Four business heads turned to golf and discovered not just a competitive sport but a game that nurtures lasting bonds
There’s no denying the pull of golf. Over centuries, the sport, which can be traced back to 15th century Scotland, has attracted the rich, the elite and the powerful. The club of recreational and amateur players includes world leaders and politicians (Mary, Queen of Scots, Winston Churchill, Barack Obama and Condoleezza Rice, to name a few), celebrities (Will Smith, Jessica Alba, Halle Berry) and, of course, CEOs (Chevron’s John Watson, former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer and IBM’s Virginia Rometty, among many others).
Its appeal lies in its contradictions: Golf is a demanding game that can last up to four-and-a-half hours and requires absolute concentration. But at the same time, as Puneet Chaddha, CEO of HSBC Asset Management (India), points out, its leisurely pace allows for conversations to unfold and associations to be formed.
The late US amateur golf player Bobby Jones Jr (1902-1971), who co-founded the Masters Tournament, said that golf is the “closest game to the game we call life”. “You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots, but you have to play the ball where it lies.” Its ability to mimic life, while at the same time offering players an outlet to relax and reflect, makes it all the more appealing.
Business heads and amateur players say golf gives them a break from their hectic schedules and come to terms with the fact that life may not always go their way. That’s why they keep going back to the greens. Many have built a life around the game. Aluri Srinivasa Rao, managing director, private equity, at Morgan Stanley, India, for instance, only buys apartments next to golf courses. Ajay Srinivasan, chief executive, financial services, Aditya Birla Group, makes it a point to play on new courses wherever he travels. And Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO of JCB India, hopes to play golf even at 90.
And therein lies the beauty of this sport: Unlike football or cricket, that can wreak havoc on the body, golf is not ageist.
Last but not the least, for those who are, by virtue of their positions in the organisational hierarchy, isolated at the top, the golf course offers the possibility of friendships, a happy outcome at any stage of life.
Ajay Srinivasan
Chief executive, financial services, Aditya Birla Group
Ajay Srinivasan’s central Mumbai office is a good indication of what the chief executive, financial services, Aditya Birla Group is most passionate about, apart from work. The tastefully designed cabin has framed photographs of him with cricket star Sachin Tendulkar and American professional golfer Tiger Woods. It’s evident that the 52-year-old has two ‘sporting’ loves: Cricket and golf.
Srinivasan used to play cricket regularly till 2005. “I would end up with aches and sore muscles. I guess age was catching up with me,” he says with a wry chuckle.
That was when he took up golf; he was based out of Hong Kong at the time. “Golf was easily accessible there, and I thought it was something that would keep me occupied for many years to come, without taking a toll on my health.”
He plays the game at least four times a month, and would like to increase the frequency to two to three times a week. “It is my biggest stress reliever, and has a calming effect on me. It requires phenomenal concentration,” he says.
In Mumbai, where he currently resides, he frequents The Willingdon Sports Club, but his favourite haunt is Nirwana Bali Golf Club in Indonesia. It abuts the ocean and is one of the most beautiful golfing grounds in the world.
“My love for the game keeps me going,” says Srinivasan, who even enrolled in a four-day golf training programme in the US two years ago. And while he’s willing to work on his game, he does not encourage unsolicited tips or advice. “There have been situations when I didn’t enjoy the game at all and three hours at the course seemed too long.” That almost always happened when he tried to change his style of playing on somebody’s suggestion.
While on the course, he gives himself half-an-hour to warm up before getting into the game. He is constantly competing with himself, and ups the bar at every stage. “[This competitiveness] is common for me. I set my own standards, I want to do things differently,” he says. It is a philosophy he follows even when he leaves the golf course.
Quirk
Srinivasan likes to collect tees and hats. His most cherished souvenir is a tee that got chipped after Tiger Woods took a shot. This was in 2012 at a tournament in the US, when Srinivasan had an opportunity to walk with Woods on the golf course.
(This story appears in the Nov-Dec 2015 issue of ForbesLife India. To visit our Archives, click here.)