proved to be Topgolf’s biggest draw — bringing new players to the game.
“It’s kind of funny that it’s the way I started into golf,” Eliff said, who first worked at the front desk several years ago. “Because we’ve found it introduces a lot of people who haven’t played before into golf.”
A 2015 National Golf Foundation survey of Topgolf guests found that, of patrons who had been playing the game for less than three years, 24 percent had begun playing after their first golf experience. Of that group, 82 percent said that Topgolf influenced their decision to play golf. That’s enough to earn support even from professionals who grew up on the traditional game.
“I think Topgolf is great,” said three-time LPGA Championship winner Nancy Lopez at the National Golf Day event on Capitol Hill. “I think it can create golfers, because they’re like, ‘OK, I like this, maybe I’ll take it seriously and I’ll go play golf.’”
For now, the Alexandria location will continue to operate until further notice from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. And even if an alternative plan is proposed, the surrounding neighborhood will have plenty to say about its long-term future.
