• Welcome To ShotTalk.com!

    We are one of the oldest and largest Golf forums on the internet with golfers from around the world sharing tips, photos and planning golf outings.

    Registering is free and easy! Hope to see you on the forums soon!

Am I being Unreasonable?

David Hillman

Well-Known Member
Apr 15, 2008
836
0
There's a driving range (TopGolfUSA) right by my office, and I've been going over there on lunch frequently since I started with this company. It was nice, albiet pricy, during the winter because the bays are well-heated. Despite that, it was normally nearly empty and enjoyable. Now the weather has warmed up slightly, and the place is completely miserable due to the fog of cigar and cigarette smoke enveloping the complex. Is it unreasonable to expect either people to leave their tobacco cocks in the car, or for the establishment to give them their own little foggy area?

If I wanted breathe noxious fumes, I'd play pool again, it's a much easier and cheaper game. Actually, I may switch back, because now that you can't smoke indoors in Illinois, all the tobacco addicts are being driven outside. I think that's part of the problem with this heated driving range, actually, since they also have waitresses who'll bring you lunch. When it was over 50 a few days ago, several bays were occupied by groups of smokers eating lunch and not even hitting balls, since it's the only play they could endulge their sucking fetish while getting a bite to eat. The really stupid part is that the place has three decks of hitting bays, the lower two are open for play and pretty well enclosed, which contains both the heat and the smoke. The top deck is totally exposed, but not open, and won't be until May or June, for no apparant reason.

I have about $80 on my membership card at this place, and I'm going to have to ask them to refund it, because I can't stand it anymore. I just hit a bucket today on lunch, and shanked the last quarter because all I could think about was leaving and getting some fresh air.
 

JEFF4i

She lives!
Supporting Member
Jul 3, 2006
13,545
95
That really blows dude. I can't stand cigarette smoke, so I'd be with you.
 

Rockford35

Shark skin shoes
Staff member
Admin
Aug 30, 2004
21,798
1,080
Canada
Country
Canada Canada
I have about $80 on my membership card at this place, and I'm going to have to ask them to refund it, because I can't stand it anymore. I just hit a bucket today on lunch, and shanked the last quarter because all I could think about was leaving and getting some fresh air.

Best thing you can do, hit them in the pocket book.

Most public areas around here are smoke free, which is fantastic. If you choose to kill yourself, you have to do it in the privacy of your own home or car.

R35
 

DH4816

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2008
116
0
I'm with you sort of anyway. We have a Top Golf here and a similar problem although you can smoke inside here so we don't have folks pushed outside by that. Although cigarettes don't bother me cigars really do.

I don't see why they can't make the top level smoking and the bottom smoke free the smoke would blow away from the top quite quickly.

By the way isn't Top Golf kind of neat? I like the feedback on where my ball landed compared to where I think it landed on the farther target greens. I also like the heated bays and the fact it is open until 11 at night. I often go after dinner at 930 or so to hit for about an hour.

DH
 
OP
David Hillman

David Hillman

Well-Known Member
Apr 15, 2008
836
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
I'm with you sort of anyway. We have a Top Golf here and a similar problem although you can smoke inside here so we don't have folks pushed outside by that. Although cigarettes don't bother me cigars really do.

I don't see why they can't make the top level smoking and the bottom smoke free the smoke would blow away from the top quite quickly.

By the way isn't Top Golf kind of neat? I like the feedback on where my ball landed compared to where I think it landed on the farther target greens. I also like the heated bays and the fact it is open until 11 at night. I often go after dinner at 930 or so to hit for about an hour.

DH

Kind of neat describes it, I guess. I think they're having problems with the system in the colder weather here. They have a hard time keeping enough balls available, and the 'Range Servant' machines are always broken. Two of the five have been broken for months; no one I've talked to has ever seen them work. The balls are the worst, they knuckle and drop out of the sky, and are stored outside so you need a press to compress them. I've never seen anyone hit one more than 200 yards, but maybe that'll get better when the weather improves. I'm skeptical though, because just beyond the circular targets the astroturf stops, leaving just snow/mud. There are a couple hundred balls just sitting in that mud right now, that have been there quite a while. That can't be good. I like the idea of their system much better than their execution of it. Are they better in a warmer area?
 

DH4816

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2008
116
0
Our astroturf ends in a big ramp with a net so no balls get into the mud or at least not many. They do have problems with the ball machines they have 4 downstairs and two upstairs here (only two levels) and the upstairs ones almost never work.

Their balls don't do well in the cold but once it gets above 50 they are about like any hard range ball. I was there on a Super Bowl Sunday, beautiful weather and was hitting pretty standard distances. A few days later it was 35 and I couldn't get anything over about 175, they would take off on beautiful trajectory and just die.

I took a couple lessons there before joining a country club last year. They have some seriously impressive video analysis stuff and email you all the video with comments attached so you can review it at home before going to practice. I'd probably still take lessons there but I like the pro at my club and like supporting the club.

It is well lit though which I like for winter. All the lit ranges around here get dim out past about 150 yards so it is hard to see exactly where you hit or missed your target. The electronic targets showing you where the ball landed are nice.

Word of warning don't ever play the actual top golf game unless you are with people your skill level. I played with a friend the other day who cleaned my clock even though he never hit a target he was aiming at just kept topping and shanking and they would roll into different target zones. Very frustrating as he kept talking trash and didn't understand my point that he wasn't actually doing anything good.

It is a nice way to spend an afternoon or evening if you can't get on a real course. I get credit with the wife too because she comes and can hit a few balls drink a few beers and have some nachos while I practice and it isn't just me out of the house for half a saturday leaving her alone.

DH
 
OP
David Hillman

David Hillman

Well-Known Member
Apr 15, 2008
836
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
Heh, I did that to a guy I work with. He was hitting nice consistent short irons, and I was kind of spraying a few different clubs around, not paying any attention to the targets 'cause we were talking business... I wound up 'beating' him by like 30 points. I do like playing TopPressure, though; hitting half-wedges at very specific targets with scoring is good practice.
 

DH4816

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2008
116
0
Yeah, and I like to just do Top Practice and see how consistent I can hit a particular club a particular distance. Fun to hit 10 shots and look at the deviation on the score screen.

Wish I had a piece of it though. The one here is always packed. A real zoo in the summer with tons of folks that probably never step on a real course. Sometimes a wait to get a bay.

Only 3 in the states right now. Seems the thing to do would be convert existing ranges that already own the land rather have the land price in your startup cost.

DH
 

Pa Jayhawk

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2005
7,196
62
Country
United States United States
It would appear to me they are likely operating in violation of the No smoking law anyways, so I would approach them and specifically ask why they do not feel the law applies towards their establishment, then maybe forward the information on to the Illinois Attorney Generals website. So this is kind of like asking if it is unreasonable to expect them to abide by the law.
 

ClairefromClare

Like my balls?
Jul 23, 2008
2,056
4
Dave, before you quit, at least talk to whoever's in charge. Smoking and nonsmoking tiers sounds reasonable. The sneak in me wonders what the definitions of indoor and outdoor are in the smoking law. If the bays are enclosed enough to heat, are they enclosed enough to be consdered "indoors"?

Unless you have a better alternative handy, try to fix the problem before you cut off your nose to spite your face.
 

Pa Jayhawk

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2005
7,196
62
Country
United States United States
The sneak in me wonders what the definitions of indoor and outdoor are in the smoking law. If the bays are enclosed enough to heat, are they enclosed enough to be consdered "indoors"?
It does state.
"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Concert halls, auditoriums, enclosed or partially enclosed sports arenas, bowling alleys, skating rinks, convention facilities, polling places and private clubs"
...seems like this would classify. Also states there can be no smoking within 15 feet of a doorway, opening or ventilation opening. If they consider themselves entirely outdoors, I would wonder if it is listed as such with the state board of health on selling food? They can't have it both ways.

Smoke-free Illinois - General Information

I think if you bring this up, if nothing else you may be able to get them to have a non-smoking section solely out of fear.

[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
 
OP
David Hillman

David Hillman

Well-Known Member
Apr 15, 2008
836
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
It would appear to me they are likely operating in violation of the No smoking law anyways, so I would approach them and specifically ask why they do not feel the law applies towards their establishment, then maybe forward the information on to the Illinois Attorney Generals website. So this is kind of like asking if it is unreasonable to expect them to abide by the law.

I had not actually considered that... <looks up law>

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=095-0017 said:
"Enclosed or partially enclosed sports arena" means any
sports pavilion, stadium, gymnasium, health spa, boxing arena,
swimming pool, roller rink, ice rink, bowling alley, or other
similar place where members of the general public assemble to
engage in physical exercise or participate in athletic

competitions or recreational activities or to witness sports,
cultural, recreational, or other events.

Obviously that isn't the whole act, so I'm still reading, but 'Hmmmmm.'

That said, from what I've seen, the place would go under if you couldn't smoke there.
 

Pa Jayhawk

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2005
7,196
62
Country
United States United States
Here is your recourse.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Failure to comply [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If the business owner fails to comply with the Smoke-free Illinois Act, an employee or patron may file a complaint The Illinois Department of Public Health, state-certified local public health departments and local law enforcement agencies are designated enforcement agencies under the Smoke-free Illinois Act.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Businesses found in violation of the Smoke-free Illinois Act are subject to fines. Fines are assessed at $250 for the first violation, $500 for the second violation and a $2,500 minimum fine for all subsequent violations within one year of the first violation.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Fines for individuals who violate the Smoke-free Illinois Act are not less than $100 and not more than $250.[/FONT]
 

Pa Jayhawk

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2005
7,196
62
Country
United States United States
<looks up="" law="">That said, from what I've seen, the place would go under if you couldn't smoke there.
I don't know, up until last year I smoked cigars and my wife still smokes cigarettes. I would smoke at driving ranges off to the side, but if they told me it was not allowed it wouldn't have mattered to me.

It wouldn't drive me away when the other option is hitting balls into a snow bank when it is 20 below out. Yeah, they may get pissed and say they won't come back, but I think eventually they will realize it is a law and blame the state. Besides, it is a state issue, if they had that much of a problem they would move to one of the 28 or so states that don't yet have the law.

They will likely just go out to a smoking area and get over it
</looks>
 

🔥 Latest posts

Top