Instructional Programs:

Golf Lessons

Golf lessons are provided by a variety of PGA Professionals who utilize our facilities. Instruction is provided at the Town of Colonie Golf Course in a variety of settings including the multi-use practice range, a large practice green with a variety of slopes, a practice bunker for sand training and a beautiful 36 hole championship golf course which can be utilized for playing lessons. Information and appointments can be obtained by contacting the instructors directly. A few PGA instructors who are regulars on our range include:

Kay McMahon, PGA- 2009 NENYPGA Teacher of the Year: Kay@edukaytiongolf.com

Matt Bogdanowicz, PGA 2005 Methodist University PGA/PGM Graduate: mattbogs@msn.net

Noel Gebauer, PGA- 2009 NENYPGA Golf Professional of the Year, 2003 NENYPGA Teacher of the Year: ngebauer@pga.com

The Golf Shop at the Town of Colonie Golf Course:

The Golf Shop at the Town of Colonie Golf Course is a full service golf shop providing many golf products and services to men and women of all ages and handicap levels. Over forty brands of golf merchandise are offered at a wide range of prices to fit every golfer’s needs. Product lines represented in the Golf Shop include:

Clubs & Golf Balls
AMF	Mizuno	Titleist
Callaway	Nike	US Kids
Cleveland	Precept	Wishon
Cobra	Srixon
Clothes, Outerwear & Shoes
Antigua	Foot Joy	Sport Haley
Ashworth	Gear	Sun Ice
Ecco	Greg Norman	Sun Mountain
Fairway & Greene	Nike	Underarmor

Golfers are encouraged to be “fit” before purchasing any golf clubs. Club fittings are performed by our PGA Professional staff. Our professionals are armed with the latest in technical knowledge about the brands sold in the Shop. Fittings vary in price depending on which clubs are being fit for and how many clubs the golfer is looking to be fit for. All fitting charges are deducted from the purchase price of the club(s) if they are purchased at the Golf Shop.

Golf Shop Services:

USGA Handicapping

Any golfer may sign up to have their official USGA Handicap kept at the Golf Shop. A computer terminal in the shop gives golfers the ability to post their scores to the internationally recognized USGA GHIN system. By signing up at the Golf Shop, a golfer will receive a USGA GHIN number which will allow them to post scores directly from any golf shop which is connected to the system. Handicaps are updated every two weeks by the USGA, and cards may be printed out in the Golf Shop. Players’ handicaps can also be accessed through ghin.com. The 2007 fee for annual membership is $18 per player.

Club Repair Services

A club repair service is offered through the Golf Shop. Services range from re-gripping clubs on site, to re-shafting clubs through a unique partnership with Oak Ridge Golf Clubs of Schenectady. A wide variety of the latest styles in grips are available to be installed on your clubs. Give us a day or two with your sticks and we will give them the “new club feeling” with grips available from Golf Pride, Winn, Lamkin and others. If new shafts are what you need, let us fit you into the best graphite or steel shafts in the industry, from companies such as Aldila, True Temper, Graphalloy and many others. Once the correct shaft length and flex is determined, your new shafts will be matched to the exact flex by using “Flexmaster” technology. This will flex the shafts to the exact poundage of deflection pressure and assure you that all the shafts in your set match perfectly. Prices on grips and shafts vary depending upon the types requested. Call and speak with one of our PGA professionals to get a quote for the repair work you would like done.

Staff Bios:

Noel Gebauer- PGA Head Professional

Noel Gebauer has returned to the Town of Colonie Golf Course in 2007 after thirteen years serving Capital Region golfers at three different area clubs. Following Noel's three years as Assistant Professional at the Town of Colonie Golf Course , he served as Assistant Professional at Western Turnpike Golf Course is Guilderland and Schulyer Meadows Club in Loudonville before being named the Head Professional at Normanside Country Club in Delmar in 2004. Many regulars at the Town of Colonie Golf Course may remember Noel as a shop attendant at the course during the years he was finishing up at Colonie High School (Class of '88) and attending the School of Business at the University at Albany (Class of '93).

Noel gained Class A membership in the PGA of America in 1996. He followed that up with a few Section Awards, being named the Northeastern New York PGA Teacher of the Year in 2003 and winning the NENYPGA's Horton Smith Award in both 2004 and 2005. Noel was also named one of America 's Top Teachers in 2005 by Golf Magazine and most recently was selected as the 2009 NENYPGA Golf Professional of the Year by his peers. Noel has also found time to serve on the NENYPGA Board of Directors since 2001 and was elected President of the Section in 2006. He is married to wife Betty and has three children; Max, Emma, and Haley.

 

Noel’s Tip of the Month _______________________________________________________ Noel's Winter Tip WINTER ‘11/'12 Winter Golf Vacations It is always great to get away in the Winter months for a few rounds of golf in the warmth of a Southern state. Because it is a challenge here in the Northeast to keep sharp during the winter months as the weather puts a halt on our playing and practicing routines, there are a few things that you can do to get the most out of your game during your golf get away: Hitting Into a Net- Many players will buy a net or find a facility with a net where they can practice their swing when the snow is on the ground. If you are one of those players, please remember to have a specific focus for your practice into the net. Just swinging and hitting shots into a net is not productive and can do more damage than good. To make this time productive, have a goal in mind such as improving your balance, impact position, or clubface position. These goals do not require ball flight to be seen and therefore will improve your swing over the winter months. When you get outside you may not know where the ball is going however your contact should be more solid. To get directional control, look to your grip, ball position and alignment to get consistent ball flight. This can be accomplished in a short driving range session when you get down South. Do not try to “get fancy” with your shot making when you are on vacation. Stick with whatever shot you can pull off consistently and try to keep shots “in play”. This will allow you to enjoy the course you are playing without being frustrated with your game. Lower Scoring Expectations- Often when you go away to play golf in the winter, you are often playing courses that you do not play regularly. Also, many golf trips are designed around playing resort courses which are designed to host PGA Tour level events. In both cases, our scoring ability on these courses is diminished, especially if it is the first time you are playing a particular course. Do not expect to post scores in the range that you would at home. Between playing in the middle of your “off season” and playing on unfamiliar turf, scoring should be secondary to enjoying the weather and the golf course you are playing. Winter golf trips are a great way to make the off season seem shorter. Make sure you enjoy them by keeping the expectations low for your golf game and by putting a little work in before you leave so you will return home with the memory of a few memorable shots.