Driving range architecture

[Peter Wagner]

You guys are going to laugh at me but here goes anyway... 

Any advice on driving range designs?  My home course has a range with undulating terrain, bunkers, etc and it's fine but I keep wondering if flattening it would make it a better practice tool.  Isn't this an area where form should follow function?

What makes a great driving range?

Best,
Peter

[Jed Peters]

Monterey Peninsula Country Club has the finest driving range facility I've ever had the good fortune of hitting balls on. I like it more than the Bandon resort.

I wonder if anyone has photos to share? I don't.

Basically, the practice facility simulates shots from the range  that you can take on to the course....from all angles.

[CJ Carder]

I like the idea of target greens, but placing bunkers around the target greens seems like it would be a maintenance nightmare, not to mention an excessively painful task to pick the balls out the bunker rather than simply getting them with the range picker.

I think there's a fine line between being useful and helpful and missing in either side of the line in terms of having it look cheap and junky (i.e. not fitting with the atmosphere of the club) or going overboard.

Now, all bets are off if you have the budget as a nice practice facility can really add a lot of enjoyment and value to a membership - particularly I would imagine if you're trying to recruit new members.

[Mike_Young]

Peter,
Seems to me some of the best clubs understate their practice areas...an example would be National Golf Links or even Merion.....so I agree with you that flattening would make sense as to maintenance...and you cetainly do not need bunkers out in the area....BUT so many people now want an elaborate practice area.....IMHO it should be "snobbishly shabby".  And I would still call it a driving range where the new guys have to have it called practice area..

[John Burzynski]

Areas with a couple of defined fairway widths and a green or two the size and approximate cut of the courses green.  It doesn't have to be fancy, the fairway widths don't need to be tree lined or anything, frankly they could be lined with small posts every 10-20 yards, just so that you can get a general idea practicing on conditions similar to a real hole.  And a nice chipping practice area off to the side, to practice chipping to a green from the rough and maybe a bunker or two.

[cary lichtenstein]

Trump in West Palm Beach has the best driving range in my opinion.

[Dean Stokes]

An area with the tee box above the level of the range so I can see my balls finish spread out nicely.
Forget the bunkers. The lads who have to pick the range don't want to hand pick all the bunkers that are there merely for show - in case it's me.

[Pete_Pittock]

There should be a thread in the last month about the Stanford University practice area with a large diagram.

Here it is  http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,33612.0.html

[Tom Yost]

Trump in West Palm Beach has the best driving range in my opinion.

How many waterfalls?

[Dustin Knight]

As a professional i feel that a relatively level range, teeing area slightly above the fairway or level with the surrounds is ideal. This type of facility allows me the opportunity not only for technique related range sessions but also the ability to regularly use my bushnell to monitor accurate club yardages(meterages in aus) as well as some targets. Personally bunkers should be kept for the short game area only IMHO. i want feedback on the range in regard to distances and accurate ball flight only. if you want to hit five irons to a pin just over a bunker for feedback then get out and play holes on the course. This game is not about how! just how many!

Just my 2cents

[Matt Waterbury]

It's interest the different approach various clubs take to their "ranges". I think strategy and purpose drives architecture: is it a "warm up" facility, or a "practice" facility.

Take the example of these two clubs:

1) The Boston Club: "building" the range is in progress, but when complete it will be a grassy hill that you can bash balls into prior to a round. An effective and efficient "warm up" area. Perfect for the task.

2) Across the street at Black Rock: I dare not ask how much of our annual maintenance budget goes to the practice area. Two full grass hitting areas (separate area for "pros" and lessons), half dozen target greens on the range of all shapes and sizes with greenside bunkers, two practice putting greens (one by the range, one between the 1st and 10th tees), a full practice short game green with fairway, rough, and bunkers, and, most recently, a fairway bunker practice area that allows full shots out of sand at the range targets.

If I were in to practicing this cursed game, I would certainly take more advantage of the Black Rock set up. As it is my pre-round demands are pretty simple: a flat piece of land where I can figure out which girl I brought to the dance, a green that accurately relflects the slopes and speeds of the greens on the course, and maybe a bunker that has the same sand as found on the course.

Cheerio,
mjw

[rjsimper]

Agree on the MPCC range being one of the best I've used - the fairway there is really great for Driver practice....something lost on most other ranges.

My opinion is this:

1) The fairway is great, but I can understand how that would be tough maintenance-wise...if you can't do a fairway, create some major feature (beyond just flags) that represents a fairway.....parallel berms, ridges, or something that can even minimally replicate a challenge for a tee-ball

2) Obviously a variety of target greens going from 80 to 240 yards - but more importantly, make these greens' landing areas visible from the tees.  More importantly to me than them being realistic (as far as levelness, etc) is the ability to see where the ball lands from the tee.

3) Regarding bunkers, they too can be a maintenance pain, but count me as one who thinks it worth it - you can have the range kid just go pick the balls there at the end of the day.  Or you can simulate sand with some form of coloration - either way, the more realistic one can make the shot into at least a couple of the greens, the better.

4) I saw this at LACC (maybe you have too being a local) but on the left side of the range, they have little sign-posts in the ground labeled 30 40 50 60 70.  I thought this was a GREAT tool as I'd never really seen it that before, and never had any way to tell if a wedge pitch shot was going 53 or 57 yards on a standard range.  Great little touch.

That's all I've got on design - obviously the other thing is turf quality, but that goes without saying whether you've got the world's nicest practice facility or whether you're using floating balls and islands in a lake.

[Norbert P]

Trump in West Palm Beach has the best driving range in my opinion.

Does it have yardage markers made of cutout facsimiles of "The Donald" to aim at?   I'll take a large bucket, please.

*****************************

 I like the idea of one green with various points or areas to aim at - perhaps something like an enlarged Eden.

 

[Bill_McBride]

Peter,
Seems to me some of the best clubs understate their practice areas...an example would be National Golf Links or even Merion.....so I agree with you that flattening would make sense as to maintenance...and you cetainly do not need bunkers out in the area....BUT so many people now want an elaborate practice area.....IMHO it should be "snobbishly shabby".  And I would still call it a driving range where the new guys have to have it called practice area..

"Snobbishly shabby" is a great description of the current range at NGLA.  The drawing in George Bahto's book looks a lot more attractive, with the Redan, Short and Eden target greens for practicing of those shots.   I don't know if those greens still exist, the weeds out there were pretty high and I couldn't make out whether they do or not.

Everything that follows is still incredibly world class! 

[cary lichtenstein]

Trump in West Palm Beach has the best driving range in my opinion.

Does it have yardage markers made of cutout facsimiles of "The Donald" to aim at?   I'll take a large bucket, please.

*****************************

 I like the idea of one green with various points or areas to aim at - perhaps something like an enlarged Eden.

 

Let me describe the range so you'll can stop chuckling.

The rear of the teeing area has big trees and a big hedge. so it is very protected from the wind.

The teeing area are 3 distinct levels. all very wide, and when one gets beat up, they close it down and move on to the next.

All 3 are elevated a pretty fair amount.

There are 7 or 8 or 9 large double greens, with 2 pin placements on each, so you can work thru your entire bag, hitting to real greens that hold, that are distinct in color some or all with sand traps.

I always enjoy their range.

Their chipping area is not in the same class.

[C. Squier]

If it were up to me, the ideal driving range would be dead flat w/ very plain targets.  Use the money left over and create a very nice short game complex. 

CPS

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

MPCC is one of the best..but seriously if you like those two ...visit the ranges at Briggs Ranch near San Antonio, and Dallas National.....they both put MPCC to shame...I am not joking..these two are true practice facilities.
Fairways like the one at MPCC but even better target greens and fairway definition...awesome ranges.

[David Stamm]

With no intention of diverting this thread, some of the ranges that have stood out in my mind are:

Stone Eagle- Looking up the perfectly manicured mountain slope, there was something very striking about it that I can't put my finger on. It's probably the best conditioned range I've seen yet.

Riviera-Nothing particulary striking about it, but knowing I'm hitting balls out to the area where the mashie course used to be really made me day dream while there.

Colonial-Knowing I was hitting balls where the hawk used to hone his game gave me freakin chills. I'll never forget the story my bro-in-law told me. His buddy went to play there in the 80's and was playing up the 5th (which borders the range) and noticed an old guy just striping the ball. He asked his caddie, a rather large fellow, "Who is that old man, he's just flushing the ball!?" His caddie put his bag down and turned to him with a look of disgust. "That ain't no old man, that's Mr Hogan!"

[C. Squier]

An interesting story from the PGA Tour....

During college, I visited a friend's home at Castle Pines.  The visit coincided with the International that week, but since his family played at the Country Club, we were able to play golf  during the week there.  Apparently, the range at the Golf Club goes straight uphill and the pros didn't like it because it made charting distances (which was already more difficult b/c of the elevation) hard to do.  The wise ones took a trip up the mountain to hit balls at the Country Club's range, which was dead flat.  So there my buddy and I are hitting balls in stalls 1 and 3, while Sergio and Vijay are in 2 and 4.  Ernie Els is sitting behind them bouncing his newborn daughter on his knee behind them.  One of the coolest golf experiences I've had.

CPS

[Cory Brown]

The Castle Pines Golf Club range is a little weird being uphill, but you can see where your ball's are landing and the setting is spectacular, a very functional range.  Bandon's is definitely my favorite, including the short course.
Bunkers are quite a pain to maintain on a range.  There is not only the picking of the balls, but the bunkers need to be raked daily because of the range kid who walked all over them to pick the balls.  Also range bunkers are rarely built to the quality of those on the golf course so washouts and standing water are common during the rainy seasons.  This is more than just the cost of maintaining the bunkers, you must also figure in the cost of less maintenance on the golf course.

[Darren deMaille]

The best driving range is probably goat hill on shelter island.  Anyone ever been there?

[Tommy Williamsen]

Peter, I realize you know this but I would first assess needs.  What does a good practice area need?  What do players need to practice?
Long game:  Landing area for driver, three woos etc that approximates fairway conditions.
Long irons into bunkered greens.  My course has bunkers near the greens but they are some kind of very firm white material that allows the ball picker to drive right threw them.  elevation changes are good. I played your facility a couple of years ago and if I recall it correctly you hit down hill.  It's hard to get a feel for distance that way. 
Have real golf balls.  One of my clubs has Titleists.  It is nice to hit real golf balls for the feel.

Have a couple of short game areas so folks and work on that part of the game.  I too  many places they are just an afterthought.  If i recall correctly you have some space restrictions.  The short game area can be in a different place.
By the way when I played there I was greated and treated very well and the caddy I had was exceptional.

[Phil Benedict]

Tommy's point about the quality of the golf balls cannot be overemphasized.  Poor quality balls really undermine the practice experience.

Another thing to consider is prevailing wind.  Crosswinds are the biggest problem because it's hard to tell how your ball is spinning in a crosswind because it is likely to curve in the direction the wind is blowing no matter how you hit it.