JANUARY 9: Playing a round with a couple of pros, the hold up on the course and the general disregard towards fellow golfers, made one of them remark that a lot of people don't know realise golf is all about. He was not referring to the methods employed to play the game, which also a large percentage of the population have little or no clue about, but the basic courtesy and etiquette.The day I am referring to, we were held up by a four-ball, comprising two lady golfers and I assume, their male counterparts. After being held up on every hole, we asked for a pass. We were refused. In the meanwhile, even as we were waiting for our second shots, the group behind us started hitting, targeting us from all sides.The fellow pro's remark was prompted by his experience in many courses in Europe, and especially London where he played a lot this summer. There, many club golfers realising that others behind are being held allow the pros to pass. On the contrary, on many Indian courses some players consider it aninsult to wave a person through, rather like admitting that one is not playing well enough. It may be encouraging to see more and more people taking to golf, but unlike abroad, where beginners are first given lessons on the practice range and must attain a certain amount of predictability off the tee, our over-booked courses are often choked with beginners.They are often given their first lesson on the course, which is a Sunday outing and they then proceed to stitch up the fairways (hitting right to left) and dig them up with their fierce shots. Secondly, it is sad to see that boards have to be pasted all over the course reminding members that divots on the fairways need to be filled with sand so that the grass can grow back again. Worse, despite strict rules, some individuals cannot refrain from wearing denim and round neck T-shirts while playing. Gum boots, which can be spotted on the first tee early in the mornings, do not belong on the course either as the correct dress code demands spikes. These airthe greens and are also safer on the fairways and sloped greens.One does not need to get elected on to a committee to observe the rules, just following the basic etiquette will be do.
