[Damon Groves]

Shadow Ridge in the Palm Springs area and Bandon Dunes.

Both allow you to work on all shots.

[Matt_Ward]

Guys:

I'll say this again in the event people missed it -- I've been at many of the sites already mentioned but for sheer size, multiplicity of options and anything else that matters -- nothing tops Orange County National in the greater Orlando area.

The place is MEGA-big -- the PGA would not have selected the place to host the annual Demo-Day for the PGA Show if it could not accomodate the broadest array of vendors.

On the scenery meter for ranges there's one special candidate that I would rate up there with any of them -- The Bridge in Bridgehampton, NY. The course has its share of critics but the range is wonderfully located immediately next to the 1st tee and the views on a clear day are jaw-dropping awesome with the Atlantic to one side the Great Peconic in plain sight.

[Patrick Kiser]

I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned Black Mesa.  I was pretty impressed with the low key range and short game area.  They had everything needed in a great setting.

Heading back there in April and I'm actually looking forward to this part of the round at BM.

[Jason McNamara]

Not one reply here has mentioned that the most splendiferous range in the world can be undone by a constant left to right wind.

Ben Hogan refused to practice in such conditions.

Bob

Bob, what's the prevailing wind at Panmure's 6th?   

[TX Golf]

While I have spent many many hours on the new Stanford facility.... and agree that it is great fun.... I still have a hard time supporting a facility like that, considering the extreme costs that accompany maintaining and building the facility. Its not like they were hurting for practice space to begin with. (I think Tiger, Notah, Casey, Tom, and many others did quite well on that private grass range with a great bunker and putting green.

While I feel it is overkill..... hopefully the Cardinal will repeat their conquering of the National Championship soon.

GO CARDINALS!!!

[Kevin_Reilly]

GO CARDINALS!!!

As ridiculous as it sounds, the cheer is actually GO CARDINAL!!!  Plural of a color....

[Ronald Montesano]

So...if Warren doesn't know the proper cheer, how do we know that he has actually spent any time at all on said practice facility's grounds?  The plot thickens...

[John Moore II]

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

I should think if we are going to included the ranges at places like Rich Harvest, PV, and other top end private courses, we should not worry about including a college range with limited access. I mean, how many people ever see these ranges that are on site at the top courses? Not many.

Orange County National has an awesome range. PGA Learning Center has an awesome range. The one at PGA has around 400 yards of teeing area open to the public, another 150 yards for teaching, 9 different practice bunkers, chipping green, pitching green, 3 huge putting greens, and a 4 hole par 3 course. I've never seen anything to compare.

[Tom Huckaby]

JKM:

For me again it is principle.  There are private clubs and then there are overkill odd uses of space.  But I remain a weird cat.

But primarily... this is also all just for fun.  In the end of course you are correct - include one, include all. 

TH

[John Moore II]

JKM:

For me again it is principle.  There are private clubs and then there are overkill odd uses of space.  But I remain a weird cat.

But primarily... this is also all just for fun.  In the end of course you are correct - include one, include all. 

TH

I think it all depends. Their range at Mid South is maybe 150 yards long and 40 yards deep. But it works very well for what they have. We had 500 members, maybe 50 of them were 'active,' meaning they were at the course 2 or 3 days a week. If you have a membership of 1500 or something like that, with 500+ of them active, you'll have to have a very large range to handle the traffic.

Pinehurst CC, from what I recall, has something like 8,000 members (largest member club in the nation from what I was told). Of course many of them are just property owners with social memberships and that sort. But with a membership like that, they have to have a HUGE range. So, at places that have very large memberships, I can see the need to have large ranges. Now, to have a place like PGA or Orange County National at a club, well, thats getting excessive.

[Bob_Huntley]

Not one reply here has mentioned that the most splendiferous range in the world can be undone by a constant left to right wind.

Ben Hogan refused to practice in such conditions.

Bob

Jason,

We are going to have to ask Stan Dunn for an answer. He took the Pacific Grove High School team there last year for a Home and Home.

Bob

Bob, what's the prevailing wind at Panmure's 6th?   

[Ash Towe]

Kauri Cliffs has a good range though you can only hit in one direction.  If your game is not working at least you can enjoy the views.

[Pete Stankevich]

The consensus always was that TPC River Highlands (site of the Travelers Championship or GHO) had one of the worst ranges on tour.  A couple years ago, they decided to use some of the bean fields they use for parking during the tour event for a new practice facility and First Tee facility.
Great hitting areas, excellent target greens, very wide and long, great short game areas, etc.  Now the Tour players consider it to be one of the best they see all year, up there with Muirfield Village. 

[Wesley Harden]

Capital City - Crabapple in North Atlanta has an outstanding facility

[Kyle Christensen]

Berkeley Hall had an amazing practice area. Also Belfair has a great facility with two short game areas with different grasses that correspond to the different playing surfaces on each course. When I play at Belfair I usually spend about 3 hours on the range afterward. It is heaven for me.  PGA village had a great facility as well.

[Wade Whitehead]

It's interesting that practice facilities that get high marks tend to be in perfect shape (a la Kinloch), but that guys have debated to no end about whether or not that should be a criteria for rating a golf course at the top.

This begs: Should a great practice facility permit you to practice only the game you'll face on its sister course (which means it serves more limited purpose) or should it permit practice for a wider variety of conditions and conditioning (which would lend more significantly to true practice or preparation for playing in general)?

To apply: The Kinloch facility permits practice from perfect conditions.  It's absolutely aligned with what one will experience everywhere on the property.  But it would be tough to rehearse there for a round anywhere else, where lies might be iffy and grass might be inconsistent.

My thoughts may not even make sense.

WW

[JimFatsi]

Another vote for PV,
At PV, unless its pointed out to you, you may not notice, but there are areas on the practice tee that you can practice your side hill, up hill, down hill lies, there are subtle bumps and swales. Off course where the balls are located its just like every other practice tee, flat.  So next time your there look for this area, I wonder if it was a Fazio idea or a member?

[Ash Towe]

Matt,
I did wonder about The Bridge.  I thought it was awesome.  Not having much to compare it with in the US led me to believe that the others mentioned here were better than the above.  Thanks for the correction.

[Mark Pritchett]

Hardly a range rat, I prefer a more intimate facility, say Spring Island.  I also like the four "warm-up" holes at Pine Needles.

[Mark Chaplin]

Jeff Warne has it spot on coffee, kummel and straight to the tee, those looking to start well
may hit a couple in the laddered net or perform some dangerous looking stretches.

To continue playing well repeat at halfway hut although the winter warmer is bovril and sherry.

[Joel_Stewart]

I'll nominate Boot Ranch and The May River Club.   Both have everything you could want in a range.

May River is indeed really nice; it made me wonder if Nicklaus Design designed the practice area for them as well, in addition to the course.

Thats a good question and one that I am looking into.  Are there firms or architects that specialize in practice areas?  God knows Nicklaus spends a very small amount of time on every site and how much time could he possibly commit to the practice area.

[Tony Ristola]

World Woods.

To go in the other direction, one of the worst poorest ranges at an excellent golf course is PGA West. For all the dirt they moved, I just disliked the fact you couldn't see the ball run.

[Wade Whitehead]

World Woods.

To go in the other direction, one of the worst poorest ranges at an excellent golf course is PGA West. For all the dirt they moved, I just disliked the fact you couldn't see the ball run.

Reminds me: The Cascades has no range at all.  There's not even a place to hit short shots.

What well-regarded courses have no practice area?  I'm sure there are others.

WW

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I still feel Bandon Dunes is hard to beat. MPCC has a nice facilty with a large membership to serve. Mountain Lake has one just as good with a small membership to serve.

[Brian Cenci]

Dunes Club in Michigan is top notch.  Just love the one mat with net to hit into just off the first tee for a good warm up

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