After being closed for about four months for a major face-lift, the re-imagined Aqua Golf driving range along the Sacramento River in Redding has opened for business.
Purchased last spring by four friends who grew up in the area, the complex now sports shade structures, new patio tables and chairs, patio areas where people can hang out and have a drink and enjoy the waterfront, and new floating targets for golfers to shoot at on the water.
“I am absolutely excited about it. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. It’s an important part of Redding and its golf history,” Matt Briner, who is friends with the owners, said on opening day Friday, April 17, while taking a break from hitting a bucket of balls.
Long-time Aqua Golf customer Shawn Payne also was impressed with the improvements.
“They upgraded a lot. It’s more addicting now. I feel like I am going to be here more,” Payne said.
Meet the new owners
Brothers Chris and Ryan Haedrich, and brothers Dan and Mark Rhodes bought the driving range about a year ago.
They all went to Foothill High School and grew up coming to Aqua Golf, which opened in the 1960s. Aqua Golf is one of the few driving ranges of its kind in the United States, allowing golfers to launch balls into the Sacramento River.
Mark Rhodes is a carpenter. His brother is a residential realtor. The Haedrichs are both commercial realtors.
The business partners kept the driving range open before closing it last winter. They did not immediately do the upgrades because they wanted to get a feel for the business and hear from the community about what improvements they wanted, Mark Rhodes said.
“I think it was the love for this place. We grew up here, all four of us owners, born and raised in the Redding area, came here when we were little, had nothing but great memories of it,” Rhodes said when asked why they did the major improvements. “But I think it had reached that point where something had to be done, and we wanted to make sure that we can put in as much as possible to help it be a place for Redding. We care about the community; we care about the city.”
The bays where golfers hit into the water have new turf mats and they are protected by two large shade structures. Brine said the structures are nice because they will protect him and other customers from the rain and heat.
Also new is a ball dispensing machine that has a credit card reader. No need to put coins, or tokens, into the machine for a bucket of balls. The balls are new, too. While they still float, Rhodes said they “fly a little more true.”
Big money for a hole-in-one
But maybe the biggest addition is a floating green that right now sits about 110 yards out on the water. Emblazoned on the front of the green are the words “HOLE IN ONE CONTEST.”
Each month, the first golfer who makes an ace will win $1,000. Golfers must purchase special balls for a chance to win.
“Right now, it’s three balls for $10, five balls for $15 and 10 balls for $20,” Rhodes said. “If you purchase the balls, we will come out and set up, we’ll film it, we’ll have one of our attendants watching, and if you make (a hole in one), then the payout is $1,000.”
Rhodes emphasized that it’s only one winner per month.
“We don’t want accidentally to have 10 people win it one day,” he said with a grin.
Also on the water is a sign that right now says “Burrito Bandito,” a local Mexican restaurant. Golfers who hit the sign will win a $10 gift card from the restaurant. A horn will go off and water will shoot in the air when the sign is smacked.
The name on the sign will rotate.
“We will have changing partnerships with places in Redding. We want to include different businesses and (give them) exposure. The idea is to win something from that business, a gift card, a discount, some experience from that business.”
Food trucks, other new additions
Soon, Aqua Golf will host food trucks on certain days.
Rhodes said they are still working out the details, but the plan is to have a rotating roster of food trucks on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“Obviously, we want it to be a mutually beneficial relationship with us and the food trucks, too,” he said.
And the new owners envision Aqua Golf as not just a place for golfers.
“That exactly is what we were hoping for with some of this remodel, too, is making it accessible for people who don’t care about golf at all. A fun place for people to have a drink, have a bite to eat,” Rhodes said.
Also coming to Aqua Golf is a putting green, and eventually Rhodes said they would like to employ ball tracing technology.
“We are trying to cater to what it was before,” he said. “But also elevate it a little bit, so people who take golf seriously can still get in some legitimate practice and hopefully hone in portions of their game.”
Aqua Golf is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It is closed Tuesday.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding’s Aqua Golf has new look, including chance to win $1,000
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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