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Hi all....a newbie here from Ontario, Canada!

I have been throwing around the idea of starting a practice range and I have read a couple of threads on yardages, designs, etc.

I am looking to make a connection with anyone that has started a range in Canada, preferably in Ontario.

I have been shopping around for land , not sure if I want to buy or lease, but I would like someone elses opinion/ideas on what kind of dollars I should be looking at for start up. How many balls do I need?

I will definitely have a practice putting area, chipping area, bunkers...but these things may have to come after I get some capital built up.

Any ideas/opinions/tips etc are much appreciated!

I am not a owner or even a worker at a driving range but lets get some ideas goin. First off find an area with many golfers secondly keep the putting gree in nice condition as thats why i dont go to some if just cause of this. Also make sure the building is behind where they are hitting not to side as this will end up costing more as you will need to put up a side net to stop it from hitting building. Next you can choose to use grass tees or mats but if you ask me best idea is to do both that way people can choose i personally like the mats as i dont need to worry about breaking my tees the one i go to most often is grass tees but is closer and the one further away is mats which the tees are mainly a rubber tube with a bottom on it so it bends when you hit it. you will want large visible markers and then maybe take some flags and put out there at diffrent distances for the people who want to aim at a target instead of distance. Also you will want some where where people can get drinks and snacks this makes money and helps to keep them happy and there. Later you may want to get a pro in there and all as this always helps bring people in and to tell you the truth i havent gone to a range that didnt have a pro.

Well if i think of anything else ill tell you.

Almost forgot you will need hundreds maybe thousands of balls as it depends on the area and how many people come a day and how often you go out and get balls.

and enjoy!

the driving range I use has a couple nice features, elevated tee area is a large semi-circle hitting out to 3 target 'greens'. The farthest target green is 240 yards. On the far end is another tee area that is a mirror of the front one. When the front tee area is full or you just want to hit some alone, you walk to the back tee area. It also has two practice holes. An annual pass is $165US or a family pass is $200US. A large buckt of balls (around 75) is $7.
Good luck with your range.

Yep the price for 75 is the average. Also good luck with the range maybe if you get the room you may want to think about a 9 hole par 3 course as well that is a real nice thing as they go to range practice and get warmed up then they can go and play a round.

and welcome to Golf Rewind!

One piece of advice is make sure the golf balls at least have dimples on them, not meant to be funny, but seriously, that's the biggest knock I have about paying my money to hit balls and out of paying $3.75 for about 35 balls only 7 of them are worth anything...

Good luck in your venture, I wish you well.

Looks like this has turned into a "what to make sure you have" thread. <smile>
So for my 3cents, I want to know that the yardage is correct! The range I use, just doesn't get it, as does the range at most of the courses I play.
The one I do like has a combination of mats and grass, a nice putting green, a bunker, a 9 hole, and target nets out in the range. It also has some of the "teaching devices", like that big round white circle thingy out for people to use. Most ranges don't let you near their things. Probably for good reason.

BTW golfsmitty, let me know what you find. I've been thinking about the same thing in Mexico. Golf is VERY scarce in my area there.

Very, very good points. Sorry Golfsmitty if we've taken the thread to a level you may not have liked.

Good luck with the range. Hope it works for you

My first job as a professional was managing a very busy range while giving lessons. Key things to have...

1. RELIABLE ball picker
2. RELIABLE Vehicle to push the picker.
3. Enough balls to either get through the day or to shift change when a labor overlap can provide picking time.
4. High Capacity FAST ball washer (not washing the balls causes them to lose their dimples faster). On the washing note DO NOT USE BLEACH on golf balls.
5. Golf Clubs to rent for those that do not have their own (we charged $2-$5 for clubs)
6. Both grass and mats (I know we hate mats and would love to hit on grass always but for the business aspect, you don't want to destroy the turf by having it open when saturated and you can't close the business...double-edged sword)
7. SMOOTH field to make picking easier.
8. Target greens with accurate yardages for interest.
9. Mower or service to keep the field cut.
10. For grass tees, if busy at least enough room for a 10-14 day rotation of your tees.

I am sure there are things I am missing but that is the top 10 from the top of my head. Bag stands, buckets, etc...would be obvious items.

Thanks for all the tips!!! Keep them coming.

Still loking for what people think a start up cost would be...I know everything is relative to used or new equipment but any offerings is appreciated

Try going to a local golf course, if you can, and just spend the day looking for lost balls that will save you money! Let me know when your range is open I would love to try it out!

Driving range near me has a large bell. People spend hours (and money) trying to hit it from 150 yards!