Range Fee
The range fee is the charge for using the practice facilities, above all the driving range.
The range fee is the practice-side counterpart of the green fee: while the green fee covers playing on the course, with the range fee you pay for practising on the range. How this works varies from facility to facility. Some clubs charge a flat daily rate for range use; at others you only pay for the balls at the machine, often with a chip card or token. At public facilities and short courses, the range fee is often the only charge at all. For members, use is often included in the subscription.
In practice this means: you arrive at a facility as a guest, want to practise for an hour and pay at the ball machine or the club office. An example: a basket of 50 balls for tokens, plus free use of the putting green and chipping area. For try-out golfers without a course certificate the range fee is the cheapest way into the sport, because it requires no handicap and no membership. Some facilities offer taster packages that bundle the range fee, rental clubs and a first hour with a pro.
Typical misconception: the range fee is not an admission ticket to the course. If you want to play on the course you need the green fee and, depending on the facility, a course certificate or a suitable handicap. The reverse also applies: paying the green fee does not automatically include the range — at many facilities the warm-up basket before the round costs extra. The respective conditions are stated on the facility's website or on the noticeboard at the club office.
FAQ
What exactly am I paying for with the range fee?
The range fee covers the use of the practice facilities, above all the range — depending on the facility as a flat daily rate or only via the balls at the machine. The putting green and chipping area are often included. At public facilities the range fee is often the only charge at all.
Is the range fee included in the green fee price?
Usually not — at many facilities the warm-up basket before the round costs extra, even if you have paid the green fee. The reverse also applies: the range fee is not an admission ticket to the course. The exact conditions are on the facility's website or at the club office.
Is the range fee worth it for me as a beginner?
Yes, because for that you need neither a course certificate nor membership nor your own clubs. The range fee is the cheapest way to get to know the sport — many facilities bundle it into taster packages with rental clubs and a first hour with a pro. Further costs only come when you want to play the course.