Grass Ranges

[Cooker]

Just curious what percentage of Driving Ranges in your area actually have Grass Ranges...
I have to drive 45 minutes to the nearest one, but there are 7 ranges within 15 minutes of my house that all have mats only...

[-Mini-]

most around here have gone to mats its easier for them

[Iowa Hawkeye]

3 off the top of my head within 20 minutes of here.

On a semi-related note, I just heard that Des Moines has the most golf courses per capita in the country. Based on population, etc. Whoda thunk it?

[McGolf-Doggie]

Grass ranges really exist?

(I think I saw one in a Brian Manzella video filmed in Louisiana, but that's a heck of a drive for me.)

[NorCalGolfer]

we have 4 within 10 minutes of me. i won't hit off a mat. when on a real course do you hit off a mat? NEVER! so why even do it? only if i'm working on driving only.

[slide13]

The two courses closest to me (one is 10 miles, the other about 14) both are set up for either. You hit off grass when conditions are good, but if the ground is too wet or something there are mat areas to hit from as well. Works ok but I tend to only go if chances are good I'll be hitting off grass, I hate mats.

[skwon11]

3 ranges within 20 minutes... 2 off grass. I grew up in Massachusetts... 5 ranges within 30 minutes... never knew there were grass ranges until I moved to CA.

[Marinemike]

Haven't been to a range in the FL panhandle where grass isn't an option. Atlanta metro, a little different story.

Seriously though, what's so hard about setting up a rotational hitting line that's any harder to maintain than a fairway landing area? It doesn't have to be resodded or anything, you just have to have an area large enough and a good rotation plan.

[Fourputt]

Just curious what percentage of Driving Ranges in your area actually have Grass Ranges...

Every course I play at locally has a grass range. I know of at least 5 within 15 minutes of my house. I won't even go to a range that uses mats, so I really don't know how many of them are around.

[Williamevanl]

3 off the top of my head within 20 minutes of here.

That can't be right can it? We have maybe ten courses private/public in des moines. Where did you see that?

[WhatIsPaintball]

we have 4 within 10 minutes of me. i won't hit off a mat. when on a real course do you hit off a mat? NEVER! so why even do it? only if i'm working on driving only.

hmm i need to move to the south bay. i think the closest one for me is about 20 min away. =(

[Shindig]

Just curious what percentage of Driving Ranges in your area actually have Grass Ranges...

Does dirt count? There's a grass range, but on weekends after 9am, it's all divoted already. I will have to make it there on weekdays more often. The grass is also incredibly soft.

That's one... there's also 5 or 6 mats ranges within the radius formed by my place to that grass range. There are some grass ranges in that area, too, but it's places like Riviera, where I'm pretty sure I can't just walk in and hit a bucket.

[laxbballgolf]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't really mind mats.

Granted, I don't like to hit the range that often; I prefer to play as my way of practicing.

When I hit the range, it is usually to work on some sort of mechanics issue, and I think mats are fine for that. You just plunk a ball down and swing away. I know you don't ever get a perfect lie in the real game, but isn't a perfect lie the best way to fine tune the mechanics of your swing? (I'm not suggesting that mats react the same as grass, but you can still get feedback on sidespin, trajectory, etc. just fine if your make a normal, proper swing.)

P.S. I'm a big believer that playing the actual game is the best way to practice, so maybe I view driving ranges differently than most people.

[imtomtomim]

you guys are lucky. There are actually no grass ranges near by to me. The nicest practice facility I go to is 15 min away and has a matted range, a chipping and sand bunker green and a putting only green which I go to. Every other place within 30 min of where I live is all matts, except this once place where they say you can go to the side and hit off the grass. WHAT GRASS? It's just a heap of rocks and dirt and diviots. They started that last year calling it a grass tee but all I see is people taking these huge ass divots all over the place making the ground look like it has chicken pox and someone wouldn't stop scratching, like someone took a giant cheese grater to it. So the only grass area nearby was quickly ruined and I have nowhere to hit off grass.

[meenman]

Every course that I have played around here has a grass range, however the playable area seems to constantly shrink.

There is a local driving range that has both grass and mats but too many non golfers go there for me to be able to deal with it.

[David in FL]

We're lucky. There are very few dedicated ranges in Central FL.......there are so many courses and just about every course has it's own range. Almost all ranges at the courses are grass. Most are very good to excellent.

I honestly can't remember the last time that I hit off a mat unless it was to swing a club at Golfsmith or some such.....

[jrm1493]

I only know of one range around here out of about 10 that even has mats. I guess that's an advantage of living in a tropical climate (most people assume Texas is a desert but the upper gulf coast is basically Humid Tropical but with not as much of a wet/dry season as a true tropical like S. Florida).

[goblue107501]

I have two courses and two independent ranges with in 15 minutes from my house and they all have grass areas. The independents have mats, but you rarely see anyone use them.