India can change the future of golf by engaging the sport with the armed forces. Taking a cue from the US Military and their success, India should recognise the contribution golf and military can make to each other. By Air Marshal Anil Chopra, Aviator & Ex-serviceman
US Department of Defense operates 234 golf courses around the world. These facilities range from the 54 holes at Andrews Air Force Base, frequented by President Barack Obama, to the Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s scenic Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course, with several holes along the Pacific Ocean. Dr. Alister MacKenzie, the architect of Augusta National, owed much to his experiences in the military. The principal designer of the site of the 2011 USGA Senior Amateur, Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot was an artillery officer in the Army. Tiger Woods developed his game by watching his father, a former Army Special Forces officer.
Golf requires same kind of leadership and problem-solving skills as needed in the Army. The game is considered a rest and recuperation and means to unwind from the strenuous life of soldiering and in turn building their morale. Retired Air Force colonel and former Space Shuttle astronaut says “The courses are rarely what you’d classify as outstanding. But they are good layouts that are well maintained and challenging”.
Children of US Armed Forces can learn by taking part in free First Tee programs – thanks to special Congressional funding – at more than 100 military installations around the world. “Deployment is incredibly hard on the soldiers and family alike” says a military mother, “but knowing the children are engaged in healthy, character-building activities reassure their father. ‘Birdies for the Brave’ is a military outreach initiative proudly supported by the PGA TOUR. Since 2005, the TOUR has raised more than $13 million for military-homefront charities. The Military Pillar of PGA REACH provides golf as a therapeutic rehabilitation tool for all military Veterans. USA has over 21.5 million military veterans and of which more than 3 million are disabled i.e. 1 in 7. US military veteran’s suicides figures are around 8000 a year (22 suicides a day). PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is a year round golf program for all military Veterans, designed to enhance their rehabilitation and assimilation back into society. The HOPE program provides Veterans with free golf instruction taught by local PGA Professionals.
Some of India’s top golfers like Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa were born to military fathers.
India has 1.5 million Armed Forces, one third of who are employed in counter insurgency operations in J&K and North-East or are manning the inhospitable borders. Currently of India’s 196 registered golf courses, around 50% are situated on military bases. Some of them are open for public play. A high percentage of military officers and a few other ranks play golf. Military children living in the nearby military camps get an early exposure to golf. India is fast becoming a golfing paradise. It is so much cheaper to play golf in India and also easier to get a Tee-off slot of choice. Some of India’s top golfers like Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa were born to military fathers. India’s highest ranked golfer, Anirban Lahiri said so at the India Golf Awards, “if it wasn’t for the military, I may not have even played the game.” His dad is a doctor in the army. Many civil golf courses and clubs in India are managed by ex-military officers. In India many still consider golf an elitist game and question the military for using the real estate. This has to change for golf to prosper. The Army and the Air Force Golf Courses at Delhi are most popular. Luckily the Indian Ministry of Defence has officially recognized as a legitimate military sporting activity. The game needs more encouragement.
Picture Credit: Dewtour.com
