Are kids ripped off at driving ranges???

[madandra]

Is it just me or are driving ranges exploiting parents when it comes to encouraging their kids to play the game?

The reason I ask is my little girl (aged 4) loves the game and is too young to take onto a course so I thought taking her to the range today to hit some balls with her spanking new 3 wood would be fun.

I asked if they have prices for kids baskets and I was told NO and had to pay £8.00 for 2 x 50 balls as they don't do a 25 ball basket. I think £4 for a child is a bit steep considering the furthest ball was about 30 yards from the bay.

In every other sport their are concessions and discounts for kids and pensioners but golf ranges seem to cash in on kids wanting to play the sport.

Now I know why their are never any kids at my local range in the winter evenings.

I would suggest that ranges use YELLOW balls for kids and any adult caught using their kids yellow balls should be asked to leave.


Your thoughs please.

 

[tpred]

Re: Rip Off Ranges

Hi madandra.
On the range where i play it only costs £1 for 30 balls.
Kids are really well looked after at the club,hence a thriving junior section.We help them in any way possible to keep them at the club.

The pro goes out of his way to teach them all he can and there are plenty of adults to lend a hand.

 

[DCB]

Sounds like someone out to make a quick buck!

The range where I tend to go does do a reduced rate for youngsters, my biggest problem is that I use a digicard and when my daughter uses all he balls she wants to get another basket using my card.

It's a shame that you have come up against this especially when your daughter is still so young. Ideal time to introduce them to the fun of golf. I would have thought that daytime on a friday would not be the busiest time on the range.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

One of my local ranges is coin operated and you can pay £1 for 15 balls £2.50 for 50 and £4 for 80 (don't ask how they came to this price/ball ratio) so your daughter could have one or maybe two buckets at a pound a throw.

The other range only uses range tokens or digicards and it is £3.50 for 50 balls per token or £12 for 5 digicard credits and £23 for 10 credits. The problem is its 5o balls or nothing.

Ironically the second range is actually better (more targets, better balls etc). As I usually hit two buckets its never a problem for me. I suggest you look round for another range nearby or see if a local club will let you use thei facilities.

Happy golfing

Homer

 

[medwayjon]

Damn, £4 for 50 balls is scandallous.

The 2 ranges I use is 100 for £5 and 120 for £5.50 respectivly.

There should be special prices for kids in my humble oppinion as the kids are the future. Sometimes businesses are very short-sighted.

 

[RGuk]

I can't beleive madandra has to pay £4 for 50, that's twice as much as round here. I use two ranges, one that only has 45 for £2.00 and another that offers all sorts. I often take miss mini-realgolfer, and we get 150 (that's 3 tokens) for £5, saving £1.
She has 1/3rd of them, and a few more if she finishes first.

PS - MY SET OF RUBBER TEES ARRIVED.....fanstastic, no more skyscrapers and a choice of 4 heights for the little swing fairy to test out her 21 and 15......she doesn't do 1/3/5, we just pick a club as we go round....the 21 goes over 100 yds!!! not bad for a knee high to a grasshopper.

Dave

 

[pjaz]

Sounds really expensive to me. I take my two boys (3.5 & 9) and we get a full size bucket of balls for £6 and that povides plenty for all of us (180-200 I would guess and I need them as they each go through more than me). Wouldn't be able to go so often at those prices.

 

[HTL]

I pay the same as Madandra!, however, when i drive an hour to the inlaws i only pay £2.00 for 50 balls and get to practise of grass instead of a crappy practise mat.

Driving ranges are seriously overpriced around the Surrey area.

Cant wait til i move house near to one of the TopGolf ranges, anybody with experience of what they are like?
http://www.topgolf.co.uk/

 

[RGuk]

Hey, that looks fun! Not so good for serious practice, but I'd have fun, no doubt.

Dave

 

[viscount17]

Like tpred, At my local range it's £1 for 30, plus England U18's coach and regular kid's coaching sessions by the two other pro's.
Lot's of kid's, they can get a bit rowdy but encouraging them helps.

andy, if you can go somewhere else, they're ripping you.

 

[Parmo]

that is steep, I pay £2.80 for a bucket and £7 for three tokens so about 130-150 balls. I dont use it much as I find the astro totally different to grass and doesnt improve my game.

 

[holein1]

I pay the same as madandra it seems to be dearer up here in Scotland.

 

[madandra]

Scotland, the Home of Golf ............



And the robbing b45tard driving range owners !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RGuk]

I went at dusk today and the miserly gits wouldn't turn on the lights. So I did 20 mins warming up, 10 minutes drills and stuff, 10 minutes tea break, then when they finaly turned them on my swing was nowhere.....so much for getting into it without actually hitting balls.

Argh...!!

Dave

 

[madandra]

I had a word with the range owner today and suggested he introduce kids rates but he wasn't interested in anything I said. He said his costs and overheads don't allow him to adjust the price for kids.

 

[Lloydy84]

This is crazy >

At my club it's only 70 quid for junior membership! the only restriction is that if i was to play with an un handicapped junior, i couldnt book a tee time before 12 on weekends. however, i spend roughly 15 quid a week on driving range balls so thats about 790 quid a year!

 

[guestlinger]

I take my son to a course which does lessons on Sunday mornings for £5 / hr for juniors. Included in the price is full junior membership which gives unlimited use of the championship course (it has held the Open so it's a great course) and includes fwd junior tees. As a member I get full use of the driving range for £60 / yr. If you shop around you can get some great value