NASHIK: Golf is hardly the sport one would expect children from farming and working-class families in rural Nashik to take up. Yet, in Niphad tehsil of this North Maharashtra district, 50 village children are spending their weekends learning to swing a golf club — and some are already making their mark in junior competitions.
Many of the children, from families of farm labourers, marginal farmers, factory workers, and people doing odd jobs, train at the Riverside Golf Course, a private nine-hole facility on the banks of the Kadva river. The training, equipment and even meals after practice are provided free of cost.
The initiative was started by retired Indian Air Force officer Wing Commander Pradeep Bagmar, who set up the golf course and five tent houses on 22 acres in 2018 to promote tourism in the area. A passionate golfer since his Air Force days, Bagmar began introducing the sport to children from nearby villages in 2019.
“Initially, it was a challenging task because the children did not know anything about golf. I used to visit local government schools and explain the game to them. Five children joined the training programme in 2019. The number has now grown to 50,” Bagmar said.
One of the initial concerns among parents was that golf training should not come at the cost of their children’s education. Bagmar said the children’s academic progress is monitored regularly and that they have continued to perform well in school.
{{/usCountry}}One of the initial concerns among parents was that golf training should not come at the cost of their children’s education. Bagmar said the children’s academic progress is monitored regularly and that they have continued to perform well in school.
{{/usCountry}}“Golf is not an easy sport. It requires perseverance, discipline and concentration,” he said.
The children train on weekends under Nashik-based golf teaching professional Raju Ahirwar. Over a year ago, Bagmar also brought on board Kolkata-based former international golfer and master golf teaching professional Indrajit Bhalotia to mentor the children.
Bhalotia said he saw considerable potential among the young golfers and wanted the programme to go beyond teaching them the sport.
“What I have seen over the last year is that many of these village children have the talent to become professional golfers. Apart from golf, I conduct online classes after their training sessions to teach them about the sport, life skills and English,” Bhalotia said.
The programme is beginning to produce results. At the two-day Junior and Amateur Feeder Tour (Western Zone), organised by the Indian Golf Union (IGU) at the Riverside Golf Course in June, children from the programme won the top three positions in the junior category.
Ajay Chavan, 15, finished first among 15 competitors. His father drives a school van. Ishwant Sonewane, the son of a factory worker, finished second, while Ashwin Pawar, whose parents are farm labourers, stood third.
The trio will now compete in upcoming IGU tournaments for junior amateur golfers in western India.
“I had never heard of golf. We used to play football and cricket. But after Bagmar Sir inducted me into the training programme three years ago, I gradually developed a passion for golf. I even find time to play for a couple of hours after school on weekdays. My focus now is to do well in the upcoming tournaments,” Ajay said.
For Ishwant and Ashwin, cricket was their first sporting love too.
“We were curious to try this new sport, especially because all the equipment was provided free of cost. But now we want to become professional golfers with the help of Bagmar Sir and Bhalotia Sir,” they said.
According to a Nashik-based tourist facilitator, Manoj Jagtap, some of his clients during their trips to the golf course to play golf were pleasantly surprised seeing the skills of some of these village kids during their training sessions.
“Some of my clients appreciated the former IAF officer’s initiative to train the kids,” said Jagtap.
The programme has also opened up opportunities beyond competitive golf. Two of the five children who joined in 2019 are now working as caddies at the course, assisting visitors during their games.
Rishi Nishad, one of the caddies, said he earns ₹400 for three hours of work.
Bagmar and Bhalotia now want to expand the programme significantly, with a target of training 500 children over the next year.
“We want to conduct talent hunts in neighbouring talukas and identify more children. But we need financial resources for this. We want to buy a bus to ferry the children to the golf course for training and are approaching business houses for support under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes,” they said.
For children who once knew little beyond cricket and football, the golf course on the banks of the Kadva has offered something unexpected, a new sport, a new set of opportunities and, perhaps, a different idea of what is possible.