Big Shots Golf Coming to Bryan

16,026 Views | 101 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by EliteElectric
bobinator
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AG
I actually think it's a great location but clearly I'm in the minority here.
dgonzo99
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A huge win for everyone involved!!!! Being on Hwy. 6 doesn't guarantee success. Look at the Mall. Gander Mountain was on Hwy 6. Downtown isn't on Hwy. 6 and it is a huge success. Villa Maria has a high traffic count. If people think it is a bad location, buy out the investors for 13 million and move it where you want it.
bcstx06
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bcschamp365 said:

HUGE WIN for Bryan Midtown as they leverage some private investment and try to bring development into a much needed area of the city.

However, this is NOT a great location for a entertainment venue. A lack of traffic (Hwy 6 or Wellborn Rd) are the only 2 logical choices). This business will depend on spenders from South College Station and travelers too and it is NOT easy to get to.

Big Shots has ONE location that is currently OPEN. This is NOT a track record of success. It is also not a record of development experience in understanding how to build entertainment venues. A Big Shots Golf is not a golf course and will depend on a different skill set to build and operate.

Big Shots Golf has been around for years trying to get started and haven't been able to get off the ground after announcements in Albuquerque and other cities. In January 2019, golf course company ClubCorp bought the majority stake and began selling franchises. A local investor bought the rights to Bryan College Station and looked at a number of locations before deciding on the location in Bryan. The temporary rent relief provided by the city of Bryan must have looked pretty appetizing. The problem is that beginning in year 5 they will be paying a 6% royalty to the city of Bryan on top of a 8% royalty to Big Shots Franchiser Group.

There are several Big Shot's Golf locations in development now. Let's wish these folks success, they are going to need it.


Technically, it's right off of Wellborn road.
turfman80
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Now the Bryan city council steps in with a 1.4 million dollar loan to help speed up the construction of Big Shots. C'mon man!

If this is such a great potential enterprise, why is the city having to step in with even more assistance?
Yeah, well, sometimes nothing is a real cool hand
techno-ag
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turfman80 said:

Now the Bryan city council steps in with a 1.4 million dollar loan to help speed up the construction of Big Shots. C'mon man!

If this is such a great potential enterprise, why is the city having to step in with even more assistance?
Dunno, but I'm glad they're coming. Bryan is very pro-business.
I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

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turfman80
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To me there is a line between being pro-business and being overly friendly with tax payers money to support a private business that seems to have trouble securing adequate financing from private lending institutions. IMO, the city has already bent over backwards to accommodate Big Shots, but now more assistance is needed?
Yeah, well, sometimes nothing is a real cool hand
PS3D
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turfman80 said:

To me there is a line between being pro-business and being overly friendly with tax payers money to support a private business that seems to have trouble securing adequate financing from private lending institutions. IMO, the city has already bent over backwards to accommodate Big Shots, but now more assistance is needed?


The city offering more incentives to Big Shots is consistent with my old theory that Big Shots moved to Bryan because they could sponge more money that way.
australopithecus robustus
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This is a slap in the face to all of the existing businesses struggling from the pandemic.
harrierdoc
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It's a cruddy business decision, as I posted a year or so ago on this thread. It only is a smart play if there are tons of inducements from government. It will be a money loser, and the jobs it "creates" will be low income to low-middle income. Someone is getting something, on the down low, would be my guess.
bcstx06
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I'm all for it. If that's what it take to get big business to choose Bryan then so be it. If you look at the newly updated concept Bigshots has, it's really nice and on par with TopGolf (but on a scaled down).

If you think this thing will be a failure, you are underestimating this market. Think about, there really isn't much to do here. This will be a big draw to the area as long as they keep the building updated.
TAMUallen
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Looks like a cheap miniature top golf knockoff. I don't see this going well even in BCS. The company only has one existing location it's not like they know what they're doing.
techno-ag
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bcstx06 said:

I'm all for it. If that's what it take to get big business to choose Bryan then so be it. If you look at the newly updated concept Bigshots has, it's really nice and on par with TopGolf (but on a scaled down).

If you think this thing will be a failure, you are underestimating this market. Think about, there really isn't much to do here. This will be a big draw to the area as long as they keep the building updated.
Agreed. Great location, too.
I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris

Vote for Trump.
He took a bullet for America.

davido
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It's the anchor of the whole super park / midtown area also. A loan is not that big of a deal. How much is the overall Big Shots investment? The city basically gets a development by guaranteeing a loan, right? They borrow money hella cheap. They'll likely make money on the loan itself.
johnnyblaze36
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TAMUallen said:

Looks like a cheap miniature top golf knockoff. I don't see this going well even in BCS. The company only has one existing location it's not like they know what they're doing.
I'm pretty certain ClubCorp knows what it's doing in the golf space. I for one can't wait for a place like this here. Been wanting a Top Golf forever and this will certainly do.
bcschamp365
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This is a terrible retail location for an entertainment center. Look at other similar businesses across metro areas and you will find them located on highly visible main thoroughfares. I understand why Bryan would want an anchor for this midtown development, but this isn't the right one. No doubt this is why unprecedented incentives are being used to tip the scale and convince the franchisee and franchisor to open in this location.

If the business fails, the city of Bryan will own a golf entertainment venue. This means they will own a movie theater, a golf course, a new large office commercial "incubator", and potentially an golf entertainment center. Top Golf is a proven concept. Big Shots is NOT a proven concept. There is a difference and using public monies here is not wise.

The city needs to provide a favorable environment for ALL businesses vs. running these entities with tax our dollars. Remember when the city owned the LaSalle Hotel? This new direction of big government has this tax payer concerned.
techno-ag
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bcschamp365 said:

This is a terrible retail location for an entertainment center. Look at other similar businesses across metro areas and you will find them located on highly visible main thoroughfares.
On the contrary. In my opinion, it's a great location for a golf-based entertainment center. That was the municipal golf course for decades. And before that it was the only country club and golf course for either city. Finally, the Superpark is being built there. It's basically a fantastic location for this.
I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris

Vote for Trump.
He took a bullet for America.

Broncos
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bcschamp365 said:

This is a terrible retail location for an entertainment center.
Tell that to the tens of thousands of college students living along Wellborn Road.
jja79
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Their market isn't golfers.
halibut sinclair
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Gonna be good for Bryan and the area in general.
H2SAag
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Have they started building it yet?
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studioone
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I give it a year before it goes kaput...

Bad location... Everything north is low income, and just because there's 10,000 students around, what % of them golf? Maybe 100?

And no one ever used the municipal golf course... (someones gonna jump in and say they've used it before).. but it NEVER had the following of something like miramount, pebble creek, etc .. and yes, it never had that kind of money, but golf is more of a rich persons game anyway, and the rich go with the country club crowd.

also, your balls (golf) are gonna mutate with all the arsenic in the ground..
Broncos
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studioone said:

and just because there's 10,000 students around, what % of them golf? Maybe 100?
You've clearly never been to a Top Golf.
studioone
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nope... not really into sports of any kind..
bcschamp365
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It's such a great spot that the City of Bryan has to loan them the money to get them to open the location.

Think about it. Big Shots started in 2016 and they literally have ONE location open. They have announced opening in many cities and have rarely delivered. See Peoria, IL Wichita KS Bossier City LA Orlando FL Albuquerque, NM

They were largely viewed as a failed franchise concept by the industry. Club Corp's acquisition in early 2019 gave them a life line but almost 2 years later, they still haven't opened a second location. Fort Worth and Springfield are under construction. Keep in mind that Club Corp is a golf course operator which is a far cry from entertainment/restaurant/food.

I really hope I am wrong about this, but I would wager this never sees the light of day. It's a flyer at best.
halibut sinclair
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It's going to be glorious.
Psychag
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Most people that go to top golf are not golfers. That's the point.
techno-ag
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I would call it golf-based entertainment.
I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris

Vote for Trump.
He took a bullet for America.

halibut sinclair
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I would call it golf-adjacent entertainment.
jeffk
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Something to do whilst drinking.
johnnyblaze36
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bcschamp365 said:

It's such a great spot that the City of Bryan has to loan them the money to get them to open the location.

Think about it. Big Shots started in 2016 and they literally have ONE location open. They have announced opening in many cities and have rarely delivered. See Peoria, IL Wichita KS Bossier City LA Orlando FL Albuquerque, NM

They were largely viewed as a failed franchise concept by the industry. Club Corp's acquisition in early 2019 gave them a life line but almost 2 years later, they still haven't opened a second location. Fort Worth and Springfield are under construction. Keep in mind that Club Corp is a golf course operator which is a far cry from entertainment/restaurant/food.

I really hope I am wrong about this, but I would wager this never sees the light of day. It's a flyer at best.
LOL. You clearly know nothing about ClubCorp. They have hundreds of city clubs that focus only on fine dining all across the nation. They're basically the premiere hospitality company in the entire country. Robert Dedmond was the richest man in all of golf for a reason before he died.
oldag00
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As others have stated, the target market for Top Golf and Big Shots includes golfers but is by no means limited to them. My wife and kids really enjoy Top Golf, but I can't drag them with me to the real course more than once per year.

I do have concerns about this location in the Bryan superpark. It seems other similar venues I've seen or visited were within or very near broader entertainment and dining "districts".
techno-ag
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oldag00 said:

As others have stated, the target market for Top Golf and Big Shots includes golfers but is by no means limited to them. My wife and kids really enjoy Top Golf, but I can't drag them with me to the real course more than once per year.

I do have concerns about this location in the Bryan superpark. It seems other similar venues I've seen or visited were within or very near broader entertainment and dining "districts".

The Texan did very well near that corner for years. And it was the most expensive place in town back in the day.
I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris

Vote for Trump.
He took a bullet for America.

EliteElectric
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studioone said:

nope... not really into sports of any kind..
which double secret qualifies your opinion on this thing
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