Mercara Downs Golf Club, one of India’s oldest, turns 100

Caddies have it hard at Mercara Downs Golf Club. Spread over 102 acres, its course has water hazards and hillocks and is ringed by woods. Golfers flock here on weekends. Some are on the course at the crack of dawn.

For Ganesh Mahendra, a planter from Coorg, a round of golf in the afternoon is absolutely sacred. “It is a great way to unwind after a long day in the plantation,” says the 37-year-old who cultivates black pepper, cardamom and coffee on his 120-acre estate at Suntikoppa.

Located in Coorg, the Scotland of India, Mercara Downs is shrouded in mist on most winter evenings. A veil of nostalgia, too, hangs over the place; it is gearing up for its centennial celebrations.

At a hillock near the club house, we meet I.K. Anil, 63, captain of the club. “During the colonial period, only the British could play golf,” he says. “Indians were not allowed, as the club was run by the British and it was their choice who they should have. Later on, a few Indians were taken to the club and were allowed to play. But, they were just less than 10 per cent.” There used to be inter-club tournaments with the Belur Golf Club and the Tata Coffee Golf Club. “We have had expats coming here and saying ‘My grandfather used to play golf here’,” he says.

Anil shows us a tree which used to have a thatched hut under it, where the Brits would party. “We did not have a club house then,” he says, adjusting his hat. Mercara Downs was just nine holes on 30 acres during the British period. “It was all browns then. Now, we have lovely greens,” says Anil. And, 18 holes.

Keeping the course green is a challenge. “It has to be irrigated inch to inch, which is a big constraint in cities,” Anil says. “Luckily, we are blessed with plenty of water. Once the northeast monsoon stops, we start irrigating.”

Harish Appanna finds the greens a real treat to the eyes. He comes to the course thrice a week. His estate is in Chettalli, 20km from Mercara. A hockey player, Appanna took to golf easily. “I took coaching for a week,” he says. “Then I would come here and practise every day. Now, I love golf more than hockey.” The 57-year-old is secretary of Mercara Downs.

Roy Chengappa, 59, loves hanging out on the course with friends. “It helps me connect with nature,” says Chengappa. He shows us a lapwing perched on the course: “These birds lay eggs among pebbles, to keep them safe from predators like foxes.” The lapwing appears on the club logo, too.

A coffee planter, Chengappa never used to play golf earlier. “One day, I just came here and hit the ball. It felt great. Then I became a member,” he says. Now, he plays once a week. “It is an intelligent game,” he says. “You have to hit a stationary ball. It involves a lot of science, especially physics and mechanics, as well as physical and mental abilities.”

Golf is for gentlemen, says Anil who has been playing for the last 35 years. “It is the toughest to play, but the easiest to cheat,” he says. “If the ball goes into a depression, one can take it out without anyone seeing it. We are trying to inculcate certain values in youngsters.”

Mercara Downs will soon be a hot destination for golfers from abroad. “We have a helipad here. A few days from now, Japanese tourists will come here looking at business opportunities,” says Anil. “It is easy to get outstation golfers. In the US they do not have many public golf courses. In Japan, one has to wait years for a round of golf, leave alone membership.”

Outstation golfers can buy a lifetime membership in Mercara Downs for Rs3.5 lakh. For local players it is Rs1.3 lakh, as the club wants to have more regulars around.

Mercara Downs has helped a lot of aspiring golfers take up the game. Two years ago, Mahendra had a hole-in-one. “My first shot on the 11th hole went in phadaak,” recalls Mahendra. The odds of an average golfer hitting a hole-in-one are 12,000:1. He was thrilled and threw a party; the bill came to Rs22,000. The next time he was playing, he hit a shot which rolled close to the hole. “I prayed, ‘God, let this not get in’. I was worried about losing money again!” says Mahendra, who played in the Valentine Team Amateur Golf Challenge in Bangkok.

Ace golfer Trishul Chinnappa, 21, says Mercara Downs is an “out-of-the-world place”. “The sand traps make the course more challenging,” he says. “Similarly, the elevation has an effect on the way you play. You need to use a lot of skill and get creative while playing in Mercara Downs.”

Golf has become quite popular in Coorg. Other courses are at the Tata Coffee Golf Club at Pollibetta and the Coorg Golf Links at Bittangala. Chinnappa was five when he took up the game. “Back then I used to be the only kid in Coorg playing golf,” he says. “But, today I see a lot of youngsters taking up the game. It is indeed good for the sport in our community.”

Chinnappa and other distinguished sportspersons from Coorg district will be honoured at the Mercara Downs centenary celebrations on December 12 and 13. The evenings of glitz and glamour will have live music performances and a fashion show by designer Prasad Bidapa.

source: http://www.week.manoramaonline.com / The Week / Home> Sports / by Mini P. Thomas / Monday – December 08th, 2014