After one year in operation, the BigShots at Firestone Country Club is becoming a Topgolf

After one year in operation, the virtual golf and dining venue BigShots, which is open to the public at Firestone Country Club, is becoming a Topgolf.

Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. announced Thursday that it has purchased certain assets from private golf club operator Invited Inc., the company behind BigShots, including Invited's operation at Firestone Country Club.

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Dallas-based Invited, formerly ClubCorp, owns 180 golf and country clubs, city clubs and stadium clubs in 30 states, the District of Columbia and two foreign countries. It opened BigShots at Firestone last November.

Invited calls BigShots Golf the "ultimate golf entertainment experience with state-of-the-art virtual games and courses, full-service food, sports bars, outdoor patios, mini golf, private event spaces and climate-controlled tee boxes welcoming every level of player."

The BigShots at Firestone was the company's first free-standing outdoor location.

It replaced Hackers Bar & Grill and is alongside the Raymond C. Firestone Public 9 short course.

Jim Berra, Invited's chief marketing and innovation officer, and Theresa Addington, BigShots' VP of people operations, announced the decision to sell in a letter to Firestone employees. The letter stated that after opening the first BigShots location in January 2022, "skyrocketing" costs of capital due to high interest rates and construction led to the decision to sell.

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"As part of the sale, Invited will provide transition services and continue to manage the Firestone venue until it converts to a Topgolf next year," the letter said. "The transition is not likely to be completed before midyear 2024. As such, today, there will be no changes to your employment status, benefits or payroll, and your employment will continue as usual. We commit to keeping you fully informed throughout this transition."

Acquisition details

Topgolf said the purchase price for the initial closing is approximately $29 million.

California-based Topgolf brands include Topgolf, Callaway Golf, TravisMathew, Toptracer, Odyssey, OGIO, Jack Wolfskin, and World Golf Tour.

Photos: Stephen Curry at the Underrated Golf tour at Firestone CC

The acquisition adds the BigShots brand and certain locations, including the Akron operation, to Topgolf's portfolio of U.S. venues.

The acquired BigShots' portfolio includes four domestic venues, comprised of one owned venue and three franchise venues, as well as certain other development rights for other potential venues.

Topgolf has also entered into a preferred vendor agreement with Invited in which Topgolf Callaway Brands' products and merchandise will be featured at Invited's more than 140 golf and country clubs.

In a press release, Chip Brewer, president and CEO of Topgolf Callaway Brands, said the acquisition will benefit all three segments of Topgolf's business.

"We are essentially purchasing an additional off-course venue and the royalty stream from three franchise venues ... as well as further building out and strengthening our future venue pipeline and growing our partnership with an important golf equipment and apparel partner, Invited — all for the price of approximately one Topgolf venue."

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Eric Marotta can be reached at emarotta@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: BigShots at Firestone Country Club in Akron sold to Topgolf