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Thursday, September 22, 2005
Chiongbian: Golfing in the rain
By Edgar R. Chiongbian
RAIN, rain, go away come again another day.
It’s raining, it’s pouring, and the old man is snoring. It is a nice time for sleeping but not for golfing. Finally we are getting some sun, but how long will it last? Until the next typhoon, Mr. Phoon?
Our good friend Boy Barcelo should have been sleeping instead of reeling on that big tournament in the north. On his way home from the tournament one evening, he had a minor accident in the small road when he blew a tire. It is a good thing that a courteous foursome of young Class-A players was following and fixed the tire for him. Barcelo is not only class D in golf but also in tire fixing.
Boy is the oldest boy I know and that is why I call him wonder boy. At a tender age of 80, this diminutive boy drives a two-door Pajero with big oversized tires.
I think that he has created his own driving problem because his vehicle is too much muscle for him to handle. I tried to convince him to get a regular car so he can be more comfortable and can easily manage it, but he refuses.
His reason is that a regular car is too low and the lights from oncoming traffic blind him. Then I asked if he always went out at night. He said no, only for awarding night! So I rest my case and now it is your turn to convince him, thank you.
Everyone I talked to who went to Iloilo for the PAL Intersports got so wiped out after getting back to Cebu. I guess the combination of a good competition, good food and a good time can really be exhausting. And when I got back, Rotary was waiting and it was time for our District governor’s visit. There was no easy way out from the watchful eyes of SAG Danny Vicencio and AG Al Alcibar.
The Iloilo Golf and Country Club is the oldest golf course in the Philippines and it is really showing its age, in terms of design. The golf course is very pleasant to play and score on if you know the greens. But there are a lot of hard work to do on few of the holes. Two par 3’s with yardage of 165-180 forces you to use a 4 or 5-wood because you need to carry everything in front of the green and there is plenty of elevation. Reminds me of some holes at Camp John Hay.
AGAINST THE WIND. And three of their par 4’s you can’t reach in two. It’s more like a par 5 at 460 plus yards and always against the wind; no roll (when wet) and you’re shooting 120 yards for your third shot. One par 5 at 520 yards will ask for a fairway wood on your fourth shot. The grass and course condition is very similar to the Cebu Country Club. The only thing I did not really like about the golf course is the shared tee mount on many of the holes. The first and 10th holes are very near each other it created a problem for the tournament with many players hanging out, waiting to tee off.
Especially troublesome are the three holes, which shared the teeing area and there would be a congregation shuffling to tee off, making socializing very fruitful if that is your bag. With approximately four flights in the area, that would mean about 35 to 40 people, including the caddies and umbrella girls milling around to add to the confusion.
And when you finish the ninth and the 18th holes, all the players will have to walk across the fairway of the 10 hole, right about the landing area of their tee shots, which are blind from the ninth and 18th holes.
And finally a big sign on the 10th fairway that says “Non golfers go this way.” I didn’t know that they had tourists in the area nor their villagers spoke and read English!
GOLF TIP: Too much tension in the arms is the No.1 speed killer. And one of the main cause for this is you may be gripping the club too tight. Increasing your flexibility and adopting a light grip pressure will allow you to swing freer, more fluidly and ultimately faster.
Poor technique and improper sequencing also restrict swing speed. Most people swing harder with the upper body on the downswing and lose the proper sequence of motion to maximize distance. The over-the-top motion of the average slicer is a prime example.
It is a common misconception that you must swing harder to increase speed. When the average player swings harder, there is almost always a break down in mechanics and a decrease in swing speed. So just be patient and bring up your speed in stages without sacrificing swing mechanics.
(erc@skyinet.net)
(September 22, 2005 issue)
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