Top Golf: "Not Your Grandfather's Driving Range"

Luke Kerr-Dineen travels to Austin for a May Golf Digest look at TopGolf, part of the fast growing network of driving ranges that have taken the bowling alley concept, switched in golf and made the entire thing cool for just $20 an hour, $40 on weekend.

If you've been to one, I'd love to hear your thoughts?

It's 4 p.m. on a typical Thursday in February, and the TopGolf Austin driving range is packed. All of its more than 100 hitting bays are full. If you want to hit balls today, put your name on the nearly two-hour wait list and head to the bar.

Most people aren't used to waiting to hit balls on a range, but for the people of Austin, a few hours spent in line for one of the city's hottest social spots is expected.

Here golfers don't simply bash balls into the distance. They aim at various targets around the range. Hit into one and you're automatically assigned points that appear on the television screen at your bay. The farther the target and the closer you hit to its center, the more points you get. Think darts.

Add loud Top-40 music, a menu that wouldn't seem out of place in a New York City gastropub, a sleek design, and out pops TopGolf—a self-styled "sports-entertainment facility" that's ascending through the golf industry unlike anything in recent history.

Wie Pushes Back: Jack Bent Pretty Low Too

It is funny to hear how many people were taken aback by Michelle Wie's putting stance over the last year or so, but now that it's working she's pushing back just a bit.

And while golf has had many great putters doing it all sorts of strange ways, Wie picked a pretty good example and with help from the editors at golf.com, has photographic evidence to back up her assertion (and show she has better posture).

From AP's Janie McCauley on the eve of the Swinging Skirts in San Francisco, a new LPGA event.

“I did it like about two years ago, year and a half ago now. … just something that I felt feel comfortable with,” Wie said. “I haven't had a plan to keep with it or not keep it. Just feels comfortable and I see the line better.”

Her putting style was not inspired by Jack Nicklaus, who in his prime bent over his putts to see the line, Wie said.

“I practice at the Bear's Club and there are pictures of Jack everywhere.,” Wie said. “I saw a picture of him like putting and I was like, Oh, he is actually pretty low as well. I don't feel that bad anymore.”