Next week the Capitol Hill is going to celebrate the annual National Golf Day. For years American presidents have carried their style and diplomacy on their golf swing and this may not be any different. The sport is a great break from the boring and staid four walls of political corridors. Except that this time golf is looking for government boost in a country where hundreds of golf clubs are shutting down due to lack of membership and addition of annual golfers to the overall pool is fast declining. Worse America is losing golf action to countries like China which have the money might to built the next generation of the game. Interestingly many have been saying the next Tiger Woods ought to come from the east.
And so there are many reasons then for American golf lobby to get to work over time. A report by Colby Itkowitz in Washington Post reports that the industry still working to convince its Hill fans that the sport deserves economic breaks and is “bringing out golf legend Jack Nicklaus to speak at its Congressional Tee Time breakfast.” There is an effort there to lobby for breaks on taxes, the environment and disaster funding eligibility.
This does draw some great parallels with the Indian golf industry which is really at the cusp of change and hopes the government will make a big difference to its ability to deliver by adopting the sport. In this cricket frenzied nation, getting attention for golf is never easy. There is permanent criticism around land and water use, the ‘eliteness’ associated with the game. It is unlikely to change without the tacit support of central and state governments and the recognition of the game as a sport. Interestingly we are at a time when India has launched the corporate social responsibility bill. This ensures corporations keep aside 2% of their profit for social good. What’s still not clear is whether sport will form a chunk of it – and if golf qualifies there. Hero Group’s Pawan Munjal has said the past…“I feel time has now come for the government to consider support for sport as a corporate social responsibility,” he asserts. And he may not be wrong. Given that the nation’s medal tally across sport is still poor and that Indian sports need more public infrastructure and support of more than a handful of corporations, his suggestion may prove to be game-changing.
Shaili Chopra is an award winning journalist
