Driving ranges, has the clientele shifted?

[bradleywedge]

Just wondering what the current opinion on driving ranges is, especially the Top Tracer ones. I don't know if its me in my old age, but are the ranges now attracting more 'not really bothered about golf really, just here for a mess about' type of clientele?

I know my local one at weekend is just besieged with what appear to be 'first timers' who look as if they haven't even held a golf club, let alone hit any balls.

I'm all for seeing youngsters learning to play golf, we need them to grow the game, but I'm not sure 90% are in it for the long haul, I think they are just there for an hour or so just to pass the time and have a laugh.

I am actually worried when I am next to someone who looks like they have never played as the partitions are really low and many a time a ball has ricocheted in my general direction. Last weekend there was a girl next to me probably early teens with mum and dad, none of them looked like they had a clue what they were doing, and there is no-one supervising.

It also attracts groups of lads who are just hell bent on whacking it as hard as they can.

Going to be selective on my timing of attending the aforementioned driving range in future, not as peaceful as it used to be.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Just wondering what the current opinion on driving ranges is, especially the Top Tracer ones. I don't know if its me in my old age, but are the ranges now attracting more 'not really bothered about golf really, just here for a mess about' type of clientele?

I know my local one at weekend is just besieged with what appear to be 'first timers' who look as if they haven't even held a golf club, let alone hit any balls.

I'm all for seeing youngsters learning to play golf, we need them to grow the game, but I'm not sure 90% are in it for the long haul, I think they are just there for an hour or so just to pass the time and have a laugh.

I am actually worried when I am next to someone who looks like they have never played as the partitions are really low and many a time a ball has ricocheted in my general direction. Last weekend there was a girl next to me probably early teens with mum and dad, none of them looked like they had a clue what they were doing, and there is no-one supervising.

It also attracts groups of lads who are just hell bent on whacking it as hard as they can.

Going to be selective on my timing of attending the aforementioned driving range in future, not as peaceful as it used to be.

I am all for people using a range to get "into" golf to see how they feel with it long beofre going onto grass. However the advent of Toptracer has made most ranges with them the home of the 300 yd smashers with everything that goes with it.
The range now is not somewhere I really want to go now.

 

[bradleywedge]

I am all for people using a range to get "into" golf to see how they feel with it long beofre going onto grass. However the advent of Toptracer has made most ranges with them the home of the 300 yd smashers with everything that goes with it.
The range now is not somewhere I really want to go now.

Definitely not weekends or school hols anyway. I do like to go there to practice, but its all about finding the right time when its relatively quiet.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Definitely not weekends or school hols anyway. I do like to go there to practice, but its all about finding the right time when its relatively quiet.

At the one nearest to me, it's only quiet first thing when it opens. You can forget afternoon and especially evenings.

 

[Neilds]

The range at my club has had toptracer fitted and there are definitely more non golfers using it. There are a few downsides, had to wait for a free bay this week but these are outnumbered by the good side - better practice facilities and more income for the club.

 

[bradleywedge]

Also I have noticed damage to the

The range at my club has had toptracer fitted and there are definitely more non golfers using it. There are a few downsides, had to wait for a free bay this week but these are outnumbered by the good side - better practice facilities and more income for the club.

but in these instances, do you think the club/range should be actively monitoring the unruly, messing about type of customer, and having a word?

I know at mine there is no member of staff monitoring the players playing.

I know I have nearly felt like saying something to the staff on the way out.

 

[Neilds]

Also I have noticed damage to the


but in these instances, do you think the club/range should be actively monitoring the unruly, messing about type of customer, and having a word?

I know at mine there is no member of staff monitoring the players playing.

I know I have nearly felt like saying something to the staff on the way out.

We don’t have staff for the range, unless one of the pro staff is giving a lesson or fitting but never seen any damage. Some of the users can be a bit loud, usually testosterone fuelled youths showing off to their ladies but nothing too bad.

 

[PJ87]

I've started using headphones for range trips to drown out the jibber jabber of those around.

 

[chico]

My local range has a quiet area. I've not really noticed a change in clientele to be honest, a fair mix of seasoned golfers and newbies. If it wasn't for the driving range I'd struggle to hit a ball over the winter months in Scotland.

 

[nickjdavis]

Have to admit that may of the points raised by the OP are valid at the range I use since it installed its range tracking system. Far fewer golfers "working on their swing" and far more groups of lads and families out for a bit of fun. Forget weekends or summer afternoons/evenings now for practice. Luckily now I'm retired I have far more scope for when I go to the range.

On the upside though, the redevelopment of the range with the new system also brought with it totally revamped teeing areas, power tees, new mats and I have to say, for serious practise there are a lot more targets to focus on.

 

[RichA]

I've only been a "golfer" for 5 years.
Mates and I used to go to the driving range in the 80s when I was a teenager. It was mostly younger folks having a laugh and hitting the balls as far as they could. I honestly thought that was the objective.
I occasionally go to the driving range these days but generally avoid it. I find it very boring and sterile.
All the kids at my club seem very serious. Most of them don't actually look like they're having any fun, which makes me sad.

 

[Orikoru]

I was at my nearest Top Tracer range last night - it only has about 9 or 10 bays but there was still only me and one other guy there, and he was taking it seriously as well. I guess I'm lucky that I've found a quiet one.

I did see three lads sharing a bay on a previous visit, who all seemed like they were trying to outdrive each other - but then I'm sure I overheard one saying something about a lesson so they may have been genuine beginners, in which case fair play to them. I don't even mind if they were just hacking balls for a laugh - maybe one of them gets into golf that way, you've got to start somewhere.

I think TopGolf and the like are more the domain of casuals than regular driving ranges anyway.

 

[kp17]

I used to go to a range 20 years ago, Saturday night, every single bay empty, lucky if there was maybe one other golfer, there was a couple greens but mostly just posts at 100-250yrds. The most boring place in the world to anyone other than me/us.

The same range now all done up and toptracer, a Saturday night youve no chance of a bay without a 15/20 minute wait, for the most part non golfers, young groups of guys there for a laugh, young couples, families etc.
really not a place to be going practicing. Maybe another day and time it would be a bit quieter.

It’s not for me anymore but I still think it’s great, if 90% are just there that Saturday night for a night out, a laugh, see how far you can hit it type thing, there’ll always be that 10% that get the bug and maybe get into actual golf. That’s a hell of an improvement from all those years ago where you could hear a pin drop on the range

 

[garyinderry]

Mate just sent this message to our group chat.



Boy at the range just ordered a domino's to his range bay. Seen it all now.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Driving ranges are the gateway to golf.
I love to see groups of kids, parents with their young uns, etc in there..

 

[PJ87]

Top tracer has transformed golf ranges

Both ranges near me have gone from empty a lot of the time to being only a few bays left

I went to one the other month and I got the last bay with 4 people to a bay

That one serves drinks aswell so everyone was just having an evening out

 

[Swingalot]

Top tracer had transformed our range from a loss leader to our biggest profit maker in the club and those monies will pay for investments in the course and clubhouse.

Absolute game changer, so I don't mind too much when it's busy and a bit loud

 

[jim8flog]

I have never used the range much (we used to have a practice ground which was lost to it). I hear several members saying they cannot get on to it on Saturday to warm up before going out.

Top Tracer has certainly increased it's popularity.

One thing is for sure it is a big money earner. One of the directors was saying this week that T.Tracer has said we are one of the most popular ranges in the country.

 

[PJ87]

I have never used the range much (we used to have a practice ground which was lost to it). I hear several members saying they cannot get on to it on Saturday to warm up before going out.

Top Tracer has certainly increased it's popularity.

One thing is for sure it is a big money earner. One of the directors was saying this week that T.Tracer has said we are one of the most popular ranges in the country.

Our range was for years was franchised out to a pro, but 2 years back they took the franchise back now that the money is flowing more with the top tracer they paid to install.

They know how to make money certainly

 

[jim8flog]

Our range was for years was franchised out to a pro, but 2 years back they took the franchise back now that the money is flowing more with the top tracer they paid to install.

They know how to make money certainly

Currently our pros are paid members of staff.
When we had a pro on retainer he was paid a fee to run the range.