[Chuck Brown]

I can think of some fine (mostly older) clubs with superb golf courses, but highly inadequate practice facilities.  (Short ranges requiring use of limited-distance balls, lack of practice greens, etc.)

Next year's Masters, as I understand it, will inaugurate ANGC's new practice facility, built into the northwest corner of the property.  What that might do to the old front-lawn driving range into the net facing Washington Road, I don't know.

Anyway, I thought I'd start a list of nominations for the clubs that combine the best course(s) with the best practice facilities.  We'll add 'best teaching staff' as a tiebreaker.

Here is what I am talking about:

Highly Rated
Arcadia Bluffs (MI)- good golf course, terrific driving range.
Kingsley Club (MI)- again, very good golf course, very good practice facilities.
University Ridge (WI) - passable golf course, wonderful practice facilities.
Innisbrook (FL) - at least one very good (Copperhead) golf course, fantastic practice facilities.
Tuscon National (AZ) - pretty good golf course, fantastic practice facilities.


Less Highly Rated
Oakland Hills (MI) - two fine golf courses, marginal driving range, good practice greens
Riviera (CA) - stupendous golf course, marginal practice facilities.
Franklin Hills CC (MI) - wonderful golf course, marginal practice facilities.
Harding Park (CA) - great golf course, nonexistent practice faciilties (Or am I mistaken on this one?)
Torrey Pines Golf Course (CA) - Two good/pleasant golf courses, poor practice facilities.
Muirfield (SCOTLAND) - World-class golf course.  Do they even have a practice tee?
The Old Course (SCOTLAND) - World-class golf, again.  Is there a good practice area within walking distance of the R&A?

You get the idea...
I threw in munis and resort courses in my listing above mostly for illustration.  Certainly, some resort courses (Harbour Town, Doral, Pinehurst, etc.) will have an advantage when evaluating practice facilities.  I was anxious to hear about some of the really good, older clubs that I have not been to;  Merion, Pine Valley, Seminole, Maidstone, etc..  All very great courses, but all built at a time when practice facilities had far less of the value we might place on them today...

[Tom Huckaby]

Can there possibly be a better combination than Bandon Dunes?

I'll take that against all challengers.

TH

[Kalen Braley]

Chuck,

Or you can throw in a new category.

Fantastic golf course(s) and fantastic practice centers.

1)  Bandon

[John Kavanaugh]

Can there possibly be a better combination than Bandon Dunes?

I'll take that against all challengers.

TH

If you can't walk directly from the practice tee to the first tee the facility stinks.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Pine Valley would have to be near the top of the list....although it fails John's criteria.

[Chuck Brown]

I have yet to make my Bandon pilgrimmage.  (At least, I'll go to Bandon before Mecca and Medina.)  And yes, I have heard good things about it already.  And yes, as i have stated, I think we'll see a lot of good resort courses find themselves highly rated.  I'll be interested in what surprises there might be among old private clubs, both for the good and bad.

This combined category might lend a real rating advantage to newer facilities.  (Frair's Head and Sebonack, for instance.)  Anyway, keep'em coming...

[Kalen Braley]

Can there possibly be a better combination than Bandon Dunes?

I'll take that against all challengers.

TH

If you can't walk directly from the practice tee to the first tee the facility stinks.

JK,

You can easily walk from Practice tee to PD #1.  And I suspect the walk won't be undoable to Old Mac #1 as well.  And if your playing the par 3 course, its right there too.

So that's over half the courses at the resort.   

[Chuck Brown]

Can there possibly be a better combination than Bandon Dunes?

I'll take that against all challengers.

TH

If you can't walk directly from the practice tee to the first tee the facility stinks.

I think I might agree.

Does Sand Hills fail that criterion?

[Andy Troeger]

World Woods has a fantastic practice facilities and the two nice courses plus a par three course I believe.

But just about every big dollar modern facility seems to have top notch practice facilities. The list could go on for awhile with that one...

[Kalen Braley]

Either way the walking to the 1st tee doesn't matter.....Its a BS criteria...even JK knows that. 

[David Neveux]

I'll nominate Kinloch(va), they had a really in-depth, state-of-the-art facilities here.  I wish I could have spent some real time practicing before our round.  Oh, and the course was PRETTY GOOD TOO!!!!

[Tom Huckaby]

Andy - great call re World Woods.

Chuck - no one would ever call Sand Hills' range a "practice facility".  If is a decent place to hit a few balls on your way to the first tee.  I think it works perfectly for that place.

All I need is a putting green right near the tee.

TH

[Ian Larson]

I nominate LACC.

Great course and crappy practice facility.

The driving range tee is WAY too cluttered. It looks like the tee puked up a bunch of green recycled plastic. Its at muni standard at best.

[Mike Benham]

If you have to pay for range balls the facility stinks.

[Kalen Braley]

Mike a corollary to that.

If your not allowed to use the range cause its for members only, then the facility stinks. 

I have a nomination for crappiest range in existance.  I'm sure there are worse ones, but the range at Lake Chabot is an absolute piece of crap.  Dry cracked dirt range with crappy falling-apart mats and little to no yardage info.  And to boot, your not supposed to hit anything more than a 6 iron or so due to its shortness.  Its been a few years since I've been there so hopefully they've improved it.

[Tom Huckaby]

Mike a corollary to that.

If your not allowed to use the range cause its for members only, then the facility stinks. 

I have a nomination for crappiest range in existance.  I'm sure there are worse ones, but the range at Lake Chabot is an absolute piece of crap.  Dry cracked dirt range with crappy falling-apart mats and little to no yardage info.  And to boot, your not supposed to hit anything more than a 6 iron or so due to its shortness.  Its been a few years since I've been there so hopefully they've improved it.

I second Kalen re Lake Chabot.

But the course was recently upgraded... maybe the range was too (hoping)?

[Tom Huckaby]

I thought of a challenger to Bandon:

Monterey Peninsula CC

In fact, I think that's my new submission.  No par three course... but good god does it have everything else in spades.

TH

[James Boon]

I was anxious to hear about some of the really good, older clubs that I have not been to;  Merion, Pine Valley, Seminole, Maidstone, etc..  All very great courses, but all built at a time when practice facilities had far less of the value we might place on them today...

Chuck,

Don't know if you've ever played Royal County Down, but there is no practice range at all! they do though have a pretty large and undulating practice green.

A lot of older courses I know of over here tend to have practice areas that probably also double as nursery areas for grass, and these can often be some distance from the first tee and you will need your own bag of practice balls. Brora would be a good example and I think Muirfield and North Berwick as well.

I like the out of the way nature of these practice facilities but they aren't great if you only want to hit a few balls to warm up!

Cheers

James

[Matt_Ward]

Hard to beat Tetherow in the Bend, OR area for a variety of reasons -- the practice facility is steps away from both the clubhouse is set immediately below it.

The range is deep enough and provides spectacular views of the distant mountain ranges.

You also have multiple targets and actual greens / holes which will be used for an interior short course at the end of each day. It was not in operation when I played there this past summer because of turf maturation but I don't know many ranges that can be converted into an instant short course with a wide variety of playing angles and holes.

The practice range is also just a few steps from the 1st hole and practice putting green. In sum -- it's got everything that I consider necessary.

Throw in a quick private one -- The Bridge on LI, NY. Practice range overlooks the Great Peconic in the far distance and the range has its share of interesting targets -- to the immediate right of the range is the 1st tee itself. Great balls and simply an awesome view on one of those grand LI summer days.

Another quick private -- can't beat the combo Oakmont provides. Range is huge and offers plenty of targets, sand / chipping bunker, etc, etc. Unfortunately, the 1st hole is a little bit of walk but anyone getting the opportunity to be there won't hold that against this superstar of courses.

[Ash Towe]

The Kauri Cliffs range is spectacular.  You hit into a valley from up on high.  The views are great as are the balls and turf to hit off.  There is a putting green next to the range which is fun to use.  The course is pretty good too.

Matt,
I would certainley endorse your comments re The Bridge.

[J_ Crisham]

Muirfield Village and Butler National are well balanced in the range /course arenas. I would agree with Huck that MPCC may be the best with very shiny Titleists and great targets. The 2 courses speak for themselves.
                                                       Jack

[Anthony_Nysse]

Friars Head

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Colonial CC
Ft. Worth, TX

[John Kavanaugh]

You need to be able to monitor the first tee so you can take advantage of open slots or go off early.  I don't need to raise my hand and ask permision to go play like it's the second grade.

The only true practice time is the time before you tee off and that time should be kept to a minimum.

[Kalen Braley]

Either way the walking to the 1st tee doesn't matter.....Its a BS criteria...even JK knows that. 

No it isn't. 

Not at all.

I'm fricking sick of having to take a cart to the driving range.

Here's an even better criteria:

Anyplace that actually calls it a "practice facility" is automatically out.

It's a called fricking range.

If it has a green for chipping, it's called a "range with a cool chipping green, too."

Dave,

No one's making you get a cart.

Either have a warmup-walk to go with your warm-up practice on the "practice facility"

Or get in your car and drive over to it which one can do at Bandon.

Its a free world Shivas....errr Dave. 

[Jeff Tang]

I'll second World Woods.  It's far and away the best practice facility I've ever experienced just on its own without even factoring in the courses, which are both outstanding.  Circular driving range, practice holes, and I could play the nine hole short course all day long, which I've actually done.

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