Development on a landfill sites

In India Landfills have now become an environmental hazard. The metros are drowning under their own trash that is an estimated 60 million tons a year. The oldest landfill in India is located in Mumbai and covers 326 acres. In New Delhi the total acreage of all landfills put together is 500 acres.  In Bangalore villages in the periphery, where garbage was being dumped, virtually revolted against dumping into the already overflowing landfill.  These landfills are seemingly bottomless pits with most garbage being dumped directly into the landfill without proper segregation. The tallest working waste landfill site in India is the Ghazipur landfill that currently stands at over 50ft in height. 

One aspect that can be overlooked is the health of those individuals living in proximity of the landfill site. But most disturbing is the damage these landfill sites cause below the surface. It is documented that around the landfill site ground water is polluted and the nature of the land itself changes into being completely unusable for agriculture. Since most landfill sites are located in the rural areas, this is a tremendous disruption to the normal way of life and work for those communities, for no fault of their own.

So how can we manage a landfill site that needs to be closed? Most common is the compaction of waste and the creation of a pubic park on the site for the use by the community.

I propose another option for landfills closer to urban areas, which is the creation of a golf course. A golf course can elevate the profile of the area, improving marketability and raising the price of real estate. Land surrounding or facing the golf course can even be sold at a premium.

Though this may not be an ideal solution for a landfill site, this concept could work because it benefits the community through appreciation of land prices and as a source of employment (casual labor on the golf course and employment as caddies). As a model it can fit any size of land as little as 6 acres to as large as 100 acres. A recreational club can also be developed on the site, where memberships can be sold. Depending on the location of the landfill this can completely transform the landscape of such semi urban areas. 

Caddies - The silent heroes of golf in India

Who is a caddy? What is their role? These are the most common questions asked by juniors and novice golfers at any golf course across India. In fact many golfers in India take it for granted that caddies will be available and are surprised when this is not the case abroad; where they can be fewer and expensive to hire. It is safe to say that the Indian golfer is spoilt, but why is there is dichotomy? And how does a golf course effortlessly attract these individuals to work there? (the envy of many a golf course in the West and parts of South East Asia) 

In India, caddying is viewed as a life changing opportunity for below poverty line households. This is especially true for young adults who have been forced to leave school or unable to complete their education. Caddying offers these unskilled individuals the possibility of a job and steady income. Most caddy’s who start out at junior level earn between INR200-INR300 for a 18 hole round. A senior caddy can earn as much as INR1000 for an 18 hole round at most Indian golf courses.

This translates to an income of close to INR30,000 a month, which can be transformational for people without any education or skilling. Children of caddies can access education and caddies have even built a house with their savings.

Caddies in Action at the Delhi Golf Club

In the West, such unskilled casual labor would be mandated to receive the minimum wage, which is $8 an hour in America (or the equivalent in other countries) substantially higher than the minimum wage in India.

However, there is one major drawback to this casual income format, it is paid in cash. As a result it is not surprising that social habits such as gambling and drinking are prevalent amongst caddies in India.

Another difference lies in the manner in which caddies are perceived and treated in the West vs. India. Most golf courses in the west have a structured training program for caddies with clear policies in place for promotion and growth. In fact the training received at one golf course can at times result in a job at another golf course in a higher position such as a caddy master or an admin role in the tournament section. In India, on the other hand, caddying is viewed as only slightly better than casual labor on the golf course.

The lack of caddy training curriculum or institutes presents another challenge. Training of caddies now becomes the mandate of the golf course where they work. This task largely falls to enthusiastic members who conduct workshops to help caddies improve their knowledge of the game and rules of golf. For the most part, training is still ‘on the job’ for many caddies in this country. This leads to another problem; the issue of advancement and promotions.

Caddies are highly protective of the skills and knowledge they acquire and dissemination of this knowledge is rare. In the absence of certification, skill and knowledge levels of the caddy’s is not easy to asses, making it extremely difficult for caddies to transfer between golf courses.

The net result is that caddies employed at one golf course remain bound to that golf course practically for life.

I would like to conclude with a thought. As a Referee of golf in India, part of our responsibility as is to ensure that knowledge of the rules reaches as many golfers or people employed at a golf course, as possible. Golf Courses in India need to take a proactive step to formalize the training of caddies working at the golf course. It is in the interest of every golfer to improve and hone the skills of the caddies they interact with at golf clubs.

The recent movement by the WGAI (Women’s Golf Association of India) and the Chandigarh Golf Club to create a replicable model for caddy training, is a game changer

When I was in college, my late professor Ed Kelbel Jr. a PGA professional, instilled in us that golf is also a game of service; as professionals and players we are servants of the game and caddies are equally important as the players. If as players we imbibe these values it can lead to a transformation not just of the game but in the lives of many who work to make it possible to play the sport that we love. 

India’s Golf outlook for 2018 – 2019

The recently concluded India golf expo left visitors wanting more. The expo broke tradition by coming to Bangalore after a departure of more than 5 years. Needless to say that golfers in the city were excited for what was in store.

2 days of symposium with an expert panel providing participants insights into the sport from the construction, management and governance.

No expo will be complete without a selection of merchandise available for participants and visitors. Showcased were the latest and greatest from leading manufacturers such as Taylormade, Callaway and Footjoy.

2018-2019 is an important year for India. From a political point of view some key states are going to polls which will impact the general elections to be scheduled in 2019. From an economic perspective, India has been surviving on a consistent GDP growth of 7%. This is despite global pressure and increasing nationalist trade policies by important global markets.

Despite India’s noteworthy GDP, the economy has been hit by a few major shocks and the positive effects of these shocks are delayed. One major shock to the system came through demonetization, where over night currency notes were no longer legal tender. The next jolt came in the form of GST, the unification of indirect tax, though important made it very difficult for small manufactures and MSME’s to quickly adjust their processes to now conform to the new tax system. The constant altering of the tax rate by the GST council is a concern, however the in the long run this should ease doing business for large sections of the business community.  Unfortunately at present we are still at the beginning of this journey. Finally another reform that has had a tremendous impact on the economy is RERA. Real estate in India has been one of the main drivers of economic growth and forms the highest percentage of investment by Indians after gold. The net result is that real estate has a spectrum of businesses and developers to offer options at various price points. When RERA was announced for the industry, even though from a buyers perspective it is transformational, for an industry perspective it is over bearing, as it over night caused a major shift in the nature of the business. The net result has been a delay in the announcements of new projects by developers and prolonged slow down in the market.

In this scenario, the implications for golf are quite significant. In India, golf is an aspriational sport whose growth is fueled by increasing incomes and a burgeoning real estate climate. The physical development of the sport will always be constrained by market forces and political climate, however As stakeholders in the industry, we need to evolve golf to have a third fuel of growth. This is true more than ever this year as the country is in the run up the general elections of 2019.

Improving participation and encouraging beginners is one aspect the sport needs to address as part of this vision. The golf associations in India do their bit by encouraging junior development programs, however in private enterprise as well, this needs to be encouraged. One step in this direction would be more discussion on improving teaching methodology and golf coaching, seminars devoted to teaching professionals, where professionals can meet and share thoughts and ideas. In addition, golf also needs to penetrate into schools, in particular international schools where fees are higher and emphasis is placed on unique facilities on offer. This would help inculcate golf at the grass root level and work in tandem to what is organized at the associations.

In 2018-2019, as an industry we need to weather out this storm of stagnation and prepare ourselves for the turn around. On a world stage in January 2019,  the rules of golf are set of a massive game changing over haul. Perhaps this is the catalyst that the industry needs.

As stakeholders of this beautiful game it is our duty to weather out this passing storm and prepare ourselves for the growth. If we can make small strides in these areas, the industry will have strong platform, from which the next leap of growth can be made.

Golf - A Social Bridge

There are always two levels in every sport, the professional and the club/amateur level players. For any sportsman, competing on a level playing field with other players of the same skill level is itself a challenge; it is next to impossible to compete with professionals from the same sport discipline.

However this is where golf is very different from other sports.

All golfers around the world are held to a single standard in the form a Golf Handicap. A handicap is a numerical algorithmic number that indicates playing ability of the individual and is accepted throughout the world of golf. It is an assessment irrespective of age, gender and geography.

The handicap is issued by the host golf course and is valid at any golf course around the world, provided it follows the prescribed system accepted by the sport’s governing bodies, the Royal and Ancient (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA). The software most commonly used by clubs is Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN).

Once a golfer has a handicap, depending on the range (a low handicap 0-10 is considered good and high handicap 15-25 usually needs improvement) it is possible for these golfers to participate in tournaments at the club level. In club tournaments their handicap is computed along with their score to arrive at their ranking for that tournament. Should golfers choose to pursue a career at the professional or amateur level, the minimum criterion is a low handicap of a prescribed level usually in single digits.

Interestingly, it is possible for a club golfer to play in a professional tournament as a ‘back marker’ nominated by the host golf club when there are an ‘odd’ number of players who make the cut to play in the final two days of a tournament. Of course, by not being a professional, one is not in contention for the prize.  Jeff Knox is one case in question and the tournament is nothing less than golf’s major tournament, the Masters. http://www.golf.com/tour-news/2018/03/07/rory-mcilroy-lost-rematch-augusta-club-champion-jeff-knox

This is what sets golf apart from other sports. It is possible to remove artificial hierarchies that exist as all levels players can compete with each other based on their handicap.  

Some could argue that this advantage is not apparent in the developing world where fewer people have access to golfing facilities. While this may be true and golf has a long way to go in these countries, another leveling factor is the emergence of professional players from the caddy group and club workers.

Some of India’s most successful golf professionals like Chikkarangappa from Bengaluru started out as caddies on a golf course.

So even in countries where the sport is underdeveloped the ‘Spirit of the Game’ lives on. Once you pick up the sport and adhere to its rules and etiquette, written and unwritten, all other barriers fall away. Your pedigree, economic or social status, caste, or religion are of little or no significance. All that matters is the quality of the golf swing and where the ball lands.  

This how golf builds bridges and is a great leveler at any age and any playing ability.

A small Step for Shubhankar one giant Leap for Golf in India!

Perhaps one of the most memorable scenes this year, will be a young 21 year old from India, fist pumping his way into the record books and joining a hand full of Indian golfers who have EVER made it into the PGA Tour. Shubhankar finished T-9 at the recently concluded WGC championship in Mexico; and needless to say his heroics did not go un noticed.
3 days later, Shubhankar is invited to play at nothing less than the 2018 Masters held in Augusta National. The story of this young professional from India is truly inspirational. At only the tender age of 21, he is accomplishing more than what many seasoned Indian Golf Professionals have in a life time.

Shubhankar's Invitation to participate in the masters

What is interesting to me, is the impact that this is going to have on the game in India. It is no secret that the future of golf lies with the developing world. These markets provide some of the largest captive audience of youngsters, and some of the highest growth rates in disposable income. India alone is a captive market of 267 million households (2016) and this figure is said to double by 2024. It is the growth of these households that will lead to to the development of golf in the country.
Though this may look attractive, for the sport to actually develop, players children to be galvanized and energized to pursue the sport into the professional level.

I feel a suitable parallel can be drawn to snooker, shooting or wrestling. The popularity of the sport is covered by the success of the individuals participating in it. This is the fate of golf in the country. For the sport to truly develop, we need many more Shubhankar's to shine on the domestic and international stage. Countries like Thailand are ahead of India in terms of sheer number of golfers who are breaking into the international circuit. At present there are over 21 players on the international (European and PGA circuit) this is quite remarkable. I believe India is not far behind.

Shubhankars entry to the masters can be to golf, what Pankaj Advani's win was to billiards, what Vishwanathan Anand's win was to chess and what Sumit Rathore's win was to shooting. It has shown golfers in the country that a path to success is available and it is not as shrouded in mystery as was once thought. It is clear and beckoning many more professionals to follow suit.