Driving range appreciation

[PEZGolf]

It's great to find a place where you feel at home. I have been teeing it up at a small course just outside the city. Nothing fancy, no glitz, no frills but I can walk in on a given night and the pro shop manager knows me by name, the owner of the little deli will say hello and ask if I want my usual. There is something to be said about the atmosphere of a place and how it makes you feel.

You are right---go where you are comfortable. I split my practice time among a regular driving range located at a golf course, a practice area at a municipal course (where there is NO charge and you shag your own balls, and they have a nice practice putting green), and my backyard, where I hit plastic balls. For concentrated, focused practice, I like the backyard best. For a comfortable setting, I like the practice area at the muni. I know many people there and we often talk. Now, I am a golf instructor, and many of my students play there, so I make myself available for advice at NO charge. The entire atmosphere at the muni is a relaxed one, where average people come and really enjoy golf, and many of them are very knowledgeable about the game, and love to "talk golf". I grew up in that kind of environment at a public course in this area, and I am glad that I started going to the muni.

[Greg]

My range is at Salem country club but even though im not a member, they dont make you feel like an outsider. Usually have some high school kids working the counter but all i usually want is some tokens for the machine that dispenses range balls, older nike, pinnacle and callaway balls mostly. Its pretty good, real grass to hit off of(couldnt imagine hitting off mats except at a store) and nice easy to see distance markers. For some reason theres a big tree at about 150 yards right smack in the middle which gets hit a lot, really should be cut down but its nice to aim at it sometimes and see if you can hit it. Nice putting green with chipping area and its only about 10 minutes or so from where i live.

[anthony]

To clear up any confusion, the guy that runs it isn't after my wife..lol. She's cute, so if they want to stare, more power to them. Trust me though, it's not like that.

The point I was tryng to make is the contrast between the 2 ranges. One range is owned and ran by a guy that loves golf. The mats are old(although there are these portable mats there that are nice), the stalls are weathered, the buckets are rusty and there's no "clubhouse". However it's the atmosphere that makes it special. It's run by a guy that loves the game of golf and the people that go there are just down to earth and friendly. I could never imagine a few guys shooting the breeze and enjoying the weather at the other place. Quite a few times after hitting a bucket I would be walking back and he would get another small bucket to have me hit so he could give me a small lesson. There's no "I charge $100 an hour for lessons if you're interesed" or whatever. Just "let me see you hit a few" and then go from there. The other place felt like I was going to walmart to hit balls.

This actually relates to another experience I had recently. I'm a musician of sorts and I went to Guitar Center( a big chain music store) to look for a new keyboard and the guy was next to clueless on every question I had or made up the answer. So, I drove about 45 minutes out to another shop that was a mom and pop place. Well, the guys working there knew every question I asked and then some. Same scenario as the range. People who care about and are knowledgeable about what they do and those who are just out to make a buck.