100PLUS Golf Clinic

As a motoring journalist, I never thought that spending time trying to learn a golf swing would be part of the job.

But when Oneshift was invited to take part in a golf clinic at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club, we gladly accepted.

To play golf at a professional level requires serious commitment & discipline, plenty of skill, and an abundance of training.

Golf is an expensive sport. You've got to purchase clubs and shoes. A club membership would be quite nice too. Having the luxury of time to dedicate to learning the finer aspects of the game is a must.

It didn't sound like the most exciting activity for a Friday afternoon, but when The Ed told me to just enjoy it and pretend that "I'm-well-heeled-and-can-do-anything", well, why not?

(Cue the evil snobbish laughter, ala British aristocrat)

The first few minutes had us listening to one of the Pros from the Mercedes Benz Master Tour give us instructions. We were given tips before proceeding to make our first attempts at hitting the ball.

Stretching exercises to prevent injuries were also de rigeur.

Since I didn't have any golfing equipment, I was lucky enough to be lent a 7-iron by a friendly Mediacorp reporter who was also in attendance.

My first few attempts at whacking that little white ball resulted in the following:

- missed completely
- ball would fly up and land 3 feet away
- ball hit, but simply ended up rolling for 20 feet

In this sport, staying patient and relaxed was the key. Grip your club like you were holding your sweetheart's hand. Bend your knees, keep your back straight and your chest out. Don't stoop.

Those few times I remembered to do all-of-the-above turned out to be rewarding. I was able to send the ball flying - up to 70 meters away. Since I was missing so many shots, a 70 meter drive seemed quite far indeed.

Overall, the event gave us all an intro to the game of golf. To those who had more experience, it was a chance to pick up some good tips on improving their swing, and ultimately, their game.

This was a totally different way of driving, but an enjoyable one nevertheless.

Credits: JRC