Driving Range Ideas

[RikEssex]

Hello,
Just taking over a driving range that needs a bit of tlc.
Thinking of making it visibly more fun and improving it.
Any ideas of what people would like to see when hitting balls?
Anything people have seen elsewhere that looked really good.
Any ideas much appreciated.
Cheers

 

[mister v]

theres a range close to me and they have a few old cars with the glass taken out at 100 and 150 yards......... great fun to hit them!!!

 

[duncan mackie]

Have to establish your target audience first.

Some like noisy targets - others would avoid like the plague.

Personally I like a couple of green like areas with a central flagstick, or equivilent, to replicate approach shots. Preference around 120 and 150yds. I also like corridor equivilents at around 200yd ie a row of posts that I can target to hit between, selecting say a single 20yds gap or aiming at a post and the gap either side for 40yds.

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

I quite like targets focused between 50-150 ideally quite clear markings around it e.g. painted circle, little green so you can gauge how close.

Bromsgrove golf centre has a couple of rugby posts which i find great, perhaps as a visual prop as you can practice hitting through as a fairway target but also aiming at one post then fading or drawing it in.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Targets, targets and more targets. They could be as per Mister V's post, top idea, or they could be like archery targets with a flag in the middle at 100yds, 150yds etc. Put a bit of colour out there.

Anything to break up the monotony of just whacking a ball.

Just a thought. You could trial a music night session or something equally different. Pump out some heavy beat music, see if people come along. Offer drinks on the range, not alcoholic as things could go wrong, but give service and see if people take advantage. Have a look at Top Golf and then adapt it to suit, scale it down etc.

Good luck by the way.

 

[Capella]

Try to set up targets with a clear hit/miss feedback. Like a basket or net gives more satisfaction than just a flag or a circle on the ground, in my opinion. An old washing mashine can be a lot of fun as a close to mid range chipping target.

But fun is all good and well, but also make sure that your distance markers are correct and well visible for people who actually want to work on figuring out their gapping. Having scope systems for rent, even the relatively cheap ones that just measure distance, would also be a good idea.

Do you have a pro shop and or bistro/café on sight? If not, at least set up some good vending machiines for drinks and snacks and try to provide a little sitting area with golf magazines, maybe a tv etc. Try to create a space where people don't just come, hit a bucket of balls and wander off again, but a space where people like to linger because it is the next best thing to an actual golf course. if you have room for it, set up a nice putting and even chipping area.

 

[mister v]

really like the rugby post idea!! and the music and bar service.... that sounds ace

 

[Titleist3]

I love when you see an artificial well maintained green.
I love visualising on the green/flag like you would on the course, you can make a bigger green area and put multiple flags; 70, 85, 95 yards. You could even make them raised greens etc.

I just feel with driving ranges you need to make sure the balls are maximum distance and the distance stated on the bay is precise.

 

[PJ87]

Protracer on the bays
Decent range balls
Auto loading tees are nice
Decent artificial greens at diff distances

 

[trevor]

A coffee machine.
A corridor to simulate a fairway.
Interesting targets.
A loyalty scheme to make regular visits cheaper.
Decent springy mats.
Bays with trackman or similar to hire.

 

[IanM]

My Brother-in-Law took me to Top Golf in Watford... point scoring, targets, waitress service....

..on the way home all I could think of was "blinking heck, that was an expensive driving range!"

 

[Grant85]

I personally find it very frustrating when you are in a bay and there are several targets (flags, nets etc) and it not apparent how far these targets are from that bay.

I was even at a range that had gone to bother of putting a sheet in every bay with yardages to certain flags - but when you looked out it was still not 100% clear what flags on the range corresponded to which flags on the sheet.

I'd say make sure each bay has a sheet with correct lasered distances to clear targets.

Also think it is important that a range be set just above the land you are hitting into, as it makes it far easier to see where your ball is landing. But appreciate that will be difficult / costly to do if the existing place doesn't already work like that.

 

[Oldham92]

Coffee machine, lots of targets, reasonable balls, regular customer discounts, little bit of a shop for basics like gloves etc

 

[Dando]

decent balls

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I would just want clearly identified targets on which I can easily see if my ball has hit them.

 

[rksquire]

A lot of instagram users post pics from here, looks good to me!

 

[MendieGK]

A lot of instagram users post pics from here, looks good to me!

I’ve been to the Vegas top golf. And the setting is amazing, however it’s supposed to be no woods and it’s definitely not somewhere to go and practice. It’s tacky but fun

 

[Dando]

The range at the O2 could be great but it’s full of idiots having a laugh and getting drunk- there’s no quiet zones for those who go there to practice

 

[Oldham92]

The range at the O2 could be great but it’s full of idiots having a laugh and getting drunk- there’s no quiet zones for those who go there to practice

This raises a decent point actually.

Could maybe have 2 sides, a serious practice side and a there for a laugh side

 

[TreeSeeker]

The range at the O2 could be great but it’s full of idiots having a laugh and getting drunk- there’s no quiet zones for those who go there to practice

I feel your pain dando. Always good to have a space for people who are actually wanting to practice... although i think we spend less money so maybe not the best customers.