Hundreds were on hand Saturday afternoon as DeBell Golf Club inaugurated the re-opening of its driving range.
The event was highlighted by the musical performance of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Robby Krieger of the Doors who was joined by singer Haley Reinhart, who finished third in Season 10 of American Idol.
Krieger who is an avid golfer later took the ceremonial first golf shot.
“In the 90s I used to play up here quite a lot,” Krieger said.
Krieger added that he thinks golf has become even more popular due to the current world pandemic.
“Golf is the one game that you don’t have to wear a mask on. That’s why it is so hard to get on a course,” he said.
DeBell General Manager Jeff Hastings said he was glad to get the driving range back open to the public
“We started the renovation in the middle of November. Everything went pretty smooth,” Hastings said. “We put in a new irrigation system and leveled the entire driving range for better drainage, better aesthetics. We put in almost three acres of sod. We completed it right before the beginning of the new year.”
Hastings said he and another regional manager with Touchstone Golf, which operates DeBell, played in the Medlock Krieger Celebrity Golf Invitational that is hosted by Krieger and sports artist Scotty Medlock.
“They have an annual event, so we’ve come to know each other. We asked him for a favor and we were gracious he came out and helped us out,” Hastings said.
Burbank Councilman Bob Frutos was on hand for the ceremony.
“This is exciting. Look at the folks that came out,” Frutos said. “This driving range represents another jewel within the City of Burbank for its residents and visitors to enjoy.”
