Chester Bogeys on Golf Driving Range

Are you kidding me!


I can think of a whole lot of other things to spend $400,000 on than a golf driving range. 

The Chester Spirit reports that the First Tee organization has stiffed us on a $400,000 loan and left us holding the golf bag with an abandoned driving range.

I can hear most of you saying, “What driving range?”

On the grounds of the old Chester Central YMCA sits a golf driving range, where, under normal conditions you would pay about $6 for a bucket of balls, tee them up, and whack them as far as you can (at least that’s what I do).

I love driving ranges because it doesn’t matter how many balls you whack, there’s someone there to pick them up (I wish I could find someone to chase the jump shots I miss when I’m alone on a basketball court ).

This project had a lot of promise but it didn’t take long to realize it was a hot mess.

The good part is that they did clear the space and installed the netting all around. Last year they built the little club house. End of good news.

I remember Brian Warren taking a handful of kids to the driving range a couple times. The day I was supposed to meet him there they weren’t there. He later told me that they left early because it was too hot. They couldn't have been there 15 minutes. 

I took my driver and a couple buckets of my own balls there ONCE. 

The range is relatively short, but for a novice like me it was perfect. Since I had to recover my own balls, I never went back (but I did recover more balls than I started out with - holla!)

I can only imagine that the County and CEDA are fuming over the loan situation. 


How much money does it take to run a driving range?

There is not a driving range anywhere near here. I personally know folks that would come here to whack balls. (With the bridge out it may be a little tricky this year, but it could happen).

Forget using the space exclusively to teach kids how to golf. There are real golfers (and hackers like me) who would enjoy using the facility. 

It can’t take more than a few dollars to operate the driving range as a driving range. In fact, it could probably pay for itself with $6 buckets. 

Where do I apply to become the Golf Master? 


I’d run that damn place and make a profit.