Range dissapointment... The Belfry

[DaveyG]

So the missus had to drop in our 2nd deposit for the wedding tonight and with the weather bein awful I thought I would treat myself to the belfry range instead of my practice ground and collecting the balls. I thought at 7 squid for 90 Nike practice balls I would get similar results but after giving the range a miss for the real thing at my club for over 3 weeks I couldn't get over the difference. My practice bag is a mix of titelists/srixon down to topflite/noodle/dunlops etc so not exactly all premium balls.

I was dissappointed because there was only 250 yard markers out with no other flags so it did make gauging distance harder (and I know you might think it affected my perception) but for the first time I felt like there was a feel difference in the striking and distance. Everything ballooned up and went nowhere. The balls looked far from new too.

Normally I wouldn't bother to write something like this out but if any of you have a practice area and choose to use a range over it I would strongly reconsider. Wont bother going again. Especially to an overpriced half open one. (All of the machines were broken on the left side bays) I defend the belfry normally and love being close to a famous track but it was no better than a let out farmers field with crappy srixon balls that have changed colour they are that old.

 

[In_The_Rough]

The Belfry has fallen into a bit of a dated appearence and disrepear, not on about the golf courses just the facilities. It has new owners though and is having a £28 million upgrade this year which is going to be all the facilities so try it again once the refurb is complete. £7 for 90 balls is awfully expensive mind you

 

[Blue in Munich]

£7 for 90 balls is awfully expensive mind you

Seems quite reasonable when your local range is £5.50 for 50.............

 

[In_The_Rough]

Seems quite reasonable when your local range is £5.50 for 50.............

£3 for 90 where I go not Nike balls though just your bog standard range ball but even so. Also if you pay for 10 baskets at once you get a basket free so £27 for 10 baskets.

 

[hovis]

the 50, 100, 150 and 200 yard makers where taken down last week as the belfry where having a survey done on the out field to ATTEMPT to address the drainage issues. new balls arrive every april and october at the belfry but with it being so wet the ball collecter was pushing them into the ground rather than picking them resulting in £1000's worth of balls taking their final resting place 6 inches under ground. nothing looks set to change in the near future either. Shame!

 

[G1BB0]

7 quid for 90!!!!!!!!!!! thats extortion

I pay 3.50 for 60 or 10 lots for 20 quid. Not great balls but then I am not bothered about distances just grooving a swing/changes.

I would have thought even before a revamp somewhere as well esteemed as the Belfry would maintain decent facilities!

 

[DaveyG]

7 quid for 90!!!!!!!!!!! thats extortion

I pay 3.50 for 60 or 10 lots for 20 quid. Not great balls but then I am not bothered about distances just grooving a swing/changes.

I would have thought even before a revamp somewhere as well esteemed as the Belfry would maintain decent facilities!

Yeah thats it, if I had been to my local range I wouldn't have really thought about this too much.

Surely for 7 quid you should have them in a pyramid shape with a personal butler feeding you grapes?

 

[In_The_Rough]

Puzzles me why ranges do not do away with grass and lay down astro turf for the players to hit out onto, no maintanence and would pay for itself in the long run with the elimination of balls getting flattened into the ground

 

[shivas irons]

What is it with The Belfry all I hear is bad about the place,apparently the hotel is appalling,the course isnt what it was and now the range! Great to hear the new owners are going to get this famous track back to where it was.

 

[hovis]

What is it with The Belfry all I hear is bad about the place,apparently the hotel is appalling,the course isnt what it was and now the range! Great to hear the new owners are going to get this famous track back to where it was.

The belfry has slipped big time. Although the new owners are spending 26 million on it. Work has already started

 

[Mungoscorner]

I can't speak about the driving range as i've never used it,but i played the PGA National a few weeks ago and all i can say is "goat track".
I played as part of a society and it didn't cost me anything thankfully due to a late drop out, but had i paid the full green fee i'd have been fuming.
The bunkers were shocking,almost every one was full of footprints.For a course with so many bunkers,why are they so poorly maintained ?
The greens were quite good tbh.
Tee's were awful.
Signage awful.
Nearly £20 for 4 pints of bitter !!!!!!!

 

[DaveyG]

I can't speak about the driving range as i've never used it,but i played the PGA National a few weeks ago and all i can say is "goat track".
I played as part of a society and it didn't cost me anything thankfully due to a late drop out, but had i paid the full green fee i'd have been fuming.
The bunkers were shocking,almost every one was full of footprints.For a course with so many bunkers,why are they so poorly maintained ?
The greens were quite good tbh.
Tee's were awful.
Signage awful.
Nearly £20 for 4 pints of bitter !!!!!!!

I actually enjoy the courses (Only played the PGA & Derby)

Saying that DAVEYBOY always gets me a cheap deal so I am happy with it. Wouldn't be happy with full price!

 

[USER1999]

What is it with The Belfry all I hear is bad about the place,apparently the hotel is appalling,the course isnt what it was and now the range! Great to hear the new owners are going to get this famous track back to where it was.

Are they planting Maris pipers or king Edwards?

 

[hovis]

I can't speak about the driving range as i've never used it,but i played the PGA National a few weeks ago and all i can say is "goat track".
I played as part of a society and it didn't cost me anything thankfully due to a late drop out, but had i paid the full green fee i'd have been fuming.
The bunkers were shocking,almost every one was full of footprints.For a course with so many bunkers,why are they so poorly maintained ?
The greens were quite good tbh.
Tee's were awful.
Signage awful.
Nearly £20 for 4 pints of bitter !!!!!!![/QUOTE
What do you propose? a green keeper on every bunker ensuring mindless idiots rake them. I am usually off on the first tee time and the bunkers are raked and turned over. What did you shoot?

 

[DAVEYBOY]

I can't speak about the driving range as i've never used it,but i played the PGA National a few weeks ago and all i can say is "goat track".
I played as part of a society and it didn't cost me anything thankfully due to a late drop out, but had i paid the full green fee i'd have been fuming.
The bunkers were shocking,almost every one was full of footprints.For a course with so many bunkers,why are they so poorly maintained ?
The greens were quite good tbh.
Tee's were awful.
Signage awful.
Nearly £20 for 4 pints of bitter !!!!!!!

Can't take this serious, goat track really? Its a nice course & the tees are fine also. Sadly the golfers are to blame for the footprints in bunkers as they are at most courses.

I'm assuming if this is a goat track compared to your home course then you must be a member of somewhere special.

 

[hovis]

Can't take this serious, goat track really? Its a nice course & the tees are fine also. Sadly the golfers are to blame for the footprints in bunkers as they are at most courses.

I'm assuming if this is a goat track compared to your home course then you must be a member of somewhere special.

or the pga gave him a spanking. Remember the pga is a links designed course

 

[In_The_Rough]

Nothing wrong with the condition of any of the Belfry courses whatsoever. It is the facilities that are tired and jaded which require modernisation whic is what the new owners plan to do. I really enjoyed the PGA when I played it

 

[DaveyG]

Nothing wrong with the condition of any of the Belfry courses whatsoever. It is the facilities that are tired and jaded which require modernisation whic is what the new owners plan to do. I really enjoyed the PGA when I played it

:thup:

 

[Blue in Munich]

Puzzles me why ranges do not do away with grass and lay down astro turf for the players to hit out onto, no maintanence and would pay for itself in the long run with the elimination of balls getting flattened into the ground

They have at New Malden, lots of nice little contours, channels that collect the balls and return them, but unless you're hitting to one of the greens, it is hard to work out exactly how you are doing and the bounces are ridiculous, like playing on tarmac.

 

[In_The_Rough]

They have at New Malden, lots of nice little contours, channels that collect the balls and return them, but unless you're hitting to one of the greens, it is hard to work out exactly how you are doing and the bounces are ridiculous, like playing on tarmac.

Yes I can imagine the bounces are daft. For grooving a swing though and to practice ball striking I can imagine it be o.k Got to be better than them keep getting buried underground in the wet weather though surely and a real time saver for greenstaff