Did you ever go hit golf balls on a driving range?
I can't imagine a golfer - beginner or experienced - who has not gone to practice and hone their golf skills on golf's answer to the drive-in movie.
A few of us went over to the Arnold Palmer Golf Range a few days ago to hit some balls.
Driving ranges are a unique golf experience. There were players there working on their swings and players just beginning to learn how to swing a golf club; and the ice cream we had after our practice session was the perfect finish.
At any rate, hitting balls on a driving range is a skill all it's own.
You can always tell what kind of player has been hitting balls on any particular spot by the size, depth and pattern of the divots.
A divot is the hole left in the ground after you hit a ball and in the process dislodge a piece of turf.
A beginner or inexperienced golfer will leave deep gouges or divots in a random pattern that is scattered all over the hitting bay they may have occupied.
If you go into the real grass area of the golfer in question, you will see huge chunks of turf out in front of you.
A golfer with a little more experience may have shallower divots, and a pattern a little more organized.
If you go to the spot occupied by a professional or top amateur, you will see one area with no turf left on it, and divots all the same size and pointing in the same direction.
You can always tell when and where a highly skilled and good player was hitting balls. By way of further explanation, the bare ground turf will be one solid area with size in proportion to the number of practice balls that the golfer has used.
Good players hit balls one after the other and one right next to or behind the other, depending on their particular practice routine. The divot pattern of a skilled player is a work of art. It takes practice to develop a solid swing technique.
The other part of a driving range are the rubber mats with the rubber tees, with a wooden or plastic divider on either side.
These are quite necessary parts of this driving area. If you sit and watch for a while, you will inevitably see a ball hit off the toe of the club that ricochets off the protective divider.
When I first started playing golf, and before metal woods were popular, I bought an old wooden-headed driver at a driving range for $5. I used that club for a long time. The pro at the range wanted $10.
You never know what you will find by way of clubs if you visit driving ranges in different parts of the country. The newer versions of the driving range is a practice facility, with state-of-the-art equipment. But that is another story altogether.
There is nothing like seeing a well-struck shot sail off into the nighttime sky lit only by the lights of the range. The ball looks crisp and clear, and they always go forever.
See you on the links!
Lombardo, a PGA professional
at Dutch Hollow, is The Citizen's golf columnist
A few of us went over to the Arnold Palmer Golf Range a few days ago to hit some balls.
Driving ranges are a unique golf experience. There were players there working on their swings and players just beginning to learn how to swing a golf club; and the ice cream we had after our practice session was the perfect finish.
At any rate, hitting balls on a driving range is a skill all it's own.
You can always tell what kind of player has been hitting balls on any particular spot by the size, depth and pattern of the divots.
A divot is the hole left in the ground after you hit a ball and in the process dislodge a piece of turf.
A beginner or inexperienced golfer will leave deep gouges or divots in a random pattern that is scattered all over the hitting bay they may have occupied.
If you go into the real grass area of the golfer in question, you will see huge chunks of turf out in front of you.
A golfer with a little more experience may have shallower divots, and a pattern a little more organized.
If you go to the spot occupied by a professional or top amateur, you will see one area with no turf left on it, and divots all the same size and pointing in the same direction.
You can always tell when and where a highly skilled and good player was hitting balls. By way of further explanation, the bare ground turf will be one solid area with size in proportion to the number of practice balls that the golfer has used.
Good players hit balls one after the other and one right next to or behind the other, depending on their particular practice routine. The divot pattern of a skilled player is a work of art. It takes practice to develop a solid swing technique.
The other part of a driving range are the rubber mats with the rubber tees, with a wooden or plastic divider on either side.
These are quite necessary parts of this driving area. If you sit and watch for a while, you will inevitably see a ball hit off the toe of the club that ricochets off the protective divider.
When I first started playing golf, and before metal woods were popular, I bought an old wooden-headed driver at a driving range for $5. I used that club for a long time. The pro at the range wanted $10.
You never know what you will find by way of clubs if you visit driving ranges in different parts of the country. The newer versions of the driving range is a practice facility, with state-of-the-art equipment. But that is another story altogether.
There is nothing like seeing a well-struck shot sail off into the nighttime sky lit only by the lights of the range. The ball looks crisp and clear, and they always go forever.
See you on the links!
Lombardo, a PGA professional
at Dutch Hollow, is The Citizen's golf columnist
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.