Top 50 (Private, Public and Stand Alone) Ranges in the U.S.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

The Golf Range Association of America names the Top 50 Ranges in the U.S. for Private, Public and Stand Alone facilities (in addition to the Top 50 Growth of the Game Teaching Professionals). Facilities need to apply their ranges and practice facilitates for the honor and judging.

What are some of the best ranges and practice facilities that you have visited around the nation? In your opinions, what makes a good range /practice facility and what makes a great range/practice facility? We speak a lot about golf course design (obviously), but I am also intrigued by range/practice facility design as they have the potential to become legitimate profit centers for clubs.

[Chris Roselle]

Metedeconk National Golf Club has a great practice facility that rivals Pine Valley GC's as the best I've ever seen.

[Dan Herrmann]

Chris. Amen.   

It's the best I've ever seen in person.  By a large margin.

[Pete_Pittock]

Clear Creek Tahoe

[Bryan Icenhower]

Hidden Creek has a great practice facility (and is recognized as s top 50). In additon to the dual-sided driving range, there is a short game specialty area with numerous bunkers and a large putting green. What makes a great practice facility for me is the ability to work on all aspects of your game. All your clubs, all the shots.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

Just hit balls a few weeks ago at Top of the Rock in Branson, MO. Traditionalists wont like it but its something to see. 18 targets that were almost all exactly a 1 club difference for me, hanging from a cliff, surrounded by streams and bunkers. Pointless, but pretty.

[John McCarthy]

Course is not my cup of tea, but the range at Mistwood in Romeoville, IL is the best I have seen. And give me hell but Harborside has a great practice facility.

[Brian Colbert]

I have a few criteria I look at when I evaluate ranges. In rough order of importance:

1) Multiple teeing grounds which allow the player to hit in various directions - I find that hitting balls downwind tends to straighten out my ball flight. I prefer to hit into the wind because it accentuates mishits.

Honorable mention: Sea Island, Pine Valley, PGA Village, Hidden Creek, TPC Sawgrass, Bandon Dunes, Rich Harvest
Dishonorable mention: Garden City GC

2) Practice tee manicured as close to fairway conditions and as flat as possible - It is important to have quality turf to hit from. Practicing on a tee which gives you flyer lies or (gasp!) mats only can mess up your concept of yardages and contact.

Honorable mention: The Hideout, Pine Valley, Butler National, Victoria National
Dishonorable mention: Bethpage, Navy

3) Numerous target greens with varying distances and directions - Should go up to at least 230-250 yards. Bonus points if there are several targets within 100 yards or a warm up/wedge range which allows the player the chance to work on shots inside 150 or so.

Honorable mention: Pine Valley, Philadelphia Cricket Club, ACE Club, Oakmont
Dishonorable mention: Monroe

4) Slightly elevated tee to allow the player to see his shots land but not so much so that it effects depth perception and distance judgment.

Honorable mention: Aronimink, Philadelphia Cricket, Sunnybrook
Dishonorable mention: Baltusrol, Huntingdon Valley, Oakmont, Lake Jovita

5) Large enough to accommodate any club in the bag from any player

Honorable mention: Pine Valley, Hidden Creek, Philadelphia Cricket Club, Butler National, Victoria National, Old Memorial
Dishonorable mention: Garden City GC, Philadelphia Country Club, Merion

6) Balls - I don't expect Pro V1s, but at least give me something I can somewhat rely on for accurate distance!

Honorable mention: Adios, ACE Club
Dishonorable mention: Bethpage

This is before considering short game areas and practice greens. In my opinion an ideal practice green would contain a flatter section enabling the player to work on feel and distance control while there would also be a section with undulations to practice any severity of break desired.

Honorable mention: Aronimink, Beverly CC, Oakmont, Philadelphia Country Club, Bethpage
Dishonorable mention: Bandon Dunes, Chambers Bay (though granted, both courses do not have any flat spots on their actual greens, so why have any on the practice green)

Short game area - should have the ability to replicate any shot which could be encountered within 60 yds of the hole.

Honorable mention: White Manor, Beverly, Victoria National, Pine Valley, Bandon, Cherry Hills, Black Sheep, Rich Harvest
Dishonorable mention: Innisbrook, Wolf Run

[Ryan Bass]

My top 2:
1. Rich Harvest
2. Victoria National

Distant 3rd: TPC Sawgrass

[Kevin_D]

Private: Friar's Head
Public: Pebble Beach

[Adam Warren]

Formerly the Cardinal Club, now the University of Louisville Golf Club has an outstanding practice facility.  Much of the reason for it is because they are home of the U of L golf team, but they have a full range with multiple targets (I believe with teeing ground at both ends), a bunker area, putting greens, chipping greens, and a short wedge area I believe where you can hit those tough 50-60 yard shots.  I have been out there a couple times, but it has been many years so my memory is a bit foggy.  I would be slightly surprised if their practice facility is not mentioned somewhere along the way.

I have not been there before, but have heard it is great and has not been mentioned at this point, Orange Count National down in Orlando.  They have the 360 degree range tee, which would give you the ability to play any wind conditions that might be present.  My understanding is that a lot of the guys that move to the area for the mini tours hold their membership at OCN partially because of them having more than just 18 holes, but also that they have such a great practice facility.

[Chris DeToro]

I think they use part of the New or Jubilee course for the range when they have tour events at St Andrews, so that's pretty solid

More seriously--TPC Boston has an amazing range

[Mark McKeever]

Add Caves Valley to the conversation.  You could build another 9 holes on their practice facility!

Mark

[Chris DeToro]

For stand-alone ranges, Miles of Golf in Ann Arbor is solid with lots of cool stuff (Trackman, etc.). 

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Short Game area...Dallas National
Driving Range...Diamante
both wonderful facilities to mention along with those alreday mentioned.
Matt, can you put a link to the list please.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Short Game area...Dallas National
Driving Range...Diamante
both wonderful facilities to mention along with those alreday mentioned.
Matt, can you put a link to the list please.

Here's the link to the 2013 award winners: http://golfrange.org/2013-graa-awards-archive/

And to the 2012 award winners: http://golfrange.org/4372-2/

The 2014 award winners won't be announced until December.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Thank you Matt

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Very suprised to see Castle Pines on that list???

[Chris DeToro]

Interesting--couple surprises on there for me such as Sycamore Hills

Good to know that Liberty National has a good range.  That'll come in handy for the President's Cup 

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Ian Poulter was there this week and tweeted what a superb facility it was for practicing.

[BHoover]

Firestone and Muirfield Village have the best practice facilities of the places that I've ever come across.  Both have plenty of teeing ground, target greens and bunkers and short game practice areas.

New Albany CC in Columbus has a superb practice facility.  In fact, I prefer the practice facility to the golf course.

From what I've seen on the internet coverage, ANGC seems to have a fairly decent practice facility.    

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

World Woods had a good one when I was there several years ago

[Ben Hollerbach]

First impressions is these are rather strange lists. I would have never considered the ranges at French Lick, Atlanta Athletic, East Potomac, Bears Best, or CC South world class. Also to have World Woods and Sea Island omitted seems to make the list incomplete.

It appears that clubs would apply to be considered, but that seems like a rather poor way of compiling the rankings as it leaves out great facilities that don't apply.

[Greg Clark]

Boot Ranch in Fredericksburg, TX has the best range I've seen.  Enormous and lots of versatility.

[Jon Cavalier]

Metedeconk National Golf Club has a great practice facility that rivals Pine Valley GC's as the best I've ever seen.

Chris. Amen.   

It's the best I've ever seen in person.  By a large margin.

Metedeconk is, by far, the best practice facility that I have ever seen at a golf course.  It's huge -- looks large enough for a par 3 course.  It's varied -- lots of options.  And it's beautifully conditioned.

Here's a panoramic photo that, if nothing else, gives a good idea of the scale of the place. (Apologies for the ultrawide photo).