Founded outside London in 2000 by brothers Steve and Dave Jolliffe, Topgolf is a redesigned driving range that uses microchip technology inside golf balls to make driving balls its own unique game. The company is now owned in part by Carlsbad's Callaway Golf Company and currently operates 57 locations, most of which also house an event space, restaurants, bars, and multiple entertainment rooms.
Topgolf International has proposed a $40 million, 68,000 square-foot facility for San Diego's bayfront in the space where the rental car companies were sited before relocating to their new headquarters. The Port of San Diego Commissioners voted 5-1 in 2019 to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement to discuss a lease on the easternmost area of East Harbor Island. Today, the Port of San Diego Commissioners gave informal approval for Topgolf to take over an 8.5-acre site across from the San Diego airport. This will allow the Port to move forward with site development and lease negotiations with the Callaway Golf-owned company.
The plans for the San Diego location of Topgolf call for a three-level indoor/outdoor building to be constructed with 102 hitting bays in addition to gaming areas, an all-day restaurant, multiple bars, event spaces, parking for 450, and a public deck with prime views of downtown San Diego's skyline. Topgolf has been trying to negotiate a location to open a San Diego branch since 2015.
