The popular San Diego archery : A good place to be
History of San Diego Archers
The San Diego Archer Club was founded in 1938, which makes them one of the oldest archer clubs in California. They were originally called the “San Diego Archer Club.”
The San Diego Archery Club was well known for its archery ranges in Balboa Park throughout the 1940s, with one especially located at Sixth Avenue and La Palma Street.
“The San Diego Archery Association was founded on February 11, 1924 by six men who were interested in archery. They met at the Park Hotel and decided to form an association for the purpose of promoting the sport of archery.”
Both archer clubs, San Diego Archerry Club and San Diego Field Archer, operated independently but many local archer members belonged to both clubs into the 1960’s.
It was in the 60s when both clubs merged into one club called the San Diego Archer Club.
Later, in 1992 when the National City Turtle Archery Club (NCTA) and the San Diego Archers Club (SDA) combined, they acquired the Rube Powell Balboaray Archery Range and the Morris Field Archery Range.
The Balboa Park Archery Range and Morley Field Archerry Range are the last remaining public archery range facilities in southern California. They are open to the entire archery population and are solely supported by their membership. For more information about archery, please visit their website.
Rube Powell Archery Range
When the name of the archery range at the Alcazar parking garage was changed from the Balboa Park Archery Range to the Rube Powell Archery range, it was done to honor one of San Diego’s greatest athletes.
Rube Powell, who has been an active bowhunter for decades, died recently. Rube Powell was one of the greatest field archery competitors ever. He won the National Field Archery Championships five times.
In addition, he won too many regional, state, and local tournaments to list here. Rube was inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions in 1994, elected to the National Archery Hall of Fame in 1976 and to the California State Hall of Fame in 1977.
However, for all of Rube’s achievements, his friends and family will always recall him most for his love and support of archers.
So many people loved this man that the members of San Diego Archer’s Association named the archer range after him in his memory.
Wish to learn more about this majestic sport? All you have to do is to read archery books.
Events and Classes- Popular San Diego archery
Beginner One-Day Lessons
San Diego archers provides beginner one-day archery classes for beginners who want to learn how to use an archery bow safely and effectively. Students will learn range safeness, proper equipment handling, the basics of recurving archery, and they’ll be able to practice shooting at a wide array of targets during their lesson.
All equipment is included. Classes are geared for ages 9 to adult.
Cost is $30/person
Meet-Up Group
Join the San Diego Archery Club Meetup group. You’ll get email notifications when new schedule postings are available for lessons and on-going archery club activities.
All equipment is included in the classes, but students are welcome to bring their own.
Members of the group will receive special member pricing for lessons. Membership is free!
Youth Archery Classes
At Archery House, they offer beginner and intermediate archery classes for youth and adult beginners at their Morley Field Archery range in North Park.
Cost is $80 and includes all equipment!
Adult classes-San Diego archery
At Archery House, they offer beginner and intermediate archery classes for adults at their Morley Field Archery range in North Park.
Cost is $80 and includes all equipment.
San Marcos Archery Classes
San Diego archers hosts five-week beginner and intermediate archery lessons for adults through the San Marco Parks and Recreation program. These classes cover basic shooting fundamentals, including safety rules, equipment use, and proper form. Participants learn how to shoot at different distances and angles
all equipment.
ARCHERY BIRTHDAYS
San Diego archers offers a 2-hour archery experience. Particpants will learn range saftey, proper equipement selection and how to shoot a Recurve Bown. A special birthday themed game ends the event. All participants will go home with a fasinating, archery prize.
You can reserve archery house parties in San Marcos, at the Hollandia Park or SanElijo Hills Park, in North Park, at Morley Field Archery range, or in San Diego County.
Archery House can go anywhere, but they prefer to stay at private locations when possible.
ARCHERY GROUP CLASSES
How It Works
Archery House offers a thrilling archery experience. Participants will learn about safe shooting techniques, proper equipment choice and how to properly aim and fire a recurve arrow. The class will conclude with a fun, friendly game of Survivor. The team that reaches the end first wins the trophy!
All equipment is provided.
You can reserve events at San Marcos State Historic Park, Hollandia Park, San Elijo Hills State Beach, or North Park. Archery House can travel to private locations, too, if a safe place is available.
TRY ARCHERY EXPERIENCE
How It Works
A large group or event can hire Archery House for a Try Archery Booth. The booth includes an instructor, who assists participants load and shoot the arrow, along with all the necessary equipment and target.
This is a great option for large groups to allow more participants a chance to try Archery.
Archery House will need to confirm the location for safety.
Who they’ve worked with:
- San Diego County Fair
- Fred Hall Boat Show
- San Diego Kids Expo
- SeaSide Highland
- GamesPrivate company parties
- School Festivals
What do people think about San Diego archers?
This is like a little hiking trail with archery targets sprinkled throughout it. It costs $2 in the form of a couple bills you stick into a hollow pole inside the main gate. Very reasonably priced, and the money goes toward maintaining the facilities. Here’s what you need to know before going to San Diego archers:
Bring all your own archery gear.
- Please be relatively experienced. Know what you’re doing, or at least make sure someone in your group does. They should take responsibility for everyone and manage the sight-lines with others shooting around you.
- Hours are sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year
- Park in the Alcazar Garden Parking Lot in Balboa Park. As of the time of the writing of this review, this location doesn’t exist on Apple Maps. It does exist on Google Maps. I’ve tried to make the location on this Yelp listing as accurate as possible as well, to avoid confusion.
- Dont leave anything behind! Leave everything cleaner than how you found it. If you do see any junk on the trail, pick it up and help keep the place clean.
- Be extra aware of your surroundings! This is very different from “similar” archery ranges in Northern California I am used to in the sense that everything is packed pretty close together. There are some targets that are relatively close to others that are facing each other. It’s not impossible that an arrow could come in your direction, so just be aware of what’s going on around you.
- Targets 1-14 have been closed for some time. You have to hike through the range, under the bridge, and across to the other side to find the “start”, which is Target 15.
- Target numbers are not clearly marked, nor is the path. Highly recommend you photograph the trail map posted at the entrance!
- It gets insanely hot in the summer. Plan to go early (start 6-7) to beat the heat and the crowds.
Have fun out there!!
Love love coming to San Diego archers to do some archery. $2 a person and plenty of space to shoot. They also have a set of targets down the hill. That is super fun when you want to shoot through trees and different sets of difficulties. Parking sucks at Balboa period, so be patience or just go during the weekday after work.
First off I’m gonna start by saying this experience made me fall in love with archery. The instructor was the best instructor. Best guy, it was my very first time ever even picking up a bow & already I was hitting bullseye. He adjusts everything to your own standards. You will think that bow was made for you. I highly recommend going to San Diego archers if you’ve never tried and just experience it. I’m going back tomorrow so I can pick myself up a bow I have photo proof of me hitting the bullseye.
Had a lesson this last Wednesday at San Diego archers. Great fun! It was a recurve class. We learned how to shoot the bow and the instructor made it fun. We had the chance to shoot balloons and playing cards at the end. Definitely enjoyed the class and plan on returning
I went at San Diego archers because I had heard good things about it and it is worth every penny. They have a great range, they are friendly, and they make sure everyone has fun. If you’re looking for a place to go shoot some arrows, this is the place to be.
