11/08/2026
⚠️ DRIVING RANGE SAFETY – PLEASE READ ⚠️
A tragic accident at a driving range in Northern Ireland is a sobering reminder of just how seriously range safety needs to be taken.
In 2010, 16-year-old Craig Woods tragically lost his life after being accidentally struck by a golf ball hit by his older brother in the neighbouring bay. Craig had moved into his brother’s bay to retrieve a ball at the moment his brother hit his shot.
It was a freak and incredibly sad accident, but it highlights how quickly something can go wrong on a driving range.
Our driving range has been extremely busy recently, which is fantastic to see. However, we’ve also had a couple of close calls, so we wanted to put out a polite but important reminder about range safety.
We’ve seen people sharing bays and standing too close to someone swinging, as well as people attempting to walk out onto the range to retrieve golf balls.
Please remember that golf clubs are being swung at high speed and golf balls are travelling at serious speeds. Being hit by either can cause a very serious injury.
For everyone’s safety:
🏌️ One person hitting in a bay at a time
↩️ Always stand well behind the person hitting
🚫 Never walk out onto the range to retrieve a ball
👨👩👧 Children must be closely supervised at all times
👀 Please be aware of the people hitting in the bays around you
We want the range to be a relaxed, enjoyable place for everyone, but it is also an environment that needs to be treated seriously and with respect.
Please give people plenty of room, keep behind anyone hitting and never enter the bay itself.
A little bit of awareness goes a long way towards keeping everybody safe.
Thanks everyone
Team Portmore