Anytime we've visiting the Town Center in Jacksonville or driven past on 295 my eyes have gone wide when we see the giant nets surrounding Top Golf. Every time go by we always said we should go one day! Well we finally did, and now I'm wondering what took us so long.
FAQ (aka Questions I had Before We Went)
How it works: Basically it's bowling meets golf. You hit golf balls from your group's bay and try to hit the targets. The balls have chips in them so you know where they end up. There are multiple styles of games you can play, so the targets vary in points. But, essentially the further your ball goes and the closer it comes to the flags equal more points.
The games: You select your game from the touch screen in your bay, and then when it's your turn you have to select who is swinging. We found it best to hit 5 balls at a time, because only hitting one at a time would take forever. When it's your turn you wave your club in front of a sensor and it spits out a ball.
Each bay has: A set of clubs, so you don't have to bring any unless you want to. Each bay also either has a table or a couch for you to lounge on. It's also a full service restaurant, so while you wait your turn you can have a drink and snack on something!
The food: If you didn't feel up to golfing, you could totally just go to eat! Blake and I ordered the Pineapple Punch, which was not only delicious, but it also came in a hilarious golf bag light up cup! We also ordered the cheese fries and the guacamole appetizer. It was so good and perfect for sharing. The real MVP were the donut holes...which came with filling injectors!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
How much it costs: So, this is what I had the hardest time researching! That's why I wanted to share, in case any one else is curious.
- To reserve your bay: Some days of the week, usually peak times, require you to pay to reserve your bay. We went on President's Day in the afternoon and did not have to pay for our bay. But, a Friday night at 7:30 does usually cost something. You can make a reservation online though, which I thought was great!
- Membership card: They do require that you buy a $5 lifetime membership card. You only have to buy it once.
- You pay by the hour: Just like bowling, you pay by the hour. And the hour price is based on the time of day. Early in the day is $25/hour, noon to 5 is $35/hour and 5-close is $45/hour. You can have 6 people in your bay, and it's easy to split those fees from your touch screen. You'll get time warnings from your screen and you can easily add more time if you are having fun and aren't ready to quit! Which is what we did. I think we played for 3 hours!
We had a blast. It really was the perfect way to spend an afternoon. The whole time I kept thinking about when we could go back and who else would love it! Even if you aren't a golfer you will have fun. There are several targets quite close, so it's easy for kids or inexperienced adults to get points.
Leave a comment below if you've ever been to Top Golf and what you thought of it! If you haven't, let me know if you would consider it!
