Back
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Jim Venezia might not realize it yet, but he's got one of the most important jobs in golf.
Recently hired as the director of operations at Topgolf Los Angeles - El Segundo, he's charged with unlocking one of the game's biggest secrets: How to get El Segundo Topgolf customers playing more real golf at the Lakes at El Segundo, the city-owned, night-lit, municipal par-3 course that Topgolf manages next door.
We all have friends who love Topgolf but would never dare step on green grass to play. Venezia is working hard to find simple ways to transform people with a casual interest in swinging a club into those who will actually play golf, even if it's on a short course like the Lakes. If he can unlock this magic formula, it would not only be a game-changer for Topgolf but the industry as a whole.
"We’re still building the blueprint around what the potential is with The Lakes (golf course) and how the Topgolf venue and the Lakes can really come together," Venezia said in April. "That’s what I’ve been tasked to do. [I've been told by Topgolf leadership] 'Jim, you need to create the blueprint for this, because we’re looking at a lot of properties that have green grass tied to them, and we could be doing more of these'."
The notion that people who enjoy Topgolf are real golfers is hotly debated within industry circles. The National Golf Foundation counts off-course golfers as true golfers in its statistics. In January, the NGF reported that the growth of off-course golfers - Topgolfers and the like - eclipsed the growth of on-course golfers by 11 percent in 2022, bringing the total number of golfers to a record 41.1 million. For the first time, off-course golfers (27.9 million) surpassed those who play on the course (25.6 million). If Topgolf can somehow find a way to convert even 10 percent of those off-course golfers into players, the influx of millions of new golfers would be a significant boost for the future of the game.
If only it were that simple.
Indoors at Topgolf Los Angeles - El Segundo
By all measurables, Topgolf Los Angeles - El Segundo has been an overwhelming success since opening in 2022. Venezia said the facility has been operating at capacity, often with three to four hours of wait time. When I visited in April, the wait on a Sunday was two-plus hours. It was a big day for California NBA fans with the Golden State Warriors playing a game 7 against the Sacramento Kings with the winner moving on to meet the Lakers. Customers packed Topgolf's bar area to enjoy the atmosphere, food and drinks while watching on a 28-foot-high video wall.
People in the bays could follow the game on one of the 200-plus TVs nearby or the massive screen at the end of the netted range. Local celebrities are known to pop by. There are several V.I.P. hitting areas and separate event rooms available for rent for more privacy. During U.S. Open week, Topgolf Los Angeles - El Segundo held a golf party that went viral thanks to the many influencers in attendance.
Watching Topgolfers is always a fascinating experience. Some can barely swing without falling over. Others crush the ball, but look more like baseball or hockey players than golfers. No matter what their fundamentals might be, every person here is a potential new golfer or one who could be convinced to play more.
Venezia admits that, for the most part, his two facilities operate independently. That's slowly changing with the April hiring of Joey Chang as the new head golf professional at the Lakes at El Segundo. He replaces the traditional director of instruction most Topgolf facilities employ.
New clinics and lessons programming are letting new golfers learn in the Topgolf bays as well as at the Lakes, which has a putting green, separate clubhouse and 10 holes (but shared the parking lot with Topgolf). The new junior academy, which started in June by offering five days a week of instruction spread across nine weeks in the summer, has attracted roughly 500 junior golfers to sign up, the most of all the 70+ Topgolf locations around the world. The participants use the hitting bays for full-swing practice and the Lakes for chipping and putting with Fridays set aside for on-course play.
A PGA Jr. League with year-round potential will launch this fall. Topgolf is also working on plans to create etiquette classes, so Topgolfers don't feel so nervous going to the Lakes for the first time.
"A lot of your non-golfers that are taking lessons trying to get into the game are very intimidated by green grass. They don’t understand the rules, the etiquette, so we have in our plans to do clinics that will bring the two together," Venezia said.
Corporate groups or others who want to host special events can potentially also split time between Topgolf and the course. "If we have a corporate party on floor one, they may just use the 10th hole as an activation out there (on the Lakes course) for closest to the pin," Venezia said. "Anything we can do to tie it together, we will. We are open to it."
During large birthday parties, family gathers and corporate events, Topgolf instructions mingle with the guests to help them with their swings and to recruit them to sign up for lessons.
"Beginners think 'Here (in a bay) I can just grip and rip it. I don’t care where it goes'. Getting them into lessons" is the first major step for introducing real golf, Venezia added.
Outdoor golf at the Lakes at El Segundo
As a golf course, El Segundo has been around since 1994, but a renovation by Stephen Halsey and Mike Angus while the Topgolf was under construction has created a fun playground for beginners or avid golfers. The par-30 loop plays to just 1,060 yards, but all its holes are interesting and unique. There's water in play on a handful of them and a nice upper shelf of land that provides some elevation change. Recent GolfPass reviews call the layout "super fun" and a "great value". The 10th tee features a video screen with Toptracer technology, similar to the TV broadcasts that track the ball flight of the pros. It's cool to hit your shot, then walk to the monitor to witness your shot shape. After the round, golfers can post a video to their social media accounts, a savvy marketing ploy for Topgolf to attract more players.
A golf writer buddy and I each made a birdie during a daytime round. Coming back at night, though, was the most memorable experience. Music is pumped in throughout the course. I started behind a group with a wife pushing a stroller as her little boy ran wild while dad played. It was a cute family moment. Further ahead, a group of guys were having a competitive shootout. If you haven't played night golf, you have to try it. It's a blast.
I think having the lights is the secret sauce of the entire El Segundo facility. Venezia said sometimes customers who don't want to wait for the Topgolf bays will wander over to play night golf on the Lakes. How ironic that Topgolf's popularity might force someone to give real golf a try. It's just another way this unique facility is changing the game.
What are your thoughts about the Topgolf experience? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments (0)