A popular golf entertainment franchise called Top Golf said it’s interested in coming to the Milwaukee area.
Milwaukee is the largest metropolitan market without Top Golf. Oak Creek is making it well known they want the bid.
“It has to come here, I mean end of the conversation, it’s the greatest sporting event in the U.S. right now,” said golfer Nick Korth.
Top Golf facilities offer multilevel hitting bays with balls tracked by microchips. It’s a combination of entertainment and technology that creates a challenging game against friends and family.
“You’re shooting at different targets going for different scores with your team members,” said Mike Emmer.
“It’s a franchise that’s well known, well marketed and well-run,” said Oak Creek Mayor Dan Bukiewicz.
Bukiewicz said the city has already reached out to Top Golf to express interest. There are currently 39 Top Golf locations across the country and the franchise is working toward a goal of opening 50.
“We’re developing, we have some key attractions,” he said.
TODAY’S TMJ4’s partners at the Business Journal confirm Top Golfhas hired a local real estate company to search for possible locations. Bukiewicz believes all of the traffic that will soon be flowing to the new Ikea at Drexel and I-94 would make a huge plot of land across the interstate a perfect spot for a new Top Golf. If developers are looking for more of a picturesque backdrop, Bukiewicz said there’s plenty of Oak Creek land right along the lakefront.
Although, if Top Golf decides to come to southeastern Wisconsin, it will already be facing stiff competition in Franklin. Developers plan to open a Big Shots near the Rock Sports Complex in the Spring of 2019. Big Shots is another high tech driving range with climate-controlled suites.
Despite what could be seen as a stumbling block, Bukiewicz believes both could easily co-exist and do well.
“Obviously we have more than one tire store in the area so there’s multiple choices when it comes to consumers and the same will hold true with golf,” he said.
