Dust off the Clubs: Winter Practice in the Met Area

ELMSFORD, N.Y. (January 26, 2009) — February is here and with The Masters right around the corner and the U.S. Open at Bethpage on Long Island in June, we all have the itch to get back out on the golf course. The problem? Another two months of ice and snow before any of us can pull the clubs out of the basement. Fortunately for Met Area golfers there is a number of facilities across the region that can cater to the avid golfer this winter.

It used to be that the only way a Met Area native could practice during these frigid months would be to travel south, but the times have changed and there is a solution to both staying fit and keeping those golf skills sharp — and it doesn’t include a Nintendo Wii! Golf fitness gained popularity with Tiger, but golfers everywhere embraced the trend and now training regimens have become as important as any other part of the game.

Here in the Met Area, there are a large group of facilities that have caught on to the trend and cater to both staying in shape and also keeping your swing in check. These include driving ranges with heated stalls to warehouse-sized, state-of-the-art strength, conditioning, swing and player analysis centers. There are many options for all skill levels with cost ranging from the five dollar bucket of balls to the more expensive lesson and video swing analysis with a PGA professional. Current technology offers players the ability to play championship courses from all over the world. So while your friend can be down in sunny Florida fending off gators, you can be in a comfortable setting playing Pebble Beach or St. Andrews in Scotland without the worry of jet lag, pace of play and a ballooning Handicap Index.

Motion Golf has four centers in the Met Area, including Stamford, Conn., White Plains, N.Y., Syosset, N.Y., and New York City that offer 3-D swing analysis for the player in which instructors can target exactly where a player is disrupting a proper swing path. Callaway Golf Performance Centers are also in the Met Area with locations in Neshanic Valley, N.J., and at The World of Golf store in New York City. These centers offer swing analysis by incorporating high-speed cameras to track a player’s swing from start to finish, similar to what the television analysts use.

For a more multifaceted and first-class workout, you can check out places like Drive495 in New York City. This private facility offers not only weight training and cardiovascular exercise, but complete swing analysis through state-of-the-art technology. Drive495 offers all the amenities of a high-end gym with locker rooms, steam rooms, screening areas and on-site nutritionists. Owned and operated by 2008 MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Joe Saladino and his brother, Drive495 gives its members first-class treatment whether they are looking to gain muscle, yards or both. Another private facility is the training area at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, N.Y., which offers great instruction and analysis from some of the top teaching professionals in the Met Area.

If high-tech swing analysis is not what you’re looking for, the Met Area also has a number of golf ranges that feature heated stalls and PGA professionals available for lessons. The Willowbrook Golf Center in Wayne, N.J., and Hoboken Golf in Hoboken, N.J., offer heated stalls for the avid golfer looking to shake off some of the rust. Out on Long Island the Heartland Golf Park in Edgewood, N.Y., also offers heated stalls, while in Elmsford, N.Y., the Fairview Golf Range is the place to go to work on your game. In New York City, Randall’s Island Golf Center offers heated stalls and a six-member professional teaching staff.

So take the clubs out of the basement and get a head start on the rest of your foursome for what should be a fantastic 2009 season.

Below is a list of some of the facilities in the Met Area. For cost and availability please contact the facility:

Fairview Golf Center

Elmsford, N.Y.

914-592-1666

The Golf Training Center

Norwalk, Conn.

203-847-8008

Motion Golf

White Plains, N.Y.

914-948-1124

The Sports Center of Connecticut