Planning permission to build a new Topgolf site on the former Newcastle Brown Ale factory in Gateshead in Tyne & Wear has been unanimously approved by the local council.
The old Federation Brewery site, which closed in 2010 and was demolished in 2013, will be turned into a three-storey Topgolf facility with 102 hitting bays alongside event spaces, a bar and restaurant, rooftop terrace and lounge areas.
Topgolf UK says the development near the Metrocentre will create 300 construction jobs and up to 400 roles once the venue is open.
Visitor numbers are projected to be 450,000 per year, with Topgolf also predicting the scheme will bring in up to £250m over a 10-year period.
The addition of the Gateshead site will take Topgolf’s portfolio of UK venues to five, with established sites in Watford – which opened in 2000 – Chigwell, Addlestone and Glasgow. A date for the opening of the new venue has not yet been released.
Topgolf Callaway Brands, which bought Topgolf in 2020, completed a strategic review of its entire operations in September 2024 and announced plans to spin off Topgolf later this year to operate as standalone business. The split is intended to unlock shareholder value by allowing each business to pursue its own strategic direction.
