I remember the countless early mornings of seeing my dad outfitted in vibrant polo tees, neon trousers and topped off with a well-fitting cap like the helmet to his Armour, as he left before the crack of dawn in his car with his proud golf kit stowed away in the back seat, set for another round.
I also remember the countless late nights of eagerly waiting at the back door, for my dad to come back in his shining costume with the fruits of his efforts in his hands – glistening glass trophies, shining shields of silverware and extravagant bags of goodies.
These were my earliest memories of a sport that was always in the background of my life, especially when it came to my father, golf.
I often entertained myself by walking around the house, as I’d pick up his unexpectedly hefty golf clubs and swing them around, imitating my father during his casual rounds of golf.
And then, I was finally introduced to the sport. My first sessions were with my father, where we walked around the course as he explained to me the several clubs, each having its own unique purpose for every varying shot.
He taught me the rules and, more importantly, the etiquette that comes with playing golf, which were taken very seriously, and it undoubtedly intimidated the 10-year-old version of me.
To behave so mannered and be so conscious in a sport was something I was not exposed to before.
My earliest test of etiquette came when I carelessly ambled across the fairway while an active play was going on, and I remember hearing frustrated voices shouting at me to brace as a player’s incoming golf ball was ever so close to striking me, a situation that could have possibly knocked me out.
And that very moment was when I learnt my first golf lesson.
The home of the golf I knew
Across all my memories and experiences with golf, there is always one name that is a constant in my mind.
Madras Gymkhana Club.
This was the very Club where I struck a golf ball for my first time; it’s also the same club where I learnt the absolute basics of golf, from its perfectionist form, of which I was very far from perfect at, to how to even grip a golf club in the first place.
It was also the first and only Golf Course that eventually felt like the closest thing to “home turf” to me.
Though I wasn’t a regular in the slightest, the annual attendance at the anticipated award ceremony, where I waited with gleaming eyes and cupped hands, to that one summer where I spent my time at the driving range smacking balls as far as a few 10 meters – the furthest my puny hands and god-awful form could take me at that time.
Every little visit to MGC made it closer and closer to me, and in my last few visits, I’d catch myself sitting down at the lawn, looking over into the course, looking forward to the day that I’d be there in those tournaments, just like my father, playing rounds of golf early in the morning and soaking myself in the sport at this very course.
Alas, by the beginning of this year, the government ordered the course to be converted to a public park, and so the heritage of a 140-year-old, and one of Asia’s oldest golf courses, came to an abrupt end.
A devastating development for all the members of the course, as their sport, the course, its history and its rich culture were overlooked and walked over.
And along with that, my hopes of following my father in MGC came to an end.
The places that golf showed me
Nevertheless, MGC was not the only place that Golf had introduced me to.
As I accompanied my father on his trips to several courses around India, I got the opportunity to experience all these other courses and see the game of golf across the different clubs that honoured the sport.
Starting with the courses in chennai, I had the chance to visit TNGF cosmo, a course nestled in the city with a beautiful mix of Luxury and Culture, though not as big as MGC in my opinion, it still felt prestigious, and being one of the few Courses left in Chennai, it was a second home to a lot of the members of MGC.
However, the real fun came from visiting courses outside of my city.
From the cosy Bangalore Golf Club – which often had a rivalry with MGC- to the opulent, Jaw-dropping Prestige Golfshire that made me feel out of place with every step i took inside it’s giant clubhouse with it’s bougie atmosphere, to finally the Quiet, calming,nature-encompassed Zion hills that showed me what living in a Golf course could be like, each Club had it’s own charm and personality to it, and the novelty from visiting them in itself was so fascinating that I cant begin to imagine how much more enjoyable it would be to play in 100s of courses like these around India.
The Grass is greener on this side
As I recollect my experiences and encounters with the sport, I find myself grateful to have the opportunity of this exposure, especially at such a young age.
Being in an environment of golfers and visiting courses all around, I think I’ve learnt a lot about the sport, mainly the etiquette of it, if you ask me.
From being stopped at the entrance for not abiding by the dress code(which is a polo tee by the way) to being told off for walking through the fairway during another player’s shot, the sport doesn’t just expect manners, it imparts them, living up to its name – The Gentlemen’s game.
This holds true especially when I reminisce about my memories of watching distinguished worldly men, sinking into their seats, seated around with glasses of liquor as they soak in the sunset with sips of spirits and gales of laughter after a hearty round of golf.
I soon began to realise that golf isn’t just about the scorecard, it’s about the proud culture, the comforting conversations and quiet rituals that gives the sport its soul.