The children of Offaly never have to look far for sporting inspiration. Shane Lowry danced a 42-year-old jig on the 18th green at Bethpage Black and he has been inspiring a generation of juniors in the Faithful county throughout his career.
Looking to unearth the next Shane Lowry or two is Tullamore native Caolan Smith who is eager to capitalise on the golfing boom that juniors are enjoying off the back of the exploits of their local hero and a certain Rory McIlroy.
Smith is one of Ireland’s finest up and coming PGA Professionals and aged just 25 he has huge ambitions for his coaching career as he looks to nurture some up and coming talent.
“Definitely! There is some potential there alright,” declares Smith who operates from Birr Golf Shop.
“Seeing an Offaly man do well, it shows. Year on year there has been a huge increase in the amount of players playing junior golf and joining golf clubs. It’s great for the game, it’s a game for life.
“We have a driving range here and on the weekends it’s packed with kids and teenagers. It’s great to see so many girls coming as well, you wouldn’t have seen it before. When I was thirteen or fourteen people would laugh at you if you said you were playing golf.
“I want to constantly improve. I want to grow the junior golf scene and have an academy at some stage and be one of the best coaches in Ireland where I coach the best junior golfers. I also want to serve every type of golfer whether it’s beginner or your lower handicap golfers.”
A product of the Darren Clarke Golf School, Smith turned professional in 2020 and graduated as a PGA Pro in 2023. He began his PGA training in Castlewarden where he spent four years. From there he learned how to cope with the challenges of being a young aspiring teaching professional in the golf industry.
“I did my training in Castlewarden in Kildare for four years and I learned the art of getting clients. We had a strong member base. It’s about building the trust with people and showing them that you have the knowledge. It can be tough as a young person because when you’re starting out you have to earn the respect and the trust of the clients.”
Birr Golf Shop isn’t attached to Birr Golf Club like a traditional pro shop but Smith has developed a strong client base and is keen to develop his own personal website, social media and online coaching platform as he looks to expand his teaching to clients all around Offaly and in Tipperary and Westmeath.
He teaches players of all abilities and in either an individual or group setting. Online coaching is the new trend these days and he has found it to be a huge help for his development as a coach.
“It opens my coaching to people around the world really,” he says of the online coaching option. “People might not be able to come to me for a lesson in Birr so video analysis makes it very easy to give online coaching.”
Being a PGA Professional is the dream job for Smith who started playing golf in Tullamore Golf Club aged 10 with his father.
Smith always had a passion and a huge interest in the golf swing and the teaching side of the game – regularly dishing out tips to his friends on the course. He received regular junior coaching in Tullamore and was part of the U18 All Ireland Boys Inter Club Championship winning team, from there his goal was to become a PGA Professional and become one of the best coaches in Ireland.
“It’s always been a passion of mine, even when I was playing with others on course before I had qualifications I was giving tips. Whether you are a five year old child or eighty year old it doesn’t matter,” adds Smith who gets a great buzz out of seeing his clients improve.
“It’s seeing the satisfaction in the golfer’s face and seeing them improve and shoot better scores, it just makes me happy, it makes me proud and to have this as a job I feel very lucky.”
To book a lesson with Caolan Smith click HERE
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