JR Boyles and his partners were looking for a place to call their own. They wanted to create something new for Casper families. Boyles wanted there to be a place in town where families could go for a good time. Casper continues to grow exponentially, and with that growth comes a plethora of new events, activities and facilities for its residents to enjoy. But Boyles and his team wanted to create something for everybody; a place for children to play, a place for grownups to socialize, and a place for everybody to feel welcome.
That place is The Range at 5150 and it is officially open for business!
In 2021, Boyles and his business partners — Tennis Pro Eric Nokes, as well as Jared and Brian Stack — purchased the former Wyoming Athletic Club. Nokes was the director of tennis at the WAC and he was friends with the Boyles family, so when they found out the WAC was closing and that the building itself was being sold, they had an idea.
“We said, ‘Let’s buy it,’” Boyles stated. “‘Let’s buy it and let’s do something with it.’ We didn’t know exactly what we wanted to do with it, but we knew we didn’t want to see Casper’s only indoor tennis facility go away.”
Of course, tennis wasn’t the only activity that took place at the WAC, and they wanted to maintain some of those other activities as well. But they also had a few ideas of their own on what they could add to the facility, the biggest of which being a fully functional bar and liquor store.
“As far as where the bar idea came from, it wasn’t really our background,” Boyles said. “We didn’t wake up one day and go, ‘Hey, I really want to own a bar.’” But we thought it would be a good addition to Casper’s east side of town; like an upscale sports bar–type place because everywhere else on this side of town is primarily a restaurant first, bar second. We had a massive amount of space that wasn’t being utilized, so why not give it a try?”
The east side of Casper has a multitude of restaurants and a bevy of liquor stores, but very few — if any — actual bars.
Restaurants like Wyoming Ale Works, FireRock Steakhouse, Old Chicago and more all feature full-service and fully functioning bars, but Boyles said that he thinks a legitimate sports bar on the east side of town would benefit the masses in a big way.
He thought that indoor golf simulators would be a big hit as well.
“If you look at The Sand Trap and you look at Durbin Street Golf, they’re both incredible places,” he said. “But we think we’re missing the mark on fun places for families that offer a little bit of fun for everyone. We even looked at how fun our place could be for couples looking for a new date night. With the technology and games in these newer simulators, you don’t have to be good or even know anything about golf to have a good time.”
Boyles was quick to highlight how much he enjoys and respects the other indoor golf simulators that are in Casper, but both of them, he said, are downtown, and he really wants to see the east side flourish as well.
He doesn’t just want to benefit locals, either (though that is his main priority). Boyles serves on a number of different boards, including being the President of the Board of Directors for the newly built Wyo Sports Ranch. He knows how often other sports teams visit Casper for athletic events, and he wants something for those kiddos and families to do when they’re here as well.
“We thought that, when you do a lot of travel for youth sports, when you’re going to other towns and things like that, you’re always looking for something to go do with your kids,” he said. “You might only play, say, two basketball games in a day. What do you do for the other 22 or 23 hours of the day? You want to find something to do with your kids, with your family. So we thought this was a good opportunity to offer some more upscale golf simulators, to give people a place to come watch sports and just hang out.”
Boyles also revealed that, starting Thursday, July 31, The Range will officially open its new restaurant, courtesy of Gringo @ The Range.
“Gringo previously had a food truck that they ran here in town,” he said, “but beginning Thursday, they’re going to be a full restaurant. It will be Gringo @ The Range. Kelly, the owner of Gringo, prepares and creates food like Casper has never had. 99% of what he makes is from scratch; it’s absolutely delicious and I know Casper is going to love it.”
Boyles continued, saying, “It’s kind of funny — when I tell people that Gringo is getting close to opening, they always respond with something like ‘I love Mexican food!’ But I have to explain to them that it’s not actually Mexican, it’s everything — from smash burgers to barbeque, to salads, even avocado toast with homemade sourdough bread.”
Boyles smiled at the thought of it, because what is a round of golf or a cold beer during a football game if you don’t have some great food to go with it? That, Boyles said, is exactly what customers will get at The Range at 5150.
“It’s really the one piece that we thought we were missing: the full menu,” Boyles said. “We had a very basic bar menu since we opened, but we really felt like we were missing a full menu for lunch and dinner. A lot of people will come in here and get a drink before and/or after dinner, so how do you make it a one-stop shop? How do I make it a true date night, where I can bring my girlfriend out and play golf and have dinner and drinks?”
Boyles said that there’s a misconception about golf — indoor or outdoor — that it’s a male-dominated sport, and, he says, that’s just not the case.
“Golf, especially our golf simulators, are for anybody and everybody,” he said. “It’s no different than going bowling with your girlfriend or taking your wife and kids out. We have different simulators and there are a lot of fun games you can play. It’s not just playing 18 holes of indoor golf. You can play darts, you can play putt putt; there’s Angry Birds– and Top Golf–style games.”
The Range doesn’t just get its namesake from a golf range. It’s also a place designed to entertain a wide range of people of all different ages, backgrounds and skill levels. It’s something for everyone. Boyles said that The Range even provides golf clubs, though people are welcome to bring their own as well.
“We do have clubs.” he reiterated. “There are clubs in each bay, so you don’t even have to rent them; it’s just part of the simulators. People do bring in their own, but they don’t have to. If you’re just looking for a cool date night, or if you just want to stop in for an hour or so, we’ve got you covered.”
Boyles said that The Range has four total bays, three of which are HD golf simulators and the fourth of which is an HD golf simulator with a multi-sport package.
“The multi-sport function has been really good for birthday parties and things of that nature,” he said. “People can play soccer; there’s archery on it, zombie shooting and various other cool things.”
Speaking of birthday parties, The Range at 5150 is the perfect place to hold one. It’s available to rent for large gatherings, private parties, company gatherings and any other special occasion. The Range also hosts various leagues and puts on a variety of different tournaments throughout the year. In short, The Range is open to anyone, for anything, at (almost) any time.
So what, exactly, compels somebody to embark on such a massive undertaking? For Boyles, the answer is surprisingly easy.
“If you ask my wife, it’s because I get bored easily and I’m always looking for something to do,” Boyles laughed. “I sold my business — an oil and gas company here in Casper — in 2022, so the timing was just right for us to take on our next venture. We saw this building, and it’s too big of a building to just go to waste. It’s an 81,000-square-foot building and it was deteriorating when we bought it.”
Boyles, his wife and his partners purchased the building in 2021. They remodeled the entire thing over the course of a couple of years. It was, in a very literal sense, a labor of love. It was hard work, turning the former WAC into what The 307 Tennis Club and The Range at 5150 would eventually become, but it was the best kind of work to do because Boyles and partners knew that they were building something good. They were building something important. They were building something special: a love letter to Casper and its people.
“When it comes down to it, I’ve lived in Casper my whole life,” he said. “Born, raised. We’ve got three children in high school, middle school and elementary school, all in Casper. This is our home and these are our people. And we just wanted to give Casper something cool to do.”
Boyles and his family have invested in their future and the future of Casper; they’ve built their home on The Range. In doing so, they’ve created Casper’s newest family-friendly establishment that’s perfect for first dates or 50th dates or play dates. It’s available for big games, birthday parties or business after hours. The Range at 5150 is a golf course, a sports bar, a restaurant, a liquor store and everything in between. It’s sports. It’s entertainment. It’s a place to take a sip, take a swing or to take something home with you after a long day at work. Eat, drink, play — you can do it all at The Range at 5150.
For more information on The Range at 5150 or to book a tee time, visit their website and follow them on Facebook for daily updates, specials and more.
PAID FOR BY THE RANGE AT 5150
This article is a promoted post. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the organization that paid for the article, and do not necessarily reflect the views, thoughts or opinions of Oil City News, its employees or its publisher. Please fill out this form if you would like to speak to our sales department about advertising opportunities on Oil City News.
Related
