The little man with the big smile, big drives and Panama hat has been doing his "sword dance" on greens across the world for decades. And in his time, he's won money in just about every golf game and side bet imaginable.
Because just as much as Chi Chi is a part of golf, so is gambling. Side bets. Money games.
In "Chi Chi's Golf Games You Gotta Play," a book from publisher Human Kinetics and cowritten by Rodriguez and ESPN anchor John Anderson, golfers learn the gospel according to Chi Chi: "You should never play a round of golf for nothing."
Rodriguez says learning the money games, side bets and practice games he and Anderson describe will make golf a more enjoyable game for you. And if you're not careful, you just might learn something. Because Rodriguez's games aren't just meant to entertain - they are meant to improve your golf game.
And the book also offers great stories from Rodriguez, such as the time Homero Blancos' golf ball came to rest in a female spectator's brassiere.
"When they ask me about putting ... I never knew what I did putting," Rodriguez told About.com Golf. "I just knew that there was a hole, there was ball, there was a putter, I was supposed to knock the ball in the hole. ... A magazine paid me $50 to figure out what I did putting, and I haven't putted good since.
"What’s happening is that they've got too many gimmicks for teaching. Stick to basics. As simple as possible."
"Chi Chi's Golf Games You Gotta Play" is divided into two sections. The first, Games and Side Bets, describes dozens and dozens of golf games that can be played individually, one-on-one, two-on-two and in other variations, plus dozens more side bets that can further raise the stakes and enliven the competition.
Along the way the reader will also find interesting sidebars, such as Rodriguez's round of 58, and humorous quotes and insights from Chi Chi. For example:
"... If you buy a book on golf instruction buy the thinnest book you can find. The thinner the book, chances are the easier and more elementary the instruction. It can do one of two things: help you more or hurt you less. Both are good compared to the alternative."
"Chi Chi's Golf Games You Gotta Play" is very good compared to the alternatives.
Book Excerpts
