Courses with short ranges

[southpaw72]

I've often wondered why a course would be designed with a range so short that long irons aren't even allowed. I'm not talking about short 9 hole executive courses. My local course is the only one in town and the range is short irons only. I just don't understand why a range that short would be designed? Anyone else know a course like this?

[ethanshapiro]

For ours (Washington(as in Washington, D.C.) Golf and CC), we have to use flight restricted balls, and the top deck of the 2 tiered range is irons only. It is frustrating as the area behind the range is forest that could easily be cleared with a fraction of what one membership fee costs. Edit: The forested area, by the way, is owned by the club.

[sailfishchris]

Bethpage no drivers allowed- 215 yd range

[longballjs]

The Course I grew up on, maplewood country club was founded over 100 years ago. Did not have a range at all. In the late 80's and early 90's we hit Cayman balls off a tee adjacent to the first tee and into the first fairway. Over the next few years the woods to the side of the first hole were cleared out but the space available was minimal and from a street/parking lot to the ob line on the first hole. Fence was 150 out and was about 70 feet high. Max distance club was 175 but that did not stop me from blasting drives into the 2nd fairway with regularity.

[beachguy]

Bethpage no drivers allowed- 215 yd range

 

So during us open they can't hit driver at range ?? Just curious

[TapInPar]

Bethpage no drivers allowed- 215 yd range

 

 

So during us open they can't hit driver at range ?? Just curious

 

They use a fairway of one of the other courses as the driving range for the pro events

[MtlJeff]

Its usually space related. It's possible they don't own the land to make it longer. Every short range ive been on has been space restrictions related

[HighSpeedScene]

Same reason I can't build a house on the beach in Hawaii - I don't have the land.

[KYMAR]

Lots of places are like this. Many courses have no range at all. I'm happy to be able to Warm up with a 7 Iron as opposed to not at all.

 

I mean "why did they design it that way?" the answer seems self evident.

[misplacedtexan83]

Beats a net and a mat. Yep, just got through playing a course with that set up today.

[southpaw72]

The land behind the range is the course. Seems like they planned the course and the range was an after thought.

[knock it close]

I was a member at Victoria golf club for a few years when I was on the island. Think the range was 160 max. I was fine with it, old school course and frankly I don't see what else they could have done to the range without having a bad impact on the layout. It was usually quiet so if I wanted to practice I went out on the course. I'm not a range rat so for me I'd rather play a top 20 course than and solid course with a great range.

[jptruck]

Cypress Point's range is the rough on the right side of 1. Burning Tree in DC has a range that's probably only 200 yards long. Two of my favorite clubs that scream "go out and play" versus being a range jockey

[knock it close]

Cypress Point's range is the rough on the right side of 1. Burning Tree in DC has a range that's probably only 200 yards long. Two of my favorite clubs that scream "go out and play" versus being a range jockey

Take a sleeve to the first tee, slap your first one in play, hit the other two as provisionals to warm up, easy.

[golfandfishing]

I don't mind the irons only range unless the first two or three holes are long and tight. If #1 is 440 with OB right and left and you can't hit anything longer than 5 iron beforehand can be tough.

[cristphoto]

How feasible would it be to put up a net at the back of the range? At 250 yards my best drive is on the down flight (if not already on the ground).

[TheDailyDuffer]

I don't know what it is about WRX and people who are obsessed with driving ranges. You hear stuff like "the practice facilities were first class" and "I could spend all day on the range" all time time here. Seriously, who cares about driving ranges? So what if the range is short or you have to hit balls that don't go as far. So what if you have to hit off a mat into a lake. I couldn't care less what a courses range looks like. In the odd event that I do use the range I use it to warm up. It doesn't matter to me if I'm hitting into a net, all I'm trying to do is get warm. Several of the best courses in the world don't even have driving ranges.

 

I get shocked when i hear about how much people loved the "practice facilities" at Bandon and how they spent all day there. How is that fun? Driving ranges are repetitive flat perfect lies one after another, how is that fun? I've never understood the range rat.

 

WRX needs its own Driving Range section of the forum. It would probably get the most activity around here.

 

I like you all, but anyone who uses the term "practice facilities" over and over again needs to be punched in the face.

[southpaw72]

I don't know what it is about WRX and people who are obsessed with driving ranges. You hear stuff like "the practice facilities were first class" and "I could spend all day on the range" all time time here. Seriously, who cares about driving ranges? So what if the range is short or you have to hit balls that don't go as far. So what if you have to hit off a mat into a lake. I couldn't care less what a courses range looks like. In the odd event that I do use the range I use it to warm up. It doesn't matter to me if I'm hitting into a net, all I'm trying to do is get warm. Several of the best courses in the world don't even have driving ranges.

 

I get shocked when i hear about how much people loved the "practice facilities" at Bandon and how they spent all day there. How is that fun? Driving ranges are repetitive flat perfect lies one after another, how is that fun? I've never understood the range rat.

 

WRX needs its own Driving Range section of the forum. It would probably get the most activity around here.

 

I like you all, but anyone who uses the term "practice facilities" over and over again needs to be punched in the face.

Nice. Maybe some of us enjoy practicing to get better and don't always have 4hrs to play a round but do have 30 min to hit a small bucket. Personally I struggle with the driver time to time. When the only range in town is 150 yards that makes it difficult to improve. If you don't care about practice facilities why open this thread and reply to it?

[KYMAR]

I don't know what it is about WRX and people who are obsessed with driving ranges. You hear stuff like "the practice facilities were first class" and "I could spend all day on the range" all time time here. Seriously, who cares about driving ranges? So what if the range is short or you have to hit balls that don't go as far. So what if you have to hit off a mat into a lake. I couldn't care less what a courses range looks like. In the odd event that I do use the range I use it to warm up. It doesn't matter to me if I'm hitting into a net, all I'm trying to do is get warm. Several of the best courses in the world don't even have driving ranges.

 

I get shocked when i hear about how much people loved the "practice facilities" at Bandon and how they spent all day there. How is that fun? Driving ranges are repetitive flat perfect lies one after another, how is that fun? I've never understood the range rat.

 

WRX needs its own Driving Range section of the forum. It would probably get the most activity around here.

 

I like you all, but anyone who uses the term "practice facilities" over and over again needs to be punched in the face.

 

Wow, are you irrationally Worked up about this or what?

 

I mean, is the idea that a lot of people like to practice and therefore enjoy expansive and well maintained facilities really so confounding? You "Don't get it"? What is it you're failing to grasp about this? How can such a simple concept be so elusive? I mean my god.

[MarkCPA]

Tobacco Road has a short range.

[AThompson_3]

I don't know what it is about WRX and people who are obsessed with driving ranges. You hear stuff like "the practice facilities were first class" and "I could spend all day on the range" all time time here. Seriously, who cares about driving ranges? So what if the range is short or you have to hit balls that don't go as far. So what if you have to hit off a mat into a lake. I couldn't care less what a courses range looks like. In the odd event that I do use the range I use it to warm up. It doesn't matter to me if I'm hitting into a net, all I'm trying to do is get warm. Several of the best courses in the world don't even have driving ranges.

 

I get shocked when i hear about how much people loved the "practice facilities" at Bandon and how they spent all day there. How is that fun? Driving ranges are repetitive flat perfect lies one after another, how is that fun? I've never understood the range rat.

 

WRX needs its own Driving Range section of the forum. It would probably get the most activity around here.

 

I like you all, but anyone who uses the term "practice facilities" over and over again needs to be punched in the face.

Couldn't agree more. If you want to get better, GO OUT AND PLAY! How many people have you seen striking it on the range, but once they hit the course they don't even look like the same person. The range definitely has its place, to practice and work on a few things here and there. But to replace time on the course with range time is simply preposterous. IMO the ratio of time on the course to time on the range should be 4:1. Now the practice green is a different story...

[KYMAR]

Yeah but how many guys do you see making everything on the Practice green then get out on the course and don't even look like the same person?

 

GO OUT AND PLAY!

 

[southpaw72]

I had no idea people held such negative feelings toward the driving range. I'm sorry I ever brought this up and ruined your month...

[KYMAR]

I had no idea people held such negative feelings toward the driving range. I'm sorry I ever brought this up and ruined your month...

 

Haha isn't it bizarre? It's like a couple of these guys are Ready to Picket ranges. Chanting their crazy with signs and mean faces.

 

 

[AThompson_3]

I think my mixed emotions about range time stems from I've never left the range feeling better than I did before I got there. I usually leave the range feeling like I need to go play so I can get out of the funk I am in on the range. I understand most people are the exact opposite, in fact, I've never met a person who was like I am in this regard.

[sailfishchris]

Bethpage no drivers allowed- 215 yd range

 

 

So during us open they can't hit driver at range ?? Just curious

 

They use a fairway of one of the other courses as the driving range for the pro events

Usually the yellow course is used for driving range - with the 9th and 18th greens used for chipping

[Argonne69]

One of the courses I frequent has an iron-only range. The course was built over 100 years ago, so I have to imagine that technology has rendered the range more or less obsolete. I was hitting my 5 hybrid (185 yards) a few years back, and one of the staff came over to yell at me that it was "irons" only. I tried to explain the basic concept of a hybrid club, but it was a bit like trying to teach a turtle to speak French. Oy.

[dtm6582]

My club respectfully requests you refrain from hitting drives over 275 yards on the range (over that puts you into the practice area back there). I think when the course was built/designed 275 was plenty long for the driving range. Now the 'kids' hit it too far. Everything around the course has now been developed so extending it would require bulldozing a couple million dollars worth of houses. I don't see that happening any time soon.

 

The 275 measurement is from the very front so it really isn't an issue for me most of the time. Usually we're 20 or so yards back from there.

 

I'm a big believer in playing golf to get better too, but I definitely appreciate when a course has excellent practice facilities. That said, the range isn't necessary. The course I grew up playing didn't even have one. Still managed to produce several pretty good golfers.

[alittleoverpar]

My club respectfully requests you refrain from hitting drives over 275 yards on the range (over that puts you into the practice area back there). I think when the course was built/designed 275 was plenty long for the driving range. Now the 'kids' hit it too far. Everything around the course has now been developed so extending it would require bulldozing a couple million dollars worth of houses. I don't see that happening any time soon.

 

The 275 measurement is from the very front so it really isn't an issue for me most of the time. Usually we're 20 or so yards back from there.

 

I'm a big believer in playing golf to get better too, but I definitely appreciate when a course has excellent practice facilities. That said, the range isn't necessary. The course I grew up playing didn't even have one. Still managed to produce several pretty good golfers.

 

At 275 that would limit most WRXers to a 7 iron!

[scottc25]

My course has both a short and long range. Short range is right next to the clubhouse, long range is a 2-3 min card ride depending on which end they are using.

 

There are nice houses on the end of the short range. I know one person who lives in one. His house gets hit daily.