Sip and swing

Fun new golf-themed entertainment complex swings into far north Fort Worth

Now that looks like a fun time.

Facebook/BigShots

A massive new golf-themed entertainment center is officially in the game in far north Fort Worth. BigShots Golf broke ground October 29 in Champion Circle on 11.4 acres near Marriott Champion Circle and Golf Club.

Just the second BigShots in the country, when it opens, the "eatertainment" venue will have 56 driving range bays on two stories. It also will have 3,500 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor putting green, an activity center for kids, a golf academy that can be used for year-round training, and a full restaurant and bar serving American fare, signature cocktails, and special menu items such as sushi.

If you're thinking it sounds a lot like TopGolf, you've got the concept right.

BigShots is being developed by O'Reilly Hospitality Management based in Springfield, Missouri, which also runs the Champions Circle Marriott Hotel Complex.

“We are so very excited to bring BigShots Golf to Fort Worth," says CEO Tim O’Reilly in a release. "BigShots Golf is unique due to its amazing technology that includes a Doppler radar tracking system, games, and sophisticated virtual course play, allowing our guests to play courses all over the world."

The cutting-edge golf and entertainment venue is intended for players of all ages and skill levels. Avid golfers can play full rounds on virtual golf courses, and non-golfing players, families, and children can take part in games such as Knockout and Pinball, as well other fun, interactive activities.

The only other BigShots is in Vero Beach, Florida.

According to the BigShots website, an avid golfer and tech-industry veteran named Jason Payne thought up and developed BigShots Golf in 2013. In 2018, BigShots entered a joint venture with Dallas-based ClubCorp, and franchise opportunities became available in 2019.

BigShots is part of a once-sleepy far north Fort Worth/Alliance corridor near Texas Motor Speedway that also includes Buc-ees travel center, Tanger Outlet Mall, and more bustling retail and office development.

"The addition of BigShots Golf to our Marriott complex and golf course, along with the new 'Paddock' event barn, is transforming the area into an exciting destination experience,” O'Reilly says.

BigShots is expected to open in August 2020.

openings sports

Party Is Over

Party City chain to close all stores including 9 in Fort Worth

Party City

A chain of stores where the party is always going on is closing down: Party City will close all of its stores and has initiated layoffs, effective immediately. According to CNN, CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees that Party City has to “commence a winddown process immediately,” and that Friday would be their last day of work for the company.

However, the actual store locations, including those around North Texas, will be open until February 28.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, Party City is largest party goods retailer in the U.S. — the go-to destination for every type of celebration, with more than 700 company-owned and franchise store locations across North America selling home decor, candles, balloons, wrapping paper, tableware, bulk candy, baking supplies, and more.

A typical Party City store ranges in size from 10,000 to 12,000 square feet and carries approximately 30,000 items. Halloween accounts for as much as one-quarter of yearly sales, but they celebrate all seasonal holidays, from New Year's Eve to the Fourth of July to Father's Day to Super Bowl Sunday, and offer a wide array of merchandise for birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, wedding and bridal showers, and baby showers.

Party and costume merchandise has become more competitive in recent years, with companies like the budget-focused Spirit Halloween expanding beyond its Halloween pop-ups into “Spirit Christmas” stores, as well as competition from Amazon and other online retailers.

In 2023, the chain filed for bankruptcy, then emerged with a plan that included transitioning into a privately held company and canceling nearly $1 billion in debt. At that time, there were approximately 800 U.S. stores.

There are 64 stores in Texas, with 9 in the Fort Worth area, as follows:

Arlington
Burleson
Denton
Euless
Fort Worth
Hurst
Lake Worth
Mansfield
Watauga

Dallas-Fort Worth stores have already started sales between 5 and 50 percent off.

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Party Is Over

Party City chain to close all stores including 9 in Fort Worth