It’s early morning, many immaculately dressed men and women are gradually flocking in to a lush green campus on the outskirts of Ranchi! Attractive women and handsome men, all with a large satchel in toe to play Golf! On a humid Sunday morning in September when the whole city is generally lazy and relaxed, the golf course is one such place buzzing with activity with the local golfers coming in for their round of golf as early as 5AM.
Amidst nature and away from the hustle- bustle of everyday life, for a golfer being with friends and golfing is all the therapy they need. Greeting each other and cracking jokes, the club house called The Perch is bursting with energy in the morning as golfers make their four- balls and set off for their round of golf.
Ashok Kumar Sinha, a retired DG of police said, “Golf is an excellent game. The atmosphere at the golf course is so good with a lot of greenery around and good company.” Being a keen tennis player, he earlier thought golf to be a very slow game, but now he has been a regular golfer since 1998-99. And the view and fun at Ranchi golf course is an added attraction, says Sinha who has played golf at various places across the world!
Teeing off pretty early, the golfers in Ranchi usually take a break after a 9-hole game. The golfers gather at The Perch, for a hearty breakfast and also to keep a tab on their scores. Golf is a game, which is a great equalizer and provides an equal opportunity to the average golfer to compete against a much superior player. It is a game for all seasons and for all age groups, says a veteran golfer, Abhimanyu Modi.
Modi, chairman Green City Golf Tournament Ranchi, who started playing golf 30 years back is of the belief that golf, is a way of life, a sport which not only builds very strong bonds and relations but also puts the person’s honesty and integrity to test. It is rightly said that to truly know a person play a round of golf together.
The city’s only golf course at CEPTA Dipatoli is an 18-holr course spread over 130 acres of land. Located at an altitude of approximately 600 meters, Ranchi with its hilly topography and surrounding forests has a pleasant climate throughout the year. With favorable weather conditions almost all through the year, Ranchi has approximately 100 golfers including six to seven lady golfers.
A superbly conditioned and an easy walking course, golf at CEPTA is a challenge for all golfers regardless of their skills. A variety of water bodies and well maintained greens enhance the golfing experience and is a must visit for an avid golfer. Ritika Jain a female golfer from Ranchi said, “Golf is very challenging and also frustrating at times when I am unable to hit a shot. It’s like playing against yourself with the course and is more of a mental game than physical.” She has been playing the game for five years and says it has taught her a lot of patience and endurance.
Sunil Verma another local golfer feels playing golf is being with mother nature for a few hours. “The good thing about the game is that you can play with anyone because it has a handicapping system. Each of the 18 holes is tailored differently- over a tree, over a pond and over a sand bunker. Every round is an experience and the addiction is rarely seen in any other game”, he said.
The golfing fraternity in Ranchi has been organizing the Green City Golf Tournament, a much sought after golf tournament since 1997. On its 21st edition held in January 2018, the tournament had about 200 golfers from various parts of eastern India. There were participants from Kolkata, Patna, Jamshedpur, Varanasi and Sambalpur. It is a three- day event held over a weekend, with golfers reaching on Friday and the main tournament being held on Saturday followed by a cultural program in the evening. The tournament concludes with the prize distribution ceremony on Sunday afternoon. A week before the main tournament, a caddy tournament is also held to encourage the young boys at the course.
Samir Lohia, a local golfer and winner of the Green City Golf Tournament 2016 has been addicted to the sport for the past ten years. He said, “It was Arjun Munda who inspired and motivated me to take up the sport and since then I have been hooked on to it.” His wife Rinkoo Lohia is also a keen golfer and a four-time winner of the ladies cup in the tournament.
Rohit Modi another Ranchiite regrets not starting golf much earlier in life. He initially found the game to be very complicated, expensive and time-taking. Five years into the game, he says it’s like a drug you cannot live without and loves to spend his time at the golf course.
The tournament committee also funds the education of Ritesh Kumar Singh (15) a caddy from the neighboring village near CEPTA who is now studying in standard nine at Manan Vidyalaya near BSNL Training Centre, Ranchi.
Grantland Rice once said, “Golf gives you an insight into human nature, your as well as your opponents”. There are no good or bad golfers. There are only keen golfers. Golf is a passion where a person dreams golf, plays golf and lives golf. It is a game not played against another individual but against oneself and every golfer keeps going back to the course hoping to improve upon his past performance. It is a game for all seasons and for all age- groups. For a golfer, ‘Golf is life. If you can’t take golf, you can’t take life.’
