Ranges...Just how accurate?

[mutadayen]

Hey everyone. I wanted to get people's input on this because i'm a bit perplexed by some of the ranges i go to and how accurate their distances are. Does anyone really know how accurate these places really are. Some ranges I can pelt a drive well over the 250 yards fence, and some I find myself struggling to. Some I hit my 7 iron 160 yards and the others ill hit 175 (where the pins are located). Let me know if you're experiencing the same thing...

[Dent]

Many are way off, at my local club, The 50 is 75, the 100 is 125 etc etc. They are wayy off.

[TD22057]

In addition, range balls have huge variability in distance. Some balls may have months of sitting in the hot sun, others may be brand new. I have a zelocity radar unit (not that useful but kind of a cool toy) and hitting quality balls into a net, well struck irons will be usually within a few mph from shot to shot. When I try the same thing w/ range balls, it can easily vary by 10%.

[golf_junkie27]

If you are having doubts, just use the google maps feature. Find your range using the satellite feature. Then, go to "My Maps" and the "Distance Measurement Tool." Choose "Yard" and you can mark off the distances.

[goblue107501]

Some of the good ranges I have been to will give a spot from which the distances were calculated. You can then step it off to get a little more accurate from the hitting area. Others just have some flags in the ground as targets, but give no distance to them. The ranges that just have one hitting area and the distances are marked, are probably pretty accurate. But if it is a large hitting area that always changes (front to back), I don't trust the yardages, unless they have a spot where they were marked. I have a rangefinder so I can simply shoot my targets so I know how far they are from where I am hitting.

Although, unless you are on a range at a tour event hitting 'good' balls the distances really don't matter since the range balls probably won't travel as far what you use on the course.