Hindan hosts a motley crew as Gents trump the Captains

By Rahul Banerji

It is a foggy/smoggy Sunday dawn, but spirits are already high at the Hindan Air Force Base Sports Complex golf course as the Jacks have met to do battle with the Morgans.

We are gathered for the inaugural edition of the “Hindan Cup”, a scratch tournament put together by four or five enterprising and energetic blokes, who have roped in a solid number of fellow enthusiasts, all of whom have driven out determined to come away happy.

One way or the other, with trophies, or from the bar!

Under all the joshing and joking, this is serious business. There are team jackets for the two competing sides, briefings, team captain meetings and strategy sessions – the only aim being to come out on top in what is a weekend knockabout.

Fair fight

Pairs have been drawn up to provide for as fair a competition as possible in such a motley crew. The group has serving and retired armed forces officers, businessmen, corporate honchos and those climbing the ladder, and a few who seem not to be doing very much (including yours truly).

I’ve been drafted in as a replacement. It is a late, late call but one well worth the effort of a pre-dawn alarm and a foggy drive out.

The Hindan course is looking better than I’ve ever seen it in five-odd years of golfing. The fairways are neatly trimmed and clean and the greens unusually fast, barring a few.

All told, it is a fine setting and much credit to the club staff who have obviously put in some solid work to get it to this shape led by the club secretary Wg Cdr Birdie (or should that be Birdy) Bharadwaj.

Twists and turns

To match the enthusiasm of the field is the weather, which gradually clears away till it is a fine, early winter morning which witnesses battles up and down the order. Loud shouts echo from around the course as balls either drop (jubilation), or skate past holes (anguish).

This is Ryder Cup level competition, and circus level entertainment. It just doesn’t get any better for hackers and whackers.

In the event, partner Neeraj and self are beaten soundly by Vivek and Akshay of the Blues, but their stellar efforts go in vain as in a dramatic playoff, the Gentlemen Jacks (in red) edge home at the cost of the Captain Morgans.

Post-mortems

Thereafter it’s off to the 19^th hole to either celebrate the victory, or to discuss and debate the disappointment of losing out so narrowly. This post-mortem is probably the most interesting part of the day as the analysis and criticism is as profound as it is scathing.

And obviously, this part of the proceedings is taken as seriously as the golf was a short while ago and men behind the bottles are kept busy till well into the afternoon.

At day’s end, the consensus from both sides – arguments and contentions aside – is that the Hindan Cup should just be a beginning, and where and how of the next tournament is already picking up pace.

As it should.

Also read: Born-again Lodhi Course at the Delhi Golf Club is a delight to play