Growing up in the city I lived in it seemed there was a driving range in every part of town. Now that we have a generation of golfers who like to practice it seems you’re lucky to find a public range anywhere. just like Bowling Alleys in the late 50’s early 60’s there was a surge of Driving Ranges popping up everywhere, they were the latest trend in business ventures. Of course even decent sized city’s across the country were still full of vacant land with enough acreage inside the city limits to fulfil the need for a range and some even had enough space for a par 3 course. I know at one time my city had at least 4-5 operating ranges that had Par 3 courses. We even had one with Arnold Palmers name attached to it. With land that has become expensive and the majority of it within the city already developed leaving very few partials large enough for a range. Id like to think a public range in this day and age of golfers who seem to love to practice more then they play would be a more successful or just as successful business venture today as it was back then. I’m sure most of us over a certain age when driving ranges were plentiful can remember the first timer we visited a range and hit a golf ball. I definitely remember mine. It was at a run down range located on a busy dixie hwy in Valley Station Ky. where i used a beat up persimmon house driver out of a bin in the pro shop to take a mighty swing at a red striped probate surlyn golf ball that probably only went 180 yards and 80 of those yards were rolling across the dirt ground.
