Too much $$$ at the range

Seems like I've been spending 70-100 dollars at the range every week for the past couple of weeks. (7.25 for a large) I can't help but feel like I could be spending what little money I have in a more productive manner.

I know one range attendant who can give me free buckets but she is about 15 miles away, so I don't even save that much money.

Any advice for me? Should I just bite the bullet and spend it or should I go the other direction and just practice dry swings in my backyard?

What about a net in your backyard into which to hit? Or try the Birdie Balls, or just split time between the range and the other options.

How about taking that money and putting it toward a couple outings of real golf a week?

Maybe you do, but I can't imagine I would have any time to golf if I was going to the driving range 10 times a week.

Also, what saves me a lot of money and has improved my game (from completely terrible to just terrible) is the chipping and putting greens. You can get a medium or large bucket of balls and hit a few at the range, and then finish up at the chipping green (or better yet, find a place with a chipping green you can get your balls back from). Then go on to the putting green. Much more time at the range for the same price (or cheaper), and it has helped my game much more than just whacking balls at the flags.

That is good advice but the reason I'm at the range so much is I'm trying to get my swing down so I can be more consistent and not go through 15 balls a round ;)

I don't lose many balls pitching chipping and putting so those are on the back burner....for now.

The driving range I use will put a bunch of range balls around the chipping green. All they want is for you to clear off the green of the balls you hit when you are done.

How about instead of 10 buckets a week or so, take 1 lesson a week and 2 buckets. Most lessons around here are around $50 for a head pro. You get to hit balls with teacher. Then two other days, you would still be ahead.

Here's my suggestion.

Take your wedges out to a soccer / football field if you have any junior or high schools nearby. I walk to one with a bucket of balls and some beers and just work on putting them all inside a 15 foot diameter circle from 25 yds out, then 50 yds out, then 75 yds.

This also helps if your field is yard marked cause it gives you exact distance on your 1/4 swing, 1/2 swing, 3/4 swing, etc with your various wedges.

If you do this often, I can promise you it'll help you much more than going out to a range and spending hundreds of dollars hitting rock hard balls. My Titleist 690CB PW was the first golf club I ever owned and I still carry it because I learned pretty fast how to make good contact with the ball.


I also belong to a Range Grinders club at my local course which allows me to get as many free buckets of balls as I can hit in 30 days time, all for 40 dollars a month. I've literally gone out before and hit 500 hundred balls over 4 hours time. The real kicker is you get 10 dollar twilight rounds w/ cart 7 days a week when you have the grinders card. See if you local place would work something out with you.

Holy cow!

I'd rather spend the money and PLAY GOLF, but that's me. I don't particularly enjoy beating balls at the range.

Some courses around my house have a PDP (player development program) that's usually 35-50 bucks a month that includes unlimited range balls, discounted green fees, free clinics on the weekends and pro shop discounts. Maybe you can find something like that which would save you a ton of money.

80 bucks a week is like a cheap car payment, 320 a month or if you put that money into a 3% savings account that compounded once annually you would have a little over $30,000 bucks at the end of 7 years. Even if you did the PDP thing and spent 50 a month on that and put the rest in the bank you would still have 25 grand. If you keep doing this for the next 20 years you would be flushing 135 grand down the drain Ouch. Sorry I'm bored :)

You could say the same thing about the money spent on playing, buying balls, etc... And there is no such thing as guaranteed investments anymore. Banks are closing.

True but i'm talking about a 3% basic savings account with something like Wamu or BOA that is federally insured.

Damn, its only $4 a large bucket at my range.

wow $7.50 for a large...My local driving range is charging almost double that
i think it was 14.50 last time i checked.

Needless to say i don't go to that driving range anymore, ever

I'll definitely be looking around for range membership type things. So far, of the club pages I've visited I haven't found anything like that.

My Old Club offered a range membership for $90 for the year, what a deal, I used to hit 2-3 buckets a day there 3 days a week. I once topped it off at 9 buckets on the day.

Federally insured does not protect much. Look at what is happening with the banks "on the list" like Wachovia and others. Only a percentage is insured.

Ok but there are many banks that are alive and well. I haven't ever had a problem with Washington Mutual for example, you make it sound like the whole industry is collapsing.

I was just like you spending a ton of money on the range. I eventually said why not join a country club and put that money (w/ a little additional) to use by being able to play on a course ILO the range. Might not be the right choice for you but I would say that is a ton of range time and you should get out to a course b/c it's what you have been practicing for.