DRIVE 495 – A New Luxury Golf + Fitness Training Facility Recently Opened in Manhattan

(New York, NY, October 23, 2006) Drive 495 is a new luxury gym and premium golf facility, conveniently located at 495 Broadway, in the heart of SoHo. Conceived with both city golfers and fitness devotees in mind, Drive 495's members will find year-round golf training and integrated workouts using the latest technology in a strikingly beautiful setting. Drive 495 is the entrepreneurial endeavor of Don and Joseph Saladino, who bring their combined expertise to bear in this upscale sports venue. Don, who has many years of experience as an elite personal trainer in New York City, and Joseph, who has played in professional and amateur golf tournaments around the world, have parlayed their extensive backgrounds into culling some of the most sought-after personal trainers and golf pros in the world.

As golf fitness has spread from the new generation of top-ranked pros, everyone, it seems, wants a taut body — and a power swing — like that of Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstan. No club's staff is better suited to help meet that objective than that of Drive 495. The golf staff is supervised and trained by Robert Baker and Grant Hepburn, founders of the world-renowned logicalgolf™ method. Baker, instructor to several number-one ranked players and other clients such as Michael Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Douglas, Hugh Grant, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Donald Trump, and Barry Bonds, offers private lessons to members in Drive 495, taking full advantage of its golf simulators and rare 3-D imaging system. "The logicalgolf™ method is so visual, it's perfectly suited to lessons and practice with the simulators," says Baker. "I knew I wanted to be a part of Drive 495 minutes after meeting Don and Joseph. It's really a perfect fit for what I do and how I work with my clients."

Drive’s personal training staff, also the most knowledgeable and effective in the business, will bring clarity, efficiency, and commitment to members’ workout sessions. Some of Drive's trainers have a PhD and publications to their credit. All have top credentials and years of experience. In collaboration with Drive’s golf professionals, the club’s trainers develop individual programs to achieve each member's goals, pinpointing weaknesses and tailoring workouts to enhance golf performance, often dramatically, as well as improving overall fitness. Drive's trainers employ exclusive exercises designed by Don Saladino, the latest workout techniques, and high-performance weight training technology from Life Fitness. “It’s not just about how far you can hit the ball," says Don. "It’s about rebuilding movement and total fitness. This is a club for people who really want something to show for their workout and training. We’re here to make you stronger, to make you a better player, and be here for you when you can’t be on the range."

Drive 495’s elite patrons will enjoy their new level of workout and their individualized personal golf clinics in a sublimely gorgeous setting. Designed by the prestigious Handel Architects, LLP, known for their stunning Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons Hotel projects, Drive 495 redefines luxury in a boutique gym. The five-star $4-million dollar architectural enterprise seamlessly layers the warmth and historic, decorative details of the Cast-Iron Era loft with modern design elements. Several enormous, arched cathedral windows and a dozen stately Neo-Grec columns serve as a grand backdrop for sleek, burnished, gem-like metals, translucent glass walls, tranquil colors, and unusual textures that celebrate nature. The club's intelligent layout flows organically, making the most of the loft's glorious natural light, soaring 14-foot ceilings, and majestic 15,000 square foot space, creating an environment that is aesthetically and functionally elegant. Spa-quality amenities include a top-of-the-line juice and health bar; several plasma televisions throughout the loft; private lockers and storage space for clubs; serenely beautiful changing rooms, complete with generous, soothing steam rooms, Egyptian cotton towels, and products by Fresh; and two subtly sumptuous lounges — one on each level — where members may renew their energy after workouts and lessons.

A luminous, floating staircase reflects the loft's abundant light and leads upstairs to the elegant, innovative 5,000 square foot golf studio. Once upstairs, the private, tented golf simulators provide a highly focused, relaxed environment for training sessions. Members may take full advantage of a top-tier golf staff, or completely computerized training program, which includes the latest equipment from Titleist, an AIM-3D imaging system, and three state-of-the-art golf simulators. In the lounge, members sip cold bottled water and relax before and after engaging in a golf swing analysis or private lesson.

The simulators register, record, and replay each swing with a remarkable 97 % visual and statistical accuracy, using Real-time 6-Degrees of Motion Capture System to measure such variables as club and ball speed, launch angle, and ball trajectory. Members can choose from 31 premium golf courses around the world, including Pebble Beach’s Spyglass Hill and Casa de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog. The simulators’ cable system will also alert members when friends log on from other simulators, around the world, signaling an invitation to play a virtual round of golf. Up to four people on each simulator can play a game from within the club.

The golf studio's AIM-3D imaging system — one of the few available in the world — uses four sensors (placed on the body and the club) and an electromagnetic technology that tracks motion from multiple angles. It then analyzes the four key points in a golf swing, zeroing in on deficiencies such as weak hip muscles and problems with rotation and balance. A 10-page report, generated by computer from the resulting data, guides the golf pros and fitness trainers in devising customized, integrated workouts and a training program for each member.

Current members report that the technology and training at Drive 495 not only enhances their game, but their enjoyment of it. "They do their thinking and training here, and not on the golf course," says Joe Saladino. "If you take five days off — or the whole winter — and then pick up a club, you'll be rusty. That’s where this place comes in. With more opportunities for practice, the moves become automatic, stored in muscle memory. You can start the season off with your game intact. Our members can forge a relationship with one of our 6 pros. They can stay with same instructor who will get to know them, practice with them all year round, and follow their progress.”

Membership at Drive 495 starts at $5,000 per year and ensures the privacy and a high quality of service. Members enjoy a staff-to-guest ratio of 2 to 1. As with Drive 495's golf instructors and personal trainers, the service staff, including a concierge, is warmly professional, attentive, and discreet. Drive 495 is the premier urban golf facility in New York.
Drive 495, 495 Broadway, New York, NY 10012 www.driveclubs.com 212 334 9537
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Press Contact:
Victoria George
Victoria George Public Relations llc
212 627 1442
victoria@victoriageorge.com