Business gives golfers something new in Wood Dale

At a time of year when most golfers are trying to find storage space for their equipment, the Wood Dale Park District is giving them a reason to keep the golf clubs handy.

The park district and TopGolf Friday opened a joint facility at the northeast corner of Thorndale Avenue and Prospect Road.

And by noon Friday, more than 30 golfers already had given TopGolf Wood Dale a try.

TopGolf, a concept designed in England, replaces a standard driving range with several dartboard shaped targets. In addition, standard golf balls are replaced with microchip-implanted golf balls that are tracked throughout the course, allowing golfers to quickly see their scores, distance from the center of the target and other statistics on a screen located in their bay.

The Wood Dale facility is the third TopGolf in the nation.

It includes a bar and grill separate from Salt Creek Golf Club's banquet facilities. It also has a pro shop, about 70 heated and covered double-decker driving bays. A miniature golf course is expected to open in the spring.

Randy Starr, TopGolf's vice president, said he estimates 160,000 people annually will visit TopGolf Wood Dale.

"We've said all along that Wood Dale and the Salt Creek Golf Club were the perfect fit for this project," Starr said.

"We've put a lot of time and effort into making this an entertainment destination for a large base of people," Starr added. "So we're excited to open it up and have a great first year."

Parks Director Greg Kuhs also expressed his excitement.

"We've been anxious to get this going for some time and hope everyone enjoys it," Kuhs said. "It's an exciting time."

Mayor Ken Johnson predicts the facility will help provide Wood Dale "a great deal of opportunities for economic development."

"We're hoping other food or entertainment venues will also be excited about locating close to TopGolf," Johnson said, "leading to great things all around."

TopGolf Wood Dale will be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

For more information, call TopGolf Wood Dale at (630) 595-4653 or visit www.topgolfusa.com.