Technology upgrades are now part of our daily life. Whether it’s an app update, a new phone or a car that drives itself we are in a constant search for the latest way to make our lives more efficient and – let’s be frank – fun.
When Colin Holmes devised an indoor fitting centre at Narooma Golf Club on the New South Wales South Coast, it wasn’t a way to play with the latest golf gadgetry but rather provide a complete suite of professional golf services to regional golfers rarely catered for to that degree.
The Golf Tech Centre run by Holmes at Narooma is the only one of its type between Sydney and Melbourne. It allows for Holmes to provide lessons in any weather, utilise technology to provide feedback on swing mechanics and to conduct club fittings that ensure each golfer has the correct equipment for their specific needs.
The Tech Centre has been in operation for the past eight years and given Holmes the ability to deliver anything that his members may need but also provide a service to other golfers in the region.
“I do have a lot of people who now get lessons or come down whenever they want clubs from far and wide,” Holmes says.
“I’ve heard people from way out west or Canberra or all over the place in the state as well, just because they know what I do, they know how I do it, and, for whatever reason, like the way I do it.
“I’m teaching a lot of people that are not from Narooma, and I’m club-fitting and selling clubs to a lot of people that aren’t from Narooma itself.
“I thought it was the only way of showing someone you’re an actual professional in the trade. If you’re just saying here’s a club off the rack, hope for the best, you’re not really retailing. You’re not really selling yourself as an expert in the industry. Whereas to me, this was the only way that you could actually show people you were actually providing professional service.”
Central to the Tech Centre is a GC2 launch monitor and simulator with supporting video cameras that can capture the player from three different angles.
Holmes has recently incorporated a mobile Garmin launch monitor that he can use on the club’s outdoor range, further adding to his ability to provide the right guidance on swing mechanics and possible equipment adjustments.
“What I’m finding with some people is that they’re making a bad swing because of the club that they’ve currently got and that you can actually make a change in their swing by getting them to use a different club,” Holmes explains.
“That’s where I think it’s important as the PGA Members to actually push people into the right equipment.
“When I club fit, I don’t push a brand.
Once I get their spec, then I’ll just give them every club that I can build in that spec and say, ‘OK, let’s just look at the data,’ and it all gravitates towards something they want.
“If you can put a club in their hands that does fit versus a club in their hands that doesn’t, they can immediately feel a difference.
“They can’t often explain to you why, and I don’t need them to explain why, but they can see and feel the difference.”
• Wherever you are, PGA Professionals can assist you with not only your swing but in ensuring the equipment you play is best suited to your needs. To find your nearest PGA Professional, visit pga.org.au/find-a-pga-pro/
