Topgolf in South Fayette offers unique driving-range experience

SOUTH FAYETTE – Topgolf is a golfing range that Happy Gilmore would enjoy.
The loud, hip music, food, bars and 200 televisions all add to a laid-back atmosphere that fits the ethos of the fictional 1996 movie character played by Adam Sandler, without the rowdiness. And his running-start swing.
“No Happy Gilmore swings,” said a worker to a group of golfers at the new Topgolf Pittsburgh location in South Fayette Township.

Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Cooper Ravenstahl of North Hills lines up for a drive.
The three-floor, 65,000-square-foot entertainment complex hosted a hype event Wednesday, inviting professional athletes, celebrities and local business people. The facility, which is purposefully visible from Interstate 79 just off the Bridgeville exit, features 102 hitting bays built on three stories for a driving range, point-scoring golf games with microchipped balls and targets, food and beverages, private event spaces, tournaments, instruction and programming events.
While golf is the cornerstone of the facility, director of operations Kevin Kraft said Topgolf isn’t just for golfers and is “more than just a driving range.”
“We’re an entertainment venue,” Kraft said. “We’ve got a great chef-inspired menu … along with great craft cocktails. We’ve got games throughout the building, not just the golf games, including pool tables, shuffleboard tables, foosball tables and cornhole on our rooftop terrace where you might catch a DJ or live bands on some nights.”

Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, middle, attended the Topgolf preview event July 11 with his father, Vernon, and his fiancée, Michelle.
Topgolf Pittsburgh, located at 400 Presto Sygan Road near Bridgeville, is the Dallas-based company’s 43rd location and 39th in the United States. It is the first location in the Pittsburgh area.
“I think the people of Pittsburgh have a certain grit about them that we enjoy as a company,” Kraft said. “We fit as a culture. Our culture of Topgolf is very unique, and I think Pittsburgh is very unique. The citizens of Pittsburgh and the sports culture here fit well.”
Topgolf Pittsburgh, which will open July 20, is the anchor tenant and the first business to be constructed in the Newbury Market development in South Fayette.
“It’s been a long time coming, but it was long worth the wait,” said Eric Newhouse, Newbury project manager. “Topgolf is a great experience that will draw people from all over the region to Newbury and South Fayette.”

Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Topgolf has 102 hitting bays with several targets for golfers to aim at during their games. A 175-foot net surrounds the facility with I-79 in the background.
Kraft said the growth of the area and the accessibility from I-79 were the biggest draws in choosing the South Fayette location.
“There is a business boom that is starting to happen down here with the Canonsburg and South Fayette communities,” Kraft said. “It’s an exciting time for this area. We’re very fortunate to be the first tenant in this Newbury development. We’re super excited to be here and hopefully be an anchor to this community.”
With Topgolf opening soon and Carvana preparing to build an enormous car vending warehouse at Newbury, Newhouse believes the rocky days of the development, specifically the ripple effects from the UPMC hospital pullout last summer, are behind.
“This is a great start for Newbury,” Newhouse said. “This is an incredible location. Now with Topgolf and Carvana here, more businesses are going to want to come to this area.”
The facility, which employs around 500, will be open year-around. Golf clubs, including women’s and kids’ clubs, are provided at Topgolf, but customers can also bring their own. The per-hour fee for renting a hitting bay is $25 to $45, depending on the time of day. Each bay can host six players at a time.

Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
The Almanac
Topgolf Pittsburgh is located at 400 Presto Sygan Road in the Newbury Market development in South Fayette.