In-Bounds Driving Range

[Doug Wright]

The range at my home course, Denver CC, is located between and to the left of both the 10th and 18th holes and is not out of bounds. Some happy hookers I've played with have made par from the range on both holes in the same round.

[Anthony Butler]

Valley Club has its range in play... Made par from it.  

Beat me to it... If you hit a hook off 18, you're on the range if I remember correctly...Not sure the dog leg is severe enough you're cutting any distance out of the hole out though.

If you do the same thing at NSWGC off the tee on 18th, you'll also find yourself towards the end of the practice range. People will hold up while you locate your ball and play down the fairway.  

[Carl Johnson]

Friend of mine who plays at GCGC from time to time suggests his approach.  Use a pink ball.  Or orange.  Something different from what's going to be on the range.  Boys and girls, this is golf, not rocket science or brain surgery.

[Greg Gilson]

I play most of my second shots at Yarra Yarra #7 from the range. I wish they'd put yardages on the sprinkler heads out there.

[john_stiles]

Last hole at Roaring Gap is an uphill long par 3.    A tee shot to the right is definitely into the area of the downhill driving range. I imagine most the driving range has to stop hitting and watch you play your second to the green (yikes) if the ball goes right.

First hole at Holston Hills has a practice area to the immediate right. It should not be in play, but on a cold day with northernly winds the drive is pushed to the right.  You can certainly be in a practice area with a weak winters slice.  At the last hole, par 5 up the hill, the second shot can be pushed right, into the driving range tee area.  Not likely to happen but it has been done.

Doesn't sound uncommon at all for older courses.

[Edward Moody]

I know from experience the range at Seminole is in play. Blocked my tee shot right into the middle of the range and had to hold up a couple of guys hitting balls so I could play my approach into 18.

[Joe Leenheer]

Fairlawn CC in Akron…

Range in play off of #1 to the right…NOT OUT OF BOUNDS….however the range is considered a hazard about 225 from the tee…before that point it is Through the Green.
Range in play off of #2 to the right…Hazard at first….then turns into OB near the green…OB not in play from the tee unless you're Bubba.
Range in play off of #3…you guessed it…to the right….but…..ALL OB.

Very confusing huh?….but if Range was OB off of 1 and 2…could cause for slow play right off the bat.  If you blow it right on #3 your second shot would more then likely be right if front of those practicing….so for safety purposes it made sense….and #3 is a reachable par 5 so it gives a little risk/reward aspect to the tee shot.

…YELLOW BALLS on the range  

[mike_beene]

Shady Oaks at least a five years ago used yellow balls and range not OB

[Jud_T]

The range at Kingsley is technically in play, although it would take a pretty good hook off the golds on 10 tee to get there.  The short game area does see some action though.  The range at Ravisloe is definitely in play off 10 tee.

[ChipOat]

Brian Potash (or Jeff Warne),

Has East Hampton changed it's routing?  When I last played there about 10 years ago, the entire front nine was across the road and the 8th hole was a drop par 3 that was clearly squeezed in.  The range was next to the clubhouse - definitely no room for one on the front nine property.

Philosophically, it is annoying for there to be OB on club property.  However, for safety's sake, I usually default to OB vs. "IB".  There are situations where the golfer is at little risk from the particers so I guess a case-by-case basis is the way to go.

[JR Potts]

Old Elm, Glen Oak and Village Links of Glen Ellyn to name a quick three.

[jeffwarne]

Brian Potash (or Jeff Warne),

Has East Hampton changed it's routing?  When I last played there about 10 years ago, the entire front nine was across the road and the 8th hole was a drop par 3 that was clearly squeezed in.  The range was next to the clubhouse - definitely no room for one on the front nine property.

Philosophically, it is annoying for there to be OB on club property.  However, for safety's sake, I usually default to OB vs. "IB".  There are situations where the golfer is at little risk from the particers so I guess a case-by-case basis is the way to go.

EH flipped 1 and 10 for warmup logistics and better control over first tee

[Sven Nilsen]

Old Elm, Glen Oak and Village Links of Glen Ellyn to name a quick three.

Old Elm deserves special attention, as the range is actually the first and second fairways.

[Bill Buthorn]

Olympia Country and Golf Club, Olympia WA, has a most unique range.  It is in a narrow gully, right in front of the shop.  The green on Hole 8, a medium three par,  is at the top of the range.  Any ball hit right of the green goes down thirty feet or so into the range.  Hole nine also a three par plays parallel to 8 literally across the top of the range to what is essentially a cape style green.  Any ball left, or short of the green also ends up down in the range, only a much steeper climb, as much as fifty feet.  Hole ten, a short four plays uphill, with the range on the left.  Once again, any ball left off the tee yields what the members refer to as the walk of shame.  I would post a picture, but am somewhat new and have not figured out how to do that with my iPad.  Cheers.

[mike_malone]

Rolling Green's is in bounds on the left of 13 but rarely does anyone go beyond the line of evergreens. It is also long and left of 14 and many times you can end up on the practice tee having a wedge over a tree and a bunker to the green with an audience!

[jvisser]

At my home course Noordwijk, both on the 1st and the 9th the range is in play (white balls).
Not only the area covered with balls, but also the covered bays have interrupted play for
the wayward among us...
On 1 it is in play for the long hitters on days it plays downwind and for the erratic player
it can be in play any day I presume.
Playing the 9th the range is quite a bit further away but a nice slice into the wind can make it.

[David Stewart]

The end of the range at Tobacco Road nears the back of the 11th green. While it is an irons only range, some don't follow this rule and some can just hit their long irons that far. There are trees for protection, but if you ever thin an iron over the back you'll be looking through range balls for yours.

Also, little known Hillcrest Country Club in Batesville, IN essentially uses the 18th fairway as their range, but they fortunately use yellow range balls.

[Dave McCollum]

At my course, Canyon Springs, the range is between the 7th and 9th fairways, on the right of both holes running in opposite directions.  In play on 7, OB on 9, a par 5 where the OB is part of risk/reward strategy.  Don’t play with a yellow ball on those holes.  In the original design and routing, the range and 9th hole were swapped.  However, that meant the river was alongside the entire right side of the range.  They first tried a net, then raised the height of the net, and finally, after all of the range balls were still swimming with the fish, swapped the range for the original 9th fairway, keeping the ninth green and playing the hole as a par 5 instead of a par 4.  The range is pretty wide, so it’s fairly easy to aim away from players hitting toward 7 and retrieving errant ammo on 9.  The practice tee, however, could be hit with a really bad shot from the 7th tee or 18th fairway.  Almost never is because of some well placed trees.  So, there is a good reason for some trees on some golf courses.

[V. Kmetz]

Did someone say Winged Foot already?

1W and 8E both border the range...you can play it if you find it...'rotsa 'ruck"

Quaker Ridge has never even had a range (and since Cherry Lawn, down the street, went for condos, REALLY nothing) but uses the 17th fairway as a warm up target area with a few plots/astro turf to hit off of.

Siwanoy's range parallels the left side of their first hole - but they have switched back and forth a few times as to the OB/not OB call, and I don't know what the current policy is.

cheers

vk

[Chuck Glowacki]

NGLA's range is in play on 18 (suggest a ball other than Taylor Made if you slice).  Also since there is no OB,
I guess Seabonack's range could possibly be considered (parallel to the 2nd fairway).