Jeev Milkha Singh felt like as if he was playing a golf tournament. Shubhankar Sharma’s joy knew no bounds. And for Calcutta-based Rahil Gangjee, it was a double bonanza — licence to go out and play as well.
That’s the mood of some of the golfers across India after the courses and the ranges resumed operations last week.
While Jeev and Shubhankar are practising at Chandigarh Golf Club, Rahil, till Thursday, was swinging at the Tollygunge Club driving range.
“I felt as if I was playing a tournament. I was that excited. It’s over one-and-a-half weeks that the Chandigarh Golf Club has reopened and we resumed practice from the first day itself,” Jeev told The Telegraph from Chandigarh. “As of now, we are playing only nine holes. Still it’s a great feeling.”
Shubhankar, who is also practising at the Chandigarh golf course, said he was “overjoyed”. “Last time I touched a golf club was on March 9. So having a feel of the course again is just amazing.”
Jeev agreed lack of physical movement during lockdown has hampered muscle memory to some extent. “We were used to a certain routine. That changed due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. So when we resumed, our physical movement was not that good. Certain shots I played were very funny. But these are normal things. Slowly we will get back to our old selves,” he said.
Shubhankar said the mental aspect too was something to be taken care of on return. “For me, it’s a bit of both — physical movement as well as the mental aspect. Two-and-a-half months of no action had made life very empty for everyone. Before lockdown, we were all very wired up, but due to Covid-19, I think we might have lost a little bit of mental edge. I also must add that since Thursday, I am getting back my rhythm. Talking about the physical part, I am sure every golfer would be in the same boat. So it evens out things,” he said.
Jeev also found playing golf with the mask on a bit irritating. “Yes, it’s a bother but you can’t help. What happens is when you are hitting the ball, the rear side of your ears flares up. Breathing also becomes a problem after sometime.”
Shubhankar feels it’s the new normal. “We are all playing wearing masks. I believe we have to accept that as part of the accessories.”
For Rahil though the joy of returning to the practice range was short lived. “Due to some unavoidable circumstances, golf has been suspended for the time being. Still those few days at the range was fun for me. It was a double bonanza for me. I was able to go out and also do what I enjoy most… playing golf.”
Both Jeev and Shubhankhar feel that if one takes all the precautions, then it’s okay to press the restart button. “Vaccine will take a year or more than that. Does that mean you sit at home? No. You have to restart taking all the precautions,” Jeev said.
“We all have to adjust. Like the airports will have screenings and there will be checks and balances. Golf in general is a non-contact game. So I think if we all follow the protocol, we shouldn’t have a problem,” was Shubhankar’s take.
