As the adage goes, practice makes perfect. Whether you are an experienced golfing pro or just starting, you will need to keep practicing to ensure you are evergreen. And what best place to hone your golfing skills than in a driving range?
A driving range will provide you with the golfing equipment and room to perfect your swings and shots. Chicago has some of the best golf courses the US offers and has excellent golf driving ranges.
Chicago has both outdoor and indoor driving ranges. Do you want to command respect when you’re on the golf course? I will show you the ten best driving ranges Chicago has to offer.
Let’s hit the ground running, shall we?
10. Fountain Hills Golf Club Driving Range
The Fountain Hills Golf Club is a par 36, 9-hole golf course in Alsip, IL. This 66-acred golf course opened for business in 1996 with features to make golfer’s experience better. It has wooded grass mats, sand traps, and three pristine lakes.
If you are looking for a quite affordable yet exclusive driving range, Fountain Hills Golf Club Driving range is the way to go. It is open any day from 6 am to 6 pm and only costs $5 to $13 per bucket.
This range has chipping areas, bunkered target greens, golf outings, team, and junior programs, leagues, and tournaments, among other amenities. After your practice, you can have a drink in their clubhouse or BackNine restaurant.
Visit their Website here!
9. Ballybunion Golf of Long Grove
Do you love enjoying nature and wildlife as you enjoy a golf session? Ballybunion golf driving range has beautiful sights, rare wildflowers, and beautiful birds. The field is next to the 18-hole Ballybunion golf course. This range offers both outdoor driving range experience and indoor experience. You can enjoy golf practicing here on Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9.30 am-7.30 pm. On Mondays, the facility is open from 12 pm- 7.30 pm.
The indoor range in Ballybunion has 20 heated indoor stalls and professional golfers to guide you. So, whether it’s winter or summer, you can be sure to swing by the Ballybunion driving range for an exciting golf learning session. What’s more, is the refreshments and American food served in the neon-lit clubhouse in Ballybunion. It’s a place of relaxation after breaking a sweat in this massive driving range.
Learn More about Ballybunion by visiting their website here!
8. Arrowhead Golf Club
Arrowhead Golf Club is among the most breath-taking and coveted golf courses in Illinois, and Chicago. People pay huge prices to host parties, weddings, and social meetings here. Besides that, it offers an extensive 27-hole golf course and a driving range.
The Arrowhead Golf Club driving range has 28 hitting bays. The bays are in no-grass premium mats. To cater to your needs, it offers three practice bunkers, chipping areas, and putting greens regardless of the skill level.
You can enjoy the incredible golfing experience In Arrowhead Golf Club between 7.30 am and 5 pm on Monday, 9 am- sunset on Tuesday and sunrise to sunset on Wednesday to Sunday. The experience is made complete in the restaurant and bar situated inside the golf course.
Visit their website here!
7. Jackson Park Driving Range
Jackson Park Driving Range is an 18-hole golf course established in 1899. It is one of the most extensive courses in Chicago, sitting on a 500-acre land. This course is also very challenging even to golf pros due to the large greens and trees in the course.
You can access the driving range every day from 7 am to 9 pm and enjoy the 34 mat tees and putting greens in the course. This all-mat driving range will also let you rent carts, play on a league, and enjoy the Bent and Ryegrass.
Even with its exclusivity, you can affordably practice golfing for $6 to $16 per bucket, depending on the size. Small bucket with 30 balls goes for $6, while the largest, called Jumbo bucket with 150 balls, costs $16. Jackson Park Driving Range
Learn More Here
6. St. Andrews Golf and Country Club
St. Andrews Golf and Country Club has a 32-acres driving range besides its golf course. The St. Andrews Practice Center has more than 80 grass tees, two chipping greens, and heated hitting bays. The hitting bays are sheltered and individually heated so that you can practice your shots in all seasons.
The practice center also has five golf pros on-site to teach you the best-golfing practices. If you need golf equipment, visit their fully-stocked Pro shop.
The bucket prices are between $7 for the small bucket with 32 balls and $26 for the Jumbo bucket with $180 balls. Junior golfers receive a $1 discount on all bucket sizes; small, medium, and large, and a $2 discount on the Jumbo bucket. Click here f0r more info!
5. Marquette Park
The driving range has 36 holes which are categorized into four sets, nine each. It is open for business every day from 7 am to sunset except on Thursday when it opens at 9 am. The last bucket sale closes one hour before sunset. On Wednesday, the practice center is closed for maintenance at 2 pm.
You will get a large bucket here for $9, but if you have an advantage card, the price is $8. You will enjoy amenities like practice bunkers and water features in the Marquette pack.
4. Harborside International Golf Center
Since 1995, the Harborside International Golf Center has been among the best practice facilities and driving ranges in Chicago. The driving range is located a few minutes from Chicago’s Loop. The facility aims at bringing championship style links golf that is open to the public.
Harborside International Golf Center features two 18-hole courses and practice facilities. Additionally, the golf center has one of the best clubhouses with a restaurant.
Apart from awards that make the facility among the best driving ranges in Chicago, Harborside is also famous for its manicured greens and sculpted fairways. In the past years, Harborside has been among the preferred choices for travelers and locals. To access the driving range, you can make your reservation up to 21 days in advance. If you opt to cancel or modify your reservation, you can do it within 24 hours at no extra charges.
The facility is open from 7am to 8:30 pm from Monday to Sunday. Visit their website here!
3. Fox Bend Golf Course
Fox Bend in Oswego, Illinois, is an 18-hole championship golf course. The golf course has a driving range with two putting greens, a large bunker for practice, and lessons taught by PGA professionals. You can talk about an individual lesson ranging from $55-$200 depending on the time; juniors are given a discount.
Group lessons prices range from $25- $45 per person. The bucket prices in the Fox Bend Driving range are as low as $5 for 30 balls and $8 for the large bucket with 60 balls. The facility also has bucket cards, from 20 bucket cards, $135, 40 bucket cards, $240, and $100 bucket cards for $475.
Hours of operations are dawn till dusk daily except for Monday when the facility opens at 8.30 am, and Sunday closes at 5.30 pm for maintenance.
2. Cantigny Golf Club
Cantigny Golf Academy, which started its operations in 2008, is a great driving range to consider. The driving range has a grass-hitting area of 34,000 square feet, target greens, and covered hitting bays, fitted with climate controllers.
The academy offers extensive golf skills to people of all ages. The lessons are available via video technology, and PGA award-winning golfers are there to train you. You can get all the golfing equipment in their shop, and additional programs like mental coaching and game management are offered.
You can start practicing with a small basket for $7 or a large basket for $14.The hitting bay price for half an hour is $13 and $23 for the entire hour.
The driving range operates from Tuesday to Friday from 10 am-8 pm and 9 am-6 pm on weekends. It is closed on Mondays. Visit website here!
1. Diversey Driving Range
The Diversey Driving Range is a two-story facility with great amenities only found in state-of-the-art driving ranges. Their range is close to the Diversey 18-hole course, where you can practice under the help and guidance of certified golf professionals. Advanced golfers can also immerse themselves into the course to fine-tune their skills.
Another great program offered here is the junior 9-hole program which is ideal for your kids. As you practice golfing, your children will also be trained by PGA professionals. Diversey driving range also has heated indoor stalls that are covered to ensure that even in off-seasons, you can still enjoy golfing.
This driving range will offer a 2-tier range, 72 practice tees, putting and target greens, miniature golfing, and advantage card buckets to wind up on the features. The cost of playing here is $10 for the small bucket to $16 for a large bucket. There is a $1 discount if you have an advantage card.
You can access the facility every day from 7 am to 11 pm. The last bucket sale is closed at 10 pm.
Conclusion
To ace your swings and become a great golfer, you will agree with me that practice and effort are needed. You don’t have to do it alone. In this article, I have reviewed some of the best driving ranges in Chicago. You can interact with other golfers here, enjoy family time in the restaurants, and practice golfing with high-tech golfing equipment. So, what’s the next move? Pick one of these outdoor or indoor driving ranges in Chicago and harness your skills. Happy golfing!
