Beautiful lush greens in the middle of the concrete city are a breath of fresh air for many. And a few ladies in the city are making the most of it by indulging in a game of golf, breaking barriers of the game being men’s turf.
For instance, Jonnala Ramadevi who started playing golf as a means to spend idle time, has now taken it up as a serious hobby and has won accolades for ‘longest drive by a female’ at the Sri Lankan Airlines golf tournament. “We were in Kuwait before settling in Hyderabad. I had lots of free time there and didn’t know what to do. Then one day I came across the Sahara Golf Course, fell in love with it, and decided to take up the challenge of learning the game. It’s been five years since and I can say it takes lots of hard work and concentration to put up a great game,” she says.
B. Chaitanya Reddy has her share of tales as to how she fell in love with golf — it was her daughter’s love for the game! “I used to take her for golf classes and was amazed to see how she plays. Eventually, even I took a liking to it. It’s been six years now,” says Chaitanya. She adds, “Golf helps me destress and keep my mind working as it’s a new game every day. Also you get to meet new people who share your passion for the game.”
One of her golfing partners, Indrani Ali Khan has been playing for six years too, and shares, “You need a lot of patience to excel. Without proper professional guidance, you can’t go ahead. And seeing the ball in the hole gives you an immense pleasure that can’t be described in words.”
While Ramadevi, Chaitanya and Indrani took up the game as a passion, Sharmila Reddy has been playing golf for 18 years now and mastered the game like a pro. “I was into sports since school — basketball, cricket and squash. I played them all. But as you grow old you can’t play all these sports and yet you yearn for a competitive spirit. Golf gave me that satisfaction. But yes playing golf in the midst of an active professional life is a challenge as there is a strict time frame when one can play the game —early morning or in afternoon,” says Sharmila. Whereas, for K. Shyla Reddy, golf is a family sport. She shares, “I started playing golf four years ago when I used to accompany my husband at the golf course. He loves golf and I used to watch him and don’t know how and when I too fell in love with it. Now, we all play together as my son is into the sport too.”
Coaching it right
Commander Gangadhar (Retd), a graduate of the prestigious Golf Academy of America, Orlando, Florida, US, and Golf Stroke Engineer Master from The Golfing Machine, LLC, Portland, US is a passionate teacher who enjoys training golfers of all levels and age groups as he believes it is a sport which truly remains with one for life.
Commander Gangadhar is a passionate teacher who enjoys training golfers of all age groups and proficiency levels.
He has trained professionals Arshadeep Tiwana, Sandeep Sayal and Joseph Chakola who have made a name for themselves. Even 16-year-old Kshitij Kaul who is the present number one Amateur of India, is his student. Pranav Korde, also his student, and a promising young junior from the city has won the just concluded South Zone Junior Champion-ship at Coimbatore.
