MISSION VIEJO : Golf Driving Range to Open at College

Nearly 12 years after it was first proposed, a state-of-the-art golf driving range for students and South County golfers will open at Saddleback College.

The $2.4-million range, slated to open in mid-January on a 16-acre campus site near the football stadium, is expected to raise about $145,000 in much-needed revenue during its first year alone, officials said.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” said Keith Calkins, dean of physical education and athletics. “It’s very functional. It will be a wonderful thing for the community. It will bring students back on campus.”

Until now, the 600 students taking beginning, intermediate and advanced golf classes each semester have had to practice their hitting, chipping and pitching skills at other golf courses, Calkins said. There will also be more golf classes offered with the opening of the range.

The lighted range is designed to serve students at one end and the public at the other, Calkins said. There will be 40 hitting stations at each end.

On the public end, a private golf management company, Donovan Management Co. of Santa Ana, will manage the commercial operation, including a pro shop, concession stands and restrooms. The student end will include classroom and faculty office space. The driving range on the student end will be 300 feet long, while the range on the public end will be up to 525 feet long.

In addition to the driving range and putting greens, the site includes a lighted softball field and grass volleyball courts.

During the recent election campaign, the driving range came under fire from some faculty members and district trustee candidates who said college officials should focus on trying to restore funds cut from academic programs.

College officials, however, defend the range, saying it has been under consideration for years and was funded entirely through bonds.

“Not one dime of taxpayers’ money went to pay for the facility,” said William Kelly, vice chancellor of administrative services for the Saddleback Community College District.

Since there are only a handful of public driving ranges in South County, officials expect that the range, with its inexpensive rates, will be in demand. Golfers will pay $4 to $6 to hit a bucket of at least 70 balls on the range, Kelly said. Students who wish to hit on the commercial end will pay $3 for 50 hits.

“It’s state of the art, very well done,” Calkins said. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”