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Managing Editor: Rod Jerred Phone: 905-337-5559 Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: rjerred@haltonsearch.com W 'K D N E SD A Y . O C T O B E R 2 . 2<X)li · l '\ ( i H A 8 Oakville Golf aims to turn bogeys into birdies with custom dubs By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL T O THE BEAVER Golfers, blame the next poor score on the clubs. If the shaft and length, among other dimensions, aren't matched with a player's tempo, swing, spin and club head space, the game is affected. The two are very connected, said Joe Lavery, owner of Oakville Golf located at the comer of Bronte Road and Dundas Street. Lavery said golf swings are like fin gerprints -- each is unique. And clubs are like suits of clothing; custom ones take in account personal measurements, adapting the club to the body, while off the rack ones require the user to adapt to it. Improving on the game with custom clubs is less expensive than people realize, said Lavery, whose customers come from all walks of the greens, users of private and public courses. Oakville Golf first opened in 1998 and by the following year, this niche service was voted best new business in town -- among 22 other entrepreneurial ventures -- by the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. An onsite simulator calculates all of the measurements of each golfer and from those figures, Lavery and a team of co-workers set to work. John Campbell is the shop's club maker, Dennis Martini is the manager and club fitter, Peter Law is a professional golfer who teaches both traditional and Natural Golf, and two part-time students Patrick Wolfe and Mark Calzonetti "do the rest of the work", said Lavery. The trend toward Natural Golf -- made famous by golf legend Moe Norman who is a regular customer at Oakville Golf -- is also a means toward improving the game of local golfers. "It drops handicaps appreciably," said Peter Law, the shop pro and one of only eight instructors in the country licensed to teach it. For those players who are frustrated with their swing and who want the ball to land in the middle of the fairway, the Natural method is the answer, added Law. The grip is similar to holding a baseball bat, the stance is wider, and instead of standing at an angle to the ball, Natural golfers hit the ball facing it. Course management is also taught in the one hour lessons which run at $65 each or five for $300. According to Lavery, who has been playing for 34 years, most games are determined by play in the first 100 yards. When players leam to golf better at the outset of the game, the rest of the holes will follow suit. Despite running his own business, Lavery manages to play twice a week. His handicap runs around 10 now. He credits his custom clubs and a few lessons, as well as all those years of practice swinging, with his game's progress. Goodbye old job. Hello career. Choose DeVry College of Technology for the skills and experience you need to go from a " day job" to a great career. It's learning that's designed to help you succeed: · Courses year-round so you can earn a th re e -y e a r diplom a in technology or business in just tw o years · Doors open days, nights and w eeken ds - w ith classes scheduled in h alf-day sessions, so you can w ork w hile you leam · D edicated professors and staff to guide you from enrollm ent to post-graduation em ploym ent · Option to continue your studies to earn a bachelor's d egree at one of our tw e n ty -th ree d egree-g ranting cam puses in North A m erica Take your fir s t step today, call our Toronto (M ississauga) campus new DeVry V7 College o f Technology THINK AHEAD 1 -8 6 6 -D E V R Y -C A © 2002 DeVry Canada Inc. · Liesa Kortmann · Oakville Beaver w w w.devry.ca John Campbell, left, club maker at Oakville Golf and store owner Joe Lavery, hold Natural Golf clubs made famous by golf legend Moe Norman. 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