A swing but certainly not a miss: A day at Wimbledon's indoor golf range
Plus: Marcus Perrineau Daley makes Wimbledon proud by winning silver at the Paris Paralympics.
Good morning, Wimblers — welcome back! Hello to those of you just joining us. thank you very much for subscribing and welcome to The Wimble. Please keep sharing our newsletter. The growth has been amazing these past three months.
It’s been an eventful week. The Paralympics ended. The weather took a turn for the worse. Worryingly, a fire broke out in Wimbledon, forcing residents to close their windows for fear of toxic fumes. But there’s been cause for celebration elsewhere, too. I wanted to take a moment to congratulate Margaret (Maggie) Aspinall and her daughters Olivia, Maddie and Connie on the “Afternoon Tea” they hosted on Friday 30th August for Breast Cancer Now. The family raised well over £1,300 and donations are still pouring in. Please donate if you can — the link to their JustGiving page is here. Wimbledon is such an exceptional place, and it’s people like Maggie and her family who highlight how brilliant our community can be.
In this week’s edition, expect your usual news snippets, a packed list of recommendations and a piece about the joys of playing golf at The Golf Groove — even if you’re a novice like me. The Golf Groove has also kindly given all Wimble readers 25% off their next booking. Click here to redeem your voucher.
Please do get in touch this coming week with ideas, projects, pieces of art, thoughts, feedback and comments. Engagement is key for us at The Wimble, and I love hearing from all of you. Get in touch: zak@thewimble.com.
News snippets 🗞
🥈 Wimbledon resident Marcus Perrineau Daley won silver in the Men’s T52 100m last Friday. The 35-year-old finished with a time of 17.27s. Thanks to Daley — and all of the other athletes who took part in this year’s Paralympics — Team GB finished in second place with an incredible 124 medals. Huge congratulations to Daley and everyone else representing GB this year. Check out some of GB’s Paralympic sporting successes here.
🔥 A fire broke out at the recycling facility on Weir Road last Saturday. The situation was under control by Sunday morning, though crews remained on site for the following two days as the situation was “on going”. Residents were warned to keep their windows and doors shut until at least noon on Tuesday as a result of the heavy smoke. Read more here.
🤸♀️ The Little Gym, Wimbledon is set to open its doors this month. The company, which is famous for its unique approach to children’s development, is opening at Wimbledon Quarter on the 25th September. The space is designed for children ages 4 months to 12-years-old. Head to their website to become a member and land a few deals.
🎾 Date for the AELTC’s proposal hearing has been set . The GLA confirmed last week that the public hearing will be held at City Hall on the 27th September, starting at 10:00 AM. Save Wimbledon Park responded to the news last week by inviting the public to a meeting at St. Barnabas Church on Monday 23rd September, from 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, to summarise the GLA Planning Officers report, consider its implications, run through what will happen at the hearing, suggest what you can do and answer your questions. Read more here.
Property of the week 🏡
Crikey! Look at that interior design. It’s like something out of Architectural Digest. This seven-bedroom property is all about style, open spaces and amenities. You’ve got a gym, the enormous 134’ garden, the drawing room and five beautiful bathrooms. But luxury comes at a price, and this property costs a whopping £4,750,000. Quite honestly, I’d buy it for the dartboard cupboard alone. Check out more images here.
Get your groove on: In conversation with the CEO and founder of The Golf Groove 🏌️
The Golf Groove, located at the top of Wimbledon Quarter, is a unique venue. I am no golfer (understatement of the year), but CEO and founder Richard Harrison was kind enough to give me a tour of the restaurant, bar and offer a few golfing pointers.
I’m a little nervous. The last time I hit a golf ball was 13 years ago, when I was scarcely old enough to walk to school on my own.
Thankfully, if I do slip and send the ball askew, I won’t have to shout ‘fore’, nor will I have to go staggering into a ditch to retrieve that ball. That’s because I’m at The Golf Groove in the Wimbledon Quarter, and my game is taking place in front of an interactive screen. As Richard Harrison, CEO and founder of The Golf Groove explains, the technology was developed by TrackMan in 2003 to help improve people’s golfing techniques. Since then, it has snowballed into the most important system for golf training. Last year, the company estimated that almost 87,000 shots an hour were tracked using their technology.
Richard opened The Golf Groove last year. It’s an impressive space. Its bar is immense and stocked to the brim with enough beverages to keep a bachelor’s party satiated for a week. The lounge area is surprisingly tranquil for a place that focuses on sport. You could sit here with a coffee and pore over a book or bring eight of your closest friends and whittle away the evening hours with a few pints of Guinness and watch whatever sporting event is being shown on their flat-screen television. Food is also a focal point here, and their menu has everything from small sharing plates to big dishes like the chicken gyros wrap or the rather might Groove Beef Burger.
Richard takes me into the VIP bay and shows me the ropes.
“I’ve always loved technology and golf — I’m a PGA professional by trade but I got into tech because of the speed with which it can improve a person’s game,” he explains.
Each bay comes equipped with its own set of pristine clubs, and Richard pulls out an iron.
“Right, let’s see your swing,” he says.
I warn him that I’m out of practice, hoping to pre-empt any embarrassment. I take the club, arch my back, do a strange bobbing motion with my knees (I saw a golfer do it on Instagram) and swing at the ball.
I miss.
I try once more. I miss again.
“Oh, Christ,” I mumble. “That was really bad.”
Richard uses a tablet to record what I’m doing. Once I’m done missing, he shows me the results. The app, part of TrackMan’s system, analyses my swing. It’s completely off. Richard explains that with a few alterations, I could make immense progress. “It’s all part of the journey,” he says. “You’re aiming for the top of the ball and that’s why you’re missing. One of the big quotes we use in golf is ‘feel is different to real’. The ‘real’ is the data that we use here.”
The data in question is staggering. The Golf Groove’s system can show you how fast you hit the ball, at what angle, at what trajectory, how the club looks when you make contact, what angle your feet are facing, how level your shoulders are and how straight your back is. Being here, you can make rapid progress, the sort of progress that seems impossible when you’re out on a course with friends.
I try again, this time taking Richard and the TrackMan’s advice on board. There’s an audible crack as I make contact with the ball. To my surprise, it flies directly into the screen. A CGI graphic shows a ball careening through the air, far exceeding my expectations. I almost blush.
With each new swing, my shots improve (save for a few duds which we won’t talk about). It’s incredible how quickly I’m able to not only strike the ball but strike it convincingly, and with confidence. This isn’t because I’m a natural — I’m not that egotistical — but all down to the tracking system. Without it, I’d still be slicing thin air.
Of course, The Golf Groove isn’t just about “getting better” at golf. At its heart, it’s about having fun. Everyone is welcome, as Richard makes a point of telling me. “It’s for people of all abilities,” he says. “Lots of top golfers come here, but we can very easily have a bay with a professional next to a bay booked out for a corporate event. We’re also very family-oriented — golf is democratic and that’s what we’re trying to emulate here.”
After some initial training like that, The Golf Groove will tell their pupils to go away with the app and work on their game in their own time. “When they come back, we can go again and compare the data,“ Richard says. “We can give a person a 3D visual of their performance. We can bombard a person with so much information. Some of it sticks and some of it doesn’t, but what sticks is so powerful.”
When Richard and I part ways, he gives me a closing shot. “I bet you don’t feel intimidated about going on a course now,” he says. He’s right.
I do have a newfound sense of confidence. I’m not saying that one session turned me into a young Arnold Palmer, but it certainly made me want to give golf another try, a feeling I wouldn’t have found on a driving range.
And come Christmas, when the rain is pelting down and the wind is whipping up a storm, I can rest assured knowing that whilst the rest of my friends are somewhere far from London on an icy golf course, I am sat comfortably in a warm bay, sipping on an Old Fashioned and playing a few rounds of uplifting golf.
Check out The Golf Groove’s website here and click here for 25% off your next golf simulator booking.
The Wimble’s to do list 🎯
👗Wimbledon Sustainable Fashion Week Event Launch — expect sparkling wine, music from the team at Choice FM and a free clothes swap. The clothes swap works like this: bring up to ten items of clothing (they must be washed and in good condition) and trade them with others. Check out more details here.
Where: Wimbledon Quarter
When: Wednesday 18th September, 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
🎨Wimbledon Arts Trail — there will be over 80 artists exhibiting their works for sale in 24 different locations this weekend. Plot your route through homes, galleries, green spaces and studios throughout Wimbledon. It’s also a chance for you to meet the artists, strike up a conversation and take home something with a story. Read more about it here.
Where: Click here to see the route.
When: Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th September, 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
🧛Wimbledon Village Dress Up Day — this brand new family event will feature face-painting, a dog fashion show, arts & crafts, a treasure trail and the Wimbledon Village Stables Fancy Dress Horse Ride and much more. No booking is required apart from the children’s dance classes which will be £5 per ticket.
Where: Wimbledon Village
When: Saturday 14th September, 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM
🎗️Menopause Awareness — this event is free and for women of all ages who are affected by menopause. There will be guest speakers and specialists leading talks and answering questions for those who attend. Email queenscourt.activities@barchester.com if you have any questions or click here to see more information.
Where: Queens Court Care Home, Wimbledon
When: Wednesday 18th September, 6:30 PM
🎢John Parnham’s Kids World — head up to the common this weekend for rides, stalls, the “dinosaur invasion” and more.
Where: Wimbledon Common
When: Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th September, 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
🍻Pub Quiz at The Dog & Fox — get over “hump day” with a few cold ones and a classic pub quiz. Get your thinking hats on, gather your smartest friends and try to land the top spot.
Where: The Dog & Fox, Wimbledon Village
When: Wednesday 18th September, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Question of the week 🔍
Last week I asked you which famous author wrote the book The Wimbledon Poisoner and They Came from SW19. The answer: Nigel Williams
Q: Two weeks ago I ran a segment on Wimbledon’s blue plaques, but I left one out. Two points if you can guess who it was and where the plaque is located.
You’re up to date 👋
Thank you for reading this week. I hope that you get along to at least one of our recommendations this coming week. Send in your photos, drop me an email with your ideas, stories, comments and leads. Don’t forget to redeem you Golf Groove voucher here. Please keep sharing and subscribing. And, most importantly, have a great week. See you next time.
Missing blue plaque I think was for the actor Herbert Lom, and I think it’s in Alan Road?