How safe are driving ranges?

Horror stories of unsupervised children

Bob Warters
Fri, 16 May 2008
How safe are driving ranges?

golf ranges
Are ranges safe for our kids?

With half term approaching for millions of schoolchildren, many parents will be looking to golf as an activity to keep them occupied.

Already this week Golfmagic has identified that Glendale Golf is introducing free lessons for kids at seven of its centres and we've asked on the forum if GM members know of similar opportunities during the holiday period.

However, concerns have been raised that golf courses and ranges are not safe places for young children to roam unsupervised and some horror stories have emerged.

At one range a parent left two under fives unattended for more than 20 minutes while he went in search of range balls and one of the children started to venture forward out of the bay before a concerned golfer hauled her out of danger.

Another incident concerned a group of children whose non-golfing parents were so engrossed in their own conversation nearby they didn't spot a youngster walk into the next bay and receive an accidental glancing blow on the head from a stray club.

driving ranges
Improperly dressed or not?

Noisy driving ranges, swinging metal clubs, 100 mph golf balls and young children and parents blind to the dangers are not places where non-golfers should be left unattended. However, during the up-coming holiday period, while encouraging those curious to find out what golf's about, we should all remain vigilant and alert on their behalf.

Tell us you experiences of the safety or otherwise of driving ranges and golf courses. Give us your opinions too on whether ranges should demand some kind of dress code to retain the integrity of the game. If we're in for a hot summer, should topless golfers like these be encouraged?