By Sue Spencer
More than 150 golf enthusiasts gathered at Quinta do Lago Driving Range on Tuesday to meet European Tour player, Paul McGinley. The range has been renamed the Paul McGinley Golf Academy in view of Paul’s close association with the facility, which he visits regularly.
The popular Ryder Cup star gave golfers some tips and drills to improve their golf and demonstrated the Taylormade club fitting service available at his Academy.
Paul explained that the technology is based on that used by NASA for tracking missiles and there is nothing else like it in the Algarve.
The system uses a camera which follows the flight of the ball and captures information which is fed through a computer to a screen where readings, such as club head speed and ball spin, are analysed. The Taylormade clubs can then be custom fitted to suit the individual.
Paul hit a selection of clubs – some suited to him and others not – to demonstrate how having the correct club can make a big difference to ball flight, distance and accuracy.
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“The European tour players have been using this technology for seven or eight years. Now there are three centres in the UK, as well as our golf academy at Quinta do Lago, where amateurs can enjoy the same benefits”, explained Paul McGinley. “Anyone can come along and use our fitting service”, he explained. “You don’t have to be a Quinta do Lago member.”
In addition to the fitting service, the Golf Academy offers a range of tuition packages from the three Quinta do Lago teaching professionals.
Paul McGinley is a great fan of the Algarve and has had a holiday home at Quinta do Lago for 15 years or so. “My mum and dad are here and my kids love coming for the golf, as well as the soccer academy at Four Seasons Golf & Country Club”, he said.
Quinta do Lago Chief Executive, John Dwyer, said: “Paul will be hosting a series of events at Quinta do Lago this summer to which everyone is welcome, including some family barbecues. We want to extend the same sense of community we have here at Quinta do Lago to the whole Algarve golfing community.”
