Driving Range vs. Golf Course – Which is Better for Your Game?

When I was young, I was a range rat. I could spend hours working on the driving range, and I thought it was fun. A lot of my practice transferred to the golf course.

However, when I started playing more often is when my scores started to drop. It led me to believe that there is a certain combination of driving range vs. playing at a golf course that makes you a better player.

Let’s look at what is better for you, driving range vs. golf course, and the changes you can make to encourage both experiences to make you a better player.

Driving Range vs Playing at a Golf Course (Key Takeaways)

If you don’t have time to read about all of the differences between a driving range and playing at the course, here are a few key takeaways.

• Turf interaction matters; if your driving range is mats only, it’s hard to carry all that you are learning out to the golf course.
• Driving ranges are much wider than you think; what looks like a good shot may not be one on the golf course.
• A driving range is for skills practice, whereas the golf course is for implementation.
• The bottom line is that the best golfers combine driving range and golf course play for the best overall learning experience.

Differences Between Driving Range vs Playing at a Golf Course

For many golfers, finding time to practice your game on the golf course can be hard.

This isn’t due to your work schedule or family commitments but instead to the tee time schedule.

A combination of practicing on the driving range and the golf course is best, as it will lead to you becoming a more well-rounded player.

Here are the main differences between driving range vs. golf course. The more you understand these, the easier it is to make your practice and play time more effective.

Turf and Practice Conditions

Many driving ranges have mats for golfers to hit from. The mats are much easier to maintain than real turf, and they help keep the pricing for a bucket of balls down.

On the golf course, we get real turf.

There is, without a doubt, a difference between real turf and mats.

Mats are more forgiving on any given iron shot (the club will bounce right through to the ball). However, mats can also cause long-term issues with hand and wrist pain.

Whenever possible, look for a place to hit some iron and wedge shots from grass turf. The difference in feel and how that plays into your mental game are factors that can’t be overlooked.

Cost

The driving range is cheap compared to the golf course. Sometimes a bucket of golf balls costs around $10, making it easy to justify spending on your golf game. However, when looking at costs, we also have to consider value.

The driving range may be cheap, but it’s certainly not the same experience as being out on the course.

However, for golfers on a budget, getting to practice a few days a week with the addition of a driving range session is well worth the extra $10 or $20 it may cost. There is a big difference between affording an extra bucket vs. affording a $90 round of golf.

Accessibility

How hard is it to get a tee time near you?

For many golfers, the accessibility of playing a practice round on the golf course is very limited. You may find that you are restricted until about 4:00 in the afternoon because of other play going on throughout the day.

The driving range almost always has a slot open for you to practice and work on your game.

I like to avoid the golf course sometimes on those really busy holidays and jam-packed tee time days and dedicate a day to practice. When everyone is off the course the next day, head out there and spend some on course practice time.

The Mental Game and Course Management

The better you get at golf, the more you will realize the importance of the mental game.

When you are on the driving range, it’s very easy to practice the motions of what you are trying to accomplish in your game.

You may hit shots that improve wrist action, balance your weight, shallow your swing plane, etc. However, when you get out to the course and have a 75-yard shot that you need to hit close to save par, it’s really not quite the same.

Course management is a difficult skill to learn without a lot of practice. I’ve met some golfers that were very good at visualization and could use that to enhance their driving range practice.

Practice on the course puts you in the right situation at the right time, and your brain will make connections and learn.

My suggestion here is to do the best you can to improve things like visualization on the driving range so it feels more like the golf course.

Don’t hit 100 drivers in a row. Instead, hit one, followed by a 7 iron and a chip. Think about it as if you were playing your actual course.

Time Commitment

Years ago, the PGA of America did a study to determine the health and the future of the game.

One of the most important takeaways from this study was that golf took too long.

People simply didn’t have the time to play golf and accomplish everything else they needed to in a day.

We saw a push for more 9-hole courses and even some courses that split their 18-hole loop into three 6-hole loops to accommodate golfers who had about an hour to an hour and a half to play golf.

The golf course takes much more of your time, making it a tough choice for time-strapped players. If you are short on time and the driving range is your only choice. It’s fine.

Dress Code/Convenience

Some driving ranges have a dress code that matches the golf course dress code. However, others don’t have a dress code at all.

I love the dress code in golf and feel like it makes a difference to keep people wearing clothing that unholds the traditions of the game.

However, if I’m out at the grocery store or on my way home from work, if I can stop at the range without having to change, it’s very convenient.

The driving range itself offers convenience in a way that the golf course cannot.

Golf Balls

We all know the classic white or yellow golf balls with the big black stripe around the belly of the ball. Driving ranges are notorious for using terrible golf balls from an affordability standpoint.

Did you know that when PGA Tour professionals warm up on a driving range, they are most likely using Pro V1 golf balls or even something like a Chrome Soft?

I could go on for hours about the importance of playing golf with the correct golf ball (I’ll spare you that), but understand the way the ball feels and flies is different with a range ball than the golf balls you play with on the course.

Also, some driving ranges have limited flight golf balls to discourage people hitting the ball out of the driving range. If that is your situation, be very careful about recording distances on the range, they will be thrown off when you get to the course.

People and Distractions

Golf is a social game, but sometimes the driving range can be distracting. You may be trying to work on something while a golfer has a cell phone ringing and another has a launch monitor yelling out his yardages to him.

If you want a quiet and undisturbed practice session on the range, it can be a little hard to find.

On the golf course, people are more courteous about their noise and ensure they are quiet while you swing. If you are easily distracted, keep that in mind.

Pros and Cons of Driving Range vs Golf Course

As you can tell from our recap of the driving range and the golf course, practice sessions are a bit different. However, I’ve never really given you the full rundown on which is better.

Why?

The driving range and golf course are both good, and you need both to become a great player.

Here are the pros and cons of driving range vs. golf course practice.

Pros of Driving Range

• Lots of accessibility
• Does not matter what your level (beginner to advanced)
• Fair pricing
• All weather play (covered ranges?)
• Ability to work on drills and use technology like HackMotion
• A good way to get exercise
• Very convenient

Cons of Driving Range

• Very often has mats to hit off of
• Golf balls are not as good
• It can be difficult to transfer learning from range to the course

Pros of Golf Course

• Improved environment (open space, nature, ability to move around, etc.)
• Can work on course management
• Faced with a variety of lies
• Won’t be hitting the same shot over and over
• Improves mental game for future tournaments and rounds

Cons of Golf Course

• Expensive
• Availability can be tough
• Not as convenient as the driving range

Is it Better to Practice on the Driving Range or Course?

It is more effective to practice on the golf course, but you need a combination of on course and driving range practice to be a great player.

If the driving range was unimportant, we would not see professionals working on their games for hours on end.

What do these top-tier players work on out there?

• Ball striking
• Setup
• Stance
• Turf interaction (with grass)
• Working the ball
• Ironing out any new swing thoughts

However, to implement all of this information, they then head out to the golf course to do.

Golf professionals do not stand on the driving range day in and day out and just hit shots. They warm up, work on some things and head to the course.

We can all learn from this to create the perfect play and practice routine.

Why do I Hit Well at Driving Range but Not on Course?

The driving range has very little, if not zero, pressure for golfers. It’s easier to hit a shot straight when there is no water down your left side or trees lining the right side of the fairway.

You can swing through with much more confidence at the range because the shot’s end result does not matter much to you. On the golf course, we start to try and control and place the ball instead of swinging freely.

It took me a lot of time to convince myself that the driving range was a complete waste if I didn’t head to the course and use what I had learned. Once it’s time for a round, don’t worry about trying to place the ball around the course; swing with that same confidence you have on the course.

How Can I Maximize Practice Time at a Driving Range?

Golf technology is the best way to maximize and capitalize on your practice time at a driving range.

Blindly hitting shot after shot without choosing targets, a swing thought, or a plan is just a form of exercise. Incorporate a tool like HackMotion into your driving range session to see a major difference in performance.

HackMotion can measure your wrist angles throughout your swing and give you real-time information to make adjustments.

It’s like having a swing coach with you on the driving range for a significantly reduced cost.

In addition, I would look into some alignment sticks to ensure you are setting up the way you should. Incorporating just a few things to help with understanding and brain connections maximizes your practice time.

FAQs

What is the difference between a driving range and golf course balls?

The driving range golf balls are almost always one or two piece golf balls that are designed for durability. You won’t get much spin from these balls; they are supposed to fly for quite some time.

Most driving ranges do a good job of replacing their golf balls every few years, but the trouble here is that it won’t have the same feel and performance as you expect with the golf ball you play on the course.

As long as you are expecting and preparing for that slight difference, this is not a problem you will have a hard time overcoming.

Is it good to practice at driving range?

Golf driving range practice is important to become a great player. You can’t possibly work on everything you need to work on in your game during a normal 18-hole round. Practice at a driving range to improve your ball striking, and practice golf at home to become a better overall player.

How many balls should you hit at a driving range for practice?

A new player may hit 20 balls and feel accomplished, and a lower handicap player or professional may hit 100 balls.

Try to remember that during a course of a golf round, an average golfer shoots about 90. Assuming 30 of these are putts, that is about 60 shots. Hitting more than that at a driving range may bring up some fatigue.

Should I limit my time on the driving range?

Only limit your time at the driving range if you feel that your practice is no longer effective. If you are still hitting great shots and seeing improvement, stay as long as you like. When you start getting tired, the swing gets lazy and bad shots will creep up. (That’s when it’s time to go!)

Final Thoughts

I’ve found a perfect combination of on course and driving range practice. I try to spend about an hour on the range for every two rounds of golf. If I’m trying to work on a specific issue, that time on the range increases.

Pay close attention to when you are playing your best golf and how often you are practicing; chances are there is a relationship between the two that you can tap into and learn from.