5 driving ranges in Charlotte to satisfy your golf craving

Looking to tee it up at a driving range around Charlotte? Here’s a quick breakdown for every golfer.

Below are Charlotte’s five driving ranges and details on pricing, hours, hitting areas, and location.

(1) Leatherman Golf Learning Center

No. 1 overall driving range

Charlotte’s quintessential driving range, Leatherman has 34 automatic-teeing stations with mats (10 cover and 10 on second story sun deck), a spacious Bermuda grass hitting area, large putting green, chipping and short game area, and a miniature putt putt course. It’s popular and don’t be surprised to see every hitting area taken, especially on the weekends and after work.

Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Yes, there are lights so you can practice at night. The exact address is 5845 S. Tryon, about a 10 minute drive from Uptown without traffic.

Bucket Pricing: 35 balls ($6), 60 balls ($9), 90 balls ($12), and 125 balls ($15). Leatherman also offers discount range cards along with beer and bucket specials.

(2) Dr. Charles L. Sifford Golf Course & Practice Facility

Best hidden gem driving range

The facility is just over one mile from Uptown and South End. I’m a huge fan of the spacious, all-grass driving range. In addition to the range, Dr. Charles L. Sifford also has a large putting and chipping area and a fun 9-hole golf course. It’s home to First Tee of Charlotte.

Hours: Monday through Sunday, “sun up to sun down” are the official hours, which I love. Note that the range closes early (5 p.m.) on Wednesday so that they can cut the grass and opens late on Thursday mornings (9 a.m.).

Bucket Pricing: Approximately 45 balls ($9) and 65 balls ($11).

(3) Westwood Driving Range

Best old-school driving range

This driving range is about the exact opposite of Topgolf — they don’t have have a website and when you pull in from Beatties Ford Road, you won’t even be sure if it’s open (pay attention as it’s easy to miss the sign). Golf lovers will appreciate its no-frills purity.

Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The exact address is 5604 Beatties Ford Road, about a 10 minute drive north from Uptown without any traffic.

Bucket Pricing: Approximately 30 balls ($4), 80 balls ($8), 120 balls ($12), 150 balls ($15). The sign on the wall reads, “effective January 1, 2016” so prices have resisted inflationary pressure.

(4) The Golf Village

Best grass driving range attached to a brewery

The Golf Village is located in Pineville, just behind Middle James Brewing (perfect for a beer after your range session). The spacious driving range has around 25 grass hitting areas, a practice green for putting/chipping, and stadium lights for evening practice. There’s also a 9 hold par 3 course to the left of the range.

Hours: Open 11: 30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The exact location is 400 North Polk Street.

Bucket Pricing: 104 balls ($13), 78 balls ($11), and 52 balls ($8)

(5) Topgolf

Best driving range to party

You’ve probably been to Topgolf — it’s definitely more of an experience than a true driving range. Topgolf Charlotte has over 100 climate-controlled bays, 200 TVs, rooftop fire pit, and a full service restaurant and bar. It gets expensive, but it’s fun. There’s a new Topgolf facility planning to open soon in University City.

Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. Closed on Sunday. The exact location is 8024 Savoy Corporate Drive.

Pricing: Cost is per bay (up to six players). On a Saturday, a bay is $27/hr from 10 a.m. to noon, $37/hr from noon to 5 p.m., and $49/hr from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Other days are a bit less expensive and Tuesday is half price. You can reserve a bay in advance. And there is an additional $5 one-time membership fee for new players.

Agenda related golf guides:10 best public golf courses in Charlotte and 10 best country clubs in Charlotte.