A busy first year at Ranges at Oakfield, director says

Oct. 26—THOMASVILLE — Business is booming a year in at the Ranges at Oakfield.

The shooting range held its grand opening in October 2020, and director Jay Knight said the site has been packed recently.

"We've been a very busy range," he told Thomas County commissioners at a public works committee meeting. "We've been holding several tournaments and several events throughout September and October and have a good many planned for November."

The tournaments, Knight said, have been good money makers for the facility.

"They bring out a whole new crew of people who haven't been out to the range," he said.

Knight said there have been several people calling from Tallahassee, Florida, about the range's availability.

"We were packed two Saturdays ago," Knight said. "We're averaging at least 80 every Saturday. Saturdays and Sundays right now are really packed at the range."

Mondays also have been busy at the site. Two weeks ago, there were 45 customers using its ranges.

Through September, the Ranges at Oakfield had nearly 8,000 customers since its opening. Its yearly membership packages have brought in more than $86,000. Sales of ammunition have peaked as much as $9,000 in a single month.

The Ranges at Oakfield opened with two skeet and trap fields, a five-stand clay range, a 100-yard rifle range and a 25-yard pistol range.

Future plans call for archery ranges. Knight said the packet for a grant to help build the archery range has been submitted. He thanked county public works director Tony Bodiford for help with the grant while Knight had COVID-19.

"Tony graciously stepped in and finished that," he said.

Knight told commissioners he is optimistic about the archery range grant.

For more information, visit https://thomascountyboc.org/oakfield.