John Daly is signing a multi-year endorsement deal with Topgolf.
The endorsement deal will see Daly bring his larger-than-life personality to Topgolf venues around the U.S. with personal appearances, branded content and events.
“I love the vibe at Topgolf,” said Daly in a statement. “It’s a place where you can smash a golf ball, listen to music, have a drink and enjoy yourself with friends and family. That’s my kind of golf.”
The Daly deal begins today with the return of Topgolf Nights at select venues Starting at 9 p.m. local time, Topgolf will offer special pricing, giveaways and live DJ playlists through closing. The events will continue into Friday and Saturday nights with varying start times.
A match made in Augusta
The idea for a Daly-Topgolf partnership was hatched this past April during the Masters. Daly’s appearance at the Augusta Topgolf venue was so popular that Topgolf wanted to take that energy nationwide.
“John Daly is a one-of-a-kind icon who completely disrupted this sport by refusing to be anyone but himself,” says Topgolf CEO David McKillips. “John brings fun and fun is what Topgolf is all about.”
Under the terms of the deal, Daly will continue appearing at the Augusta Topgolf during Masters week at least through 2028. Daly’s appearance history at Augusta dates back to 1997 when he started parking his RV at the local Hooters during Masters week to sell merchandise and pose for pictures with fans. By 2024, Daly reportedly would gross nearly $800,000 in sales during the week.
The arrangement ended after the 2025 Masters, however. That’s when Hooters filed for bankruptcy. The Augusta venue closed that July and was demolished in November.
Financial terms of the Topgolf-Daly deal aren’t being released but Topgolf will sell “Daly Vibe” merch at some of its locations. Additionally, two John Daly-branded cocktails will be sold at 55 Topgolf venues.
Where is Topgolf post-Callaway?
Topgolf and Callaway officially split this past January after a whirlwind six-year dalliance. The two companies “merged” in early 2020 in an all-stock deal valued at US$2.6 billion. The newly christened Topgolf Callaway instantly became the biggest OEM in golf and initiated a huge expansion program for Topgolf.
Potential synergies for equipment sales seemed obvious and potentially staggering. The reality, however, was more of a fizzle. Topgolf’s topline was growing but that was due to new venue sales. Existing venue sales were declining. Once Wall Street deemed that recipe unsustainable and Topgolf Callaway stock value began to plummet, the company had to act.
In September 2024, the company announced plans for a tax-free spinoff of Topgolf which would make Topgolf its own standalone corporation. That plan changed in mid-2025, however, when Topgolf CEO Artie Starrs left to take over at Harley-Davidson. In November, the company announced that Topgolf would be sold to the private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners for $1.1 billion. Callaway retained a 40-percent ownership stake.
The sale was finalized Jan. 1 this year.
McKillips took over at Topgolf in February and is restructuring and repositioning the brand. Topgolf continues to build new venues but at a much slower pace. Additionally, new venues will be much smaller and less expensive than the previous 100-bay complexes which cost upwards of $40 million.
Luring back the serious golfer
McKillips has expressed a desire to lure more serious golfers back to Topgolf. As part of that plan, Topgolf is ditching its RFID golf balls for higher-quality balls and converting to its Toptracer technology. Additionally, Topgolf is instituting simulator leagues, multi-tiered memberships and targeted youth programs.
This past May, Topgolf went through layoffs. McKillips said they were due to a move toward online reservations and changes in how guests were using Topgolf. In June, he reported that while overall venue traffic was up, average checks were down.
The company has plans to add pickleball courts to a handful of venues in 2027 as well as expanding mini golf to as many as 30 venues.
For more information on Topgolf Nights, the Daly deal and other programs, visit the Topgolf website.
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