Instructional Programs:

Golf lessons are provided by both PGA Head Professional Noel Gebauer and PGA Assistant Professional Matt Bogdanowicz. Lessons are given 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.

Lessons can be scheduled by stopping by the Golf Shop or by calling 374-4181. Lessons are provided on weekdays and weekends based on the availability of the Golf Professionals. Two golfers may take a lesson together if they are of the same golfing ability. Classes for three or more people may be arranged by speaking with one of the Golf Professionals for pricing and requirements. Lesson Fees are as follows:

Individual Golf Lesson with Noel Gebauer, PGA (Approx. 45 min.)	$60.00
Individual Golf Lesson with Matt Bogdanowicz, PGA (Approx. 45 min.)	$50.00
Two Person Golf Lesson (Approx 1 Hour)	$80.00
Multi Person Clinic	Call for Pricing
Junior Golf Lesson (Approx. 30 min.)	$30.00
Playing Lesson (Approx 2 Hours)	$100.00 (does not include greens fee)

Junior group clinics are also provided at the Town of Colonie Golf Course. These clinics are set up through the Colonie Youth Center and more information including dates and cost can be obtained by calling 867-8920 or by visiting www.colonieyouthcenter.org.

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. Noel has also found time to serve on the NENYPGA Board of Directors since 2001 and was elected President of the Section in 2006 for a two year term. He is married to wife Betty and has three children; Max, Emma, and Haley.

Matt Bogdanowicz- PGA Assistant Professional

Matt Bogdanowicz will fill the role of Assistant Professional in 2007. He balances out the PGA Professional staff by representing the “Northsiders” at the Town of Colonie Golf Course. Matt graduated from Shaker High School in 2001 following an exemplary junior golf career. His high school career culminated with taking Medalist honors in the 2000 Class A Sectional Championship. Matt went on to attend Methodist University where he played golf for the school team and graduated in December of 2005. Soon after, at the young age of 22, Matt attained his Class A membership in the PGA of America. As one of the youngest PGA members in Northeastern New York, Matt gives the Town of Colonie Golf Course patrons a daily look at one of the PGA’s rising stars.

 

Noel’s Tip of the Month _______________________________________________________ Winter '09-'10 Coping with Winter and Your Golf Every year 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 you can do to help your game during the frigid months, even if you do not spend all winter down South. 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 back outside as the weather warms, you may have to adjust grip or ball position to get your improved swing to hit the ball accurately. Therefore expect a small adjustment period even after a good winter practice schedule. Hitting Outdoors- It is a good idea to take any chance you can get to hit the ball outdoors to see ball flight. This will make the adjustment period shorter once the Spring arrives. There are ranges with heated stalls around town which can be quite warm when the temperature climbs over 30 degrees. Because our swings tend to react to ball flight, outdoor practice is much more beneficial in the long run compared to hitting into a net. •  Short Game- The last piece to return to form in the spring is your short game. Any chance you can putt or chip during the winter months will help the re-development of “feel”. Putting on a rug indoors or chipping off of an old piece of carpet helps keep the short game sharp. Focus on distance control during putting practice to benefit your play on the greens. Chipping can be improved by hitting chip shots into baskets or at targets. Even practicing the shortest chip shots will get you to the course in the spring with better skills around the greens.