According to research, it only takes 15 minutes a day to learn, develop, and improve a skill. Golf is no different. Practicing the game of golf is necessary if you want to get the most out of your weekend rounds and enjoy the game a bit more with better shots and lower scores. Here are some of the best driving ranges within driving distance of Boston. Unfortunately, not many of these places are accessible through public transportation.
Outdoor Ranges
Being on the Muni Tour means that not many of the courses you will play will have a full practice facility, and that means no driving range. Most outdoor driving ranges are at private golf clubs. However, there are a limited amount of outdoor golf driving ranges within the Boston Metro area. Here are some of the best that I have been to:
1. Stone Meadow (Lexington, MA)
Stone Meadow offers both mats and real grass to hit off when using the range. The ranges from $7-$14. The best part is after you buy your balls, you can top them off, so you may actually get more balls than the approximate number in each bucket. Is there any better value than that? Stone Meadow also has a practice green for chipping and putting and a Par 3 course attached to it. So, after you are done hitting balls at the range you can practice around their green or walk the Par 3 and hone your short game. Price: $7 (50 balls) - Great Value for $10 (80 balls) – $14 (120 balls) Turf: Real grass and mats for customers. Practice Green: Yes, however, it is only free if you pay to play the Par 3 course.
2. Brookline Golf Course (Brookline, MA)
Brookline Golf Course built a beautiful range a few years ago. This was money well spent given that they are only one of two practice ranges close enough for city dwellers to use. They also placed an outdoor bar for customers to use while they hit golf balls or warm-up. Located nearby is their practice green, where you can take your bucket before going to the range and practice your short game. This range, however, can only be enjoyed during the day as it is not open at night.
Price: $5 (35 balls) -$10 (70 balls)-$20 (140 balls)
Turf: Mats only.
Practice Green: Yes.
3. McGolf (Dedham, MA)
McGolf was once the only public range near Boston. That was before Granite Links, and Brookline Golf Course added their practice facilities. Open all year long, McGolf offers covered bays for hitting in the winter and in the summer. They also have a ball loader that will automatically tee up every ball for you with different tee heights. Newly added to the range is the TopTracer ball flight tracking. So now, customers are getting the benefits of hitting outside with data typically seen in golf simulators. Lastly, there is a Mini-Golf course attached to the driving range.
Price: $10/bucket
Turf: Mats Only.
Practice Green: Yes, however the practice green is only for members.
4. Granite Links (Quincy, MA)
Granite Links offers a vast driving range that is open to the public with two practice greens. Soak in views of Boston from on top of the old granite quarry while hitting golf balls or practicing your short game. With easy access from Boston and Interstate 93, Granite Links is the most popular spot for people to hit golf balls. Typically the golf bays are filled up as people gather to hit golf balls after work. Recently they added more a lounge feel with outside service from their indoor/outdoor bar. You will not have to worry about getting there before sundown as they have lights as the people get lit after dark.
Price: $15/bucket
Turf: Mats Only for the general public. There is a grass area to hit off but it is rarely open to the public.
Practice Green: Two practice greens, one with two tiers and one that is flatter.
5. Leo J. Martin Memorial Golf Course (Weston, MA)
Leo J. is another place that you can practice driving golf balls. They offer a standard range that is in the middle of the front 9. The field is mats only, and there is a practice green. There are not any lights on the range, so there is no use of the range at night.
Price: $3 (25 balls) - $7 (60 balls) - $10 (90 balls)
Turf: Mats only.
Practice Green: Yes.
6. Kohr Golf
Kohr Golf is probably one of the most state-of-the-art places to practice golf near Boston. They may have only had mats for non-members and a "putting only" gree for non-members, but they have many targets to aim with greens to hone your distance control. There is a members-only practice area that has bunkers and multiple chipping locations that you can pay to play.
Price: $12 - Single Bucket (60 balls) - $16 Medium Bucket (90 Balls) - $20 Double Bucket (120 Balls) - $15 Putting/Chipping Green -Day Access
Turf: Mats only for non-members
Practice Green: Yes, but only putting for non-members.
Indoor Ranges
Since there are so few outdoor driving ranges, I have looked for other ways to get the practice I desire for my golf game. Even though these are indoor, they can still help any golfer improve their game. Since technology has grown over the last few years, it enabled golfers to see unique insights into their games that were not possible before.
1. PGA Tour Superstore (Braintree, Ma or Peabody, MA)
The PGA Tour Superstore offers both golf simulators and an indoor driving range featuring the new GC Hawk overhead launch monitor. This monitor is better than the floor launch monitor that required stickers to collect data more accurately. If you want to try out the range, it is typically free for first-time users for 30 minutes. Otherwise, its 30 minutes for $10, or you can purchase a yearly membership for $150, which includes other benefits to the PGA Tour Superstore. Also, they have an indoor putting green that you can use to try new putters or use your own on when you cannot practice outside.
Price: $10 for 30 minutes or $150 for a year membership.
2. Top Golf Swing Suite (Banners Kitchen and Tap, North End, Boston, MA)
They have indoor bays that simulate a Top golf driving range. Additionally, people can play hockey, football, baseball, soccer, zombie dodgeball, and carnival games while lounging, watching sports, or enjoying some food and drinks.
Price: $150/hour for one golf bay
3. Braintree Municipal Golf Course (Braintree, MA)
Braintree Municipal recently up their offseason game with two new Trackman golf simulators. The graphics are the best I have seen, and you get some of the most accurate data from your swing.
Price: $50/hour for one golf bay
4. Pure Drive (Woburn, MA)
Pure Drive is another place that offers Trackman Golf Simulators for virtual golf rounds.
Price: $45/hour for one golf bay.
5. The Clubhouse Golf and Entertainment (Middleton, MA)
The Clubhouse offers PGA Tour About Golf Simulators with the most extensive selection of to select from. They have 10 golf bays for up to eight people while also offering table tennis, table shuffleboard, cornhole, darts, and a bar.
Price: $50/hour for one golf bay.
6. CityGolf Boston (Downtown Boston, MA)
CityGolf Boston is located in downtown Boston and has 3 BoGolf Simulators for $55 an hour.
Price: $55/hour for a golf bay
7. Big Sticks Golf (Burlington, MA)
Big Sticks has two AboutGolf Tour Simulators for virtual golf and one launch monitor bay to practice your golf game.
Price: $35/hour for a golf bay with launch monitor and video
$30/hour for a golf bay with a launch monitor
These are most of the practice facilities in and around Boston. There may be others that are missing from this list. If so, share your favorite place to practice so I can share it with others.
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