Overland Park, KS: Not Cheap And A Few Kinks In The System, But Fun Was Had By All

Topgolf

10611 Nall Avenue

Overland Park, KS 66207

Phone: (913) 562-9713

Website: topgolf.com

Prices: $$$$

At first glance, this place is pretty cool, a driving range on steroids. They have food, bar, and this ridiculous set-up with 3 levels of hitting bays, sensors in the golf balls, and 10 or so targets around the massive enclosed hitting area that you aim for and rack up points. It is basically bowling for golfers ... Disneyland for golfers even.

You pay $20 to $40 per hour for a hitting bay with a maximum of 6 players, not bad when you have four or more players splitting the tab. You score points for hitting targets because the golf balls have sensors in them which allow your information to be captured and displayed on the computer screen. You get more points for longer shots and if you are closer to the center of the target. There are several different games you can play and the bays are heated so you do not freeze when the weather does not cooperate.

We were "logged-in" to our hitting bay by a staff member before our party had finished getting their membership cards ($5), so the clock was ticking on our first hour well before we were ready to play. Our server then pounced on us seconds later asking if we wanted anything to eat or drink even though we had not had a chance to take our jackets off or look at a menu. "Could we have a couple minutes to get settled please?", I asked. She was very attentive, almost too attentive, the rest of the night, very friendly, but pushy and a bit annoying considering the fact that we were trying to play a game.

Food and drink prices are moderate, in the $6-$14 range, and the menu is interesting and eclectic ... burgers and sliders ... appetizers and sandwiches ... flatbreads, salads, wraps, and mushis (whatever they are). Drinks run from $3 for a PBR to $8-$12 for mixed drinks and wine. The drinks and food portions are small for the price. I had a bloody mary ($8) and although decent, not worth the money. My bacon cheeseburger ($12) was also very small, maybe a 4-5 ounce patty, and the fries not overly abundant. Let me just say that I was still hungry after my so called meal. My buddies tater tots were exactly that, straight out of the bag and extremely greasy.

The biggest problem I saw golf-wise in two visits was the fact that points are not always awarded even when the ball obviously hits the target. It does not happen often, but often enough that it can affect the outcome of the game. The computer would also change players on its own occasionally, so shots were wasted with players inadvertently adding points to an opponents score. If you are competitive and play to win, be prepared for some irritation and a possible loss that is not under your control,

Being retired military, I am a "lifetime hero" member and should get a 10% discount on play, but I noticed after I got home that my discount was not applied and I paid full price ($40/hour) instead of the discounted $36 I should have paid. Another thing I do not like about Topgolf is the fact that when it comes time to add time and money to your account to pay for the bay, the only options are rounded off in $20 increments instead of allowing you to pay exactly what you owe. They also add tax to the $20 or $40 per hour rate, so you end up with a $43 tab (for example), but the next higher option to add credit after $20 is $40, so you end up with a large non-refundable balance on your Topgolf players card instead of getting a credit back on your credit card. I asked the server why I had to carry a credit over that I may never use and she told me "that's just the way it is".

Recommendations for a higher review rating:

1) Give folks a chance to get settled and ensure the entire party is ready before starting the clock on the bays and pouncing on us for drink and food orders. 

2) Charge people what they owe and get rid of the $20 incremental options for adding credit to our games. It is not technological rocket science and there is no reason we could not add an additional hour, see the balance, and swipe our credit card to pay exactly what we owe. Why should I give Topgolf an interest free $17 loan for God knows how long when I owe $43 and only have the option to add $80 with my credit card? Nice trick, get rid of it. 

3) Fix the problems with points not being registered when targets are hit and with the computer inadvertently changing players without input. It is annoying and detracts from the competition. It does not happen at a bowling alley, so it should not happen at Topgolf. 

4) Make sure "heroes" get their discounts or do away with the program.

Otherwise, Topgolf is a fun way to practice and relatively inexpensive depending on how many players you have and what time you go (the earlier in the day, the cheaper it is). They have a few bugs they need to work out of the system, but on a cold Winter's eve, it is a comfortable and entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.

CombatCritic Gives Topgolf 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

"Continue Mission"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





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Title: Overland Park, KS: Not Cheap And A Few Kinks In The System, But Fun Was Had By All

Key Words: Topgolf, top, golf, driving range, driving, range, practice, Overland Park, overland, park, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike ="Continue Mission"