Golfers set ball rolling at course
Gaurav Kanthwal
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 20
No Relief For Desperate Caddies
- The opening of the golf course may have brought cheers on golfers’ face, but more than 200 caddies, who earn their living by serving here, are still going through bad times. Rules of the UT Administration allow the golfers to play, but bars the caddies, most of them from the underprivileged sections, from accompanying the golfers. Ever since the first lockdown was imposed, the caddies have been surviving on Rs 6,000 and dry ration given twice by the Chandigarh Golf Club.
Jeev Milkha Singh and 150 others set the ball rolling at the course today as the Chandigarh Golf Club (CGC) resumed limited operations for the first time since March 24. The club is among the first in the region to start functioning even as sports complexes are gearing up for maintenance and repair work after things came to a halt with the lockdown.
Armed with masks, golfers set the course on fire with their lust hitting under the scorching sun today in sets of four. Jeev checked in around 11.30 am and had a round of golf till late in the afternoon.
“I had my first round of golf after staying home every minute since March 18. Just need to count our blessings at everything life gives us,” said the 48-year-old golfer.
Club president Sandeep Singh Sandhu and other members of the managing committee too did not let the opportunity go.
CGC president Sandeep Singh Sandhu said: “Flat pin is installed in such a way that by removing the pin, you can take the ball out. The golfer will take out the ball himself. No one else touches the ball.”
“Only four people will play at a time as a precautionary measure. Golfers will play with masks on, maintain social distancing and make use of hand sanitisers before and after the play. Only one person is allowed in the golf cart,” Colonel (retd) Iqbal Singh, a managing committee member, laid out the guidelines for play.
Club timings (7.30 am to 6 pm) have been synchronised with the UT Administration guidelines and only packaged refreshments are available on the premises.
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