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Jim Thornton

Top 10 Practice Facilities
« on: March 04, 2009, 12:50:36 PM »
The MPCC thread began to touch on Top 10 Practice Facilities, so I figured we might as well start a new thread.

Courses that I've played that would make my Top 10 list:

Muirfield Village - 360 degree range, changed the way practice facilities were thought of.

Whisper Rock - Double sided range, 2 chipping/sand practice greens, 2 practice putting greens, each with the same grass, speed and firmness of the corresponding Upper or Lower course.

Metedeconk National - Probably my favorite.  Huge practice facility (50 acres!) with target greens that are better than the greens on most courses.  Seperate short game practice facility.  Teaching facility.  Main practice tee and member-only practice tee. Seperate practice putting green next to 1st tee.

Kinloch - L93 bentgrass practice tee with 7 target greens.  2 chipping/pitching practice greens, 2 practice putting greens, short game practice facility, covered/heated practice bays for cool weather.

Piping Rock - the sheer scale and grandeur of the practice field is breathtaking.  Absolutely enormous and perfectly in keeping with the scale of the property.

Dave_Miller

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2009, 12:52:24 PM »
The MPCC thread began to touch on Top 10 Practice Facilities, so I figured we might as well start a new thread.

Courses that I've played that would make my Top 10 list:

Muirfield Village - 360 degree range, changed the way practice facilities were thought of.

Whisper Rock - Double sided range, 2 chipping/sand practice greens, 2 practice putting greens, each with the same grass, speed and firmness of the corresponding Upper or Lower course.

Metedeconk National - Probably my favorite.  Huge practice facility (50 acres!) with target greens that are better than the greens on most courses.  Seperate short game practice facility.  Teaching facility.  Main practice tee and member-only practice tee. Seperate practice putting green next to 1st tee.

Kinloch - L93 bentgrass practice tee with 7 target greens.  2 chipping/pitching practice greens, 2 practice putting greens, short game practice facility, covered/heated practice bays for cool weather.

Piping Rock - the sheer scale and grandeur of the practice field is breathtaking.  Absolutely enormous and perfectly in keeping with the scale of the property.

Jim
Add
Olympic - Just an outstanding practice area
Aroninmink - Two practice areas - one has short game the other is 360 degree hitting area.
Best
Dave

Roger Wolfe

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2009, 12:52:58 PM »
I am a newbie... what is MPCC and CPC and NGLA?

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2009, 12:57:07 PM »
I am a newbie... what is MPCC and CPC and NGLA?


Remember the nursery rhyme that started "Old MacDonald had a farm ...", wait, that's another phrase you will wonder about ...

Monterey Peninsula CC
Cypress Point
National Golf Links of America
"... and I liked the guy ..."

Kalen Braley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2009, 12:57:54 PM »
Or we can just dig up a prior thread!!   ;D

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,37505.0.html

JSlonis

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2009, 01:09:16 PM »
From my local perspective...Pine Valley's practice facilities have to rank near the top.  They have huge practice tees at the North & South ends, plenty of good target greens, a terrific short game area, perfect Titleist practice balls and numerous putting greens.

Jim,

You are right on with Metedeconk, an excellent facility.

Dan Kelly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2009, 01:10:37 PM »
Remember the nursery rhyme that started "Old MacDonald had a farm ...", wait, that's another phrase you will wonder about ...

I always thought it was "Old Macdonald had a farm." OM...

Roger Wolfe -- Whenever you're at a loss for an abbreviation here, just slip in an "NGLA." Can't go wrong.

"There's no money in doing less." -- Joe Hancock, 11/25/2010
"Rankings are silly and subjective..." -- Tom Doak, 3/12/2016

Mike_Cirba

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2009, 01:12:57 PM »
Jamie is spot on with PV and Metedeconk.

Mike_Cirba

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2009, 01:14:38 PM »
I'd add Bayonne.

Jim Thornton

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2009, 01:15:45 PM »
I agree that Pine Valley's practice facilities have improved dramatically since the Fazio renovations.  It certainly is world-class now...the only nit I have with the Pine Valley practice range is how far it is from the clubhouse/1st tee...most people drive to it in a cart.  It sort of breaks the spell of the magic of the place, at least until you return back to the course.

Jim Thornton

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2009, 01:16:37 PM »
Mike-

You're joking about Bayonne.......aren't you?

ed_getka

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2009, 01:18:23 PM »
Bandon Dunes. You can work on every shot you can think of.
"Perimeter-weighted fairways", The best euphemism for containment mounding I've ever heard.

Mike_Cirba

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2009, 01:19:34 PM »
Jim,

Call me a sucker for an inspiring view!

Also, the short game area is exemplary.

Jim Thornton

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2009, 01:23:27 PM »
Mike-

I've got to give it to you on the view...hard to top.

The whole net thing just sort of weirds me out, though.

Jim

Trey Kemp

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2009, 01:24:02 PM »
I would have to say Dallas National, they have a double ended range with 7 target greens, a short game area with 7 greens, putting green and a warm-up tee next to the first hole. 
twitter.com/TreyKempGCA

Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #15 on: March 04, 2009, 01:40:06 PM »
There is a major magazine doing a survey currently for best practice facilities.  My vote was for Stanford which is head and shoulders above anything, IMHO.  They have their own web site,

http://www.gostanford.com/facilities/stan-siebel.html

Not only do they have 6 different types of greens and bunkers, they also have multiple types of turf (Bermuda, Bent, Fescue) but the bunkers also have 3 different types of sand from fine to course.  So depending on where you go for a tournament, the team can practice on that type of environment.

The other feature I found outstanding is you can travel anywhere on the 30 acre facility and it's all wired so you can check your ball speed or any other aspect of your game at any point.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2009, 01:41:09 PM »
Musgrove Mill outside Greenville, SC is outstanding.  Good short game area and lots of room on the driving range.

David Neveux

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #17 on: March 04, 2009, 01:42:52 PM »
I totally agree with Kinloch.

I would also add the World Wood's facility. 

Nev

Tom Huckaby

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #18 on: March 04, 2009, 01:48:26 PM »
There is a major magazine doing a survey currently for best practice facilities.  My vote was for Stanford which is head and shoulders above anything, IMHO.  They have their own web site,

http://www.gostanford.com/facilities/stan-siebel.html

Not only do they have 6 different types of greens and bunkers, they also have multiple types of turf (Bermuda, Bent, Fescue) but the bunkers also have 3 different types of sand from fine to course.  So depending on where you go for a tournament, the team can practice on that type of environment.

The other feature I found outstanding is you can travel anywhere on the 30 acre facility and it's all wired so you can check your ball speed or any other aspect of your game at any point.

Joel - I did NOT include this one since the facility you mention is open to the team only (at least for the most part).  Seems to me it really ought not to count.

But if it does.... it is #1.  Freakin' incredible place for all the reasons you mention.  My daily walks tend to go around it... I work quite nearby.

TH

PCCraig

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #19 on: March 04, 2009, 01:50:48 PM »
Shoreacres.
H.P.S.

Sean Leary

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #20 on: March 04, 2009, 01:54:39 PM »
My daily walks tend to go around it...

TH

before tea and bunko with the other ladies in the cul-de-sac?

Tom Huckaby

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #21 on: March 04, 2009, 01:55:45 PM »
My daily walks tend to go around it...

TH

before tea and bunko with the other ladies in the cul-de-sac?

But of course.  Sometimes the more energetic ladies go on the walk as well - we gossip about our husbands and the other wives.

 ;D

Joel_Stewart

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #22 on: March 04, 2009, 02:13:38 PM »
It was on the final paired down list for voting so I don't know why you wouldn't vote for it?

Tom Huckaby

Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #23 on: March 04, 2009, 02:14:23 PM »
It was on the final paired down list for voting so I don't know why you wouldn't vote for it?

Out of principle.  For me, the inclusion meant all facilities there EXCEPT the part we are talking about.  And those are not top anything.
 ;D
« Last Edit: March 04, 2009, 02:19:37 PM by Tom Huckaby »

Carl Nichols

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Top 10 Practice Facilities
« Reply #24 on: March 04, 2009, 02:21:46 PM »
Shoreacres.
Unless something's changed in the last 10 years (I don't think it has), I've often wondered why they even bother.

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