Topgolf Orlando may not be so familiar to some as it only opened at the end of 2017. It is conveniently located near to the Universal Parks and we visited for an afternoon of something different when the parks got too much. We were guests of Topgolf Orlando for this experience. All opinions are our own.
Topgolf is a three-floor modern driving range which uses microchipped golf balls so the computers can keep track of your parties scores. It reminded me a little of how the screens keep score at a bowling alley.
We arrived just before 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. We were booked for 2pm so got a drink from the large air conditioned bar while we waited for our turn. We were able to take our drinks with us when we went to our bay.
We were directed upstairs to the third floor where we found our bay. Each bay is numbered and contains a table and chairs for up to 6 people. A host helped us to enter our details into the computer and explained how to play. We were also given clear safety instructions before we were left to play.
We first chose to play the game Topgolf which involves aiming for the targets on the field and gaining scores depending on where we hit. The balls are all microchipped so the computer knows exactly where they land and keeps score accordingly. You can switch turns manually on the touch screen so can choose if you would rather take turns or play all your shots at once before moving on to the next person. You can finish the game at any point and start a new game.
The next game we played was the newest game, Jewel Jam. On the screen, the field was split into coloured squares. Each ball we played was one of the colours and it changed the square it landed on to the same colour. If you got 3 or more in a row the same colour then you scored points. This game was unusual and really fun.
The last type of game we tried was called Quick9. This involved hitting nine balls. The first three you had to hit into the closest target. The next three into two targets slightly further away and the last three balls had to go into the target which is the absolute furthest I can hit (less than half way!) We then played Jewel Jam and Topgolf a few more times!
There is no need to collect balls yourself as they are released onto the green by waving your club over a sensor which is really clever. There were a variety of clubs available to choose from, all in a holder in the bay.
We were checked on regularly and our drinks were topped up as we drank them by our friendly server, Kayla, who did a brilliant job. There are many food items on the menu and you could easily have a good meal whilst you are playing. We ordered some nachos and guacamole and queso cheese sauce to snack on between our shots. These were all delicious.
We had great fun playing the interactive golf games and you could easily spend half a day or an evening playing and eating or drinking. What I especially liked was that you could still score points even if you couldn’t hit the ball particularly far, this means it is also great for kids or people like me!
You can watch our experience over on our vlog here!
Taking an autistic child to Topgolf Orlando?
Quietest times are weekday mornings except Tuesday. The best time in the week to visit if you don’t want it to be busy would be Monday or Wednesday morning.
You would need to closely supervise your child due to the obvious dangers of being at a golf driving range and it would be helpful if they could understand the need to stay behind the red line between goes and not to cross the yellow line off the edge into the safety net. You can probably request to be at ground level if height poses a problem.
The games are set up in such a way that even if your child doesn’t understand turn taking, you can easily change whose turn it is and keep players places in the game.
Food and drink are available and brought to the table when ordered.
Restrooms are also available.
There is background music, we didn’t find this too loud but if you need them then I would take ear defenders incase.
In the evening, the course is lit up and coloured which would be good for sensory seekers.
You pay by how long you play and you can extend your time by 15 minutes if you aren’t quite finished with a game.
Topgolf mixes elements of computer games into the real life game. This greatly appealed to my son.
My son actually loved Topgolf so much that I found it hard to persuade him to leave! We played at least 3 more last games!
Topgolf Orlando is located at 9295 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819. The phone number is (407) 218-7714. Opening hours are: Mon – Thurs: 9:00am – 12:00am, Fri – Sat: 9:00am – 2:00am and Sun: 9:00am – 12:00am.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you would like to read more then feel free to follow my blog or like my Facebook page which I keep up to date with new posts as they are written. You can also find me on Twitter @KidsOnTour1 and now on Youtube – subscribe to my channel for upcoming videos!
