New Artificial Hitting Stations Installed on the Farm Range
We are pleased to announce the installation of ten new Turf Hound artificial hitting mats on the Farm Course’s primary range tee. This improvement enhances the overall practice experience while helping us better protect and preserve turf quality throughout the year.
Background and Need for the Upgrade
When the Farm Course renovation was completed in 2009, the expanded range tee—totaling 60,000 square feet—was a major upgrade from the original 10,000-square-foot surface. At that time, this increase was expected to provide more than enough space to maintain high-quality turf conditions year-round. For several years, this proved to be true.
However, two important changes have taken place since then:
Increased Usage
Golf rounds have steadily risen over the past decade, and practice facility usage has increased at an even faster pace. This higher volume of traffic places significantly more stress on the natural turf.
Reduced Teeing Space
The addition of the teaching center and indoor hitting bays in 2017 brought valuable instructional resources—but also reduced available turf hitting space by approximately 20,000 square feet, or one‑third of the teeing area. Due to safety concerns created by the building’s orientation, this portion of the turf is no longer usable for regular practice.
Together, these factors—more usage and less tee space—have resulted in turf conditions that are difficult to maintain during the off-season and early spring, when grass recovery is slow or nonexistent.
Quality: Selecting the Best Mats Available
To ensure an exceptional practice experience, GCC selected Turf Hound mats for the project. Turf Hound is widely regarded as one of the premier artificial hitting surface manufacturers in the industry, providing a realistic feel that closely replicates natural turf.
Quantity: Expanded Hitting Capacity
The new installation includes:
- 10 new artificial hitting stations on the primary range tee
- 3 existing stations inside the teaching center
This creates a total of 13 high‑quality hitting stations, offering ample capacity during winter months while reducing wear on natural turf.
Seasonal Schedule and Member Use
To protect the range tee and ensure strong turf conditions heading into spring, members will be required to hit off mats during the months of December through February.
Exceptions include:
- Holidays
- Saturdays with shotgun starts
During these times, mat use may not be practical for all players. Additionally, if unexpected warm-weather periods occur and we anticipate increased member usage, staff will evaluate conditions and may allow practice on natural turf when appropriate.
