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David Schofield

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Driving Ranges over Water
« on: September 17, 2007, 12:57:48 AM »
During the Tour Championship telecast, they showed a few glimpses of the driving range at East Lake.  The range looked like it was over water for about 100 yards.  Practically, this seems like a bad idea, since it seems a certain way to lose a ton of range balls.  I got to thinking that there must be driving ranges that only hit into water.  A search of the forums popped up Raphael Larson's Pictures of Bayonne.  

Other than cruise ships, can anyone point me to other driving ranges over water?  

igrowgrass

Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2007, 01:13:07 AM »
Hangman Valley Golf Course, Spokane, WA.  They have limited flight golf balls that you hit into water.

I believe the Coeur d'Alene Resort is the same.

David Schofield

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2007, 01:15:17 AM »
I assume that the balls are biodegradable, right?

Rick Shefchik

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2007, 01:15:38 AM »
Logger's Trail in Stillwater, Minn. The target green in the photo is a decent approximation of the island green at the TPC Stadium Course at Sawgrass (at least, the distance and shape of the green are similar).

The water is about three feet deep, with a metal liner. I've seen it without water, so they must drain it at least once or twice a year, to retrieve balls and to prepare it for winter.

"Golf is 20 percent mechanics and technique. The other 80 percent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation." - Grantland Rice

Brad Klein

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2007, 07:21:47 AM »
Kensington in Naples, Fla. and Wild Dunes north of Charleston, S.C. both have lakes for ranges. You get no feel for the ball flight or distance when you hit there.

Rich Goodale

Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2007, 07:36:02 AM »
Half Moon Bay, "Old" Course, 1984-1988. Only way to warm up early in the morning was to hit shag balls off the back tee, away from the 1st hole and across the 18th towards Okinawa.

I must admit, it took a pretty good hit to make it to the water.......

Eric Franzen

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2007, 07:37:04 AM »
The driving lake, with floating limited flight balls, at Stockholm GK.

Tom Roewer

Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2007, 07:59:16 AM »
The course where I work has an "aqua range'  It is very common here in Florida. Do the Math - you get fill from digging the lake (for building lots or course itself), you now have a reseevoir to hold water (ours pumps water into our lined pond which is pumped to the course) and you have now a driving range.  It's a little limiting in giving lessons because of feedback and i have resisted requests to put yardage distances in place as it serves more of a warm-up before a round and the "floaters" being less dense than regular balls fly a little farther with the right wind and less into the wind.  Back to lessons, usually one is working on either static or dynamic parts of the swing so distance control isn't always so important.  It does prove interesting in retrieving balls sometimes.  When there is a lack of wind the balls don"t gravitate to one side or the other, and here there are aalligators too!, so netting the balls from shore one must be alert.

Ken Moum

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2007, 10:55:45 AM »
They have slightly different problem at Lundin Golf Club.

This sign is next to a hitting net behind the pro shop, which overlooks the North Sea.



Over time, the guy in the ideal position derives an advantage, and delivering him further  advantage is not worth making the rest of the players suffer at the expense of fun, variety, and ultimately cost -- Jeff Warne, 12-08-2010

Martin Del Vecchio

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2007, 11:35:20 AM »
Celebration Golf Club, in Celebration, Florida, has an "aqua range".  Here is a tiny picture of it from their web site:



I am assured by one of the guys I played with there that the range balls float.  I don't remember seeing any balls floating, but I must say that it was a lot of fun hitting range balls into the water.

JLahrman

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2007, 11:38:02 AM »
Couldn't they concrete the bottom of a water-filled driving range with a tilt?  Then every ball could drain back into an area where all the balls could be easily collected.

John Keenan

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2007, 01:27:21 PM »
Coeur d'Alene Resort using floating balls or they did the last I played there.
The things a man has heard and seen are threads of life, and if he pulls them carefully from the confused distaff of memory, any who will can weave them into whatever garments of belief please them best.

Tony_Muldoon

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2007, 03:36:51 PM »
Couldn't they concrete the bottom of a water-filled driving range with a tilt?  Then every ball could drain back into an area where all the balls could be easily collected.


No need,  when they float  wind moves them to a convenient place to pick up.


Still icy days are the major design flaw.
Let's make GCA grate again!

Kalen Braley

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #13 on: September 17, 2007, 07:50:31 PM »
CDA resort does indeed use floaters as you hit them into one of the most beautiful lakes I've ever seen.

In that area, in addition to Hangman,  Meadowwood golf course in LL also has a "water" range

Forrest Richardson

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #14 on: September 17, 2007, 09:12:34 PM »
East Lake has a carry of about 40 yards on the range. I hit a few balls in there. My apologies to the club. I am sorry.

We have designed an aqua range, but it was never built. They are odd, but in some conditions the only option.
— Forrest Richardson, Golf Course Architect/ASGCA
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Doug Wright

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #15 on: September 18, 2007, 11:17:06 AM »
There are a couple in the Denver area at Wellshire GC (muny) and Perry Park GC (private).
The balls they use feel like whiffle balls.

Used to be a driving range called Aqua Golf too but NLE.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2007, 11:19:07 AM by Doug Wright »
Twitter: @Deneuchre

David Stamm

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #16 on: September 18, 2007, 01:08:06 PM »
I can think of some Ted Robinson courses that could double as driving ranges over water........
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Pete Stankevich

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #17 on: September 18, 2007, 11:48:12 PM »
Palm Beach Gardens Municipal (FL) has one, as does The Refuge in Flowood, Mississippi.
I think there is one at Indian Creek in Jupiter, FL, but I'm not sure.
Also, isn't the one from the movie "There's Something About Mary" somewhere in Miami?

Richard Choi

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Re:Driving Ranges over Water
« Reply #18 on: September 19, 2007, 01:17:32 AM »
Celebration Golf Club, in Celebration, Florida, has an "aqua range".  Here is a tiny picture of it from their web site:

I am assured by one of the guys I played with there that the range balls float.  I don't remember seeing any balls floating, but I must say that it was a lot of fun hitting range balls into the water.


I have played there, and remember the water range. The balls definitely float. The problem is that because the balls are lighter, they don't fly normal distance.

Pretty neat though....

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