Drive Shack Coming to NYC, Will Replace Randall's Island Golf Center

[nevets88]

It's official.

If you ask me, NY already has a sort of Topgolf/Drive Shack and that's Chelsea Piers. Chelsea Piers was in respects Topgolf before Topgolf. It doesn't have the food at your stall or the games but there's a restaurant with liquor right in the back and people make up their own games, NY being a city of creatives. It was the expensive multi story auto ball feed range way before Topgolf. And yes, Japan/Korea  had these way before the US.

I'm conflicted with Drive Shack taking over. Randall's Island was an affordable alternative in the area, affordable relative to CP, expensive relative to a typical US range. It wasn't perfect, but it was passable. I'm biased as its setup allowed you to video your swing face on if it wasn't busy.  Drive Shack will bring in jobs and may boost the economy in the area, but it will price out many people in the long run. The old place used to charge $12 for a small bucket. Which was not bad, this is right next to Manhattan. Drive Shack will easily double the price. Maybe even triple. And I'm not fond of big companies, the environment will be very corporate. Of course I will be there to try it out when it opens maybe it will surprise me I'm assuming it's pretty much like Topgolf I've never been to a Drive Shack. Now I will sadly commiserate the old range and listen to the B-52s Love Shack. 

Quote

The new 18-acre facility will offer 96 climate-controlled hitting bays each holding up to 6 guests, which will not only dramatically increase recreational capacity, but allow guests to play all year long.

“We could not be more thrilled to add an iconic site like Randall’s Island to our rapidly growing national footprint,” said Drive Shack’s Sarah Watterson. “We look forward to continuing our more than 30-year partnership with the City to reimagine the golf center and further evolve the recreational offerings cultivated by the Randall’s Island Park Alliance.”

 https://apnews.com/e9ac3e08f206421585ef9357c61d534d

[iacas]

A multi-level driving range is not a TopGolf. TopGolf IS the game. You could have a single-level TopGolf that’d still be TopGolf.

[Herkimer]

West Palm Beach Country Club [public] has been sold.  Top Golf is supposed to be coming there.  

Many courses in South Florida have closed or are closing.  Melreese in Miami is closing.  I'm finding this trend to be very unsettling.

 

[nevets88]

 

17 hours ago, iacas said:

A multi-level driving range is not a TopGolf. TopGolf IS the game. You could have a single-level TopGolf that’d still be TopGolf.

I get that the gamefication is huge. But I think that it's high end, has booze and has things on the side like a sports bar, pool tables, etc... has more appeal than the general consensus thinks. I realize I'm in the minority here. I agree I could be out of touch on this in thinking the gamefication is overrated. I should get a group thing going to go one night and see for myself. 

[RayG]

Oh, well... so much for my "home range". I started going to the Alley Pond Range instead. Cheaper, no toll, better balls and it had a fan in each stall for the summer to cool off. Surprised that they went so overboard in a NYC Park. So whatever they charge, add $6 to pay the toll.

When the range originally closed in May, it was posted "We'll be back in a month under new management", that turned into August. So I guess some news is news. 

I'll probably try it and give it a go when it first opens. Just to get a feel. But The toll, $5 just to join for the day, plus $25 an hour makes it pretty expensive just to work on things. And what I don't want is to be working on something and have a Bro-fest going on at the next tee if there is no divider. I wonder if there's a way to suggest a non-party mode section off to one side of lower level. No games, sofa's, etc.. just available to practice using the flight info or whatever at a slightly lower price point?

On a side note, Does anyone have ANY info on this place? It's built over some kind of MTA facility next to the Mosholu course. It's right at the Woodlawn Subway station in the Bronx. I've googled it and nothing shows any info at all. they've been working at it for SEVERAL years now and it looks pretty close. 

 

Edited November 12, 2018 by RayG