New Practice Range Ball Dispenser Now Open

The Club is pleased to announce that the new Ball Dispensing Unit at the Practice Range is now open for business, following the completion of this major work project by our team.

Members will have noticed the work taking place at the range over the past few months, preparing for the arrival of the new dispensing unit. This has involved the Greenkeeping team of Stevie, Jacob, Lewis and Jack installing a new water supply, fitting a drainage point and preparing the surrounding area for the installation of a new shed to house the dispenser.

The ball dispenser unit was then housed in the new shed. It comes in 3 distinct pieces, designed to make it more efficient for our volunteer ball collectors. The shed will protect the dispenser against the worst of the weather and prevent any freezing of the dispenser, avoiding the issues we have seen over the past few years when the old dispenser was inoperable in the coldest of temperatures. A volunteer team, led by Neil MacIntyre, have also kindly painted the shed, and our thanks go to everyone who has helped with this project.

For those interested in the technical details of the unit, it works as follows: the balls are tipped into a special hopper, which cleans and washes the range balls, from there they drop into an elevator which then dispatches them into the ball dispenser, ensuring the laborious task of hand washing and manhandling the balls is done automatically. The balls are then ready to be dispensed.

Golfers now have 3 options available to purchase balls:

1. Single Tokens
These are available to purchase from the Golf Shop and the Bar at a cost of £3 for 40 balls

2. A Club Tap and Dispense Card
This provides members an opportunity to load a set number of credits on a card, purchased from the Golf Shop. This card can then be topped up at any time when your credits run low. There will be no need for physical tokens for card holders, you simply tap your card on the front panel of the dispenser.

A special offer of 10 credits for the price of 8 will run until the end of May 2025. One credit costs £3.

3. An Annual Range Card
For those of you who wish to buy an annual card, this is available for £110 in the Golf Shop.

The Club has made a significant investment in the new ball machine, which we hope will improve the logistics of our practice facilities and further enhance the experience for members and visitors alike. The driving range is a good income stream for the club, while also bringing new golfers into the game and adding value to our membership offering.