Golfers’ Bunker

Guest Post

You might not think of golf as being an especially effective way of keeping fit but there are a few benefits which I have noticed in the years I have been playing the game.

I have never been one for going to be the gym on a regular basis and jogging just seems like a bit of a pointless waste of energy. However, I like to keep fit and playing golf can help in the following ways.

Keep Your Weight Under Control

I have noticed the weight control aspect of golf with my Dad more than with me to be honest. He was always a bit of seasonal player, as his dodgy knees stopped him from playing in the winter.

During the summer he would be in great shape as he played a few times a week, but when the days started getting colder he would put on a fair bit of weight. I’ve never been prone to the kind of weight fluctuations he suffers from but I certainly feel a lot fitter after I have played a few games.

Actually, I am not sure if everyone else feels the same but I always end up with sore muscles when I play for the first time in ages, so it must be a good overall workout you get.

Stay Healthy

As a schoolboy I used to be sick all the time. The common cold, the flu and other bugs kept me in my bed watching Button Moon and reading the Beano more days than I would care to admit. Things improved when I got into secondary school and it is only when I look back now that I can make the connection with starting to play golf regularly.

Instead of sitting in the house playing with my Spectrum and getting sick I went out to get a lot of fresh air and exercise. I am not suggesting that it is the solution for every sickly child but it is certainly a great way of ensuring that they get out into the fresh air and get stronger. Since I started playing the game on a regular basis I have felt so much better and stronger that I can’t imagine ever stopping playing.

Look Fit

Apart from feeling fit and healthy I think that it is very important to look it too. Even away from the high temperatures in summer I usually end up with a nice glow about my face when I play a lot of golf. Being out in the sun for a few hours at a time is a great way of adding a bit of colour to your face and arms, and I always feel a lot better when I manage to get my golfing tan sorted.

People at work usually ask me if I have been away on holiday after a weekend in which I have played a couple of rounds of golf, so it is definitely something which others notice as well. The really strange thing is that I don’t get the same sort of tan by going to the beach, doing the gardening or anything else.

It seems that playing golf gives a special sort of suntan and I have been wondering for a while why that is. One of the guys I play with claims that it is due to the reflection of the sun off the grass but I don’t think he was being entirely serious when he said it. Maybe it is to do with the combination of exercise and sun but whatever it is I know that playing a couple of rounds of golf in a weekend is better than a week in Benidorm for my skin (not to mention my liver).

You might not associate golf trolleys and clubs with keeping fit but it is a sport which can make you look and feel better.

Relaxation: it’s one of the keys to improving your game. And there’s no better place to chill out and work on your technique than on one of the dozens of brilliant golf courses in the Cotswolds, gateway to the West Country.

There are over 2 dozen excellent golf courses just waiting for you to show what you can do, with many courses of Championship standard. If 18 hole courses near Oxford are your thing, start at Brailes, near Banbury, followed up with Chipping Norton, or Wychwood. If you’d rather make Gloucester your base, then start at the historic Cirencester Golf Club before heading off to the Cotswold Hills near Cheltenham. Once you’ve conquered that one, set off for the Gloucester Golf and Country Club at Robinswood Hill, with its varying hill falls and a floodlit driving range. If you like your courses covered in trees for that extra challenge, try out Lilley Brook Golf Club in Cheltenham.

After defeating the challenges at Ross-on-Wye, wend your way to the Players Golf Club at Codrington: long, lean and lovely, before heading on to Kendleshire in the Frome Valley – but only if you like it wet, as water hazards are a feature here. Broadway, Chipping Sodbury and Minchinhampton will all test your mettle as well as your swing.

Broadway, at over 800 feet above sea level, combines natural and man-made hazards for a unique golfing experience. The 19th hole won the 2007 Golf World, Whyte & Mackay best 19th Hole award. At Chipping Sodbury, which has hosted many championships over the years, water hazards are a notable feature, adding that extra edge. Minchinhampton has three excellent courses, all lying on well-drained limestone, offering a great experience all year round, no matter how much of that famous west country rain may fall. If you’d rather just spend a weekend chilling out in one location, try the Manor House Golf Club in Castle Combe, Wiltshire. The tees and greens on the course are lovingly cut by hand, and the River Bybrook burbles by as well. It also has a 17th hole rated as one of the top ten par 3s in the world.

There are so many ways to play this county. Whichever town or city you decide to make your base, there are great golf courses nearby. Alternatively, you could decide to play some of the best water hazards in the county, starting with Broadway, taking in Tewkesbury Park, and ending at Oaksey Park near Malmesbury. Another option is to aim for courses with a combination of holes that are ‘up hill and down dale’, like the Hallmark Hotel near Gloucester. This 18 hole, 72 par course has hosted the West of England PGA Championship and its 18th hole is one of the best in the area.

The Cotswolds don’t disappoint from a culinary viewpoint either. Once you’ve finished your game for the day, try the excellent range of real ales or ciders brewed in the county. For heartier fare, sample a filling beef or lamb stew with traditional cream tea to follow, setting you up nicely for the next green challenge.

It’s a very special place, the south-west of England. You’ll find rolling green hills, open landscapes, quirky and friendly people, excellent pubs, fabulous food: and one or two dozen brilliant golf courses. This chocolate-box pretty region is easy to reach from London, Oxford, Bristol, Birmingham and Wales. Whether it’s an intimate golfing experience you’re looking for, or a world-class challenge, you’ll find a course to suit in this warm and welcoming region.

A guest contribution from Dan from Wish.co.uk - Find out more about the gift experiences they offer.

If you want to know how to carry out a golf swing or are looking for ways to improve your golfing performance – this is for you. This video will prevent that ‘hook’ or ‘slice’ off the tee!