Idea for driving range

[gpo]

I think most will agree hitting balls at the range is not 100% like hitting shots during a round. A driving range is usually wide open and basically lacks the frame of a hole. Like when hitting a driver you don't get the view of a fairway and you are not always sure if the ball you just hit would be in the fairway as well as how far your misses are. Many ranges will have flags to hit at. Some will have some sort of shorter grass to look like a green. But it is just not the same as hitting shots on the course.

 

I think a range could have the following. Instead of just wide open space have like 3 lanes for specific shots. Have a real fairway to hit to with rough and maybe a tree and a bunker. Then another lane would be for mid to long iron shots. The hitting area would be just like a fairway and there would be a real green to hit at. Full-size with a couple of bunkers and maybe 2 or 3 pins to hit at. The next lane would be for short iron shots. Just like the mid iron one with a green and everything. On the iron lanes you could hit balls from the rough too.

 

Basically I would like a range that simulated real golf shots as close as possible.

[jkman]

Sorta like this?

 

http://www.stanfordmensgolf.com/practicecenter_945.htm

 

http://www.stanfordphoto.com/slideshow.php?albumId=50773

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Sorta like this?

 

http://www.stanfordmensgolf.com/practicecenter_945.htm

 

http://www.stanfordphoto.com/slideshow.php?albumId=50773

 

Oh man that is the greatest thing I have seen. It would spend a whole lot more time at the range if that was my range

[JeffreySpicoli]

Some good points. It's great to be able to take advantage of well-thought out practice facilities. (More exist than you might think.)

 

On the other hand, creative (& productive) practice can occur most anywhere. If you're struggling to get the most from your range time, you should pick up the following book:

 

Golf Scrimmages: Realistic Practice Games Under Pressure by Trent Wearner

[Fuzzy Taylormade]

I think that would be cool...but with the 3 different sections of the range, there MAY be some crowdedness on one specific side resulting in, the worst case scenario, arguments (or potential fist fights :drinks: ) on how long one can use each "station". Now I am aware of how busy a range gets, and with the exception of the last two hours of day. Most ranges don't get too filled up, unless of course there is a tournament or junior camp of some sort.

 

 

[/Pointless Post]

[bbfifas]

I agree, I think more ranges need better facilities using some creativity. Some ranges I have seen have only 3 greens. Its pretty bad.

[harold baines]

you wouldn't be able to make the stations wide enough to handle a decent amount of golfers, and still have each station able to use all "lanes"

 

 

also trees or things to make "lanes" in a range would make retrieval of range balls much more time consuming

 

I think the ideas are good in principle, but would make the range very expensive to operate compared to a normal one

[Bulldog31]

With the right people running it, I think that the idea of a tree lined range, etc would run just fine.

 

you wouldn't be able to make the stations wide enough to handle a decent amount of golfers, and still have each station able to use all "lanes"

 

 

also trees or things to make "lanes" in a range would make retrieval of range balls much more time consuming

 

I think the ideas are good in principle, but would make the range very expensive to operate compared to a normal one

[Bomb and Gouge]

I like the St. Andrews range a lot. They usually have some chipping flags set up too.

 

I have a membership at a course with a similar set up- greens, bunkers and flags. Soooooo much better than just hitting to signs or flags. I like to use 3 or 4 different clubs to hit the same target before moving on to another one.

 

[Bomb and Gouge]

Where is this?

 

Prairie Landing in W. Chicago.

[TKing]

My practice range is very low tech. I do have yardage markers at fixed distances that I can set a flag at and I made a mound that I can hit all sorts of lies off of. I find that hitting hundreds of balls with different clubs at a fixed target, like 170 or 185 etc., from different lies is quite beneficial but don't really see the advantage to having anything like tree lanes. I block all that stuff out when I'm on the course and just think about ball flight and yardage.

[Bomb and Gouge]

What kind of deal do you get out there?

 

It was like $1,200 for the "practice" membership.

• Unlimited use of practice course
  
• two large buckets per day at the range
  
• Free golf after 4:00
  
• A discounted rate for all greens fees
  
• 8 guest passes (free rounds for buddies)
  

I think it's about $3,500 for a full membership (unlimited golf).

[lewdogg]

I see you two are touching on some of the practice facilities in the Chicago area. The practice area at Bolingbrook Golf Club is top notch. If i still lived in the West suburbs in Chicago I would be there heads over heels versus the setup they have at Harborside here in the city. The practice green could be a bit better at Bolingbrook but besides that I have zero gripes with the place.

[MattCarter]

Must be nice...that pic of world woods is awesome.

[stryper]

also trees or things to make "lanes" in a range would make retrieval of range balls much more time consuming

 

I think the ideas are good in principle, but would make the range very expensive to operate compared to a normal one

Agreed, trees and bunkers in and around target areas are a bad idea from a maintenance/operations point of view.

[Range-Rat]

 

These are the targets at my range in San Diego CA

 

Sweet range, good balls, good grass.

 

 

One thing I dont understand about ranges back east is that you have to have a membership. At my range you buy a bucket ang get access to everything ie chipping,

 

putting. I would post more pics but they dont have many.

 

 

 

Cavity-Blade :clapping: