![]() ![]() ![]() (All prices shown are current as of the date of publication, subject to change). While instructors, lessons, clinics, and workshops are important factors to elevate one’s golf skills and are closely associated with driving ranges, only physical properties and tangible assets were included for this list’s criteria. Our appreciation is also extended to local stand alone ranges like Diversey Driving Range, Ballybunion Golf, Fore Seasons Golf Learning Center, and Green Valley Golf Range.īut for the past decade, the Top-10 lists compiled by Chicago Golf Report have focused upon public golf courses in the seven county Chicago-area, and thus, again, with this list, after analyzing 59 candidates, we present our selections for “Chicago’s Top-10 Public Course Driving Ranges”. ![]() The Golf Range Association of America classifies their membership into three categories: ranges and practice facilities associated with public courses, those ranges and practice facilities that serve an exclusive membership (private courses), and those that offer a stand-alone experience.Ĭhicago Golf Report applauds all the fine private practice facilities in our area for the service and benefits they offer outstanding examples like Medinah Country Club and McHenry Country Club immediately come to mind. Nowadays, it is a certainty that if there is sufficient land available, Tom Fazio and other current golf course architects must allocate space for a driving range when designing a course - improved and fancier as time goes by. Wow, the simple driving range has truly evolved over the past 70 years! And as an inexpensive means to satisfy the public’s new urge to head out and try to hit and launch golf balls, the ‘stop-and-sock’ variety of driving ranges was born. TV broadcasts of tournaments during the early days of Arnold Palmer’s career boosted golf’s popularity - watching and participating. If they did practice, it was on the golf course.” ![]() Back in the day, only the good players practiced, and some of them didn’t practice much. Renown architects George Fazio and his nephew Tom, recall “Every good player had a shag bag in the trunk of his car and his caddie would stand in the distance with the bag the caddie opened the bag up and caught the ball on one bounce. Resembling a bowling ball bag, the ‘shag bag’ held a golfer’s personal collection of practice balls, which he toted out to the practice fairway and paid a ‘caddie’ to fetch and return his quarry of old spheres. Up until the late 1950’s, as means of practice, some upscale courses merely offered a ‘practice fairway’ for use before and after competitive rounds. Nonetheless, the concept of an on-premise driving range was slow to take root for other existing and future courses. Irv’s Driving Range – formerly in Bedford Park This practice area was nicknamed “Maniac Hill”. In the spring and summer of 1913, Donald Ross allocated, exclusively for practice, the ground originally covered by the first, second and 18th holes of course No.1 when he built new holes further away from the clubhouse. Pinehurst had three golf courses open by 1910 but no dedicated practice facility. The first driving range was constructed at the Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina. What scares you the most? Non-golfers might answer “heights, spiders, public speaking, or commitment”, however, for amateur golfers the unanimous answer could be “my tee shot on the first hole.” And if the next foursome is also there watching, the fear factor increases.Īssuming that ‘breakfast balls’ are prohibited, one of the solutions to overcome the first-tee jitters, while at the same time gathering the admiration of your playing partners and onlookers, is a warm-up session on the course’s driving range before teeing off - which leads to this year’s Top-10 list compiled by Chicago Golf Report.įor openers, a bit of history. ![]()
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