New driving range under construction at Columbia golf course

Twenty-year-old Isaac Baker has been playing golf since junior high school. The Columbia native said he considers the Lake of the Woods golf course to be his home course.

“[Hole] seven is really hard because it’s a very long par three and it’s uphill,” he said. “Six, I think, is rated the hardest on the course because it’s kind of a narrow hole. It’s a dogleg, it’s over water and you can’t miss on your tee shot left or right; it’s dangerous.”

Baker said practicing or warming up before battling the harder holes is beneficial and he’s excited that the course is getting a driving range.

“I’m really glad that it’s happening because it changes Lake of the Woods from just a golf course to a full golf facility,” he said. “You’re able to practice there without playing around and you’re also able to warm up before.”

Parks and Recreation officials said the new range will bring more golfers to the course because of the ability to practice.

“When you have a big tournament and a company outing, people want to warm up before they play and they need a driving range to warm up,” said Parks and Recreation director Mike Griggs.

The driving range is under construction on the north side of the course and will cover 15 acres of land. The construction includes grading, grass tee construction, irrigation and cart path installation.

It’s expected to cost about $17,000 and the money will come from a golf course improvement fee that all golfers pay before they play.

The range is expected to generate about $35,000 extra per year for the Parks and Recreation Department.

“It’s a good course,” Baker said. “This is where we host most of the tournaments but I think having a driving range will bring more people out.”

You can view the plans for the new driving range here.