There was a collective sigh of relief last week from participants in my regular, informal golfing group, the CHIPS, here at The Glamorganshire Golf Club in Penarth, near to
Cardiff.
One long-time attendee, Mac - a still very fit and forever cheerful sixty something, with what he describes as a ‘power fade’ (i.e. a huge slice) – brought along to our last gathering, a DVD which he had somehow acquired. This apparently demonstrates that common warm-up routines may be robbing us of our strength and energy before we even approach the first tee. In the DVD, "Par and Beyond Secrets to Better Golf," Dr. Jerry V. Teplitz explains the “Meridian Acupuncture” lines in the human body and how these energy fields affect your golf game. It seems that when we bend and stretch and spend time in the practice net, we are interfering with and reducing the flow of energy in our body and our ability to drive the ball farther. To prevent this, Dr.Teplitz advises, simply take your practice swings and then rub your stomach along the “Spleen Meridian” line to restore the energy in your body. To order your copy or find out more about the DVD, visit www.golf-help.info.
This all came as great news to most CHIPS members, many of whom can be seen red-faced, wheezing and gasping as they approach the first tee, having tried in vain to follow the latest warm-up advice, but failing even to touch their knees, let alone their toes (which most have not seen in years). After his round Mac hurried home to explain to his long suffering wife about the “Spleen Meridian” line so that she would know exactly where to rub.
The CHIPS is just one of a number of such golfing groups within The Glamorganshire. The group meets every Wednesday and Thursday with participants simply turning up on the first tee at 11 a.m., each placing their ball in a hat to draw for partners. The name CHIPS comes from the fact that each player puts £1 in ‘the kitty’ and the winner takes the pot but buys potato chips for everybody. Many of the CHIPS participants also participate in the CRISPS, a group which plays on a Saturday morning whenever there is no competition. Here, it is £2 in ‘the kitty’ but the player with the best score on the day buys everyone else a drink, and the lowest placed buys a packet of crisps for all that day’s participants.
Other groups within the Club include the “Fruit Boys”, the Old Pens, the Matelots, and some other informal groups of like-minded golfing pals without any particular name. Some, like the CHIPS, have their own handicap system with participants often playing off handicaps rather lower than their Club handicaps. Golf tours are common with groups playing not only in the
UK, but also visiting
France,
Spain,
Portugal,
Ireland,
South Africa, the
USA, and
Thailand.
Golfing groups such as the CHIPS are the life blood of a Club like The Glamorganshire as often, the après-golf camaraderie and banter is almost as (and sometimes more) important than the golf itself. Without such groups, bar takings would be considerably reduced and the Club would be a much less interesting place.
Play fast, swing slow.
Sandy Parr