Cheap Ranges or Practice Facilties in St Pete/Clearwater?

[clewallen]

Ya so there is a PGA learning and performance center in Port St Lucie where i just moved from and they had putting greens, sand bunkers, range, chipping area..the works for $10 you get 100 balls to do whatever with...

 

I have googled to see if there was anything similar here with no luck. Does anyone from around here know of any good practice areas? or even a course that has cheap range prices with a nice chip/putting practice area?

 

Thanks

[Shandy G]

Mangrove Bay in St. Pete, thats it. Largo has Bardmoor, then missing links also.

[fordy11]

if you go on McMullen over the bridge towards Oldmar theres Chi CHi which is great. Some of the clubs might be your best bet - they're all struggling so if you ring up and ask if you can use the facilities you may well get a nice surprise.

[BrianL99]

[quote name='clewallen' timestamp='1343874748' post='5393720']
Ya so there is a PGA learning and performance center in Port St Lucie where i just moved from and they had putting greens, sand bunkers, range, chipping area..the works for $10 you get 100 balls to do whatever with...

I have googled to see if there was anything similar here with no luck. Does anyone from around here know of any good practice areas? or even a course that has cheap range prices with a nice chip/putting practice area?

Thanks
[/quote]

Chi Chi Rodriquez in Clearwater? I've never actually been there, just drive by it & it's always busy. There's another range with a decent facility in Largo, but I forget the name of it .. it's at 1201 E. Bay.

[clewallen]

Thanks guys, trying to break this double digit handicap. Need a practice area. Looking at joining one of these amature tours over here that have different flights

[clewallen]

Went to th range at mangrove bay, and much to my disappointment this course looked sub-par...i was expecting to play there tomorrow but definetly think i will pass and just go to bradenton or sarasota

[jnier75]

[quote name='clewallen' timestamp='1344033643' post='5403750']
Went to th range at mangrove bay, and much to my disappointment this course looked sub-par...i was expecting to play there tomorrow but definetly think i will pass and just go to bradenton or sarasota
[/quote]

Mangrove is very solid for a muni and one of the better public courses in south pinellas. Depending on your location in the county it's one of the better options. I'm moving to St. Pete at the end of this month. Already have signed up for a membership at the Bayou Club. The private clubs have slashed prices so you may want to check into them as they may be more affordable than just playing random courses on the weekend. As far as practice goes, Mangrove is the best public option in south pinellas, the balls are rocks but they get the job done. For north pinellas one of the semi-privates would be where it's at.

[clewallen]

=(

so sad i miss Port St Lucie/West Palm...

Jnier whats your handicap? and i will think about the club..last one i checked was something ridiculous like $15k for the first year...then $10k every year after that.

[jnier75]

With the revision on the 1st, I am a 10.9. I was an 8.6 before a knee injury in March. It should be coming back down once i get back in the groove.

That's sounds really high for courses in the area, I will be paying 225 a month at Bayou, no initiation, minimums or dues. It's a young exec membership but pretty sure the over 40 crowd was no more than 450. Feathersound CC should be running similar deals.

[clewallen]

Yea that was when I lived in west palm. Yours is 225 a month? I will probably check that out. Thank you

Played mangrove yesterday with my cousin and friend both dont play golf. Shot a 41 on the front then started goofing off and shot a 46 on the back. Played from the tips. Course was better then I expected after I hit the range the other day

[agulfer]

As you have found, there are not a lot of choices !

It will be a little drive for you but "The Downs Golf Facility" in Oldsmar (next to the Downs Horse Track) is a nice practice facility. It has a nice driving range, separate chipping/bunker green and a separate flip sw green and an OK putting green. Decent prices and even better if you pre-pay and purchase a "range key".

It has everything you are looking for....I recommend it.

[url="http://www.tampabaydowns.com/golf.aspx"]http://www.tampabaydowns.com/golf.aspx[/url]
Matt Mitchell is one of the teaching pro's there and is highly regarded in the area.

Some others very nice practice facilities, but require an even further drive. I sill prefer "The Downs" over these:
1) World Woods in Brooksville (an easy all toll-road drive)
* top 50 public course (Pine Barrens)
* huge 360* range
* huge putting green and a smaller one also
* sand bunkers off to the side
* you can play there dirt cheap in the summer.....$18 after 3pm (gotta book it online though)
2) Bloomingdale Golf Club (Brandon/Valrico) --- alot of LPGA'rs go there and they also have a Titliest fitter their (Joe Colbert) that does on the spot club fitting/work if you need
* nice range area
* small'ish chipping green area
* can't comment on the putting area
3) TPC Tampa
* nice range
* nice putting area
* not certain if they have a chipping, bunker practice area - I've never seen one