“Golf
is a good walk spoiled.”
-
Mark Twain
Golf is a
time-consuming sport. Consider the average round of golf is four hours plus
driving time which could be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, then add in
some refreshments at the end of the round and you are now at the five or six
hour mark. If there's a tournament, well then all the schedules are thrown out of
the window, as some could take most of or even all of the day. Some people like
me try to cheat time a little by teeing off around dawn on a Sunday morning and
finishing in a little over three hours, be home by 9 or 10. One of my Golf
buddies told me he is home before his wife even wakes up. This is clearly one
way to manage it, but it is still is a great deal of time.
Then there is the
aspect that golf is not a cheap hobby. A new driver(the longest golf club) with
a hefty price tag of Ten to Twenty five thousand rupees, or even more is
nothing to shake a stick (or a new putter) at. Walk into any golf store and the
average price of new irons can easily approach seventy grand. Now you need to
buy golf balls and pay an average of over hundred to two hundred bucks a day to
get on the course. We have not even started to talk about lessons, training
aids, gloves, a bag to put the clubs in and of course range balls. The only
thing I can do for free at the golf course is take a walk. But the most
expensive part could well be the club membership fees, which include club
membership and the monthly subscription.
Though
its good exercise, if one is looking to burn calories, it is not by a long way
commensurate with the time consumed. The same amount of time spent in the Gym
or in a more taxing sport like Squash or Basketball would burn four times more
in calories.
But
the most important of all is the massive infrastructural requirements for this
game, which make it out of reach and elusive for most people.
Look
at a couple of Golf course pictures :
For me, the worst part of playing golf, by far, has always been hitting the ball.
...a great write-up, Sanat, with breathtaking pics and wonderful opening and concluding quotes...
ReplyDeleteThanx a lot Amit. Do keep visiting.
Deletei partially agree with u , not going into calorie burnt , money and the time spent calculation etc
ReplyDeleteI feel it is the pleasure of being on the course which actually matters that too in stunning , serene surrounding with some of the best human beings. i wonder why the hell i did not venture into it earlier despite all the opportunities available . for self cosolation " chalo der aaye durust aaye ". it is more or less addiction now ,and thanks god there are no rehab centres ?
could not agree with u more raju. Happy Golfing.
DeleteI guess golf is more for the rich and the leisurely. Great pics!
ReplyDeleteWell its for the leisurely, sure. But just for the rich, i am not so sure, cuz i am not so rich. But yes, its definitely more expensive than most other games.
DeleteThanx Rachna and do keep visiting.
Sanat being a golfer these observations are not in order. There are few things in life where materialistic issues are discounted straight away. Time penalty yes but you ask non golfers families what do they do at home. Invariably down with life threatening disease or bickering. Golfers on the other hand is full of life humor and wants to take out family after the round to make up do to say. It's a choice one has to make. Tell me any sort you can pursue till 80
ReplyDeleteEnjoy. Golf is Life
Thanx Sachu, for visiting. I do agree with you. that is why i wrote the previous post on my blog which u can access at http://maverickindianmusings.blogspot.in/2012/06/lets-talk-golf.html
DeleteExcerpts from the post are appended below.
I suppose I could go on and on as to why golf is so popular but I am sure I would just bore you, so here is my suggestion: grab yourself a set of clubs (beg borrow or steal) and get someone to take you out and have a hit around.
The exhilarating feeling you get when you make solid connection with a golf ball while walking around in the fresh air with good friends cannot be described. You simply have to experience it!
Happy Golfing!