Topgolf International has appointed David McKillips as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective Feb. 23, recruiting its new leader not from the golf world but from the family entertainment and theme park industry. The Dallas-based company, which operates more than 100 entertainment venues globally and owns the Toptracer ball-tracking technology platform, announced the move Feb. 19.
McKillips brings nearly three decades of experience across theme parks, media and family entertainment. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of CEC Entertainment, a family entertainment and restaurant chain, where he led international expansion, launched the company’s first membership programme and steered the business through financial restructuring. Before CEC, McKillips held multiple operational leadership roles at Six Flags Entertainment, overseeing parks in Canada and Mexico, developing new international locations, founding the company’s sponsorship division and launching the Six Flags TV Network.
What the hire signals about Topgolf’s strategic direction
The hire marks a departure from conventional golf industry leadership. Rather than recruiting from equipment manufacturers, tour organisations or resort operators, Topgolf has brought in an executive whose career has been built on throughput, membership economics and large-format guest experience. CEC Entertainment operates at scale across price-sensitive demographics; Six Flags has long competed for discretionary leisure spending against a wide range of entertainment options.
For Topgolf, which has expanded aggressively beyond its UK roots into the US, Australia and beyond, the challenge is similar: converting casual visitors into repeat customers whilst filling large venues across all dayparts. McKillips’s experience launching CEC’s first membership programme is particularly relevant. Membership and loyalty mechanics have become a strategic priority across entertainment venues seeking to smooth revenue and reduce dependence on walk-in traffic.
