By M.Rajini
Golf is a game of the Elite society. Mr. Krishnan, the Chief coach at the AKDR Golf Village, and a member of the Indian Golf Club, spoke to Adyar Times about how the game is played and the health benefits for the golfer. We really perceive the game as a lazy but friendly walk between ‘holes’. There is so much more to it, says the Coach.
A simple synopsis of the game sir.
Every Golf course has 18 holes. The place where you start the game is called a ‘T Box’. There is an area called ‘Green’ near the first hole. One has to reach the Green from the T Box and pocket the ball in the First hole. How many shots you take to pocket the ball will show your mastery of the game. There is something called Par. A course will have 3,4,5 Pars, and the distance between holes varies. An 18-hole course will have four 3 Pars, five 5 Pars and nine 4 Pars. A score card where the distance between the holes is mentioned, is given to the player. Only four people can play at a time, in a course. It is the same rule all over the world. The total distance you walk to finish a game is almost 6 kms. Take a guess at the good it does for the player.
Are there any other health benefits?
This game trains your mind to be alert. The peculiarity of the game is that there is no opponent. Your ball is your opponent and you play to excel yourself. How well you perform is your score. Always challenging yourself and working out strategies to get the ball where you want it to be, is so absorbing that players are totally in focus of the problem ahead. It takes almost 4 hours to finish a round of golf.
Krishnan also adds that a good golfer can be judged by how they adopt a proper stance to hit the ball, how they grip, and how they take the swing. You have to gauge the spot you place the ball before taking a swing. Each golf kit has 13 clubs and they are heavy; It needs a caddy to carry the kit. The golfer has to pick the right-sized club to manoeuvre the ball. One has to deliberate on the loft of the blade to be chosen, and that depends on the strategy or the shot you are planning.
“We need to have obstacles in this game. There needs to be trees. Bunkers, sand pits, and pits filled with water make the shots more tricky. Such water hazards are created to make the game interesting. Sometimes a golfer has to swing above a tree to reach a hole. So much brain work and concentration is involved. That is great brain work,” he assures.
You said that a lot of Koreans come for practice here…
Yes. AKDR is a place to learn and hone your skills through practice. There is institutional membership given to Corporates, and employees of Korean companies come here. Anyone who needs to practise can book the Bays and hire the Ball. All over the world, the number of golf players has increased. But sadly, in India, there are not many takers because it is an expensive pursuit. Membership is expensive. The set you need costs somewhere between 70,000 to 3 lakhs. In Chennai, Tournaments are played at the Cosmopolitan Club.
Many business deals are finalised over a game of golf. The walk between the holes gives you time to talk with your companion. The open air is very conducive to good camaraderie between partners. The golf course is a good place to form friendships.
True Sir. But a layman’s knowledge of the game is limited to what one watches in movies. Two people have an endless conversation either planning a murder or some other nefarious activity, walking all over lush green plains. But, as you say, it is surprising to learn how the game helps the player be fit in mind and body.
He laughs heartily at my reference to movies.
Krishnan has been a trainer for more than 20 years. “I have played several other games – tennis, cricket, snooker, squash etc., but nothing has gripped my attention as golf does. Golf is the only game where the Ball is stationary and it is your hands that drive it to the destination you want. It has no mind of its own. You design its trajectory. That is so satisfying to your soul,” explains Krishnan.
AKDR Golf course is at 3/381, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Gandhi Nagar, Thoraipakkam. Krishnan can be reached at 90030 26255.
