Topgolf Providence, in Cranston, is now Topgolf Rhode Island after mayor complains

It's unclear exactly what Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins would have been willing to do to remove "Providence" from the name of a new $40 million golf-based entertainment complex soon to open on Sockanosset Cross Road.

"I didn't really think about that," he told reporters Friday when asked what would have happened if the company hadn't agreed to a name change.

Whatever he did do worked, at least in part. Topgolf Providence is now Topgolf Rhode Island, the company said Friday, bowing to political pressure over the name.

"They listened to my cry about naming rights," Hopkins told reporters at a library next door to the construction site.

Topgolf changed its name, but was it a victory?

But what would Hopkins have done if Topgolf and developer Carpionato Group hadn't listened to him in a Thursday conference call on the name?

"I'm not going to lay down in front of a steamroller like Tiananmen Square," Hopkins told reporters Friday, referring to the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, China. "I'm just going to come out here and fight for the people of Cranston. They deserve it, to have this nice venue ... We have put up with a lot for the past 18 months with traffic, noise and construction."

Did he offer the company anything to change the name, or warn of any consequences if they didn't change the name?

"I'd hate to say like 'The Godfather,' we made them an offer they couldn't refuse," he said, "but he bottom line is they want Cranston. Look at this location. Every intersection in the state goes through it."

Although Hopkins described the Friday announcement as a "victory lap," his effort to "brand Cranston" wasn't entirely successful. The word Cranston is still nowhere in the new name or logo. (In fact, the web address for the location is still topgolf.com/us/providence/)

When it comes to naming things, 'Rhode Island' is the safer bet

The debate over Topgolf's name is latest example where politics have trumped geographical specificity and made "Rhode Island" the name of choice.

After years of Warwick mayors complaining when people talk about flying to "Providence," a recent name change for the state airport created Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport.

The new state biotech hub state leaders hope to build, almost certainly in downtown Providence, is called the "Rhode Island life science hub."

More on Topgolf: What are those poles off Route 37? It's the Topgolf facility − here's a closer look

And unlike the Pawtucket Red Sox baseball team it is hoping to replace, the fledgling professional soccer team in Pawtucket was named Rhode Island FC.

“We can’t wait to enter Rhode Island and welcome players across the state to our Topgolf venue, located in the wonderful community of Cranston near the Garden City Center," Topgolf spokesperson Spencer Stewart wrote about the name change.

In a statement, Hopkins said he is "still proud of" other businesses in Cranston that happen to include non-Cranston place names: Providence Lacquer & Supply Centre, Texas Roadhouse and Olneyville New York System. There are no plans to try to get those businesses to change their names.

Could there someday be a Topgolf Cranston?

Hopkins said the reason Topgolf had originally wanted to have Providence in the name was to make it regional.

"They try to do a region. Well Rhode Island's small – we're only 40 square miles," he said. "Rhode Island is the region and we want people to come to Rhode Island. Once they get here, they can find it. Just drive a couple of blocks and you're in Cranston."

(The land area of Rhode Island is more than 1,000 square miles.)

Does Hopkins hope that eventually Topgolf Rhode Island will become Topgolf Cranston?

"Maybe that'll be step two." he said. "Once they come here, I'll be standing on top of Topgolf yelling: this is Cranston!"

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Topgolf Rhode Island gets new name after Cranston mayor complains