The construction of a new driving range at Rockledge Golf Club is now actively underway.

Construction is underway on the new driving range at Rockledge Golf Club. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford’s public golf courses opened for the 2025 season in mid-March, but those looking to hit a buckets of balls at Rockedge for practice before hitting the links remain hampered by the lack of a driving range.

The construction of a new, covered, 17-bay driving range building as well as two teaching bays was scheduled to have been completed by the fall of 2024. However, as preliminary work on the project began last summer it was discovered that the soil underneath the intended structure was not suitable for construction. The town has now hired a contractor for excavation and installation of 12 rammed aggregate piers and the foundation for the driving range structure.

Construction is underway on the new driving range at Rockledge Golf Club. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

G. Donovan Associates was awarded the bid for stabilizing the ground and building the foundation, at a cost of $373,000 according to bid documents on the town website.

The new building will ultimately include restrooms, a snack service area, ball washing station and other amenities.

At Monday’s meeting of the Town Council’s Human & Community Services Committee, Director of Leisure and Social Services Helen Rubino-Turco reported that the construction was underway but the cost “for what turned out to be a quite complicated project” was higher than expected.

A resolution, which is scheduled to be voted on by the full Council at its June 10, 2025 meeting, was reviewed by the Committee on Monday. That resolution will authorize the use of $250,000 from the Rockledge Capital Reserve Fund to be appropriated for use to cover the excess costs associated with the project that had not been previously budgeted.

The Rockledge Capital Reserve Fund, Rubino-Turco said, “is replenished by the users. This is not tax dollars.”

Construction is underway on the new driving range at Rockledge Golf Club. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

The town collects $2.00 from every cart rental, $1.50 for every 18-hole round of golf, and $0.75 for every 9-hold round of golf, which is deposited into the Capital Reserve Fund, for use when necessary. She said generally the Capital Reserve Fund, which is constantly being replenished and currently has more than $270,000 available, is drawn upon every other year “for improvements that are bigger than might by covered in the ordinary operating budget.”

Rubino-Turco told the Committee that it will take two to three years to fully replenish the $250,000, and using the Capital Reserve Fund will allow the driving range project to be completed this year.

As for the completion date, she said that while there are still lots of moving parts, it’s “pedal to the metal” to construct the new driving range as quickly as possible.

Town Manager Rick Ledwith said there will be a firm date for the opening by the time the Council adopts the resolution in June. “I’m excited to get a backhoe in the ground and get this moving as soon as possible,” he said. The nets and poles are being replaced as well.

Construction is underway on the new driving range at Rockledge Golf Club. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Ledwith confirmed to We-Ha.com that the driving range “will be done this summer.”

The town is still working with Eversource and the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) on connecting the utilities to the new range site, but even if that portion of the project takes longer, the range will be able to open.

Once the driving range is in use, Ledwith said, there will be greater opportunity to generate revenue that will replenish the Capital Reserve Fund.

Construction is underway on the new driving range at Rockledge Golf Club. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

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