This was some 25 years ago. though there were some die hard golfers, their numbers were small and the golf courses were few. almost all the equipment had to be imported. the conditions of importing any thing was an ordeal with the customs looking at you as a criminal out to get them. We the beginners had to depend on much used rusty second or third hand sets to learn and play.
After graduating to play, we made a foursome and we had a fixed time to start. 10 minutes ahead on that given day, used to be a four ball of senior citizens. one of then was a retired Air Marshal, another was a business executive, and third was retired bureaucrat and the fourth was from an illustrious family and didn't need to work!
They naturally would finish before us and by the time we finished and settled at the next table, they would be into their second glass of beer. Their infectious pleasure in what they did, some times would rub off and would involve us at the next table!
Their conversation too would often involve pulling each other's leg.Three of them were accomplished, widely traveled and had many experiences to share and naturally they hogged the conversation. The jobless land owner, though witty, often was reduced to be an interested listener.He was also the most generous of the lot and quite often he would pay not only his bills but the neighboring table's which was usually occupied by us.
One such day primed by beer, Air marshal was describing where he got his set of clubs and how he got it. he said, 'I was air attache in our high commission in the UK and had lots of time which I spent golfing and made more money in winning the bets than my paltry salary. this set was given to me by one looser who had no money to pay, he said, Marshal, you take this set instead, I only end of loosing every time I play with this. I took it, it was fairly new, and also because I was not sure he would pay when we met next. But we did meet and he kept loosing despite playing with a new set. This set which I have is that'
The bureaucrat tried pulling a fast one by saying his nephew presented the set to him when he visited him, in one of his government sponsored trips abroad. The jobless land owner, I will call him G, said,' nephew my foot, didn't Mr S gave this to you when you helped him to get his file cleared? I know this because he is a friend of mine'. The bashful bureaucrat saved his face by saying that the nephew also gave him a set which is lying at home
The Business man followed with his own story of how he got it from the US and the harassment he went through in the customs to clear it.
Now came the turn of G, He said, 'you know, I like old cars, I have one 1930 model Morris car. I needed a carburetor part for the car. I usually go to city market gujri [ urdu word for used spare parts]. I went there looking for this part and found this set lying in one corner covered with accumulated dust.I asked the gugriwala, what is that?, he said, 'Saab, I don't know, it came with lot of other iron, bekar[useless] sticks' I had a look, the clubs[sticks] appeared in good condition, I asked him what he wanted for them? he said Saab, please take it, you don't have to pay, it is occupying much needed space'. I didn't feel like taking it for free, Paid him 100Rs and brought it home, cleaned and polished it and that is the set with which I regularly beat you guys'
we at the next table joined him in the cheers
G was a golf fanatic and wanted to die on the golf course was his wish. He did die while playing at the Mysore golf course