As I drove past the Triad’s new Topgolf this weekend, I wondered for about the millionth time why Topgolf has sprung up across the nation’s largest markets, eventually opening up in Greensboro.

I get the Topgolf premise. Hit golf balls in a social setting with friends, including non-golfers, with food and alcohol drinks. It’s a new fun activity, especially for groups.

But combining food, drink and a social activity isn’t a new concept. Think horseshoes, bocce and corn hole among past outdoor fads. Indoor options have included duckpin bowling and a variety of pinball, video and disk games.

Though they still exist, each has faced a wane in popularity. By definition, fads come and go. Some simple, typically inexpensive activities such as softball, darts, billiards and traditional bowling remain popular.

I don’t see Topgolf lasting much longer. It’s not particularly appealing to golfers, who would rather pay less to play actual golf with their own clubs. For non-golfers, it’s an expensive activity (the primetime price is $58 an hour), the games aren’t that fun and the food isn’t that good.

It seems I’m on to something. Web surfing, I stumbled onto several media reports about Topgolf’s recent slump. According to those sources, Topgolf revenue declined in 2024. Same-store sales were down significantly.

Myself, I’d much rather go to a driving range to actually work on my game for the price of one beer at Topgolf, or if I want a social activity protected from the elements, go to one of the several area bars and restaurants that have opened with simulator bays.

Remember that ax throwing bars seemed to be opening everywhere prior to the pandemic.

Most golfers I know have tried Topgolf once. They’d still go there for an office party or a birthday celebration. But they wouldn’t spend their own dime.

By opening last fall, I think the Greenville, South Carolina, developer waited too long to bring Topgolf to the Triad. My guess is that the developer isn’t worried. Topgolf locations typically are in high-traffic areas, often visible from interstates. Such is the case with the Guilford College Road location.

Most developers’ long-range plans are probably to eventually repurpose Topgolf land into retail, apartments and office properties.

I’m not a hater. I have nothing against Topgolf. It’s just that I’ve never understood its appeal.

I probably prefer ax throwing. I can play actual golf at many convenient locations. I don’t have access to many ax throwing options.

The PGA Tour schedule is gearing up. The Arnold Palmer Invitational is less than two weeks away, followed by the Players Championship. The Masters is little more than a month away.

Yet Dustin Johnson is in Myrtle Beach, to his credit, making his presence known as a junior tournament that bears his name. Besides, he won’t be at Bay Hill, or TPC at Sawgrass. He’s not invited.

Since taking the money to join the LIV Tour, Johnson has all but retired from being one of the top golfers in the world. And he’s only 40.

Five years ago, Johnson won the Masters. Last year, he ranked 13th out of 54 players against largely mediocre or past-their-prime competition. In the four majors, he missed the cut at the Masters and the U.S. Open. His best finish was a tie for 31st at the British Open.

Johnson ranks 43rd on the LIV Tour in 2025 after two events. Earlier this month, it was announced that after 18 years, he no longer had an endorsement deal with TaylorMade.

Still, Johnson told Myrtle Beach’s On The Green Magazine that he’s OK with his life.=

“It’s been really nice. LIV is going really well. My life is going good,” said Johnson on Thursday at TPC Myrtle Beach. “It’s nice for me being at home for a longer period of time. I get to coach baseball, I coach my kid’s basketball team. So I get to spend a lot more time at home and do things I wasn’t ablte to do before. So for me it’s been great.”

OK, I get it. Life is pretty good when you’ve won two major championships, received a reported $125 million (at least) bonus to play a dozen or so low-stress, big-purse team matches for a few years.

Yes, life is pretty good when you’re married to beautiful Paulina Gretzky and can claim Wayne Gretzky as your father-in-law.

Still, shouldn’t Johnson be at least a little disappointed with his performance in the past three years? Though you would expect Johnson to put a positive public spin on his decision, it’s hard to believe he enjoys losing to LIV players and missing the cut at majors.