Some Driving Ranges;its not golf...

[shivas irons]

Now i`m not one to winge but I have to mention the condition and facilities at my driving range is appalling.The range I use still use the cork type balls(god knows what them make them from)that go a good 10 yards shorter than conventional play balls.They have absolutely no feel to them and the particulary bad ones mark up your clubs! On top of this the mats are bald, theres no way you would ever have a lie on a course that they provide and this results on the club twisting on impact and pulling the ball left every time,I was so concerned that I hit a few off the grass just to reassure myself that my game hasnt totally gone to pot!.Decent balls and mats is not too much to ask is it after we part with our hard earned cash to wack balls there?

 

[ScienceBoy]

A local range to me has recently had new mats and the ones nearest the pro shop are already in quite a state.

Sadly if you go up the far end the bays are at a weird angle (well all the bays are) and it can be quite intimidating for right handers wanting to hit the longer clubs as they point right at the left hand side fence!

If it was straight all the way down it would be fine, I have no idea why it was built at a silly angle!

 

[shivas irons]

A local range to me has recently had new mats and the ones nearest the pro shop are already in quite a state.

Sadly if you go up the far end the bays are at a weird angle (well all the bays are) and it can be quite intimidating for right handers wanting to hit the longer clubs as they point right at the left hand side fence!

If it was straight all the way down it would be fine, I have no idea why it was built at a silly angle!

Wow that sounds ridiculous!...Its not too much to ask to provide decent balls,mats and make shift greens at 50yds 100yds etc with flags in them,i`m not talking about Augusta quality just shorter grass than the rest of the range.All there is at my range is marker boards at 100,150,200 in a field ,frankly its boring if your going to build a range it wouldnt take too much to do it properly.........

 

[ScienceBoy]

,frankly its boring if your going to build a range it wouldnt take too much to do it properly.........

There is a (sadly not burnt out) car to aim at! It has lots of flags and signs and the less well used mats are in good condition, some of the less friendly angled bays have hardly been used, great for up to about a 7 iron but beyond that the side wall feels like its in your face at times and its very hard to feel aligned.

I still like it as a range and as my swing confidence grows the bays are less intimidating, just more of an annoyance.

 

[erniethemilk]

Wow, I've been to a range today where you plonk your balls into the base of the mat and when you've hit one up pops the next on the tee ready for you to hit the next!

You even had the choice of 4 tee lengths you could choose from electronically is you wanted to set the ball at different heights, along with 2 different mat types for different feel to what you were hitting off! :mmm:

Mind you it was £6.00 quid for a 100 balls which I thought was quite steep, great facilities though I have to say.

 

[ScienceBoy]

You even had the choice of 4 tee lengths you could choose from electronically is you wanted to set the ball at different heights, along with 2 different mat types for different feel to what you were hitting off! :mmm:

Mind you it was £6.00 quid for a 100 balls which I thought was quite steep, great facilities though I have to say.

I hate electronic tees, usually they are surrounded by a trough from all the previous poor players tops and chunks. Makes it very hard to put a club behind the ball square! I have seen it at 3 ranges now and I avoid them like the plague!

I do really like the trustrike mats though, the ones with the soft bit thats supposed to feel like fairway to play off. They work really well and I get a lot more from my practice with those, if I hit it a little fat the ball reponsed as it should rather than the hard mat base bouncing me into the ball thin or sometimes even into a good contact!

 

[shivas irons]

There is a (sadly not burnt out) car to aim at! It has lots of flags and signs and the less well used mats are in good condition, some of the less friendly angled bays have hardly been used, great for up to about a 7 iron but beyond that the side wall feels like its in your face at times and its very hard to feel aligned.

I still like it as a range and as my swing confidence grows the bays are less intimidating, just more of an annoyance.

Theres an old car at a range near Ipswich,great fun trying to bounce one of the roof! I dont mind the Electronic ball deliverer saves the back but heated bays are just awsome!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Frankly I wouldn't use it. It can't be good for proactive practice. I go to Blue Mountain as its local but the mats aren't great but it sufficed. My favourite range is the one at Maidenhead Golf centre. Decent mats with a brush type section for irons which does give some resistance so catch it heavy and the club won't compensate and skid. Gives pretty realistic feedback on ball striking. Two tee heights ideal for my 3 wood and driver and decent Srixon range balls. Shame its 25 minutes away in the rush hour. Good news is I can hit the practice ground after work now and get an hour and a half in on the best surface of them all - grass.

 

[shivas irons]

Frankly I wouldn't use it. It can't be good for proactive practice. I go to Blue Mountain as its local but the mats aren't great but it sufficed. My favourite range is the one at Maidenhead Golf centre. Decent mats with a brush type section for irons which does give some resistance so catch it heavy and the club won't compensate and skid. Gives pretty realistic feedback on ball striking. Two tee heights ideal for my 3 wood and driver and decent Srixon range balls. Shame its 25 minutes away in the rush hour. Good news is I can hit the practice ground after work now and get an hour and a half in on the best surface of them all - grass.

Yes agreed,A bag of balls, a field and grass to hit them off is all yer need :thup: .

 

[CMAC]

I've said it for years, theres a market for a proper well run and interesting range designed by golfers

 

[Jay1]

My local range has just upgraded it's targets and mats, which is great as they used to be poor. The downside is they now want £7.50 for 100 balls :-0.

I don't think there are many decent ranges about that balance quality of mats/balls/targets with affordability, unfortunately. Wherever you go there is a compromise somewhere.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

A local range to me has recently had new mats and the ones nearest the pro shop are already in quite a state.

Sadly if you go up the far end the bays are at a weird angle (well all the bays are) and it can be quite intimidating for right handers wanting to hit the longer clubs as they point right at the left hand side fence!

If it was straight all the way down it would be fine, I have no idea why it was built at a silly angle!

I know the range you are talking about, it's just down the road from my office. I always try to blag one of the teaching bays in the middle whenever I go there, bit more room and at least they point straight down the range rather than towards the football pitch :fore:

 

[LanDog]

My local range is so bad and small that you can't hit any wood off of the mat. I can drive over the back fence!! The balls are astoundingly poor a lot are cracked or chipped, the bays themselves are also not large enough to have a good lash of the ball and you can't see where your ball lands at times because the grass is too long. Any other decent ranges near me are both 20-30 miles away so so so so.... It sucks

 

[Rob McBride]

Reading the above I am not going to complain about Romanby Golf Club. Wide bays, reasonable mats, 2 reasonably sized grassed areas to go from as well as fairway posts, greens and flags to aim at, a bunker to play out of / green for short game and recently renewed Nike and Srixon pratice balls, £3 a bucket and I am yet to meet someone who has driven out the back of it. All in all a great practice facility.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I know the range you are talking about, it's just down the road from my office. I always try to blag one of the teaching bays in the middle whenever I go there, bit more room and at least they point straight down the range rather than towards the football pitch :fore:

I am down there weekday evenings between half 4 and 6, usually 2 a week.
<<<< BTW I don't look like my pic over there

 

[papyt]

i have 3 ranges within a 2 mile radius from my home and all have automatic tee's and new mats,the prices are more or less the same £4-50 for 75 balls this is because of market forces, one has special deal on at week ends normally a bacon bap,cup of tea and 50 balls for £5 one has introduced a loyalty card so if you go 5 times the 6'th is free (50 balls)all in all well catered for but for my short game practice it has to be at the club and from the grass.

 

[Captainron]

I hate ranges without greens to aim at. I need a target or I just stand there and smash until I am bored.

 

[DCB]

I've said it for years, theres a market for a proper well run and interesting range designed by golfers

Here is the answer. Best range I've seen by far. Quality balls to start with. Four large target greens with five pins on each green with measured distances to each flag displayed in the bays. Water hazards, bunkers and quality green surface so the ball will react as it should.

 

[Imurg]

Here is the answer. Best range I've seen by far. Quality balls to start with. Four large target greens with five pins on each green with measured distances to each flag displayed in the bays. Water hazards, bunkers and quality green surface so the ball will react as it should.

Yeah but they've got a dodgy internal OB on the course to deal with - mirror that on a range!:lol:

Seriously though, that's a cracking range - even I might be interested in spending time at it....