What makes a good driving range?

Bazz

Bazz

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Just been out to practice, and the range was a complete dump. So to answer my own question...exactly the opposite of this place.

All power tees apart from one had been removed...and the tee came up bent so I had to pull it up between each shot
The balls were coated in plastic

And worst of all...the 150 yard marker was were the 250 yard one should've been........
 
I don't go to the range often I usually go in the middle of our golf course on the grass practice area.
However when I have I don't believe I have had many good ones.
Usually the balls are rank and dirty especially in the winter.
The electric ball distributers never work consistently going up and down whenever they want[it seems].
Mats can be pointing at any angle and some have actually sunken.
They are generally like wind tunnels and cold
As someone said the yardage markers are not the right yardage.

A good range will be well looked after and have goodish balls,proper yardage markers.
I would also like them slightly uphill so you can see the ball land.
The best I have used is at Wells golf club.
 
Good ranges have decent mats, decent balls, decent tees, decent distance marked targets, flood lighting for playing in the evening, and heated bays for practising in cold weather. They should also be reasonably cheap and have good catering facilities. Good ranges are very rare!
 
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The World of Golf in New Malden is a good range, but the balls are priced at £11 per 100 during peak periods

Great range though with heaters, protracer, power tees. Only downside is that it can get busy at weekends
 
Good mats, turned around or changed regularly
Decent range balls
Plenty of accurately marked targets
Grass area for the summer
Short game/practice bunker area
Heated bays
Hot and cold drinks/food available
 
Lytham golf academy where Sheils and Finch are based now is ok. Mixture of power tees and normal matts, nice bays usually protected from wind and rain, mixture of nike and srixon balls, good coffee, nice friendly staff. Im sure they have a short game area and bunker as well in the summer when the ground isn't water logged. Only downside is its only 200 yards but they let you hit over the fence so not much of a problem.
 
Ours isn't bad from what iv seen elsewhere. No power tees but quite frankly they drive me insane. Plenty to aim at out there with good yardage markers. Balls arnt too bad but you do get the odd terrible basket. Plenty long enough to hit a full drive and they have a grass are to the far right of the range if you want to hit off grass rather than mat. Coffee machine outside the door and bar 2 seconds away. Wouldn't mind heated bays though if that's actually a thing. Hit a few more and keep warm instead though is fine by me!
 
ruff-driver said:
Heated bays! I've heard it all now :rofl:
Click to expand...

The Top Golf Centre in Watford has heated bays, and most of the other things you could want. Only problem is that it's £5.50 for 20 balls, so you would soon go bankrupt if you practice there too much! Seems to be very popular though, as it is usually pretty crowded in the evenings and you often have to queue up to get a bay.
 
You cant underestimate the value of a good 'fairway' and 'greens' on a range

The ball bouncing off in weird directions on a 'ploughed field' effect range or not getting a roll out, not reacting on a green doesn't do much for the return on your practice time
 
Windmill golf academy just outside Bristol is great. Power tees that work, Srixon balls, heaters above each bay, loads of targets, mirrors behind a lot of the bay's - only downside is the lights aren't great at night as it runs next to the M4 so drivers would be dazzled if the lights were higher and brighter.
it also has a large synthetic green with some wicked slopes to practice chipping and putting.
If you fancy something different they also have foot golf and archery for people to try. Nice cafe, great staff and coaches and a shop as well, can't go wrong
 
My club only has an outdoor range with no floodlighting, so over winter after work I have been going to Hoebridge. I have to say I am very impressed by it. They have a few heated bays, they have a ball tee up mechanism where you dump all your balls in a hole in the ground and they have an automatic tee that pops them up out of the ground for you...I actually quite like that! And it's only £7 for 100 balls. You can get more for your money if you sign up for their range cards. I actually think it's a great little place and decent value! big pro shop too.
 
I don't tend to go to the range in Inverness except for the odd lesson. The balls are crap, the mats worn, but if you are a member at one of the 3 Inverness clubs you don't have much choice over winter if you want a game or to practice.
 
Kingsfield Golf Centre in Linlithgow is imo the best range facility in the central belt. It is a Taylormade Fitting Centre as well... nice wide and long range, good quality mats and balls. Plenty of targets and distance markers and a mix of covered/open-air bays

Cafe/bistro onsite along with The Ochils putting course, dedicated short game area and a nine-hole pay-and-play course.

By contrast I went to Houston Golf Range yesterday attached to the American Golf at Uphall, and it was an absolute mess. Half of the range is cordoned off, the fencing is in tatters and netting is all hanging loose. Mats are threadbare and badly worn, and the rubber tees have mostly split. There's plenty of targets though, and they've replaced the Wilson practice balls with Srixon balls.

Think I'll be putting in the extra few miles to get to Kingsfield in future.
 
I understand all the heated bay hilarity but don't knock it until you've tried it. In often use the Dalmahoy range at lunchtime and in the winter the heaters make the world of difference.

Another feature I like at ranges is where each bay has a chart showing the distances to all the targets in the range from that bay.

Other than that its the obvious - good mats, decent balls, plenty of space in the bay.

I hate those automated tee bays - I'm quite happy bending down to tee up a ball manually.
 
Hoebridge is nice - good deal at the moment £50 for £100 range credit, which effectively makes the balls £3.50 per 100
 
paulv said:
Lytham golf academy where Sheils and Finch are based now is ok. Mixture of power tees and normal matts, nice bays usually protected from wind and rain, mixture of nike and srixon balls, good coffee, nice friendly staff. Im sure they have a short game area and bunker as well in the summer when the ground isn't water logged. Only downside is its only 200 yards but they let you hit over the fence so not much of a problem.
Click to expand...

They do have a short game area, but it pretty much sucks. It is basically a raised "green" in absolute awful condition (very mossy and bumpy, no matter how soft you land your balls, they will never even remotely react like they would on a regular green) with three pins in it and an area with all relatively long grass around it that you can hit chips or short pitches from. Plus a tiny bunker with some stuff in it that is more dust than sand. I really wasn't impressed. Actually you are better off misusing any one of the footgolf holes for chipping/pitching practice, because those greens are at least slightly better.

I do have hopes that they will put some effort into making it better this spring, though. AFAIK, the current owner only took over the place last year and has been working hard on making it better.
 
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