Nonita Lal Qureshi and Simi Mehra, the two incredible women golfers who have made India proud and represented the country on the international circuit multiple times, were together at Zen Golf Range and Academy in Gurugram. The players at the range, amateurs & pros and the golfing community got to interact with them.
Arjuna awardee Nonita Lal as a golf player and coach, is six times All India championship winner and has represented India for 17 years. She was one of the key figures who established the National Golf Academy of India (NGAI), the country’s first accredited program for teaching professionals. She was the Indian women’s golf team captain and has won numerous championships on international circuits.
Simi Mehra is the first woman from India to become a member of the world’s leading golf tour for women, the US-based LPGA Tour. She is the founder of the Women’s Golf Association of India with Champika Sayal. Simi hosted an Advanced Masterclass for the Gurgaon Golfing Community on Saturday at Zen Golf during the sundowner event, an evening especially curated for golf enthusiasts. Simi led the U.S. LPGA Tour in driving distance in her rookie years in 1997, 1998 & 1999. She represented India in the 2008 World Cup in Suncity, South Africa First Indian Golfer to be nominated for South Asian excellence awards.
The trailblazer event curated by team Zen, supported by HDFC, got a golf community of the city, including expatriates, corporate leaders, and academicians, promoting golf among children as a sport to develop focus among the younger lot and early golf learners together on the same platform.
Spread over 11 acres, Zen Golf is a new destination to begin golf, for practising to correct the game and for non-golfers who like basking in the sun or appreciating the open ambience overlooking the Aravalli range. The academy at Zen runs various professionally guided programs for adults, corporates, youngsters, women, adult beginners, pros and customised individual classes under the mentorship of certified coaches. Designed to fill the gap between the traditionally designed golf ranges and the golf course, Zen Golf Range and Academy resembles what the golf course looks like with bunkers, undulations, hazards and more. Besides golf, the place houses a café by Bistro & Craft Kitchen, dishing out scrumptious food.
Gurgaon is a golfing destination in the country with six golf courses and three exclusive ranges. A melting pot of cultures from across the globe, especially the Japanese and Korean population, finds Gurugram a blessed posting because they get easy and affordable access to golfing. Post-Covid, golf as a sport has many takers. “Golf is one sport that offers many life lessons to those willing to learn. Like everyone starts from the Tee Box for the same destination, but everyone takes a different shot to reach the target; that’s in life too. Each one is making its own choices, similar to selecting its clubs to take that shot,” says Nonita Lal with a smile. “No hole will ever be played the same twice, not by anyone, “adds Simi Mehra.
How we complete our task depends on many internal and external factors; some control us, and others do not. “Our shot in life or the game of golf depends on the mind space one is in focus, knowledge of the game & surroundings in life it is education, physical ability, mental & emotional strength,” concludes Shyam Grover, Director Zen Golf Range & Academy.
In short, the strike in life depends on an individual’s temperament and the tools one uses, and not to forget serendipity, willpower and vision. ‘Whether you hit a great or bad shot, you still have to play the next one, and that’s how life is.’