Atomic Golf hopes drones help bring in more customers

On Thursday nights it won’t just be golf balls flying through the air at Atomic Golf.

The driving range next to The Strat that it will be hosting two drone shows every Thursday at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. starting July 18 and will move earlier in the evening as the sun sets earlier, said an Atomic Golf spokesperson.

The shows will feature flying drones that light up and can form into different shapes — like a golfer hitting a ball, a spaceship or even the outline of the Strat’s tower.

“The drones can pretty much pull off any type of content we desire,” an Atomic Golf spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Shapes, animals, logos, names, you name it. We’ll push the envelope with what can be done and continue to make it a great show for our guests.”

Skyworx Drone Shows is the company behind the drone shows and the first show will use 400 drones and other shows can use anywhere from 200 to 1,000 drones depending on availability, an Atomic Golf spokesperson said. Each show should last 10 - 12 minutes and play on the driving range will be shut down for 15 minutes for the drones.

Atomic Golf’s pricing won’t be changed based on the drone shows and people don’t have to reserve a hitting bay to watch the show, an Atomic Golf spokesperson said.

Atomic Golf already has laser shows, said the spokesperson, so adding a drone show fits the facility’s brand and is and is “just another evolution” for the driving range.

These drone shows may provide a boost to Atomic Golf, which has struggled since it first opened in March. At least 250 employees have been laid off as a result of a slower business than expected the first few months. Guests complained about stifling heat at the facility, whose 103 hitting bays face west in the direct path of the sunset.

Recently Atomic Golf was able to fix its mister system and implement some other measures, like giving out ice towels, to alleviate some of its heat issues.

Adding a drone show isn’t the only thing Atomic Golf is doing to get more people through the doors. It’s also running a promotion that gives guests a free hour of gameplay if they buy one hour.

Contact Sean Hemmersmeier at shemmersmeier@reviewjournal.com. Follow @seanhemmers34 on X.