Best driving range and practice facilities?

Hi everyone, I am new to Singapore, but an avid golfer. I am looking for a good driving range (good balls, facilities, reasonable price) and a good short game practice area that is somewhat close to the Newton area. Can anyone advise some good locations? I realize that a good driving range might not equal a good short game location also! And lastly, can you spell out the names (for this newbie), I am still trying to learn the acronyms everyone uses. Thanks for your help!

Lets see.....if you are looking at the BEST , I personally find the TMCC ones very nice...not that I know the place really well, but happen to play there once in 2007.....wah !!!! very nice.

Now...if you are looking at facilities near to newton, then Marina Bay Golf Course along ECP...Fort Road.....is pretty good too....its a public course and I think they charge a fee for an hour use.

In general, short game facilities is very lacking...only members only golf course have them.....


BTW, welcome to the forum, we do have range sessions in Marina on Wed nites...do join us ....and we do hv monthly games ...do join us too.

More importantly....wishing you a very merry xmas !!!!

marina bay golf course is your best place with the best facilities.

you do pay abit more for it.

MBGC or Marina Bay Golf Course at Tanjung Rhu close/road is a good choice closest to the city area. $9 for 150 balls, $6 for 100, $3 for 50. $11 per hour for short game practice (chipping, putting and bunker, no pitching). If you come on wed eve at roof top, you will meet forumers practicing together.

www.mbgc.com.sg

Toa Payoh range is closest to Newton but I feel their balls are harder than MBGC's. it's an uphill range (and if you drive past 200m, you'll hit the net). I dont see short game practice area at TPY.

Do a search on the forum for similar topics, we have discussed both range and short game area at length.

Toa Payoh range have a sand bunker area by the side, but i believe that one is for lessons only? it is one of the newer refurbished ranges in singapore.

My personal preference:
Best driving range - Toa Payoh
Best Practice facility - Seletar Country Club

These are not the cheapest.
I travel to these places depending on what I need to work on.

TPY do not have short game practices.

Balls are reasonable ok.

MBGC - balls are probably he best. windy but i guessed its a challenge to find bays at peak hours.
u shd try to be there on Wednesday nites so can meet all the fun GRians.

for short game practices, putting - goto NSRCC Changi. Pitching, chipping n buker - goto NSRCC Kranji but no lights after 7pm. Supposed to be for members but they dun usually asked as long as u r appropriately dressed.

I like Sentosa Golf Clubs driving range the best.

heh eiji, i went to Sentosa GC website and check.

Is it true that visitor (non-member) need to pay $100 to rent the bay, 50balls free then use token to buy balls?

$100 to rent the bay isn't it abit high? how much you pay to play range there.

eiji wrote:

I like Sentosa Golf Clubs driving range the best.

if you have lobang, can I come with you?

The nearest to Newton would be Toa Payoh range. I find it OK for beginners. 90 practice balls @ $6.00. They have a small putting green too. The bunker is for lessons only, I think.

MBGC is one of the better driving range, but I have 1 complaint - why can't we use the shower room (near the pro-shop) for changing? I find it very difficult to change in the toilet as the toilets' floors are always wet...seriously, I just hope they are wet because somebody had just cleaned and washed them and not due to misfiring.

They should allow range golfers to change in a proper area, fine if they want to charge for the use of the showers. For this reason, I always change in my office, before going to MBGC.

Mandai Executive Golf Course - cheapest around but balls are the worst of the lot, not range balls but 99% are lost balls. It is not uncommon to see range golfers picking and choosing those better looking, branded ones and dump them into their own bags.

Orchid CC - Nice, mid range pricing, brand new balls but still cannot fly, I find the distance markers very weird, some seems too near, some too far. Automated tee up with adjustable rubber tee so no repeating bending to pick ball to tee up.

OCC range with the color code and reference to the distance is really wierd!
Why don't they just indicate the distance that's what golfer wants to know.

Example 30m 50m 70m 100m 150m 180m 200m this would be fine!

hoppie wrote:

heh eiji, i went to Sentosa GC website and check.

Is it true that visitor (non-member) need to pay $100 to rent the bay, 50balls free then use token to buy balls?

$100 to rent the bay isn't it abit high? how much you pay to play range there.

Being a members only club, the public is not encouraged to use their facilities. They pay hundreds of thousands for the privilege of the best, don't thinke they will be very happy if the public can just go in and just pay for range balls, then get to use their superb facilities.

Hope it helps you to understand.

Another thing to add, if u cannot hit properly off the mat, then u shouldn't try hitting at ranges like sentosa. It's really heartache to see nice fairway being chunk.

iron eagle wrote:

OCC range with the color code and reference to the distance is really wierd!
Why don't they just indicate the distance that's what golfer wants to know.

Example 30m 50m 70m 100m 150m 180m 200m this would be fine!

From different bay will have different distance to the markers... at least they give u a better gauge

Hi all! I'm new to this forum. I like to find a range which does not use range mat, i.e. we are hitting from real grass turf. Range mats are very forgiving, and I tend to pick up bad habits from there, like failure to hit down and take a divot.

was trying to see if I know how to swing my golf club for my upcoming game. I realized that JCC is easier to get to....but being a very infrequent user of range, I got there and realized I need collar tee shirt.....

so ...bo pian, LL.....will watch golf channel instead.

@ Bro Thehacker...for natural......i think only range at turf club..

Living in Newton area also. Usually go to Toa Payoh as it is only a 10mins drive and its closes at 1130pm; so can go there after children sleep. No short game practice though.

thehacker wrote:

Hi all! I'm new to this forum. I like to find a range which does not use range mat, i.e. we are hitting from real grass turf. Range mats are very forgiving, and I tend to pick up bad habits from there, like failure to hit down and take a divot.

Turf City and Sentosa GC are the two grass ranges in Singapore

Duval_S wrote:

was trying to see if I know how to swing my golf club for my upcoming game. I realized that JCC is easier to get to....but being a very infrequent user of range, I got there and realized I need collar tee shirt.....

so ...bo pian, LL.....will watch golf channel instead.

@ Bro Thehacker...for natural......i think only range at turf club..

Wow! U no need go Range so pro ah? This makes me think if frequent range is it really useful compare to frequent green?
Let's say i go Green once a week, do you think i should also go range during mid week to correct any mistake i found during the green time?

hoppie wrote:

Duval_S wrote:

was trying to see if I know how to swing my golf club for my upcoming game. I realized that JCC is easier to get to....but being a very infrequent user of range, I got there and realized I need collar tee shirt.....

so ...bo pian, LL.....will watch golf channel instead.

@ Bro Thehacker...for natural......i think only range at turf club..

Wow! U no need go Range so pro ah? This makes me think if frequent range is it really useful compare to frequent green?
Let's say i go Green once a week, do you think i should also go range during mid week to correct any mistake i found during the green time?

I was told a good rule of thumb is 2 range session for 1 green. But then again, if you go green once a week, and find any mistakes during green time, a good time to fix it is after the game at the range., when the issue is still fresh in your mind.

For me I find range is of rather limited usefulness. Most of what works on the range just cannot carry forward to the green. At the green you have all kinds of different lies, and the turf is very unforgiving of even the slightest mishit.

To make it worst, too much range work with irons you risk injuring yourself taking "divots". I got my tennis elbow because of range

Well, I do "kill" my time at the range 3x a week coz I couldn't get out of my office area after work. I basically work quite a bit on my irons and chipping.

My question is:
"What drills should we do at the range to make our session more effective instead of just hitting balls?"

Hope you folks out there can help.

simoner wrote:

Well, I do "kill" my time at the range 3x a week coz I couldn't get out of my office area after work. I basically work quite a bit on my irons and chipping.

My question is:
"What drills should we do at the range to make our session more effective instead of just hitting balls?"

Hope you folks out there can help.

Normally after warm up with my PW, I simulate actual playing conditions by hitting driver, 5 iron, PW, then hitting 3 wood, 4 iron, 9 iron, stuff like that. The point is not to get into a "groove" with any particular club.

Sometimes, I also put golf balls under the range matt to simulate uneven lies just to make things more interesting.

Does anyone knows about MBGC range distance is meter or yard, looks the 50 marking is quite short.

YM