If you live near Auburn Hills, Michigan, and tried to visit Topgolf over New Year’s, you may have noticed something peculiar. Specifically, there’s a sizable chunk of the net missing.
Anyone who’s been to Topgolf can tell you that there’s a lot that can go wrong while you’re there. From golf balls flying by your head to people losing their balance on the platforms, it’s beneficial to keep your head on a swivel while visiting the chain.
However, for all that’s happened at Topgolf, this winter event may be the most significant in the chain’s history. And it’s spawned a brand-new meme.
What Went Wrong During This Trip To Topgolf?
In a video with over 946,000 views, TikTok user Jess (@cookiecrumbsandcompany) shows an ice-covered Topgolf location in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Upon closer inspection, it’s clear that one of the nets, which is designed to keep golf balls inside the area, has fallen down.
“Ice buildup on the nets caused them to completely fall. Craziest thing I’ve seen in a while!” writes Jess in the text overlaying the video.
In an Instagram direct message exchange with BroBible, Jess recounted what it was like seeing it firsthand.
“It wasn’t until the nets and ice came down that our server came over. She honestly was as in shock as we were,” she recalled. “Another server/staff member came over and said that all play had to stop. We were on the bay closest to the nets on the main floor, so they were just worried that more ice and nuts would fall and they didn’t know which way it would go. I was at my nieces birthday party and we still had about an hour left of play and we were removed into the bar area.”
Jess says she is not sure whether the hosts of the party were refunded. Though she says that the hosts and Topgolf would be in contact.
What Caused This Collapse?
Seeing this net’s collapse, one may wonder how this could happen.
The answer is extreme weather. Fox 2 Detroit notes that, over the weekend, rain in the area was freezing on contact. Not only that, but The Independent adds that the area had experienced extreme cold following a recent “bomb cyclone.”
While shaking the nets can prevent some ice buildup, enough ice adds considerable weight and stress. Given enough ice, the weight could be so significant that it could cause the nets to collapse.
These nets are not the only victims of the storms. The Independent says that other impacts include potential power outages, downed tree limbs, and airborne holiday decorations.
“No one explained anything. We kind of just all understood that’s what happened,” Jess wrote, referring to an ice-related issue. “As I was driving up, I noticed there were two rips (pretty large) on the side that the nets broke later on. And I just said, ‘There’s so much ice on there There’s no way that’s gonna hold.’ I just didn’t think that they would all come down while we were there…It literally sounded like ice coming off a glacier. It was very loud.”
Why Do People Keep Mentioning Logan’s Party?
If you look at one of the videos of this event, you might notice a peculiar trend. Specifically, everyone seems to be talking about a holiday party happening on Jan. 9, featuring a man named Logan.
“Logan has a work Christmas party there on January 9th. will it be fixed by then?” reads one comment.
“Prayers for Logan,” offered another.
The origin of this meme appears to be a comment under another video of the event, left by a man named Logan Phillips.
“They better have that fixed by January 9th my work Christmas party is there,” wrote Phillips.
Since then, comments under nearly every video of the event mention Logan and his alleged party.
@cookiecrumbsandcompany Ice buildup on the nets at Top Golf in Auburn hills caused them to completely fall down. Loudest sound and craziest thing I’ve seen in a while!#topgolf #icestorm #golf #ice #michigan
Topgolf Responds
The “Logan’s Party” meme has become so popular that Topgolf itself has made videos joking about it.
On the chain’s TikTok page, two videos directly reference the events. One video showing reconstruction of the nets says that the chain is “working overtime to make sure we’re open for logan’s work christmas party.”
A second video documents the process of replacing the nets. This one has overlay text reading, “New nets going up for logan’s work christmas party.” The caption notes that the location is “on track for Jan 9th.”
All jokes aside, it seems that Logan’s party should still be able to go off without a hitch on Jan. 9. On the location’s website, it states that it will be back in operation on Jan. 2.
For his part, Phillips made a post on his TikTok page saying that he’ll update viewers on Jan. 10—the day after his legendary party.
BroBible reached out to Topgolf via email, Phillips via TikTok direct message and comment, and Jess via TikTok and Instagram direct message.