Tricked-out golf driving range Topgolf wants to hire 500 before fall opening in Twin Cities

A three-story golf driving range will soon stage "ambition auditions" for the 500 or so people they want to hire before the glitzy and high-tech all-season facility opens this year in Brooklyn Center.

Dallas-based Topgolf announced its offbeat approach to screening applicants for its 46th location as construction continues near Interstate 694 and Hwy. 252, where the massive stadium-style structure has been catching glances from passersby for many months.

Topgolf has said the 65,000-square-foot open-air center will have 102 multiplayer bays with balls tracked by data-absorbing microchips, 11 exterior targets, 270 flat-screen televisions, a 50-table restaurant, a 3,000-square-foot terrace and another 3,000 square feet for hosting private gatherings.

The company said its dozens of centers across the U.S. and in Britain, Australia, Canada, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates have collectively drawn more than 13 million customer visits annually.

The centers also serve food and alcohol, and are outfitted with pool tables and other recreational games. Operating hours run as late as midnight during the week and 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings year-round.

These details reveal why the company feels it needs hundreds of new hires from the very start.

Applicants are being directed to topgolf.com/careers, where they will learn where the off-site "ambition auditions" will be held starting the week of July 30.

While the jobs that need filling sound pretty traditional — servers, bartenders, kitchen, maintenance, guest services, etc. — how Topgolf is going about finding employees is not.

Company executives are calling it "ambition hiring." It's "cloaked in mystery but full of intrigue," read Topgolf's statement announcing the casting call.

"These events are Topgolf's special way of showcasing its culture of fun and energy," the description continued. "Applicants are inspired to leave their dress-up clothes and pre-rehearsed answers at the door and start thinking mission-minded. Their time interviewing will consist of gathering intel and navigating through group activities, interactive panel interviews, one-on-one convos with Topgolf's venue leadership teams, games and more."

And that's just the first swing at getting hired, with Topgolf calling this shakeout just an "initial stage."

Company spokeswoman Morgan Schaaf said the unconventional hiring process has evolved over time. "I am not sure the exact origins of the process, but it works really well for us to find the best candidates," she said.

A peek at the company's career page online offers hints of what it is looking for from potential employees.

"We are always searching for confident individuals who possess that star quality. ... Associates are encouraged to voice their opinions and invent new ways to 'wow' our guests by delivering a memorable personal experience. Passion and enthusiasm are crucial attributes belonging to Topgolf Associates."

Those eventually brought aboard can get their swings at Topgolf for free and receive discounts on food and drink. They also will have the opportunity for health benefits and participate in a 401(k) savings program.

The nearly 14 acres where the facility will be located had been home to a 20-screen Regal Cinemas until the last credits rolled in late August. Topgolf paid roughly $5.6 million for the land and quickly got to work.

Mayor Tim Willson has said that Topgolf will be a "major destination point [that's] going to draw from all across the metro."

Minnesota has long ranked near the top nationally in number of golfers per capita, subzero winters notwithstanding. Roughly 400 courses in the state are registered with the Minnesota Golf Association, which says it has 66,000 individual members.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482