Topgolf looking at building new facility next to the Tacoma Dome

Topgolf might be heading next door to the Tacoma Dome. This isn’t the staid, quiet sport you see on TV. It’s Topgolf, a high-tech, fast-paced version of golf that Golf Digest called “the best way to enjoy golf while knowing nothing about it.”

Players hit micro-chipped golf balls from hitting bays for a variety of different games that challenge beginners and veterans, according to Topgolf. Prices vary by location, but at the nearest, in Hillsboro, Oregon, it costs $45 an hour after 5 p.m. Each bay can accommodate six players.

In Tacoma, Topgolf has applied for a venue near the Dome on nearly 11 acres near Interstate 5. It predicts spending more than $30 million on what Dome officials said is a future entertainment district.

In March, the city requested bids from firms for the district, requiring at least $8 million for the land. Proposals had to include an $800,000 deposit. Topgolf was the only company to respond to the request, said Pat Beard, a project manager with the city’s Community and Economic Development Department.

Topgolf’s said the development would include:
• 102 climate-controlled hitting bays over three levels for year-round play.
• A 215-yard outfield.
• 2,100 square feet of private event space.
• A 2,800-square-foot kitchen.
• 5,700 square feet of full-service kitchen/bar.
• More than 200 high-definition televisions.
• 7,400 square feet of outdoor dining space.

The city could decide within 30 days whether to move forward with the company soon. It predicts 475 or more jobs if its Dome venue opens, along with “sizable tax revenues for the city.”