FORE!

You don’t have to duck yet, Louisville, but construction has officially begun on the city's first Topgolf location after 3 years of delays.

Louisville Metro granted Topgolf a wrecking permit on Sept. 15 for the demolition of the ~160,000 sqft Sears building in the Oxmoor Center. Previous filings with the city indicated the development would cost $18.6 million.

Topgolf is a popular sports + entertainment venue headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It’s known for its putting greens where you score points by hitting microchipped golf balls at giant dartboard-like targets in an outfield. They also serve food, drinks, and host private events.

The company has 70 locations across the US + abroad. Topgolf Louisville, which will occupy 3 floors in the Oxmoor mall at 7900 Shelbyville Rd., will be the company’s first location in Louisville.

But it hasn’t been a hole-in-one for Topgolf in its effort to approve the venue in Derby City. Hurstbourne residents filed a lawsuit to stop the project in 2018 as they feared potential light + sound pollution, but Jefferson Circuit Judge Ann Bailey ruled the group’s arguments lacked legal footing and tossed the case out.

Since then, Topgolf Louisville has worked with the community on several impact studies to improve the sound, lighting, and traffic around the development.

The traffic study found that Topgolf Louisville will generate 156 fewer trips during the peak afternoon and evening hours that neighbors were most worried about. This indicates that the development will generate less traffic than a department store.

According to a spokesman with the company, they cannot confirm an opening date for Topgolf Louisville, but they’re excited to share the Topgolf experience with the Louisville community.

The saga of Topgolf Louisville will continue.