Chipping Nets

“On a driving range there is a distinct lack of concrete reward for the casual visitor and keen golfer alike.”

I must have seen 20 different types of short range target, from buckets to car tires and trash cans to USGA greens, all within 50 yards of the tee line. There are companies that make purpose built chipping nets as I offer at my range and I always do my best to keep them looking good with a flag on the pole.

Why are short range targets so prolific?

• The flight time of a chipped ball is far less than that of a driven ball (more balls per hour).
• The wear on the ball is usually less from a chip and landing than a drive and landing.
• Chipped balls are less likely to get lost or hit over the boundary.
• Golfing buddies can compete easily on a chipping net, not so easy to judge on a length of drive or nearest the pin range contest.
• Golfers chipping will tire less and may therefore buy more balls.

Beyond this empirical thinking is the idea that golf is about getting the ball in the hole. This almost never happens on a driving range and there is a distinct lack of concrete reward for the casual visitor and keen golfer alike. Practice for the majority is more about enjoyment than it is about improving and getting a reward such as four out of five in the bag adds enjoyment.

Risks
Ball collectors will collide with the nets and damage them, no matter how firm you are with the collecting staff. Make the target big enough for the golfer to get the ball in or the reward will not be there. If you make your own, be careful not to make it so balls can be bounced back at the golfers when someone tops a driver or blades an iron. Many nets are not UV stable so will need replacing biannually.

Martin Wyeth, Power Tee CEO, has visited driving ranges the world over and is pleased to share his observations of how some range owners have successfully improved ball sales using Power Tee.