Gettin' In The Swing -- Driving Ranges Make It Easy, Fun To Learn About Golf

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack-thwack-thwack!

A dozen golfers line the ball-dotted field of the Jefferson Park Driving Range, and the sound of clubs hitting balls is almost nonstop. In the distance, across the rolling grass and over the shimmering Beacon Hill reservoir, you can see the skyscrapers of downtown Seattle and the snow-topped Olympic Mountains.

Mickey Richards takes a ball from her wire bucket of 45 and sets it on a tee sunk in a mat of artificial turf. She picks up a club, swings back carefully, checks her form, then THWACK, the ball sails across the grass.

But Richards, who hasn't been on a golf course in a decade, isn't happy with where it lands, near the 50-yard marker instead of out beyond 100 yards.

"I forget, you're supposed to use an iron for short drives and a wood driver for longer - or is it the other way around?" she ponders.

"I'm just a duffer, but it sure feels good to be out here."

Duffers, experienced golfers and raw beginners can be found side-by-side at a growing number of golf driving ranges locally and across the country.

Some come with their kids - it would make a great Father's Day outing - or golfing buddies. Others come alone to learn the game, practice their swings or just have fun hitting some balls.

It's an affordable and fun outing that began as practice for traditional golf, but now has many devotees - some of whom rarely head for a course.

Golf expertise doesn't much matter at ranges, and unlike upscale courses, there is no dress code. You'll see as many people in jeans and jogging shoes as in golf shirts and tassled shoes.

"Golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the country; almost anyone can play it," says Steve Stoia, manager of RedWood Golf Center, a range on the edge of the Sammamish River Valley in Redmond. "But not everyone has the money or time to play a full game regularly, out on a course."

Today, green fees cost at least $12 for nine holes at most courses and can top $40 for 18 holes at some locations. Also, a full game of golf can take more than five hours, if the pace of play is slow. You often need reservations, and at many area courses it's often impossible to get a good tee-time unless you book days in advance.

But at most of the area's more than 20 driving ranges, you can shoot a bucket of balls, day or evening, usually without a wait. A small bucket, about 45 balls, starts at $2.50 at some ranges. Big buckets, about 75 balls, go for $4 to $6. Need a club? Some places lend them; others rent them for a dollar or two.

Some people spend 30 minutes, others come for hours and buckets of balls.

"It's cheaper than the video arcade and it's a real sport itself," says Tom Wattum, who was at the Golf Park in Kent one recent afternoon. "I come to play, and to watch and hopefully learn from the guys who are better than me."

Two stations down, Rick Masse loosens his tie and talks about tension.

"I'm in sales, it's intense. Between appointments, when I need to do something aggressive, I head for a range and hit a few pails."

Most ranges have their own professional instructors on staff to give group and private lessons, for fees that vary by facility, but can be $20 to $40 for 30 minutes. Some of the ranges have video setups where your swings can be taped, critiqued and taken home to study, for $15 to $45.

Some ranges are attached to golf courses; others are independent. Some, like Maplewood Golf Course Driving Range in Renton, are publicly owned; others are private businesses. Most have pro shops selling equipment and clothing, and many have snack bars or restaurants. Some open as early as 6 a.m. and stay open until 10 p.m. Some, like the University of Washington Driving Range and Jefferson Park, have been around for decades; others are relatively new.

One of those newcomers is Kent's Golf Park, where a 115-foot-high, 240-yard-long fence towers above South King County's Highway 167. Its huge field is artificial turf. People hit balls from the 91 stalls (32 are heated) day or evening, in most kinds of weather. There are a variety of greens and targets to aim at, with plenty of sand "bunkers" and water hazards to avoid. Last month, a 9-hole putting green was added next to the busy deli, and there are junior golf camps scheduled through early August.

Southcenter Golf, a large grass-field range with a spiffy two-decked clubhouse and espresso bar, opened this spring about a mile south of its namesake shopping center. It's nestled at the foot of a forested hill below Interstate 5. The hitting stalls look out over a picturesque llama ranch - beyond its tall fences.

Up north in Woodinville, there's a much folksier feel at Gold Creek Tennis and Sports Club, where the driving range is open to the public but the other Gold Creek facilities are private. It's set amidst acres of real grass, so it doesn't need all the big fences to close it in.

Rick Nguyen and his 7-year-old son, Ronnie, drive balls at Gold Creek and other area ranges regularly.

"We're learning to play; we try to come once a week, for maybe an hour," the father says as he watches Ronnie's balls go successively farther and farther afield. "Then together we're going to play real golf for the first time, on vacation."

Ronnie concentrates on a straight, high drive, then shoulders his club and grins.

"This is real golf too, Dad. We're still gonna come play every week, right?"

----------------------------------------------------.

IF YOU GO

There are more than 20 golf driving ranges in the area where you can shoot a bucket of balls. Here's where to find those mentioned in this story. You'll find more listed under Golf Practice Ranges in the telephone Yellow Pages:

Golf Park, 9116 S. 212th St., Kent, 850-8300.

Gold Creek Tennis and Sports Club, 15327 140th Place N.E., Woodinville, 487-1090.

Jefferson Park Municipal Golf Course Driving Range, 4101 Beacon Ave. S., Seattle, 763-8989.

Maplewood Golf Course Driving Range, 4050 Maple Valley Highway, Renton, 277-4444.

RedWood Golf Center, 13029 Redmond-Woodinville Road N.E., Redmond, 869-8814.

Southcenter Golf, 18791 Southcenter Parkway, Tukwila, 575-7797.

University of Washington Driving Range, off Union Bay Place Northeast and Clark Road, 543-8759.