Mineola's Golf ‘Doctors’

It’s difficult to believe that it has been more than two weeks without snow and that golf season is only a short drive away.

Six golf courses on Long Island made Golf Digest’s list of the top 100 courses in the United States. Seven golf instructors from the island made the list as well.

However, only one golf shop in Nassau and Suffolk counties made the list for custom fittings:  in Mineola.

Specializing in custom fitting and repair since the late 1970s, the Mineola location is the store’s third since 1979. Their first two locations were on Mineola Boulevard.

“The first place was minuscule, the second place was 1,200 sq. ft., and this place has 3,600 sq. ft.,”  co-owner Woody Lashen said.

The business teed off in the basement of co-owner Pete Makowski’s basement who picked up and delivered clubs from local players to be reshafted, regripped or refinished. The success with that venture prompted Pete to move out of his basement.

Over the years, as technology has changed the game of golf, Pete’s Golf Pro Shop has been at the forefront in applying the latest advances to enhance its business.

In the late 1980s a device known as the launch monitor came onto the market and Pete’s Golf Pro Shop seized on it. The machine enables split-second measurements to be taken of spin rate, ball speed and several other faster-than-the-human-eye variables. At the time, the co-owners didn’t know if they could afford the $20,000 product, but they concluded that this product could take their business to another level.

Because of their expertise, Pete’s Golf Pro Shop attracts the more serious and passionate golfer. One came recently from Europe to get a fitting and another is coming all the way from California.

Pete and Woody have been called golf “doctors,” and in a sense, they are. Golfers first schedule an appointment consultation with them prior to the fitting session. During the visit, the ‘doctors’ find out what they believe are the strengths and weaknesses of the golfer’s game.

“Every golfer needs special attention,” Lashen said. “We put them through a series of tests, the way doctors would administer an MRI or do blood work. We give them the prescription they need to be successful. There is no best golf club, but there is a best golf club for you.”

The actual fitting sessions generally last anywhere from one to four hours as players hit dozens of balls, switching from among hundreds of test clubs and shafts, to pinpoint what works best for their swing. All while Pete and Woody gather data that determines the best shaft for the golfer by seeing their swing speed and shaft load stats. They can identify the model of club best suited to their swing by observing spin rate, ball speed, distance and trajectory.

The duo have also become highly sought specialists in the field of custom fitting. When the U.S. Open was held at Bethpage Black last spring, the USGA invited Pete’s Golf Pro Shop to attend in case a golfer encountered a problem with his club and needed a repair.

Pete’s repair services include reshafting, lengthening and shortening shafts, regripping, refitting the lie and loft of a club (including putters) and polishing and regrinding irons. At one time, the store sold used clubs, bags, shoes and other golf accessories but pulled back on that a few years ago to refocus on their core consultation services.

“Our business is constantly evolving,” Lashen said.