Lt. Gen (retd.) Budh Prakash Singh Mander joined the school in 1960 as J-38. He was in the second senior most batch to pass out in December,1964 after completing his ISC. He belongs to the batch tutored in English by Mr. Michael Vodden a teacher on deputation from the British Council. This was the first batch seen through by Senior Master and Head of English, Mr. Michael Vodden before he left, to establish ISC in School. (Mr. Vodden is best known and remembered among other praiseworthy qualities for writing the ‘School Song’).
Budh or BIPS, as he is known in his close peer group, was the wit of his class and is fondly remembered by friends for his incomparable sense of humour and ready wit.
The ISC class of 1964 with Mr Michael Vodden. Budh Parkash Mander is second from left standing in second row.
He was in the second batch from School to join the NDA. After having served with distinction in the Army Service Corps, Lt Gen. Mander hung up his sword in 2007.
He is (happily?) married to Harmeet and is proud father of two brilliant daughters. He dabbles in writing humorous pieces under his byline “Just in Jest”. He has shared three of such pieces with me, which I share with my fellow Old Nabhaites for their delight.
He is a keen and gifted golfer who can be seen regularly in the company of fellow Nabhaites in Chandigarh Golf Courses.
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JUST IN JEST
(The articles titled ‘Just in Jest’ are written just in jest. Cynics to keep away)
Recipe For A Sure Win In Golf
An article by Lt Gen BPS Mander
Playing at various courses over the country for the last twenty years, one has seen many a glum face at the end of each round. So, on the pretence of suffering from a tennis elbow, which brought in sympathy in ample measure, I took time out to do an internal audit of the way the game is played and came out with a simple recipe for constantly winning, round after round.
No more glum faces!
What better thing than to share it with friends. To start with, let me admit that it does not come easy. It requires commitment from start to finish; but guarantees a win. Here it goes.
Even before the round starts, evaluate your four ball and check out how the other three players are placed in their game. Since one generally knows the standard of the players whom one is playing with; decide on the best player who should be your partner from the start.
The next step is to achieve the impossible, ie, to get the best player to be your partner. It may appear to be an uphill task, but it isn’t. This recipe will settle it.
When the tee off is announced, quickly climb on the tee and ask the other three to hand over their (golf) balls to you so that you can throw to establish partnership. Only trick is that you should know how to throw the balls. Get your ball and your intended partner’s ball and hold it as follows. Your ball in the first and second finger of the right hand, and your intended partner’s ball in the ring finger and the little finger, and lock these. The other two balls, that now belong to your intended opponents are now in your palm of the same hand. Now the throw!
When you throw the balls, the throw needs focus as the balls in your palm should fly off a little ahead of the other two that should follow by a ‘delayed release’ by a fraction of a second. The results will be amazing, as you will see how beautifully your and your intended partner’s balls sit so close on the tee. That is the time that you should pat your forehead, with the ‘not again; he couldn’t be my partner again’, look.
That settled, now you graduate to the second step.
Don’t hesitate to remind the four ball that mulligan is allowed on week days. It will help you to take care of your wayward shot. But what happens on weekends? Always recommend a ‘best ball’ on weekends. Best ball can do you no harm, because knowing your game; if you are in the woods, which one generally is, it gives you a chance to shoot from the best distance and best direction. It you are among a difficult lot, a ‘pull out’ could be the other option to bank on.
That will ensure a good start and take you confidently through the first few holes. On the nearest par 3, fire your next salvo. Loudly ask your caddy for a club of a much lesser number than the one you actually intend to use, putting your opponents fairly in a quandary, on which club to use.
Steer the conversation to how well the green is guarded by bunkers, timing it appropriately with the tee off of your opponents.
Should this fail to land them in the graveyard of the bunkers, it may be a good idea to march ahead on the green and feel it with the back of your hand, while casually suggesting that there is too much of roll, when there is’nt any. For those idiots and sceptics who don’t believe you, it may be time to throw in the fact that the Golf Captain happens to be from your school; who has armed you with inside knowledge of the greens. For the technically inclined, do mention the Torro machine with the zero cut.
Your mind has to work clearly on which of these statements has to be used when. After a little practice you will be able to get the feel and the timing.
If perchance you happen to go into the bunker, don’t hesitate to demand a drop, even if the foot mark is non discernible. It does not end there. For taking the drop your foot must be appropriately inclined to ensure that the ball on dropping rolls to the exact spot giving you the easiest shot out. Its journey has to be controlled from the time the ball leaves your hand and rolls along your shin, hitting the soft part the foot, followed by the dextrous move to get it to the intended spot. All legal.
You are half way through the course by now and surely winning, but you have to clinch all 18. Here are some other useful hints that will come handy.
If you go into the rough, which one must admit is more the rule than the exception, never hesitate to claim a drop, as in Chandigarh, other than Jesse Grewal, no one knows when and where to take a drop. And you can back up your claim with some odd figure like Rule 20.2, read in conjunction with another, as enunciated by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club St Andrews , to which you can pretend to be a regular visitor, You would have literally had your opponents by the b–ls: this time not the golf ones.
If in spite of all this the opponents are tenacious enough to last this far, some other remedies can be applied. When the opponent is about to put, opening the Velcro of your glove is very much in order, followed by an immediate apology. After all how else will he miss the putt.
The other option is to wait till the last moment when he is about to putt, and then say ‘ball’, indicating that it was your turn to putt, though you are fully aware that it was never yours. Your ability to look grave and serious would take you through any protestations by the opponents, provided conviction shows on your face.
Finally, all this will be worthless it you are not able to pull it off with finesse. For that you need to convince the four ball that all through you have been reasonable and fair. Do not hesitate to fire your caddy on the following occasions:-
-when he is standing behind the opponent while the latter is putting
-when he does not remove the flag if your ball lands on the green first (since this eventuality is a rarity, it needs to be highlighted)
-when he does not lock the flag in his armpit to prevent it from fluttering in the breeze
If all this fails to convince the opponents, the matter will need to be settled over a drink, but don’t hesitate to say, ‘We will come over to your place this evening to explain the whole thing’. That will give you a good chance to dig into his single malt, – your last assault on your opponents.
Happy Gofing!
