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Select Board approves beer-and-wine license for Southborough driving-range business
Summary
The Southborough Select Board voted to approve a general on‑premise wine and malt beverage license for the Southborough Golf Practice and Learning Center at 22 Turnpike Road; the license still requires final approval from the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
The Southborough Select Board on April 1 approved a general on‑premise wine and malt beverage license for the Southborough Golf Practice and Learning Center, 22 Turnpike Road. The owner and manager, Mike Hightower, described plans to sell beer, seltzers and canned wine on a small patio and in the facility’s hitting bays. The license approval by the Select Board is subject to final review by the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
Hightower, who said he purchased the facility in March 2024 and works as a golf‑course superintendent and athletic‑field manager, told the board he is adding a TrackMan ball‑tracking system and wants to make the range “a little bit more social.” He said: “I kind of thought that having the ability to offer a beer or a seltzer or something would kind of further make, you know, golf’s a very social sport.”
Under Hightower’s plan alcohol would be sold from a pro‑shop window and consumed on a roughly 600‑square‑foot patio and in both covered and uncovered hitting bays. Hightower told the board he will staff servers who are trained to check IDs and monitor service, and that the property has a locked storage area for inventory. He also described a camera system and a large monitor in the pro shop to let staff view the hitting area in real time. The public notice filed with the town described the property as an 18.2‑acre parcel with an 800‑square‑foot studio, a 15,000‑square‑foot teeing ground, a 500‑square‑foot patio for 12 seats and a 700‑square‑foot pro shop.
Board members asked about supervision and safety in uncovered areas; Hightower said he will have a server monitoring the bays, that all servers will be tip‑certified, and that 12 cameras cover the hitting area. A board member noted Hightower has installed netting and poles to reduce the risk of stray balls reaching the patio.
The Select Board first closed the public hearing and then voted to approve the requested license. Board members reminded Hightower that the license also requires the town to file with and receive approval from the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission before sales begin.
If approved by the ABCC, the license will allow the business to sell wine and malt beverages on the premises; the Select Board did not approve any on‑ or off‑premise full‑alcohol licenses at the meeting.
