I thought I'd start a thread on golf driving ranges - locations, costs, etc.

Right now I know of two, one at Kunming Sports Stadium in Xishan and the other (I think) at Tuodong Sports Stadium in Panlong.

Not sure about the fees, cost per bucket of balls, and membership dues if any.

There's a big golf driving range at Jinkai district behind the Metro Golf Hotel. The instructors are excellent there.

there used to be one next to Nanya shopping mall (enter next to the petrol station and burger king/gym, haven't been there for ages so don't know if it's still there.

Great, this is good information! Now I also have a question on the same topic:
I noticed (Google Maps) that there are several golf courses in the Kunming metro area. Websites for these courses/clubs are pretty much non-existent, except for one with sparse information.
Can anybody point me to links? Also, the one I found information for has a pretty hefty green fee. Are there golf courses with reasonable green fees out there?
Any information is much appreciated! Once I am able to come back to spring city I plan to hit the links. Maybe we can form an informal golf club.
Thanks!
Chris

@Wilhelm. Perhaps the best thing you can do is drive over to one, and ask directly at the clubhouse reception desk.
There are several golf course developments (mixed residential and golf course) in and around Kunming. Some were never got beyond planning, most were never commercially viable. We looked at buying a house in one of these developments about 10 years ago. The houses were around market value and each came with only one membership. Most people sold the memberships to third parties, and these were selling for 400k rmb. Additional memberships could not be bought from the developer. There were green fees that at that time were about 1000 rmb, and this was for a fairly basic golf course.

Golf in China seems to be largely an expensive membership sport.

yeh in China golf courses are strictly for the rich and their trainers. Even when you have paid your 300-400k for clubhouse membership, the green fees still cost about 300 a pop!

I quit playing decades ago - but I still enjoy hitting balls at the practice ranges. It's kind of zen.

As for green fees aka course prices - ¥300-400 for 18 holes is actually inexpensive compared to western green fees - which were over double that amount over 20 years ago...in the USA.

But golf courses are environmentally hideous. They pour fertilizer and insecticide cocktails on the courses to maintain the green look - which then leeches into the ground water and eventually our drinking water.

Many golf courses today are migrating towards environmentally sustainable practices - such as organic fertilizers and insecticides, planting bug-repellent shrubs, bushes, and ground covers, etc - but these practices are expensive and drive up the costs of course fees.

There are many cheap small golf courses in the UK. Many farmers turned fields into golf courses as part of the CAP set aside policy back in the 90s. The courses I played on in South Wales were often short 9 holes, and adequately maintained. I was paying about 5 pounds a round then, plus extra if you wanted to hire clubs. Some would argue that they were 'Pitch and put' courses, but actually they were much better than that.

Ok it is not competition quality golf, but they were local and you could keep your eye in, so to speak, and get your Zen. They could also be a gateway into the sport for beginners, who did not want to spend a lot of money on a maybe.