Topgolf brings life to Beaver Stadium in offseason

During an hour of hitting range balls from Beaver Stadium’s South end zone, launching high over the field and falling out of the sky directly onto the playing surface, the novelty doesn’t wear off. The Topgolf Live Stadium Tour has arrived at the home of Penn State football, and, previewing the set-up Wednesday ahead of the event’s Thursday launch, this much is clear:

It is glorious.

The partnership with Penn State Athletics, running through Sunday this weekend, brings Topgolf to Beaver Stadium for the first time. Part of a tour that visits ballparks and stadiums all over the country, that unique experience is now available to Nittany Lion fans. 

“This is definitely one of the more iconic stadiums here, Beaver Stadium. From the White Out games to now being able to hit golf balls directly onto the field, you can’t beat it,” said Topgolf project coordinator, Mark Rykojc. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Penn State fans.”

Topgolf Live Stadium Tour

Previous stadium visits have included Fenway Park in Boston, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, with dates coming for Colorado’s Folsom Field, and the Cleveland Browns stadium later this summer. 

Of Beaver Stadium’s set-up, though, Rykojc said he was particularly excited.

Building out a hitting platform that runs the length of the landing outside of the Mt. Nittany Club, the experience is akin to floating over the field. Three red targets are painted on the field and positioned at the near 15-yard line (80 yards), with two bigger yellow targets straddling midfield (115 yards), and finally a bigger blue target at the far 10-yard line (155 yards). 

“It’s definitely up there. I’ve been with Topgolf for a little over a year now and this is one of the cooler builds that we’ve done, especially height-wise,” Rykojc said. “The majority of football builds will be on the first level. So being up on the second level here, it’s awesome. It’s just a great view. You can see the mountains in the background and everything. It’s awesome.”

Topgolf Beaver Stadium set-up

And, while merely bringing a driving range experience to Beaver Stadium is interesting enough, the Topgolf technology on-site changes the dynamic. 

Outfitted with sensors that detect each shot from each hitting bay, with 22 bays in all at Beaver Stadium, individual monitors trace the trajectory of the shots out onto the field.  

“When you hit your shot, the cameras actually trace the track of the ball and you end up getting points for each color target you hit,” Rykojc said. “Fans can actually compete and make it onto our interactive leaderboard that we have. It’s a lot of fun, a lot of competition, and everyone just seems to have a great time out here.”

Adding music to the equation, an indoor golf simulator, plus available food and beverage for purchase in the Mt. Nittany Club, Rykojc stressed that the event’s appeal isn’t limited to golfers.

Topgolf is selling one-hour tickets that range from $10 for spectator tickets to $40 for Penn State students. Fees are $80 for non-peak hours, and $90 for peak hours, plus a $185 “Unrivaled Experience Package.”

“It’s not every day that you get to hit golf balls into your favorite stadiums,” Rykojc said. “There are just a lot of fun activities for everybody to enjoy. And one of the beautiful things about Topgolf is you don’t have to be a professional golfer to come out here and have a good time. We’re here for all skill levels and we bring the Toptracer technology. So, it brings a whole new flavor to the Topgolf game experience into the stadium. So it’s just an awesome time for everybody.”

Notes:

• Bookings begin Thursday at 11 a.m. and run through Sunday at 11:40 p.m. Tickets are being sold at GoPSUsports.com/topgolflive.
• Penn State’s indoor masking policy is back in effect. It isn’t enforced outdoors but is while in the Mt. Nittany Club.
• You can’t bring your clubs. Right- and left-handed clubs are provided at every hitting bay, with a sand wedge, a pitching wedge, and a 9-iron. 
• From experience, a bladed 9-iron can get to the stands in the far end zone. Good luck clearing the crossbar in the air on the opposite zone uprights.