The Old Portmarnock Driving Range.

gerp

My brother and i dropped in to the old portmarnock driving range we were passing buy and saw they have a great offer € 8 for as many balls as you can hit for 3 hours.

Great deal but i would not go back because the mats are so bad after 30 minutes my wrists were getting sore.
The balls are very good and the range is plenty long and wide.

So when we left the old range we dropped into the new range next door just to see the difference and i have to say the building is impressive and they seem to be putting in a golf shop.

Now getting to my point the mats at the new range are decent but the balls are every bit as good as the old range surely if the old range puts new mats in the first 20 bays with there present deal of € 8 for unlimited balls for 3 hours they would seriously damage the new range.

The owner of the old range must not be a golfer at all or else there are having money troubles.

For me as long as the balls are good and the mats are good i am happy.

I have to say the old range is better ground in which to hit balls you can see the ball landing the new range is down hill which i find a bit off putting because you cannot see your ball land.

I was telling a friend of mine about the range he is member of Carton House he was telling me that they might be building on the land but that it would not be built on for at least 10 years.

So why dont they put in new mats ????? give the new range a run for its money ?????????

PaulHardwick

gerp wrote: »

I was telling a friend of mine about the range he is member of Carton House he was telling me that they might be building on the land but that it would not be built on for at least 10 years.

The land was sold for apartments about 4 years ago. If you recall, they actually closed the range for around six months. That is why this other crowd built a new range up on the hill.

The new range is a bit of a joke in my opinion. A "five star" range???
Well they certainly have five star prices.

Mister Sifter

I quite like the new range, especially from the top bays. Last time i was there i was driving up to it though and a ball bounced right in front of the car and up over, missing it by what could only have been inches.

Probably some chump practicing hitting seven irons off the tee.

Thankfully it missed or would likely have been a bit of damage to the car. I did need to buy a new pair of pants though (maybe that's why they're opening the shop?!)

PaulHardwick

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I quite like the new range, especially from the top bays. Last time i was there i was driving up to it though and a ball bounced right in front of the car and up over, missing it by what could only have been inches.

Probably some chump practicing hitting seven irons off the tee.

Thankfully it missed or would likely have been a bit of damage to the car. I did need to buy a new pair of pants though (maybe that's why they're opening the shop?!)

That new shop looks alright. That might have been me that give you a shock. I try and land my 5 irons on the last piece of netting covering the road. Quite adept at this stage.

Seen Noel Fox out there one day. He was hitting the boomer, still rising going over the telephone pole at the back. Some player.

Clare Bear

Apart from looking good obviously I don't think the new range is anything special. And the prices in the restaurant are ridiculous! I agree they do need to sort out the mats in the old range, it can't be that hard to get some new mats. I notice more kids in the old range too, fair enough, that's how good golfers are made but they're annoying at times shouting and talking. Seems to be less of them up at the new one.

conno16

what sort of prices are we talking in the new range
generally you get around 100 balls for ten euro (or less) in dublin
thats fairly reasonable

gerp

€12 for 120 balls the old range € 8 for as many as you can hit in 3 hours.

I agree seems bad form that they cant get new mats.

deko43

Calling the new range a five star facility was definitely putting the cart before the horse. If they had completed their plan outlined when it was opening in may well have become five star but the reality now is that it is just an over priced driving range with a novelty second tier.

I dont think that short game area has opened yet, they have dismantled the indoor simulator thingy and they never even started to build the "family" mini golf area ( their web site still states that all of these are in place). Think they should have had a least some of these in place before they claimed to be five star.

For my money the best rage in the area is the one at Drynam, Kinsealy.
Good mats, average prices, nice cosy feel to the place and my young fella
likes the auto load tees.

conno16

is it true that range balls are marginally larger than a normal golf ball and therefore easier to hit?
my game always looks tight on the range but can be very inconsistent in the park - reasonable explanation?

Par72

conno16 wrote: »

is it true that range balls are marginally larger than a normal golf ball and therefore easier to hit?
my game always looks tight on the range but can be very inconsistent in the park - reasonable explanation?

I'd say a more reasonable explanation is that you are much more likely to line-up properly in a driving range than "in the park". The mat helps to keep you square. On the course I think poor alignment is responsible for the majority of off-target shots.

conno16

are range balls the same size tho?

Adiaga 2

conno16 wrote: »

are range balls the same size tho?

No range balls are actually twice the size of regular balls. it's just an optical illusion that makes them seem around the same.

Mister Sifter

Adiaga 2 wrote: »

No range balls are actually twice the size of regular balls. it's just an optical illusion that makes them seem around the same.

Depends on the range... some ranges have HUGE balls. This was me at Cellbridge on Wednesday night...

conno16

nice shorts!