Fore! Panama City Beach approves land use request for a Topgolf facility near Pier Park

Nathan Cobb, Panama City News Herald
·2 min read
Topgolf combines a bar and grill atmosphere with a fully functional driving range on multiple tiers, where players can hit golf balls leisurely or set up games for their group.
Topgolf combines a bar and grill atmosphere with a fully functional driving range on multiple tiers, where players can hit golf balls leisurely or set up games for their group.

PANAMA CITY BEACH − The Panhandle will soon get its first Topgolf.

Panama City Beach City Council members on Thursday approved a large conditional use request with the St. Joe Company to build a Topgolf in the Pier Park area near Powell Adams Road and LC Hilton Jr. Drive.

Topgolf is a large, golf-entertainment facility that combines bar-and-grill style dining with a multilevel driving range.

"These are the things we have looked for to continue to change what our community is as a landscape," Mayor Mark Sheldon said. "This will bring other high-end value economic development projects to the area."

A look at the outside of a Topgolf.
A look at the outside of a Topgolf.

"I think it brings great diversity, and I'm very excited to see this project move forward," Council member Mary Coburn added.

Plans call for the 38,000-square-foot facility to be built on 11.3 acres. The project is estimated to create about 300 jobs and generate approximately $750,000 in annual tax collections, according to Todd Waldo, a Topgolf representative who spoke during the meeting.

The Topgolf in Panama City Beach will feature 72 hitting bays, each equipped with Toptracer technology, as well as mini golf and an outdoor patio area.
The Topgolf in Panama City Beach will feature 72 hitting bays, each equipped with Toptracer technology, as well as mini golf and an outdoor patio area.

Waldo said the facility will boast 72 hitting bays, each equipped with Toptracer technology, as well as mini golf and an outdoor patio area. Construction of the project is estimated to cost about $26 million.

"This is the first step in a long process, but it's an opportunity to bring a world-class entertainment destination to greater Panama City Beach area," Waldo said. "It will be a significant economic development opportunity for the city. ... It really is a large offering for family and friends, as well as corporate events."

For Sheldon, one of the benefits of a local Topgolf is that it will be an amenity residents and tourists can enjoy year round, not just during traditional peak tourist months of summer.

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Construction of the facility is expected to start in early 2024, with it opening in the spring of 2025.

"It transcends who we are, and it continues that family-forward mindset that we've been working hard here in Panama City Beach to have," Sheldon said. "It gives us the opportunity to have entertainment year round in Panama City Beach that we haven't had before."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach approves 1st Topgolf in the Panhandle