QUINCY — With the completion of The Range at KC, the former Knights of Columbus driving range has been transformed almost beyond recognition, featuring 30 heat-shielded bays, a 4,000-square-foot bar and dining area and a revitalized driving range with glowing red and blue hole markers.
Plans for the Topgolf-like facility were announced in January, ground broke in February and, after months of construction, is scheduled to open to the public for the first time on Friday.
“It’s beautiful, it’s run so smoothly and it’s state of the art inside,” said Struther-Wand, who attended a members-only preview Thursday night. “It’s going to be a fantastic place.”
Built by J&N Construction, the facility is the first of its kind in the region and the only one within a 85-mile radius to feature Toptracer range technology. According to the company’s website, Toptracer is “the ‘Official Range Technology’ of the PGA of America” and uses special cameras to track ball statistics and the trajectory of each shot. With a virtual course displayed on screen and each shot accurately recreated in real time, players gain valuable information that will help them improve their game on the golf course.
The Toptracer app makes the experience even more interactive, allowing users to track the quality of their performance on their mobile phone, and skill-based games pit players against each other whether they’re in the same bay or in an entirely different location.
And for those who just want to have fun, there are several programs that include children’s games, such as “Go Fish” and a golf version of “Angry Birds.”
Dallas-based Topgolf has long been popularizing the concept of golf entertainment since its founding in the early 2000s. The company operates more than 80 locations across the United States, with the closest to Quincy being in Chesterfield, Missouri, nearly two hours away. Topgolf locations use the same Toptracer technology used at The Range here in Quincy.
Owners Trevor Beck, Nick Hyland and Kelby Resinit have signed a 20-year-plus lease with the Columbus Home Association for the driving range and par-3 golf course, which they hope will draw visitors from several neighboring communities.
The concept is designed to be accessible to all players, regardless of skill, experience or equipment ownership. Each bay is equipped with a bag of clubs and a motion-activated ball dispenser with a capacity of 1,800 balls.
“Golf is often overshadowed in this region, but it’s huge,” Wand said. “Everyone plays golf in this region, from lawyers and doctors to blue-collar farmers and cashiers, so to be able to bring that into the game and enjoy it is just ideal.”
In addition to its innovative, interactive technology and relaxing year-round al fresco atmosphere, The Range also offers a surprisingly unique food menu curated by Kaela Rickard and Andy Spencer, who each have years of experience in various roles in the food and beverage industry.
Beck, Hyland and Resinit asked for wings, pizza and smashburgers to be on the menu, but gave the pair creative freedom when it came to coming up with flavor combinations.
“We’re excited to bring new flavors to Quincy and we try to use the freshest ingredients possible and make as much from scratch as possible,” Spencer said.
The Lucille Pizza is Ricardo’s all-time favorite, named after her middle name. It’s loaded with mozzarella, goat cheese, red sauce, garlic oil, ham and red onion. The Island Green Pizza features al pastor meat, while the Texas Wedge is dominated by barbecued brisket (it also works on nachos). The dough is made from scratch using a Quincy-born recipe.
In addition to specialty pizzas, there are also specialty smashburgers such as the Mediterranean Sunset, a double smashburger topped with olive tapenade, goat cheese, pepper onion and balsamic reduction, and the Lure, a double smashburger topped with ham, grilled pineapple, barbecue and coriander.
“What people will find different is the creativity behind it,” Hyland says, “or if you’re a traditionalist, there will be delicious flavors in there too. I think it will cover the full range of what people want to eat.”
Guests can order while playing in the bay or while relaxing in the dining area, which features a full bar and multiple tables and TVs. There is also an outdoor seating area on the west side of the establishment.
If guests would like to purchase their own clubs or tees, golf balls or range goods, they can visit the R&R Golf Pro Shop at the front of the property. The range shop is just a small part of all the equipment R&R Golf sells at its main store located at 1424 N. 24th.
Bays can be rented by the hour (1 hour minimum), rates vary depending on the day and time, and each bay can accommodate up to 6 adults at a time.
Memberships are also available, but are limited in number. Individual memberships for 300 people are sold for $100 per month, allow one hour of play time per day, and allow you to bring a guest for an additional $5. Corporate memberships for 100 people are sold for $350 per month, allow one hour of play time per day, half-price extra time at the bay, and receive discounts on large event planning. Both memberships include a variety of special discounts and a member appreciation day.
Beck said the memberships are primarily for guests who plan to visit regularly, and having a membership is not required to play.
Wando hadn’t planned on becoming a member until he saw how much Toptracer’s technology could improve his skills in real life, and when asked if he plans to spend a significant amount of time at The Range, he didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely, absolutely,” Wand said. “Before a tournament, before you go out and play…seeing how your shots are going to hit, how they’re going to fly, and then practicing that on the actual course…I think it’s a great thing for the community.”
The Range at KC is located at 830 S. 36th Street in Quincy. It’s open daily from 9am to 11pm, with the kitchen open Monday through Thursday from 4pm and Friday through Sunday from 11am. For more information, visit online or call (217) 214-GOLF.
Photo by Aspen Gengenbacher.