REVIEW: Topgolf Roseville provides a swingin’ good time

By Albert Hu,
BlueDevilHUB.com Editor–

At Topgolf Roseville, there’s a niche for newbies and veterans alike. Located right off the freeway, the fancy driving range is 225 yards deep and features six glowing circular targets—each a different color. To score, players hit microchipped golf balls that track distance and location. The closer the ball lands to a target, the more points the player scores.

But the place is more than just a bougie driving range. To truly do Topgolf justice, one must imagine standing at the helm of the third story: wind blowing, friends groaning and laughs flowing—all topped off with a breathtaking aerial view. To get this full experience, I recommend coming in the evening—where the neon targets glow brighter and the moonlight illuminates the air.

Each bay is equipped with an assortment of different golf clubs, computers that keep track of each golf ball, a cocktail table, and a waiter who is knowledgeable about the intricacies of golf.

For veterans, I imagine the experience is a majestic breeze—hitting golf ball after golf ball problem-free into a luxury backyard. But for newbies, I can attest that the experience shines in a more sad-yet-endearing way.

You see, it’s surprisingly difficult to make contact with a golf ball. During the first hour my group played, we missed more swings than we made, each miss met with a boat-load of laughs and roasts. It wasn’t until our server took pity on us and taught us the proper way to hold a golf club and hit a golf ball that we started to make progress—but don’t get me wrong, we were still awful. And yet that’s what made the experience so memorable—the laughs from friends flailing and failing.

Pricing at the location is relatively expensive—but comparable to a pricy bowling range. Determined by what time of day you play at, the cost ranges from $25 an hour per bay until noon, to $45 an hour after 5pm. But come in the morning and bring the maximum of 6 players and the price per hour will drop to as low as $4.16 a person.

But beware—there is another fee before you can get started. In order for players to keep track of their individual score, they must purchase a $5 membership card. Granted, if your friends are not die-hard competitors, players can share one membership—the system just won’t record who scored each point.

Hungry from destroying your friends at golf? The location also features a full-service restaurant and bar. While I would highly recommend Topgolf’s standard hamburger for being very juicy and well-seasoned, patrons can also choose from options ranging from hot wings to jumbo shrimp.

To sum it up—Topgolf is a must visit location. While I don’t see myself going more than once a year, the experience is like no other entertainment venue, and worth the hefty price tag.