Los Paloma Sporting Range and Event Center celebrated their grand-opening with a Bossier Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting on Tuesday, September 20, 2011. The facility is a new concept for the area and brings a distinctive sport to Bossier Parish. A twenty station sporting clay course, with a 9,000 square foot event center that is described in their brochure as “Rustic elegance meets the Hill Country of Northwest Louisiana.” Two outdoor pavilions and a five acre pond make this a new and unique event venue for the area.

Ross Adams, VP and Director of Operations provided a tour and information about the facility owned by Max Sharp. I don’t know a whole lot about sporting clay, but Ross was more than happy to share some insights with me. From what I understand, there are twenty stations with machine traps that throw clay disks into the air, meant to replicate a variety of bird patterns. Shooters stand in an arc on the opposite field and aim for the targets. They then rotate around the arc to take shots at each station and throughout the entire course. Each station presents a different challenge. After doing a small amount of research, I found that some call this sport “Golf with a Shotgun”. This sporting course is designed by Promatic and the skeet field is per U.S. Olympic standards. If you prefer Bow Hunting, they also have a Bow Tower with shooting stations at 15 and 25 feet. This is a great place for the Louisiana sportsman (or woman) to enjoy some time away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.

The event center is fashioned similarly to a barn with modern decorating and conveniences. The entire facility has a seating capacity for 350 people. As I was walking around the facility, I could envision the endless possibilities. Weddings, receptions, graduation and corporate parties. As you enter the building into the banquet room, the space has a grand, but comfortable feel to it. The floors are shiny, stained concrete and the brick, wood and tin touches create a rustic and elegant atmosphere. There is a lounge area with a wet bar, indoor kitchen with two refrigerator/freezers and a commercial ice maker. The outdoor kitchen is complete with frying stations, outdoor stove and industrial sized bar-b-q pit. It’s the perfect place to hold a large group gathering such as fish fry or crawfish boil. There is an elevated stage with lighting and PA, great for those events with live bands. Above the banquet seating area is a 160″ rear projection screen. This makes for the ideal sports watching parties.

Los Paloma Sporting Range and Event Center is located at 900 Seven Pines Road in Benton, LA. It’s quite a drive, but so well worth it. I recommend that you give Ross a call at (318) 465-7507 and set up your next sporting or social event. You won’t be disappointed. Make sure you tell them that you read my blog.

See ya around Bossier,

Robin Williams,
Bossier Chamber of Commerce Diplomat & Marketing Maven at Holiday Lanes