As a sedentary student, it can be difficult to keep in shape, especially if you do not like crowded gyms or rainy autumn walks. Jessica Gustafsson tried out golf to see if it was an alternative for keeping the body in trim.
Beach 2015 is over. At last, we can lie down on our couch and stuff our faces with crisps – or visit the gym and ready ourselves for next summer. But can we not do something that is both fun and healthy? This autumn, Lundagård will try various sports to see what fits the worn and inexperienced student. First to the test is golf.
A gentleman’s game – but geeky
Golf might be the gentleman’s game – but it is also sort of geeky. I mean, who would voluntarily choose to wear a polo shirt? Golf is kind of the sport equivalent of LTH – mostly practiced by nerds, but one day, they will earn a lot of money. The players also look fancy while at it – despite the polo shirts.
The structure of the sport is very simple; hit a tiny white ball with a tiny club head and try to land the ball into a tiny hole several hundred yards away. The course is a parklike carpet scattered with dams, sand pits and trees in order to make it more difficult to land that tiny ball into that tiny hole with that tiny club head. Yeah, simple.
Not that straining
Emelie Storckenfeldt is the pro (in golf, a pro is an instructor) who teaches me to swing and put. And what she teaches me is not all that straining. Even though I have two weeks of nollning behind me (eating hamburgers and drinking, that is) it is not especially hard to go a round of golf. That is one of the best things about golf: everyone can play it – no matter what age or condition. Generally, golf players also live longer than non-golfers, perhaps because you can keep training even at old age.
Emelie Storckenfeldt tells me that golf is and has always been a gentleman’s game. Dressing codes are vital to follow and there is no trash talk between players. Golfers go their rounds with great focus and mutual respect. In that way, golf is a more complicated sport. There is a lot of ethics and unwritten rules that can be hard to grasp as a newbie. But there are ways to psyche your opponent out. For one thing, you can pretend to grab a more difficult club, hoping that your opponent will do the same and thus fail their strike. So, even the psych outs are geeky.
Everyone should play golf
I was a bit nervous to try golf, since I have difficulty concentrating and quite the loud voice. But I learnt that swearing is allowed. Obscenely, but not loudly. However, the most important part is to have a strong psyche. Because of course it is frustrating when the ball will not go the way it is supposed to (or is even hit), and it is easy to think until you almost bend yourself over backwards. A course will take about four hours, so there is time for infinite thinking before a strike.
I tried golf on a fantastic day. The sun was shining, no wind was blowing, and my pro was both motivational and clear in her teaching. My conclusion is that everyone should try out golf, even if you can go nuts when it does not go your way. Because you live longer – and you can drink beer doing it.
FACTS:
Score: 3 out of 5
Price: It depends on your age and the type of country club. The price for an annual membership ranges from 3,000-5,000 SEK. If you are not a member, a single course can cost between 350-900 SEK. There are no student discounts, but juniors get a cheaper price.
Hungover: Golf is fantastic when you are hungover. According to Emelie Storckenfeldt, it can cure even the worst of vomit-hangovers. You might see double for a few holes, but then it will pass. But you are not allowed to drink during competitions – that is considered doping!
Straining: No, but a good workout. You might not get your beach body 2016 from golfing, but you will keep in shape, according to Emelie Storckenfeldt.
Cheap tricks: No, in golf you respect each other. You are not allowed to psych anyone out verbally or to push.
Outfits: Neat. Some clubs are stricter than others, but you NEVER play in jeans, and your shirt needs a neck.
Risk of injury: Pretty low. There can be repetitive strain injuries if you swing your club wrong. You might also get a club or a ball to the head – which is not preferable.
Experience: No need, but if you have played other sports with clubs (ice-hockey, bandy, floorball) you are often at an advantage.
Translation: Carl-William Ersgård
