The 36th Topgolf entertainment sports complex in the world, and third in the state, will soon make its official debut in Orlando.
I got a chance to tour the 65,000 square foot venue... and I went in as a complete ROOKIE.
I had never visited a Topgolf in Tampa, Jacksonville, or anywhere else for that matter.
For starters, the entrance into the parking lot alone was enough to make me say, "Wow."
Experience A New Way To Golf In Orlando On International Drive
It's located on the same sprawling property as the Andretti Indoor Karting & Games Orlando on Universal Blvd., near International Drive.
Consider, the venue itself is so huge, that they listed 500 Orlando jobs online to fill.
That's how gigantic this place is.
Upon entrance into the actual Topgolf Orlando venue, I was surprised (delighted, really) to see a full bar near the main entranceway.
I was quickly treated to a tasty margarita (and a short while later a Bulleit old fashioned).
The bar was mighty impressive.
There were flat screens TVs everywhere (more than 230, in fact) tuned to different sports channels.
So I immediately got the sense that it's a good place to watch sports in Orlando -- not just golf.
Now, I didn't know they served restaurant-quality food at the new Topgolf Orlando either!
Fantastic food, for that matter!
Again, I went in as a total rookie.
I enjoyed the spinach salad with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, onions and balsamic... and went back for seconds on a shrimp appetizer with mango salsa (although that one might have just been a special item for the media tour! For your sake, I hope it makes the actual menu).
Seve Delgado, Topgolf National Director of Culinary, told us, "A lot of love goes into our food. We make a lot of our products from scratch. We smoke many of our own meats."
Now, I didn't get to try the chicken -- I filled up on the shrimp -- but some of the people in my party did and they loved it.
And oh yeah, there was golf!
On the backside of the bar area were glass doors that opened to the golf bays.
34 bays in all, which can accommodate up to six golfers each.
(The complex does offer group event options from 12 up to 1,500 people).
Each bay is semi-climate controlled with fans and heaters...
And by the end of my hacks out there, I sure needed that fan!
One thing that's brand new and featured in the Orlando launch, is the introduction of Topgolf's Toptracer Technology.
It tracks the flight of each ball, displays its path in video and analyzes every shot hit.
It was very cool to take a swing... watch the ball soar (or dribble off the end of a shank)... and then turn to watch the replay of your golf ball's path.
You get to see the immediate details of how far the ball traveled in the air and how close to the pin it landed.
Some other items of note...
More than 10,000,000 people visited a Topgolf venue last year, and you can bet the Orlando venue will be a new prime destination, especially for tourists.
It'll be open 363 days a year with Thanksgiving and Christmas the lone closed door exceptions.
Topgolf also features live entertainment, DJ's, live bands, dancing, red-carpet events, and much more.
The Grand Opening will reportedly take place on Friday, October 20th.
Want to experience a new way to golf in Orlando? Connect with Topgolf Orlando's business page. Stay connected to all the Orlando sports events and things to do in Orlando by subscribing to 407area.com. It's FREE!
