- Updated: December 19, 2023
Can You Bring Your Own Clubs To TopGolf?
Yes, you can bring your own clubs to TopGolf but we think there are specific clubs you should bring to TopGolf and certain clubs you should avoid bringing if you care about them.
Wedges and Short Irons are perfect for the harder TopGolf balls but expensive Drivers and Fairway Woods should be left at home or in the car.
The "Problem" with TopGolf Balls
To answer the question, “Should you bring your golf clubs to Top Golf?” we must first talk about the golf balls TopGolf offers their guests.
Most golfers have no idea that the golf balls they hit at their local driving range (non-TopGolf locations) are far lesser quality and fly much shorter than the premium golf balls they use on the golf course. TopGolf balls are arguably even lower quality!
Driving ranges use less premium “practice balls” (often made using second-grade materials) because, at the end of the day, they understand their supply is going to be hit with thousands of strikes from practice-hungry golfers and collected by the ball picker, both making balls scuffed and scratched at some point in their life.
TopGolf is in an even more unique position because their golf balls not only fly significantly shorter than premium balls to keep player’s shots inside their fences, but each TopGolf ball contains an internal “RFID Chip” that allows their hitting bays to track your ball for semi-accurate strike data and better scoring in the TopGolf games.
Think about "Golf Ball Quality Ranking" like this:
Golf balls you use on the course
Balls at your local driving range
TopGolf balls
While we hate to rank TopGolf balls last in quality, there are a few reasons we have to make that distinction:
TopGolf balls are exponentially harder than premium balls (from lower quality materials, the internal tracking chip, and the fact they are designed to be hit by non-golfers with “TopGolf clubs”)
More rigid golf balls can damage your less durable golf clubs (like fairway woods and drivers)
Since the TopGolf balls fly shorter than other golf balls, routine practice would give you a false sense of your distances with each club
What Golf Clubs to Avoid Bringing to TopGolf?
We strongly suggest golfers leave their drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids at home.
While we all want to show off to our friends and family just how far we can smash our new driver or if we can reach the back fence, damaging our expensive and often personalized equipment is NOT worth the risk!
Golf club manufacturers design these longer clubs with increasingly thin club faces, which leads to more face flexion at impact for higher ball speeds and more distance for users.
Sure, the materials they construct golf clubs with these days are durable, but they are not designed to hit balls as hard as the ones used in TopGolf locations.
Suppose you’re a decent player who can generate a substantial amount of club head speed. In that case, we recommend avoiding using your own more fragile clubs because it’s likely you’ll put a crack in the club face with too solid of contact.
For longer shots at TopGolf, we recommend using the “rent clubs” provided inside every hitting bay. These clubs are designed for true beginners and are extra heavy and durable to withstand repeated (often poor) strikes to the more rigid balls hit at TopGolf.
Which of Your Own Golf Clubs Should You Hit at TopGolf?
The answer to the question “Do I bring my own sticks to Top Golf?” is a complicated one.
While we obviously think there are clubs to avoid pulling out at a TopGolf, other clubs are acceptable to swing free and have a great time using from your own.
Clubs to Bring to TopGolf
Irons
Wedges
Irons are harder to damage than most of the clubs we own. They’re primarily made of hard steel that’s difficult to harm. You’ll still receive different feedback than you’re used to when hitting nicer range balls or premium balls (lesser distance and a worse “feel” since the balls are harder).
Wedges are the clubs we feel the best about using from our golf bag when hitting at a TopGolf.
This “inside 120 yards” range will provide the most similar feedback and feeling as a “normal” driving range, and even though the feel of the balls themselves will be different, you can adequately practice wedges for the most part at a TopGolf.
Additionally, there are specific games designed for shorter shots, and there are tons of targets to aim at inside the 100-yard area. If you wanted to focus on wedges, you wouldn’t have to bring your whole bag and full set to the hitting bays.
Concluding Thoughts on TopGolf
If your ultimate goal of hitting balls every time is to get better at the game, TopGolf likely isn’t your best driving range location.
The golf balls they use aren’t close to the same quality as what we play golf with on an actual golf course, the clubs they have are designed for non-golfers and absolute beginners, and the price to use a TopGolf hitting bay compared to most standard driving ranges is very expensive.
That being said, TopGolf isn’t all bad by any stretch of the imagination.
Think about TopGolf as more of a “bowling alley for golfers” or a “mini golf” adjacent activity. You’re mostly there for the entertainment of a group of people, you aren’t there to have a “serious match” between competitors, and you aren’t limited to small group sizes depending on how many people and friends are with you, meaning big groups can have a fun time.
If you’re looking for a great way to spend a few hours with friends, play a few of TopGolf’s hitting games, check out their bar areas, and download the TopGolf App to plan your next visit easily.
If you have any more questions about TopGolf, make sure you check out IndependentGolfReview’s “TopGolf Guide,” which answers our reader’s most frequently asked questions and explains the pricing structure perfectly.
About The Author
Writers of Independent Golf Reviews
Independent Golf Reviews has tested and reviewed 1000+ golf products over the past 10 years. We use our experience and expertise to give golfers an unbiased insight on the market.
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