A Visit to Diversey Driving Range

If you haven’t been to this gem on the lake you’re missing out. Arctic winds gusting off the water, long waits anytime the temperature tips over 55 degrees, and a pair of war-torn greens are unmistakable features of the only driving range in the heart of Chicago. Just kidding, this is one of my favorite places to hit. It really feels like you're a part of the city here.

I drove (my car) up here the other day to see what little golf skills I possessed before the winter remained. I bombed a few with my driver, but my 7 iron, which is usually my most consistent striking club, just couldn’t find clean contact. Anyway I thought I’d share a few pics, this is one of the rare times I visited the range and there weren’t that many people.

First thing I noticed as I left the parking lot were these fellas:

You’ll see plenty of guys and gals with clubs stuck in backpacks coming and going from the range on bikes. The full-baggers are a rare breed though. The cunning and wits of a grey fox, the balance of a jungle cat, they've got it all. And, I like to think he stuck a few of his buddy’s clubs in his bag. Hats off to you good sir, I hope you made it home ok.

A look inside the club house. They have some cool Chicago themed gear, snacks, and for $25 you can also get your “Player’s Advantage” card here, which gives you discounts at the range and all the Chicago Park District courses.

Fun fact, the driving range is open every day of the year. They even have a heated tent area covering a few stalls for the winter. Keeps the wind out but you may get a little sting in the hands if you chunk it like me.

Here’s my setup. I found an open bay pretty quickly, but when it comes to swinging I could not find any of the pins down range. 

Chalk it up to the first time out of the year, the cold, or maybe I just need some more lessons. Anyway I hit a bucket out and then packed it up. 

I took a tour of the upper deck as I always do before leaving. The views of the skyline and Diversey Harbor are quite nice anytime of year!

So that’s my update and my plug for the Diversey driving range. If you’re ever in the city and need to swing away this is the place to do it. It does get crowded in the evenings and in the summer, and you have to pay for parking which is limited, but hey once the Back9 launches you won’t have to worry about that!