Calls increasing daily as Midway Golf and Games nears TopTracer, 44 Tavern opening

Charles Dunlap, Columbia Daily Tribune
Updated ·4 min read

Midway Golf and Games is ready to welcome guests to its newest feature, TopTracer.

The covered, 18-bay driving range incorporates the same technology used at similar entertainment venue Topgolf, which has locations in St. Louis and Kansas City. Midway officially opens TopTracer 10 a.m. July 29 at 5500 W. Van Horn Tavern Road.

October 2022: Midway Golf and Games breaks ground on two-story TopTracer driving range facility

Guests can book 30-minute increments for the TopTracer bays ahead of the grand opening. A registration link is available through the Facebook event page and the Midway website. This also marks the opening of new eatery, 44 Tavern. Voo Doo Sno Cone and Lilly’s Cantina also will be on-site during the evening hours.

A view of the TopTracer driving range bays Tuesday available at Midway Golf and Games. The grand opening of the new sports entertainment venue is July 29.
A view of the TopTracer driving range bays Tuesday available at Midway Golf and Games. The grand opening of the new sports entertainment venue is July 29.

Shiloh Country Band will start at 7:30 p.m. to provide entertainment. Big Brother Big Sisters of Central Missouri will hold its Countdown to Kickoff: An Evening with Coach Drinkwitz starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Tavern Hall Banquet room, which can hold up to 200 guests, as well.

The grand opening will round out with a fireworks display at 9:15 p.m.

One thing that makes TopTracer unique from Topgolf venues is the partnership Midway owners Tim and Toby Rost have with 44 Tavern and owner Mark Sulltrop.

Menu items at 44 Tavern during a soft opening event for media Tuesday featured offerings like the Midway-OK Smashburger Sliders and the Baja Fish Tacos.
Menu items at 44 Tavern during a soft opening event for media Tuesday featured offerings like the Midway-OK Smashburger Sliders and the Baja Fish Tacos.

Sulltrop announced online the closure of 44 Stone Public House on Peachtree Drive in Columbia in May, but noted that the new 44 Tavern was soon to open at Midway. 44 Canteen on North Ninth Street in Columbia remains open.

Area media had a chance to sample both the driving range technology and 44 Tavern food Tuesday in a soft opening ahead of the grand opening next Saturday.

Customer service will be paramount at 44 Tavern said Chad Hall, restaurant manager, who comes to Midway after several years managing country clubs and other golf courses.

Interest high in new Midway feature

People are excited about the new golfing opportunity at Midway with calls increasing daily, said Allie Henneke, who wears several different hats and is the daughter of Midway's owners.

Various targets guests can shoot for at the new TopTracer covered driving range at Midway Golf and Games.
Various targets guests can shoot for at the new TopTracer covered driving range at Midway Golf and Games.

"Every day we are getting more questions as to if we are open and when. The community is excited. Mid-Missouri in general, not just Columbia," she said, adding TopTracer is great because it is something Columbia was missing. "I think people are just excited to have something else to do, much less not having to drive (to St. Louis or Kansas City)."

Guests can play from two levels where the main level has 10 player bays and the upper Emerald Club has eight.

"The main level is elevated because we are in a flood plain, so we can't have anything down below. That is kind of nice compared to Topgolf because our main level is even elevated a bit for that reason," Henneke said.

Targets on the driving range are incorporated into the TopTracer technology where guests can compete for closest to the pin, longest drive, and virtually play golf courses from across the globe, among other games. The venue will be open Sunday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to midnight.

A view of the 44 Tavern, from the owners of 44 Stone Public House and 44 Canteen, on Tuesday at the TopTracer covered driving range facility at Midway Golf and Games. The new eatery and sports venue officially opens July 29.
A view of the 44 Tavern, from the owners of 44 Stone Public House and 44 Canteen, on Tuesday at the TopTracer covered driving range facility at Midway Golf and Games. The new eatery and sports venue officially opens July 29.

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Guests book hour-long slots, though driving-range bays can be booked for longer. Each bay can welcome up to six guests and pricing will vary between $30-$50 per hour, depending on day of the week, time of day and whether guests are playing on the main level or the Emerald Club level. Golf and Games Operations Manager Kory Neisen can aid guests with their game, or from the other golf pro on staff.

The banquet hall already is being booked up for future events, such as wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners and company Christmas parties, Henneke said.

"It is a pretty space, but then it adds an entertainment aspect for whatever event. People can do any of the activities while they are here," she said, adding other diversions include, mini golf, axe throwing, go-carts, batting cages and more. "... I'm excited to show people what has been going on. We have put so much work into it. We want it to be good for the community."

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: TopTracer, 44 Tavern grand opening July 29 at Midway Golf and Games