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Driving range back in action in July

Golfers will be able to practice their swing at the Whistler Golf Club driving range by mid-July.

Golfers will be able to practice their swing at the Whistler Golf Club driving range by mid-July.

Last week, Jeff McDonald with Tourism Whistler announced that the area used as a temporary parking lot during the winter season will be transformed back to its original use within three months.

And the facility will be even better than it was before, said McDonald.

"The conversion from a parking lot back to a practice facility is allowing us to make some really great upgrades," added Alan Kristmanson, director of golf at the Whistler Golf Club.

"Golfers will find that it's completely modern and a much better place to practice than before, and we're giving golfers yet another reason to come to Whistler to enjoy golf in a mountain setting."

Among the major changes for the driving range are completely reconstructed teeing surfaces, target greens, range field, putting green, chipping green, practice bunker and netting system.

Five target greens with bunkers will be built into the range field, the putting green will double in size and the new chipping green and practice bunker will double in size.

The driving range was turned into a 600-vehicle parking lot this winter in a one-time deal struck between Tourism Whistler and the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee (VANOC).

The plan was to encourage skiers and snowboarders to come to Whistler, even though Whistler Blackcomb's main day skier lots were being used for Olympic preparations. Through the deal, VANOC also agreed to cover the project cost and the upgrades to the driving range.