Golf instructor honored by equipment company
by KEATON T. DEPRIEST Cheektowaga Editor

Golf instructor Mike Callahan offers a tip to Airport Driving Range customer Paul Lammana. Callahan was recently ranked a Top 100 Club Fitter by KZG, a golf equipment company. Photo by John Rusac Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

A member of the local golf community was recently given a worldwide ranking.

South Buffalo resident Mike Callahan, a certified U.S. golf teaching instructor, was voted as one of the Top 100 club fitters in the world by KZG, a custom golf equipment company.

Callahan, a golf fitter and instructor at Airport Driving Range, 207 Youngs Road, Williamsville, said he greatly appreciates the honor.

"It really was a great honor for them to recognize me," said Callahan, 40, who has been working as a club fitter and instructor for the past 17 years.

Callahan said he learned a vast amount of skills by talking to other golfers and exchanging ideas, which helped him to better fit people with their clubs.

"You have to make sure your clubs fit right, because it makes it harder for adjustments in technique if it's the wrong club for you," he said.

As a fitter, Callahan assists people in finding a better swing through a perfectly matched club.

"I educate people on how to use and find the right club," he said. "Everyone is built differently."

His dedication to molding a club to the golfer's form is something that KZG salesmen noticed and was the reason he was rec- ommended to a panel of judges during the company's ranking procedure.

"They took a look at my background and what I do here," Callahan said. "After going through a panel, I was called in February by KZG, and they told me I was ranked in the Top 100 based on experience and education."

He said one of the keys to being a club fitter is always learning from students and customers.

Callahan teaches students in five golf clinics per week at the Airport Driving Range, as well as holding private golfing lessons.

One of the techniques he uses that KZG took into consideration is videotaping students as they practice their golf driving.

"It is a lot easier when you can see how your swing flows," he said. "It is easier to explain what type of club the person needs or what they need to work on."

Callahan said KZG merchandise is offered in the range's Pro Shop, which features the company's utility irons, left-handed clubs, and many other accessories.

"Being an instructor is something that I enjoy doing, and I am always offering tips to people who may need the extra help," Callahan said.

From now until the end of August, Airport Driving Range will be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Purchasing the annual membership card will allow golfers to buy one bucket of driving range balls for $8 and the second for $1, a savings of $7 for the two buckets.

For more information about the driving range, call 634-5588.

e-mail: kdepriest@beenews.com