Nothing Like A Good Bite To Lift Your Spirits

By Rahul Banerji

There is a dynamic synergy between golf and food. This is becoming ever more apparent since I first picked up a club four years and some months ago.

The masala omelette nestling snugly between two heavily-buttered slices of toast at Noida Golf Course is a perfect example of a bite on the run that fulfils the needs of a hungry body and an anguished soul. It massages and eases the grief of mis-hit drives, shanked chip shots and missed putts to an extent that cannot be explained easily.

I am sure pretty much every golf course around the world has one or two such signature munchies that keep their golfers going.

At the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA), for me, it is the curd rice that stands on its own. While regulars at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) may hotly contest this as they swear by the stuff served up by their kitchen, the KGA tayir-sadam bowl comes packed with greens, pulses and a tempering that elevates it far above the ordinary.

The Missus, however, is unshaken in her opinion that the “Half a Dozen Curd Rice Memories” – a marvel of molecular gastronomy at Bangalore’s Permit Room — is the last word on the subject.

These are just a sampling of the treats that one has come across in these past few short years. I’m sure many fellow-golfers have similar favourites. Do write in to share about them, and give the rest of us a chance to partake when we go hacking at your course,

Chance meeting

Ran into VKC, one of my original golf gurus, during Wednesday’s morning round. A retired engineer, he is almost a fixture at the NGC and his early words of advice and counsel helped settle frayed nerves and a faltering technique. He is also a dab had at selfies, as is evident here.

Some years ago, VKC made a list and has since then, been busy working this way through it. A Harley-Davidson ride, learning to play the drums, whipping himself into shape etc, etc are among what he has set out to do and is busy ticking them off one by one.

A fine example of a sixty-something not content to just potter around the garden, watch television and the grandchildren and wither away into dotage. Thank you, sir.

Have your say

The PGA TOUR has thrown open a poll for fans to determine which professional they think best navigated a challenging situation this season. Till August 15, fans can vote for their player of choice at PGATOUR.com/MetLife to determine the 2018 MetLife MatchUp Champion. Each vote automatically qualifies fans for a chance to win a replica set of the winner’s clubs and fans can vote up to 20 times a day.

The MetLife MatchUp is a season-long competition across 13 select events. At each of those tournaments, it pitted two players in a fan vote to determine who successfully navigated a tough situation on the course. Throughout the season, a player was crowned each week, scoring $20,000 for his charity of choice while advancing to the final vote. Now, fans can vote to determine which one of these players will receive the grand prize of $750,000 to donate to the charity of his choice.

Those in the final fan vote include Chesson Hadley, Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter, Ryan Moore, Tiger Woods, Zac Blair, Kevin Na, Andrew Putnam, Derek Fathauer, Bubba Watson, Michael Kim and Whee Kim. The winner will be announced at the Northern Trust event during on August 26.