Hitting in a Field - So Cal

[skwon11]

I searched to forum so I woulnd't have to post but found nothing.

I live in Anaheim Hills (92807) CA. Does anybody know of a field that you can hit at? I lived on the east coast for a long time and as long as nobody was around you could just hit balls on any soccer field that available. Here... there are signs everywhere... no golf.

Anybody? Buying a few dozen balls sure beats paying to practice over and over again. Thanks.

[cirem22]

good luck. any open land any where near a major city in so cal has been turned into condos and tract homes.

[action dan]

Maybe you can find a smaller park that would let you hit the flight limited practice balls, or birdie balls (they fly about 40 yds at the most, but still slice and hook).

[SQ Bimmer]

I was in Riverside County and found a field I could hit golf balls at. Was the outfield of a baseball diamond, practiced non-fulls wing wedge shots. LAC or OC, ehh, not going to be easy to find a place, but I would look into deserted baseball fields in not-so-good cities and stuff.

[pittpanther]

I was in Riverside County and found a field I could hit golf balls at. Was the outfield of a baseball diamond, practiced non-fulls wing wedge shots. LAC or OC, ehh, not going to be easy to find a place, but I would look into

If you're going to tear up a field, tear up one in your own town. Don't go to some blue-collar town, ruin their baseball outfield, then hop in your BMW back to your mansion.

You have the nerve to talk about "not-so-good cities," yet you're too cheap to go to a range? Way to give all golfers a bad name!

[kpaulhus]

Do you guys have park rangers or something? I just go out where ever there is an open field and hit balls. If Im on a football field I will usually hit from the corners of the end zones or behind the field goal posts so my divots will not cause a rolled ankle durning a football game. Plus its nice when I know exactly that my ball went 95-110 yards.

* And Im not there to tear up the field. If I make a divot I fix it. Not making 5-6 ft squares of divots anywhere. Maybe 3 or 4 here and there.

[SQ Bimmer]

If you're going to tear up a field, tear up one in your own town. Don't go to some blue-collar town, ruin their baseball outfield, then hop in your BMW back to your mansion.

Yup. We're talking about living in SoCal, and being able to practice short pitches and chips in a field. Something that is a waste of money at driving ranges which oftentimes do not have a place to practice such shots for people like me who do NOT drive BMWs regularly. Places that charge $12+/bucket of balls, and you have to put effort into getting two mats together to practice next to your partner. One of my favorite driving ranges around here, in downtown LA, has an artificial turf putting green which I do not waste my time on... I practice in Ventura County mostly, and I spend about $10-20 per week practicing. To be able to go to a field which is deserted on a WEEKEND involves going to places which intermural sports may not be taking place. I'm sorry if you were particularly offended with my post, but in this economy, some towns are not exercising full use of their fields and are still employing people to maintain them for economic reasons. It is a pretty common site out here, actually. Fields that used to be full of kids on a weekend playing sports, empty... These fields may see no activity at all within a typical 7 day period, and I agree that it is sad to see such fields go to waste.

Do you guys have park rangers or something? I just go out where ever there is an open field and hit balls. If Im on a football field I will usually hit from the corners of the end zones or behind the field goal posts so my divots will not cause a rolled ankle durning a football game. Plus its nice when I know exactly that my ball went 95-110 yards.

I'm not taking huge, or many, divots messing around on these fields. But I repair all of them.

[Shindig]

Yup. We're talking about living in SoCal, and being able to practice short pitches and chips in a field. Something that is a waste of money at driving ranges which oftentimes do not have a place to practice such shots for people like me who do NOT drive BMWs regularly. Places that charge $12+/bucket of balls, and you have to put effort into getting two mats together to practice next to your partner. One of my favorite driving ranges around here, in downtown LA, has an artificial turf putting green which I do not waste my time on...

Which place has an artificial turf putting green? I may want to go there, just to see that.

As for the field, it dawns on me that UCLA has a 100-yard or so short game area that I keep meaning to use, but whenever I remember, it's locked. But the fact that it exists (check out the campus on Google Maps satellite view, and you'll see what looks like a single, small par-3 on the west-middle of campus) might help you in some way.

[SQ Bimmer]

Which place has an artificial turf putting green? I may want to go there, just to see that.

Interesting I'll have to check that out. My sister goes to UCLA so I am in the area every once in a while.

The range is Majestic Golf over in the Silverlake area. They automatically dispense balls which is cool, but like I said, no short game practice.

[O.B. Right]

I live in Orange County and have never seen a park or field where you could practice golf - even with plastic balls. Gauranteed you will be asked to leave - there are signs all over that say "no golf".

I don't even think you could get away with it on a baseball field in a not-so-good city. Maybe once or twice but not on a regular basis.

I found a nice range to practice at where the balls are $4 for 50 and there are usually mats available but I still miss the days when I lived in upstate NY and had a yard big enough to hit a real ball with a 9 iron in. PM me and I'll tell you where it is. I am that paranoid about losing my good spot . ha ha.

I am in the process of making a hitting area in my garage and going to get a p3proswing from ebay or craigslist or somewhere. Totally not ideal but it should let me get some more practice time in and will certainly save me $$ in the long run. I have already burned half the cost of my garage set up in 3 months hitting the range multiple times per week.

[pittpanther]

I live in Orange County and have never seen a park or field where you could practice golf - even with plastic balls. Guaranteed you will be asked to leave - there are signs all over that say "no golf".

Good. In my opinion, that's as it should be.

I had visions of players driving into Compton, tearing up a few football and baseball fields, and then driving back to their McMansions in Orange Co. That did NOT sit well with me. It's an expensive sport - it's expensive to get outfitted with gear, it's expensive to practice, and it's expensive to play. If someone lives in an expensive area, then it will just be that much worse. I feel the pain of those of you that live in Orange Co, or Westchester Co, NY, or wherever, but the solution is certainly not to go to some lower-income area and tear up their grass. In the interest of full disclosure, I once played on my local high school's field, in an area of the field that I knew was unused for their activities. I found myself spending more energy worrying about not creating divots, than I did on my form and technique. So I packed up and went to a range.

[O.B. Right]

Good. In my opinion, that's as it should be.

Well I meant like Santa Ana. You would definitely not last for a minute playing golf on a field in Compton.

[WUTiger]

A radical solution? Move to the Midwest. We still have open fields and open acreage and lower-cost golf ranges, minus the wild fires. Plus the air quality is better.

Try Missouri or Illinois. The region has lots of semi-private golf courses - $3K to $4K a year for a person, which covers most things. (Non-members are welcome to play on a space-available basis). Many of them include good to excellent practice facilities.

[skwon11]

I am in the process of making a hitting area in my garage and going to get a p3proswing from ebay or craigslist or somewhere. Totally not ideal but it should let me get some more practice time in and will certainly save me $$ in the long run. I have already burned half the cost of my garage set up in 3 months hitting the range multiple times per week.

Thanks for all the replies. I PM'd you.

I too though am thinking about setting up a hitting area in my garage or tiny backyard. I would rather it be the backyard so I can make use of the tiny plot of grass. Any suggestions on regrowing the grass after making a bunch of divots? There is that stuff that looks like green cotton candy but I have no idea if that stuff would work well enough. I could always buy a matt but... hitting off grass is ideal.

[action dan]

Thanks for all the replies. I PM'd you.

I would think you would have to move your spot every so often and reseed. Maybe put down sod after you "destroy" a patch? You could always ask the groundskeeper at a club or range with grass tees. They'd probably be happy to talk shop if they're not too busy.

[Clambake]

A radical solution? Move to the Midwest. We still have open fields and open acreage and lower-cost golf ranges, minus the wild fires. Plus the air quality is better.

LOL, I sometimes wonder why I live in SoCal when I look at the cost of housing, tax rate, cost of golf, wildfires, etc. (although we don't have tornado season!). But then I look at the weather report - according to NWS, right now the conditions are:

San Diego: 78 degrees and completely sunny, low tonight 64 degrees Chicago: 46 degrees, showers, and low tonight 40 St. Louis: 47 degrees, cloudy, low tonight 40 And the San Diego/SoCal weather will pretty much keep staying like this, while the others will likely get worse and worse over the next few months. Suddenly the cost of golf here doesn't seem too bad, particularly knowing that we can golf pretty much every day of the year, and usually wearing shorts!

[pittpanther]

LOL, I sometimes wonder why I live in SoCal when I look at the cost of housing, tax rate, cost of golf, wildfires, etc. (although we don't have tornado season!). But then I look at the weather report - according to NWS, right now the conditions are:

Not to mention, Chicago will not see another sunny day until April of next year. LOL!

cloudy and overcast skies, cloudy and overcast skies, etc...

[flopdarock]

I searched to forum so I woulnd't have to post but found nothing.

are you talking about full swing practice? or short game practice?

most soccer/football fields arent more than 120-150 yrds so youre basically hitting wedges and short irons... short game... most courses ive been to have free short game practice areas all you need is a shag bag and your clubs... for chipping/pitching and putting... its usually next to the driving range... so if youre avoiding having to pay... just hit the chipping/pitching area... if its a traffic/distance to practice issue... then ionno what to tell you