A locked-in sufferer remembers to be grateful for his golf

By Rahul Banerji

It takes deprivation or loss to remind us of what we have, and to cherish it. Familiarity and everyday presence is a prescription to take something for granted.

And when things dear to you do get taken away, the pangs are hard to bear. So it has been for golfers – at all levels, of all strata – in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the world.

With enormous amounts of time now to pass every day under lock-down or curfew conditions, call them what you will, it becomes still more difficult. Inevitably, social media has become equally a crutch and a curse in these times.

Yesterday, it proved to be a crutch as it threw up this simple little post that was forwarded on WhatsApp which resonated hugely.

It is shared almost exactly as it was received, with minor editorial attention:

‘At least we had golf’

“You’ll remember we used to get frustrated when people ahead of us used to play slow …. at least we had a golf game then.

“You’ll remember how we used to get frustrated when we had to wait 20 mins for our turn to tee off ….. at least we had a golf game then.

“You’ll remember how we used to get irritated when VIPs would block slots and we had to kow-tow to their demands …. at least we had a golf game then.

“You’ll remember how frustrating it was when a couple of holes would be closed for repairs and we would have played 16 and be frustrated …. at least we had a golf game then.

“You’ll remember that when the game would go bad and the scores turned horrible and we lost money …. at least there was a golf game then.

“We only realise the good things we are blessed with when they get taken away from us. Let’s be grateful for what we get, when we get them, and learn to be happy.

“In a sense, one could even thank Corona for making us realise the blessings of golf; despite the irritations and limitations.”

There’s no great wisdom or earth-shaking revelation here, just a simple reminder to be happy with what has been given to us. It can all get taken away very quickly.

Also read: Free golf lessons in the isolated time of corona-virus