Home on the range
During a post-round interview at the fun and family-oriented 2025 PNC Championship, 86-year-old golfing legend Lee Trevino expressed his absolute love for the game of golf. Although age has limited the number of full rounds Trevino is able to play, he still has limitless energy to hit balls at the driving range. Lee elaborated, “I would live on a driving range today. If you put a bed and a tent on a driving range, I would sleep there. And if I got up at midnight, I would put a candle on and hit low wedge shots somewhere.” Well, Lee, if you could squeeze another bed into that tent, I hope you don’t mind some driving-range company.
After all, why battle the golf course with all its trickery, mystery and chaos when you can effortlessly stripe ball after ball at the driving range — the Land of Make-Believe, the Cradle of Heightened Expectations, the Home of Second Chances and Overachievement? Unlimited buckets, perfect lies, no lost balls, no missed 3-footers, no penalties, no hazards, no pitches, no chips, no chili-dips and a 100-yard-wide hitting area — heck, they even have multiple target flags so you can convince yourself, as well as any curious bystanders, that you were aiming at whichever one was closest to where your last shot landed.
With the proper attitudinal adjustment, it is virtually impossible to hit a poor shot at the range — a misdirected shanked shot that rolls only 25 yards can be camouflaged as intentional practice for that recovery cut shot we occasionally need out on the course. There’s no doubt that a golfer hitting balls at the driving range is like a kid at Walt Disney World — with a Lightning Lane Premier Pass included.
What, you wonder, is the attraction? Why are all these players at the practice range? Most likely, many are trying to correct a swing fault that developed right after they fixed last week’s swing fault, which suddenly emerged right after they corrected the swing fault they had the previous week. The game of golf is a never-ending challenge, and even the very best are always searching for improvement.
There are certain inevitabilities in life — the sun will come out tomorrow, we have to pay taxes, and we’re going to hit the ball well at the driving range. With the physical benefit of a good golf workout, as well as the mental benefits of calming relaxation and a boost in confidence, there’s nothing like walking off the range knowing that, for at least a few minutes, you were “Busy Being Fabulous” (Eagles) and you were “Simply the Best” (Tina Turner). Hopefully, our well-spent time at the driving range will also result in the most cherished benefit of all — shaving a stroke or two off our next round.
