Actually, this is just off Oxford Street, in London’s West End, albeit it’s considerably closer to that than Jordan Spieth’s drive on the 13th hole in the final round of last year’s Open was to the fairway he was aiming for. Or, looked at another way, playing this course puts you as near to liquid refreshment as Jordan was while eyeing up that second shot from close to the beer tents. That was crazy golf indeed. And this is crazy golf, too.
The eponymous big wheel on that particular nine at Swingers; it’s the 9th hole, if you’d like to know that
The Swingers club and bar has no sexual connotations and it’s not much to do with traditional golf, albeit it is a lot of fun. For complete neophytes, there is one instruction which reads: “This is a putting game. For safety, please do not swing the club above knee-height.” Mind you, there is another rule which says: “No more than six shots per person per hole.” Based on the bottle-juggling fivesome playing in the group ahead on The Big Wheel course, that regulation does not get adhered to very often. I’m sure none of them holed out at any hole in less than ten. I, on the other hand, played the 9-hole course in 26, which was very acceptable. There is another ‘layout’ on the premises, The Helter Skelter, which I must find the time to enjoy one slow afternoon, although in order to make the experience a bit faster I will try to avoid lunch time next time.
Don’t you think the 2nd on The Big Wheel Course has rather an azalea-themed Augusta National flavour?
Tangentially back to Spieth, he defends his Open title at Carnoustie this week. Looking beyond that, next month the USPGA Championship will be held at the Bellerive Country Club in St Louis. Last year Sky wouldn’t pay to cover it and the BBC got it for a knockdown price. Apparently neither are interested this time around. Instead Amazon Prime, Facebook and Twitter have been rumoured to be in the frame to show the action. For sure the future likely lies in that sort of direction but right now the situation simply seems to be something of a mess, to put it kindly. All considered, perhaps, it’s no wonder the USPGA is widely considered to be the fourth of the four majors.
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