When I was young I used to play a lot of different sports. It was around that time that my dad wanted a membership at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA). He wanted to try the game and it is a rule that you have to play the game at a certain level to be able to get the membership. He asked me to come along with him and since the first few times that I played, I found the game extremely interesting. I wanted to keep coming back (KGA is now my home club) and after a few years, I realized this is what I wanted to do full-time.
Passion for golf
What fascinates me about the sport is that it is an outdoor sport, that is surrounded by nature. And Bengaluru as a city has good weather most of the time. Every time I come back to the city from a tournament, I am happy to be back in this weather, it makes up for everything. Another enjoyable challenge that the sport offers is that you are not competing directly with your opponents, the process is more internal. You can only applaud yourself if you play well, and you can’t put the blame on a teammate or anyone else if you play a bad shot.
I find the challenge of being able to better yourself in various ways, interesting.
Evolution in Bengaluru
Golf has evolved massively. Over 10 years ago, when I started playing, I remember there were just over four girls, including myself, who were playing competitively. Now when I come to the club to practise, I see so many children playing. I would say there as many children playing golf here, as in other cities. There seems to be something attracting parents to encourage their children to play the sport, whether as hobby or competitively. The only way to find talent, at a serious level, is to have more people playing.
Golf courses in Bengaluru
There are two golf courses in the city – the KGA and the Bengaluru Golf Club. However, outside the city, many more clubs have come up, from Prestife Golfshire near the airport to Champion Reef in Kolar and Clover Greens in Tamil Nadu. They are all within an hour and a half of driving, and there are over five golf courses. The fact that these are coming up is a testament to the growing popularity of the sport. Unfortunately, the only way you can play is if you are member and for a lot of people, these memberships are expensive. It would help if they can open this up somehow, or have more public golf courses.
Some of these golf clubs are among the best in the country, like the KGA. Prestige Golfshire is another great one, it offers a different challenge. These are golf courses where big tournaments happen, including Asian and European level tournaments. I consider the time I first picked up the sport, coming from school twice a week and playing with other peers from different schools, right in our uniforms to be among my fondest golf memories. Even when I compete now, though, of course, it’s a job, we are there for the love of the sport, and I think that’s important.
Foodie memories
I am a big foodie and wherever my tournaments take me, I sample the local cuisine. I am a typical South Indian at heart, and I love the benne dosas at CTR Malleswaram or the Badam Halwa at MTR, here in Bengaluru. Though I prefer catching up with friends at home, if there’s a new restaurant in town, I like to try it out. I don’t mind driving to Whitefield once in a while for some good food.
As told to Harshini Vakkalanka
