Nearly a year since opening, the Golf Performance Center at Cordillera Ranch is one of the top instruction facilities in the state.
By Robert Rodriguez :: Photography by Kelsey Grudle
Designed by architect Jim Terrian and operated under the leadership of Director of Instruction Bryan Gathright, the Golf Performance Center at Cordillera Ranch boasts two bays — constructed by industry leader Tim Cutshall — on the west end of the Club’s Practice Park. One bay features a FlightScope® Launch Monitor, which provides an innovative combination of 3D Doppler Tracking and image processing. Cutshall installed the radar so that it integrates with camera and video data, and provides instructors and students launch characteristics of each shot. The other bay is outfitted with a TrackMan Launch Monitor. TrackMan is at the forefront of launch monitor technology and is trusted by countless tour pros. While TrackMan and FlightScope are similar, TrackMan has greater flexibility when it comes to tracking putts and short game shots. TrackMan also has an integrated simulator that will be installed later this summer.
Each bay includes a three-camera system integrated with the TrackMan and FlightScope Launch Monitors that provide instant feedback on every shot and helps instructors develop a custom plan for improvement. This technology also allows the Cordillera Ranch instruction staff to optimize custom-fit club fitting capabilities.
Additionally, the Golf Performance Center has new fitting components from Titleist®, TaylorMade®, PING and Callaway. “We will continue to have demo days and the big Blockbuster Demo Day (on March 28), but with the addition of these new tools, our golf professional staff will be able to custom fit our membership right here at the Club,” says Corey Roberson, Director of Golf at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. The benefit of getting fit by a golf professional is the ability to test product from different vendors at the same time. “Our goal is to help each member play better golf. That might mean a new driver or set of irons, or maybe your current equipment just needs to be tweaked a little to accomplish that goal. The process starts with testing a player’s current equipment and identifying areas of improvement. One of the biggest areas of improvement I’ve seen with players are long irons, hybrids and fairway woods that do not fly high enough to have stopping power and are too close together in carry distances. We can identify these opportunities and find clubs that will help people play better golf,” explains Roberson.
The Golf Performance Center at Cordillera Ranch is one of the few facilities in Texas implementing the Swing Catalyst 3D Motion Plate. This premier swing analysis system provides a unique combination of the state-of-the-art pressure plate technology (Balance Plate) and a highly-advanced force plate. It allows instructors to study detailed foot pressure data and center of pressure patterns. The 3D Motion Plate also provides horizontal and vertical force measurements of the amount of torque and ground reaction forces generated during each swing. This data is invaluable information for analysis throughout the golf swing as the ground is the source of power and energy in the swing. The 3D data is perfectly synchronized with high-speed video images and TrackMan and FlightScope Launch Monitor technology.
Artificial putting surfaces are located inside the Golf Performance Center, and just outside the building sits two new 4,500-square-foot bentgrass greens — one for pitching and chipping and one for putting. The chipping green is contoured to accept shots from several angles and distances, including those from the 1,400-square-foot practice bunker. Two teeing areas — one reserved for the Golf Performance Center and another for general usage — ensures that members can improve all facets of their game on the west end of Practice Park.
Almost a year in operation, The Golf Performance Center is proving to be one of the biggest assets to the Golf Club — and golfers — at Cordillera Ranch. Gathright sums it up, “All of this incredible technology, combined with our instructors’ passion for making our members better players, certainly makes the future of golf instruction at Cordillera Ranch exciting.”
Bryan Gathright is the Director of Instruction at The Clubs of Cordillera ranch. He can be reached at bgathright@cordilleraranch.com or 210.373.6055.
Corey Roberson is the Director of Golf at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. He can be reached at croberson@cordilleraranch.com or 830.336.4653.
APPROVAL FROM OUR MEMBERS:
“Bryan, I really appreciate all of your help overhauling my swing! We’ve made a lot of progress. The Performance Center has literally been a game-changer for me. As you know, you can tell me what I’m doing wrong and what I need to do to fix it, but it is very hard to put that in a swing. As a visual learner, being able to see what you are telling me and looking at the same issue of someone with a good swing, it is much easier to grasp what you want me do. Sometimes I even do it correctly! Shot tracker was also invaluable when I got new wedges for determining exactly how far I was hitting those clubs. Thank you so much!” — Paul T. Horne
“Bryan is a true ambassador of the game of golf. His experience and depth of knowledge immediately recognized the necessary adjustments needed to improve both our golf swings. The new facility has wonderful visual tools to help students see their own progress with Bryan’s teaching. Bryan’s enthusiasm and positive comments have made our golf practice fun, instead of frustrating. His teaching skills have improved both of our games as well as our confidence on the course.” — Liza & Carl Robinson
“Hey Bryan, I just wanted to send you a message and tell you thanks for all of the work. I know we still have a good amount of work to put in, but it is the most confident I have been about my golf swing in a long time. Also, the things we are working on make a lot of sense to me, it’s just a matter of breaking 20 years of bad habits… That is why I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you and the time you’re spending with me on improving my golf swing.” — David White
