A chip and a chat. It could be golf drilled down into a five-word nutshell. But it’s also helping to change lives.
If you’ve been at Moor Allerton over the summer, a group of guys have gathered at the Leeds club to do just that: play 9 holes, get together, and talk about anything that might be on their minds.
Chip ‘n’ Chat Men’s Club is the brainchild of PGA Professional George Carroll and his student Andy Wilson.
The pair bonded not only in the lesson studio, but in the catch-up they would have before they started hitting shots.
“The first 15 minutes of pretty much each lesson was a check-in with each other and just to see how each other was,” said Carroll.
“He’d been through some tough times, and I was struggling as well through various things. It was like having a conversation with each other – and giving each other a hug if we needed to – and just making sure each was all right.”
What struck both was how golf was a natural environment to get things off the chest – a relaxed, no-pressure place to converse.
PGA Professional George Carroll
Carroll added: “You’ve got a couple of people who are generally your pals around you and you’re out in the fresh air and having a walk.
“There doesn’t need to be any pressure on the golf, but it’s such a perfect place to talk about things and you’re not sat down in a controlled environment.
“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to, either. But that space on the golf course is just perfect to do so.”
“You just can’t believe how powerful it can be. All it takes is one person to start talking about something and it opens the floodgates.” – George Carroll
From there, Chip ‘n’ Chat was born. Its beauty is its informality, as Carroll explained: “We’re trying to keep it as simple and casual as possible. We’ve done a couple of events and they’ve just been remarkable.
“You can have a chat on the course. You can have a chat when the group is back together indoors.
“We go and sit in a quieter room, away from anybody else. We’re trying to provide a safe space and if anybody wants to come and have a conversation about anything that’s happened to them, or anything they want to talk about, they can do. And if they want to just turn up and play golf, they can.”
Moor Allerton held the first event in June and provided crucial backing as the new gathering got off the ground.
Carroll plans to take the concept with him when he becomes the Head Professional at Harrogate in the next few weeks.
That’s because he has already seen the huge benefits getting people together in this environment can have. The group has already had a tremendous impact and is growing.
Chip ‘n’ Chat is having a big impact on the lives of participants
“You just can’t believe how powerful it can be,” he said. “All it takes is one person to start talking about something and it opens the floodgates.
“The first 9, I played with a chap who didn’t even believe he had anything he was struggling with, but he came away from that evening absolutely buzzing. He had a smile from ear to ear and was phoning us and saying he couldn’t believe how great that was.
“I’ve played with two guys in completely different situations and both times I was able to open up about things I’ve not been able to speak about.
“I didn’t go into it thinking I was going to do that. I was there to try and help other people. But there was this collective [spirit], where you were able to open up if you wanted to. You didn’t even know those people two hours ago.
“You don’t have to have any kind of recognised anxiety issue. There’s no pressure. It might just be that you want to come and meet some new guys and play golf and have a drink afterwards. That’s absolutely fine. But it’s also there if you do want to come and tell someone what’s going on.
“And my door’s always open. My phone’s always ready to be answered. I am so happy to help anybody where I can.”
Anyone interested in attending an event, which are held monthly, can message George on Instagram @chipnchatmensclub.