Short-game fanatics hone skills

By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

According to Dr. Richard C. Myers of Think and Reach Par, a company he founded as a result of his passion for golf and desire to help other golfers, a recent Swedish study suggests that golf provides the equivalent of 40% to 70% of maximum aerobic power, which is the equivalent of a 45- minute aerobics fitness class.

“For starters, just being outdoors generates healthy responses from your body,” Myers says. “Exposure to sunlight prompts the body to manufacture vitamin D, and it signals the brain to release certain endorphins which actually lift your spirits and enhance your mood.

“Weight loss and weight maintenance are two more health benefits of golf,” he says. “If you carry your own clubs, and walk the entire course, you can expect to burn as many as 500 calories per game. But even if you drive around the course, you can burn at least 200 calories for your efforts.

Backyard green
“Not only is golf both fun and addictive, but it’s an excellent way to take care of your heart, body, and mind all at the same time,” Myers adds.

Members of one local community who enjoy playing golf are in luck—just a stone’s throw away from their homes is a nine-hole putting green, available all year long.

Players of all skill levels can be found at the green, located at Henry Ford Village, at any given time during the day. Mixed golf league member Helene Morris can be found practicing her skills at least two to three hours every week at the convenient putting green.

An avid golfer for more than 20 years, Morris says her putting needs work.

“Putting is really crucial to the game,” she says.

Annual putting contest gives bragging rights
Besides being used for putting practice, the green is also the scene of Henry Ford Village’s annual Community Member and Employee Putting Contest. September 12 will mark the contest’s fifth year.