Our caddies are in the rough as lockdown goes on and on

By Pratap Chakravarty

“Sir, aapne toh mara hi nahi.”

This is a caddie’s polite way of saying you have made a hash of a short putt or a straightforward chip on the green. Whether it’s at the ITC Classic, or the Crossing Links, NGC, Unitech, Wishtown or Jaypee Greens, the ribbing is standard.

Yet, most of us have our favourites. And, so, it is on us to spare a thought for those effervescent fairway heroes in this dark hour of health curfew.

Ravinder will always stay in my thoughts. H was my first legitimate caddie after the golfing bug bit me some years ago. And like many others, the 35-year-old was thrilled, as was I, when we spoke recently.

Ravinder, like many of the Noida Golf Course’s 350-plus caddies is in dire straits. “We were given some dole but not enough to feed the family,” the father of three says.

Faded away

Unitech has paid wages only once to its two permanent caddies during the lockdown. The remaining 45 who worked the weekends have simply faded away.

“What would you wish for if God appears now?” I asked Naresh.

“Food”, is the laconic response. The course is 4.3 kilometres away and I make a promise to myself to cart whatever I can and deliver.

And why wouldn’t I? Not just because Naresh guided me to ensure the first, or, perhaps second birdie of my short golfing career, besides organising an unending supply of balls he and his partners in crime retrieve from the snake-infested rough. I would, because I must.

Some courses are indeed doing their bit and a friend informs me that members at the Army course in Dhaula Kuan are contributing to see their caddies get a reasonable sum in hand.

There are many other such positive stories, I am sure.

Worrying prospect

At the same time, from Hindan to Naldera, half a dozen phones did not even ring. That was scary. Raise them, if you can. They cannot just be forgotten, and many have indeed stepped up to help out.

In the heat of play, we often do not spare a thought for those who sling our bags, find lost balls, clean clubs and even hold our tea cups while we duff and we shank, or go into the drink.

Often, uncharitably, we dismiss them as mobile furniture on the course. We want to believe they are there because they love to be there.  No. They don’t. It is a living for these boys, men, some even veterans despite the hard work.

Our caddies are our destiny. Stroke by stroke they try to keep us below 100, or 90 or 85 so that we can brag later.

 And so I think, it is time we give it our best shot. To do our but for and by them. They deserve it.

This contribution continues the narrative dealt with in Golf industry body needs to help plan post-lockdown exit published on May 1, on the deteriorating situation at golf courses across India. from the other side, Ground Zero.

(Pratap Chakravarty is a senior journalist who freelances for various media organisations across the world. He was for a long while with AFP and posted for years in Afghanistan as their correspondent in war-torn Kabul. He now plays golf as and when the bug bites hard enough).

Also read: Golf industry body needs to help plan post-lockdown exit