How is your range?

[Wardy]

I am always very envious of the 'American' style driving ranges. I don't have any near the standard that you guys have posted.

UK Driving ranges tend to be more mat focused in bays, which is terrible for habbits I find!

[phan52]

I am always very envious of the 'American' style driving ranges. I don't have any near the standard that you guys have posted.

UK Driving ranges tend to be more mat focused in bays, which is terrible for habbits I find!

Agreed. I get no feedback from hitting off a mat. Since the range re-opened, my game has markedly improved. My course handicap has gone from 12 to 10 just since it's opened and I know it is because of my ability to practice better.

[nevets88]

I am always very envious of the 'American' style driving ranges. I don't have any near the standard that you guys have posted.

UK Driving ranges tend to be more mat focused in bays, which is terrible for habits I find!

I respectfully disagree on both points.

If you live in or near a large city center or in a cold weather climate, it's mostly mats as well. For example if you live in NYC, most ranges are mats and for the most part, you have to commute to a grass range and many are grass weekends only. If you live in Florida, the midwest or the west coast, yeah, lots of grass ranges.

You won't ingrain bad habits if you use high speed video properly. Assuming the range has enough space for you to get both face on and dtl views.

[iacas]

I get no feedback from hitting off a mat.

You don't see the ball flying? You don't know when you hit the ball thin, fat, towards the toe or heel, etc.?

[RickK]

Unfortunate, the divot pattern I see most often on ranges at both my home courses and local courses near me are the scattergun divot patterns.  This year, our driving ranges have been in the worst shape I have ever seen them.  The grass is not manicured well, it is like hitting out of the rough and they are beat to crap.  Some courses near me have mats for you to hit off of.  My elbows and wrists just kill me if I hit very many shots off mats.  Instead of range time, mostly this year I have gone out and played 4 or 5 holes and called it practice.

[Wardy]

I respectfully disagree on both points.

If you live in or near a large city center or in a cold weather climate, it's mostly mats as well. For example if you live in NYC, most ranges are mats and for the most part, you have to commute to a grass range and many are grass weekends only. If you live in Florida, the midwest or the west coast, yeah, lots of grass ranges.

You won't ingrain bad habits if you use high speed video properly. Assuming the range has enough space for you to get both face on and dtl views.

Interesting to hear that. It would be very difficult to set up video (behind player) in the driving ranges near me, as it would just get in everyone's way. I think the worst bit about the mats, is that you can hit the ball really fat on a shot and it will still fly well... quite deceptive at times.

Out of interest, what do you guys feel about chipping/pitching on the mats? We don't have any targets closer than say 50yards so makes practicing the small shots very difficult I find. Would be good to get some of those nets you can chip into!

[Jeremie Boop]

As a running theme in my area, the ranges are pretty crappy. They do have mats and grass, however the grass area isn't mowed down enough, it's basically like hitting off of first cut rough and it's not flat or level. I get better results hitting multiple balls per hole on practice rounds than going to the range.

[Fourputt]

My home course isn't a nice private course, but it still has a great practice facility (see Google Earth image below - sorry about the crappy lines, I don't draw so good in Google Earth).  No buckets of balls, you have to pay for them, but otherwise it's very nice for essentially a municipal course.

The grass hitting area is 150 yards long by 40 yards deep with about 45 hitting slots.  For winter practice there are 30 mats at the back of the grass section.  The landing area is up to 310 yards deep, slightly uphill so that it's rare that anyone actually hits very far out.  Occasionally a ball will roll onto the 4th hole of the executive 9.   There is also a short game area off to the upper right with a regular green, a shaggy green and a bunker, and up to about 40 yards of space for practicing those awkward pitches.  The practice green is on the left, near the first tees of the both the 18 hole course and the 9 hoe executive course.  The blue circle is the lesson area, dedicated to teachers and their students.

[Golfingdad]

The landing area is up to 310 yards deep, slightly uphill so that it's rare that anyone actually hits very far out.

You obviously don't have alot of TST 20 handicappers playing your course then????

That is a really nice range, BTW, for what you say is essentially a muni!  Most of ours around here at that level are mats. :(

[RPMPIRE]

Out of interest, what do you guys feel about chipping/pitching on the mats? We don't have any targets closer than say 50yards so makes practicing the small shots very difficult I find. Would be good to get some of those nets you can chip into!

If mats is the only option to practice chipping and pitching, I have no problem with that. I think the better you get at striking the ball, you can easily differentiate between a good hit off a mat and a bad hit caused from the mat. Still, nothing beats grass.

Unfortunately, a lot of the grass options where I live have an extra fee unless you're willing to drive across a bridge. It's a little understandable since fog and a little less sunlight make it more challenging to maintain a grass range. Even SF's jewel at TPC Harding Park has "turf", which is better than the average range mat since it does absorb the club head than bounces. But it's artificial none the less.

[RonTheSavage]

Yeah are you talking about Mariner's Point with the extra fee? That is such crap! That place has gone downhill over the years. The "turf" isnt even maintained as good as others on my side of the bridge. I live in Hayward and I just hop right over to Metro or Chuck Corica in Alameda is converting to grass and should be open soon.

[RPMPIRE]

Yeah are you talking about Mariner's Point with the extra fee? That is such crap! That place has gone downhill over the years. The "turf" isnt even maintained as good as others on my side of the bridge. I live in Hayward and I just hop right over to Metro or Chuck Corica in Alameda is converting to grass and should be open soon.

Yes and also the San Bruno Practice Center, which I think is still run by the same company. Not a big fan of Mariner's Point's automated range either. Either way, both have some disappointing grass conditions, but if you want to practice on grass, that's pretty much all you have unless you sign up for a private club - Olympic, SFGC (yeah right), or Lake Merced.

I like Metro's range and I've gotten a few emails regarding Chuck Corica's upgrade, but I'm not willing to drive over the bridge to go to the range. I work 5 minutes away from the Mission Hills range and their mats are decent on the lower stalls. They have a separated area to the left of the stalls and not sure if you can hit the grass there. I never asked.

[460CompMark]

we don't have any independent ranges around.  they all shut down.  only ones open now are the ones on the courses.

[dhoff]

Here is what I want to ask you-What jerk of a golfer took divots all random-like in that area-DOesnt he know how to properly use a range?

I hate when people do this, turn someone who doesn't know into a "jerk".  I was never taught how to use a range, never knew until this thread that there was a "right way".  Clearly from the ranges I have been to the same is true for most others.  There is no need to be condescending about it.  What there is a need for, is cooperation and education.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil McGleno

Here is what I want to ask you-What jerk of a golfer took divots all random-like in that area-DOesnt he know how to properly use a range?

I hate when people do this, turn someone who doesn't know into a "jerk".  I was never taught how to use a range, never knew until this thread that there was a "right way".  Clearly from the ranges I have been to the same is true for most others.  There is no need to be condescending about it.  What there is a need for, is cooperation and education.

Don't take it too personally.  McGleno thinks everyone is a jerk.  He doesn't understand the rebound effect.

Unfortunately, most people are never instructed in proper range use.  If I ran a grass range, I'd have instructions with photos posted where you get the balls, and I'd be on patrol to make sure that the rules were followed.

[Golfingdad]

I hate when people do this, turn someone who doesn't know into a "jerk".  I was never taught how to use a range, never knew until this thread that there was a "right way".  Clearly from the ranges I have been to the same is true for most others.  There is no need to be condescending about it.  What there is a need for, is cooperation and education.

Don't take offense.  Phil basically thinks everybody is a jerk, I think. ;)

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But, yes, I completely agree with you.  In fact, somewhere up thread I said something like what I'm about to say again, which is that a lot of golf courses are really good about awareness and education when it comes to fixing ball marks on greens (like signs in golf carts, or signs above urinals in the bathroom, stuff like that), and even fixing divots in the fairways (less so), but I have yet to see a course (except for the one that phan posted earlier) that tries to educate people on proper range use.

I started doing it the "right" way only cuz I saw it on TV once (or in Golf Digest, I don't remember), and thought it looked "cool."  I honestly can't say if I knew at the time WHY it was the right way, just that it was how pros did it.

I usually frequent a range that has only mats, but when I go to the grass range by my house (once a month maybe) I peek at each stall and I've have yet to even once see it used correctly by anybody other than me.  They (you) are not jerks, they are just not ever told that they are doing it wrong so they have no idea.  It's the ranges fault, not theirs.

EDIT:  LOL Rick!  I guess if I wasn't so long winded I could have gotten mine in before yours. ;)

[rkim291968]

Just joined a golf club which has real grass instead of mats.  It makes a quite a difference and I am just happy to hit range balls off of grass.

As for divots, I've seen PGA players making lines on TV.    As what David in FL posted here, it seems vast majority don't make lines as I haven't seen a line yet.   The only lines I've seen are the ones I make and its a pretty ugly line, I must say .

[Fourputt]

Just joined a golf club which has real grass instead of mats.  It makes a quite a difference and I am just happy to hit range balls off of grass.

As for divots, I've seen PGA players making lines on TV.    As what David in FL posted here, it seems vast majority don't make lines as I haven't seen a line yet.   The only lines I've seen are the ones I make and its a pretty ugly line, I must say .

At least you are learning early how to do it right.  That puts you ahead of the crowd.