Q&A: Does Topgolf Franchise in the UK?

Source: Wikipedia

Topgolf is a global sports entertainment business that’s headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It has 53 venues throughout the US, Australia and the UK, and employs over 15,000 people. Here in the UK, the brand operates in Essex, Surrey and Watford. But does Topgolf franchise? We’ll find out, after a quick look at the industry.

Golf is a popular sport with many benefits. You can play it your whole life – you don’t have to be particularly fit and it’s low impact, so it doesn’t risk harming the joints. Also, it’s an outdoor sport, so you can get plenty of fresh air, and you don’t even need other people to play it. What’s more, no two golf courses are the same, so each new location brings an element of excitement and mystery.

Recently, entrepreneurs have realised there is a demand for sports entertainment concepts where you can play golf and have fun with friends. One of the leaders in the new driving range idea is Topgolf, which uses Toptracer technology. This makes going to the driving range with friends more of an experience, as you can play target games at different ability levels.

History of Topgolf

Topgolf’s story kicked off in 2000 when two brothers were practising their swings together in Watford. The brothers began to think about how they could liven up their driving range experience whilst honing their skills. So, they established a concept where they could work on their game, have fun and track where their ball had landed. That’s when Topgolf was born.

The Jolliffe brothers developed a golf experience that mixed competition with entertainment. Players can hit microchipped golf balls at targets on an outfield – imagine a huge outdoor dartboard… but for golf. High-tech golf balls provide a little friendly competition and instantly score each shot’s distance and accuracy. As you can tell, this isn’t just any driving range – it’s a true golf experience.

Did you know? Topgolf welcomes more than 13 million annual visitors across the globe.

Today, Topgolf is a fantastic entertainment venue with dynamic event spaces and a food and drink menu that trumps any sports bar. Because of its climate-controlled hitting bays and the golf experts strolling the tee line offering wise words, Topgolf can be enjoyed at any age, skill level and time of year.

This is a golf business with a true passion for innovation and providing the best player experience – and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by golf fans. Topgolf welcomes more than 13 million annual visitors across the globe.

Does Topgolf franchise?

Unfortunately, the company is not offering Topgolf franchise opportunities at the moment.

US investors, Erik Anderson and Richard Grogan, secured the franchise licence for the concept’s initial US locations in the 2000s, later going on to buy the UK facilities. In August this year, Topgolf forged a partnership with Greenreb, a Swiss company that will open more locations in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Italy. Each Topgolf location makes approximately $20 million in revenue a year, half of which comes from food and drink sales.

Anderson, the co-chairman and CEO of the Topgolf group, says the company is “starting to look like a franchise with multiple sources of revenue”. However, it’s still technically a privately-owned business, and there isn’t any information about franchising opportunities on its website.

Source: Topgolf.com

How to get involved with Topgolf

You might be pleased to hear that there are other ways to get involved with the Topgolf brand. Instead of becoming a franchisee, why not join the golf business as a corporate partner with Topgolf media?

Topgolf media helps brands create reach and make an impact on a local, national and global scale. Its integrated campaigns help increase brand awareness and engage customers in a dynamic way. The company has developed a multi-tiered approach to satisfy its partners’ business requirements and ambitions. To read more about this Topgolf business opportunity, click here.

The golf industry in the UK

The UK has a lot of committed golfers, as well as newcomers to the sport and those who simply enjoy playing the odd game. For this reason, running a franchise in the golf industry could be a lucrative career move.

There are many types of golf franchises to consider before putting club to ball. Golf franchises come in various sizes and take different approaches, allowing entrepreneurs with a love of the green to put their passions into play with a business that suits them. From driving ranges like Topgolf to indoor facilities, to shops selling golf products, to speciality services like golf lessons, there are many different types of golf-related franchises.

>>Read more: Golf club franchises in the UK

Other franchise opportunities

Let’s take a look at a few golf franchises looking for franchisees.

• Golf Management Group – This “procurement partner” helps golf clubs boost their profitability by using its purchasing power to get discounts on vital products like food and drink, branded items, energy and insurance. It works with a network of around 500 clubs across the UK and is using the franchise model to expand even further.
• Indoor Golf City – As the name suggests, this business allows its customers to play golf inside with the use of fun golf simulators. Recreating a traditional course, they help users get to grips with the game and hone their skills without having to visit an actual club. Indoor Golf City offers a number of packages to suit every investor, from a single pop-up simulator to a turn-key indoor golf centre with six simulators.
• Fore Business – The brains behind this golf company recognised that there is a connection between business and golf; the fact is that golf can offer great networking opportunities. Fore Business capitalises on this link and targets business partners with a focus on corporate events. Now, it’s looking for master franchisees to open multiple Fore Business locations in your chosen country.

Source: Topgolf.com

A few things to bear in mind

The majority of golf businesses need to have lots of equipment to make sure that players have all the essentials to play the game. Your golf franchise will need to have a certain layout to make all the following accessible:

• Golf balls
• Clubs
• Bags
• Club accessories
• Gifts
• Pro-line equipment
• Junior equipment
• Footwear
• Gloves
• Apparel for all genders and ages

Ideally, interested entrepreneurs should be passionate about golf or sports in general and have some level of business know-how. Whether you intend to manage day-to-day activity or hire a manager to do that for you, most golf franchises look for franchisees that want to have an active role in the business.

Also, you’ll need to think about funding. The good news is that most high street banks are willing to lend franchisees with a solid business plan up to 70 percent of their total investment cost. In return for your payment, you should receive access to a comprehensive training package, including an operations manual to help with the set-up of the new company.

>> Read more:

• Successful Franchises: Seven Steps To Promote Your Business
• Traits of a Successful Franchisee
• How To Achieve The Right Mind Set To Be A Successful Franchisee
• Top 5 Habits of Successful Franchisees
• How self-confidence can equal success for franchisees
• Traits of an entrepreneur

Become a franchisee

If you’re interested in running your own business in the sports sector, you can find out more information about our fitness franchises here.