TopGolf Faces New Lawsuits After Patrons Suffer Head Injuries at Texas Sites

In July, two women from the Houston‑area filed separate lawsuits accusing TopGolf of negligence after a wayward club struck each of them in the head. The claims pile on an already growing list of injuries linked to the upscale driving‑range chain.

Kelly Ann Auer, 62, says she was practicing her swing at the Webster location in August last year when the golfer beside her lost control of his club. "It flew straight at my head," Auer wrote, adding that she now battles persistent headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears and occasional memory lapses.

Her attorney, Scott Sanes, points out that the venue offers no netting or barriers between bays, nor does it require helmets – the only protective gear advertised is a pair of gloves you can buy at the bar. "A simple warning line isn’t enough when clubs can become projectiles," he told The Independent.

In a second suit, Brandi Triplett, 43, recounts a similar encounter at a TopGolf in Katy. While seated and watching a friend play, a man in an adjacent bay allegedly swung a driver, lost grip and sent the club soaring into Triplett’s skull and eyebrow. The complaint notes that the group had been drinking alcohol, raising questions about supervision.

These cases arrive roughly 14 months after a Texas oil‑executive was sued for a $1 million negligence claim when his club slammed into his instructor’s face, prompting emergency reconstructive surgery. And they echo a 2022 verdict that forced TopGolf to pay $15.8 million after a nine‑year‑old suffered a traumatic brain injury on the premises.

Online, a whole genre of “TopGolf fails” videos showcases people being hit by clubs, balls or even falling from elevated platforms. Critics argue the company’s branding – a high‑tech, family‑friendly entertainment complex – masks the inherent hazards of swinging a club in close quarters.

Attorney Robert Rice, co‑counsel on the cases, summed up the plight of the plaintiffs: “It’s tough when you go to enjoy practicing your golf swing and end up with a traumatic brain injury.” Both lawsuits are now in the early stages of litigation, and lawyers say they will probe just how often such incidents occur and what, if anything, TopGolf has done to prevent them.