Cork Golf Centre

5th win for Wayne in Spain

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Wayne O’Callaghan who won the Senior Golf Tour Europe event last week, pictured with his dad Brendan who caddied for him.

Wayne O’Callaghan rounded off a good year on the course last week in Spain, winning the Marbella Senior Open and claiming the Senior Golf Tour Europe Order of Merit.

O’Callaghan played in six of the tour events this year, and came away with an impressive haul of five wins.  The Senior Golf Tour is a competitive over 50’s event for professionals and amateurs, and features a season long schedule of 12 every across nine countries.

After finishing 10th in Valencia in his first event in April, O’Callaghan reeled off five straight wins thanks to some work on his putting in the studio.  Based in Cork Golf Centre in Inniscarra, the Advanced PGA Professional has built up a reputation as a top class putting coach.  “I didn’t have a great start in Valencia, I putted poorly and came back and was contemplating giving it up” said O’Callaghan.  “But I came home and checked my putting on the SAM Puttlab and found a new putter that helped with my aim, because I found a big aim issue with the one I was using.”

The difference was clear, and O’Callaghan went back on tour with renewed confidence.  “I went from there to Italy and I played some really good golf.  I don’t think I had a bogey until the final round and shot four under and won by two shots.  I had a big result in Prague where I shot five under par for my last ten holes.  I finished on six under for the tournament and caught Continue reading →

O’Callaghan bringing putting to the fore

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Wayne O’Callaghan lining up a putt using the SAM Puttlab camera and video system.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Most of the golf courses around Cork remain very soft, and instead of playing many golfers are honing their skills at ranges and through lessons and classes.  Cork Golf Centre has been a busy place since January and Wayne O’Callaghan’s putting studio is one of the busiest.  O’Callaghan started focusing on putting around four years ago and now he’s recognised as one of the leading coaches in Ireland.

Wayne has invested a lot in terms of new technology, in addition to Continue reading →

Busy January for Stephen Hayes in Cork Golf Centre

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PGA Professional Stephen Hayes pictured at Cork Golf Centre.  Picture: Niall O’Shea

The January weather continues to hamper many golfers, the recent cold temperatures have meant that many courses have had delayed opening times or stay closed, further impacting the available time for golfers to play with the limited daylight hours.  With limited playing options the driving ranges in Cork have been busy, and many golfers are also tuning up their games with lessons from their PGA Professional.  Stephen Hayes, is one of those, and he’s had a busy January so far.

Hayes is one of five PGA professionals working from Cork Golf Centre in Ballincollig, and the range and the teaching bays have been busy since Christmas.  Hayes encourages all golfers to hit a few balls at the range.  “This is a great time of the year to get to the driving range as the golf courses are closed quite a bit due to poor weather.  If you have been planning to play at the weekend and the course is closed, use some of that time at the range” suggests Hayes.

He’s also advises golfers to focus on the their time at the range to get the most from it.  “When you go to the range it is so important that you go, they’re with a plan and don’t just beat balls.  Identify wh Continue reading →

Wayne putting golfers on the path to success

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Wayne O’Callaghan with the Odessey putter range at his putting custom fitting studio in Cork Golf Centre. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Wayne O’Callaghan’s putting studio in Cork Golf Centre is a busy spot, and that’s no surprise considering the state of the art training and putting analysis tools that are available at the studio in Ballincollig.  O’Callaghan has been focusing on the art of putting for the past few years and last month he became Cork’s first dedicated Odyssey putter fitting centre.  With a large number of putters in stock, Cork Golf Centre is now a one stop shop for golfers looking to improve their performance on the course.

While a large proportion of golfers will have been fitted for a driver or irons, very few will have done the same with their putter.  Given that the putter will always be the most used club in the bag during a round of golf it’s funny that the focus usually is on the driver and length gains, but now O’Callaghan is providing Cork golfers with the chance to get the stats and the science of their putting skills.  Wayne previously invested in the Capto and Sam Puttlab systems and he’s recently added Continue reading →

Stephen Hayes keeping golfers winter ready

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Stephen Hyes has launched his winter coaching programmes at Cork Golf Centre.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

PGA Professional Stephen Hayes is planning for a busy off-season, he’s developed a new golf coaching plan that should allow golfers to improve over the winter months.  After a busy summer, Hayes has switched up the coaching options, focusing on a structured approach that takes in four sessions over the course of a number of weeks.  “I came up with the Long Game Winter Assessment as a way of structuring a lesson and practice plan for my students over the winter” explained Stephen.  “The first step is carrying out a 90 minute assessment with the students which includes a TPI movement screening, Trackman video and data analysis and a Trackman combine test.  The second step is then sitting down with the student to go through the findings and agree on a plan going forward over the winter. The student can then choose option of five lessons, they can also choose the length of each coaching lesson; 30, 45 or 60 minutes.”

The TPI screening, developed and pioneered by the Titleist Performance Institute has become the industry Continue reading →

Putting for Dough at Cork Golf Centre

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PGA Advanced Professional Wayne O’Callaghan who is based at Cork Golf Centre.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

If you ask golfers how many putts they take in a round they’ll probably have a rough idea of the number.  But if you asked them for the percentage very few would think it’s over 40% of the shots in an average round.  Wayne O’Callaghan has been building a reputation as a leading putting coach, and his new performance studio in Cork Golf Centre is designed to provide golfers with cutting edge technology to improve their putting.

Wayne, a PGA Advanced Professional recently invested in the latest putting analysis technology, the Sam Puttstudio.  Wayne has used the Science & Motion puttlab for a number of years, and he recently upgraded to the studio version which provides ball tracking and video projection.  Golfers and the instructor can now see the putt line thanks to the Continue reading →

Cork Golf Centre ready for 2022

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David Keating pictured at Cork Golf Centre.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

The recent wet weather may have closed some courses, but Cork Golf Centre in Ballincollig offers golfers cover from the elements and the soft ground, and it’s this ideal place to keep golfers swinging through the wet and cold winter months.  Many golfers continue to play all year around but there are a number who stay away from the course during the winter months.

The centre is one of just a few driving ranges in Cork, and it’s an ideal alternative for golfers looking to keep their swing in shape but not head out to the course.  The centre has been a busy spot over the past 12 months in particular, with a big increase in the number of active golfers playing the game.  When the centre opened in May 2017 it was a much-needed addition to the western side of the city.  It was within easy reach of a large number of golfers Continue reading →

Major Upgrade for Cork Golf Centre

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A new LED lighting system has brought a huge improvement to Cork Golf Centre.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Cork Golf Centre has seen a major upgrade in 2020 with golfers now benefitting from better lighting and a longer hitting area.  The centre just outside Ballincollig used the two lockdowns to implement some planned improvements, and it’s been a busy place since the recent reopening.  When the centre opened in May 2017 it was a much needed addition to the western side of the city.  It was within easy reach of a large number of golfers stretching from the city to Macroom.  David Keating was behind the development and his vision was to provide golfers of all levels with a Continue reading →

PGA’s Pro’s getting back in the swing

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Cork Golf Centre

While courses opened in mid-May, it took most Golf Professionals a few weeks more to restart their businesses.  Almost all PGA Professionals are now back in business following the lockdown and many are reporting a strong start to the shortened season.  Cork Golf Centre re-opened in May and the Ballincollig centre is now back to offering the full range or services.  Wayne O’Callaghan is one of three teaching professionals based in the centre and he’s delighted with the large number of golfers coming for lessons or just Continue reading →

The Progress Continues at Cork Golf Centre

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Cork Golf Centre

It’s three years since Cork Golf Centre opened and while nobody could have expected all forms of golf to be suspended, it’s still an important milestone for the progressive range.  Having operated as a range for close to twenty years, the site re-opened in 2017 under David Keating.  David Keating is one of golf’s gentlemen.  The PGA Professional has had an interesting and varied 27 years working in golf, working in Cork, Kerry, Dublin and back in Cork again where he based himself in the Ballincollig range.  The Charleville man started off serving his time in Bandon with Paddy O’Boyle, and ended up as Club Professional at his home course in Charleville.  After that he spent ten years in Killarney as Head Professional and three years ago he moved into teaching full time, splitting his time between Cork Golf Centre and the Spawell Academy in Continue reading →