Best Indoor Driving Ranges In Chicago
Pros agree that deliberate practice is the key to becoming a good, or even great, golfer. It's not just the Postal Service that says "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Rounds of golf, that is. Hit up these local driving ranges that will help you hone your swing no matter what the weather.
McQ's Sports Dome
730 N Bolingbrook Drive
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
(630) 739-7600
www.mcqsdome.com
Andy Mickelson, Director of Golf at Romeoville's Mistwood Golf Club says that "McQ's Sports Dome is unequal to any offering in the Chicagoland area." Of course, there are hitting stations (42); polyurethane "Real Feel" mats; high-quality targets and balls; lessons; flexible hours seven days a week primarily dedicated to golf; and it's economical at around $25 to hit balls per hour. What may set McQ's apart from the others, however, is that it's the only Sports Dome that offers golf, a full-service restaurant and an OTB all on the same facility. The sports bar has been named one of Chicago's Best by WGN-TV and there are two putting greens with 15 holes in total and a fantastic chipping green. It's a great outing for serious golfers as well as casual golfers or groups looking for indoor fun.
White Pines Golf Dome
500 W Jefferson St.
Bensenville, IL 60106
(630) 422-1060
www.whitepinesgolfdome.com
In the words of a certain famous businessman turned politician, "It's yooge!" White Pines is a spacious golf dome (the largest in the area) that offers new practice balls and mats, 48 hitting stations with two levels of play, a 45-foot putting green, a half dozen hitting targets that are suspended as well as for ground level targets and a high-tech virtual golf simulator. Grab a beer and a sandwich, watch a game on television and know that it's always a comfy 65 degrees in the dome.
Play 18
17 N. Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 251-0540
www.play18chicago.com
If you're reading the address and scratching your head wondering, "Where is there a golf facility in the heart of the Loop?" you're not alone. The year-round indoor golf facility has been surprising golf fans with its central downtown location (on the third floor), PGA Tour simulators, locker room, lounge with a full bar, and state-of-the-art, personal driving bays. Utilize swing-analysis technology to improve your swing, or ask one of the experts on staff for tips. You can rent clubs and valet parking is a super easy $10 for four hours.
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Topgolf Wood Dale
699 W. Thorndale Ave.
Wood Dale, IL 60191
(630) 595-4653
topgolf.com
The all-weather venue features bays that are climate-controlled with heaters in the winter and fan misters in the summer. So, during a Chicago winter, it's always fairly balmy at Topgolf. Order food and drinks delivered right to your bay and golf clubs are complimentary on every visit. There are many different golfing games available to all skill levels: choose to work on chipping, putting or your drive. If you want to learn more about the game of golf, as well as get some help with your swing, there are golf lessons with PGA pros. The facilities (another just opened in Naperville) also host fun events for golfers and non-golfers alike, especially near holidays.
Buffalo Grove Park District Golf & Sports Center
801 McHenry Road
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
(847) 353-7575
bgparks.org
Over the years, the Buffalo Grove Golf and Sports Center has been named as the best golf dome in North America by Golf Range Magazine. "Since eliminating their indoor specific category a couple of years ago, the facility has been one of the few domes to crack their list of top 100 ranges," explains Mike Terson of the BGPD. "With 32 hitting stations that feature a realistic synthetic grass surface, a putting green and a separate chipping green with two sand bunkers, a full service pro shop, and a variety of snacks available, you won't find a better indoor golf practice facility in the entire Chicago area than the Buffalo Grove Golf and Sports Center."
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Jacky Runice has been a columnist with the Daily Herald Chicago since grunge music and flannel was the new black. Her fingers and gray matter have been busy as travel editor of Reunions Magazine; penning a column that was syndicated around the nation via Tribune Media Services. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
