SUPPORT THE CAUSE!

On a Wing with a Swing!​

The spouse happens to be the Chief Administrative Officer (CADO) in her current place of posting and pulls enormous clout as a Principal Staff Officer of an Air Force Station, nestled amidst the rolling tea gardens in the Northeast of the country. And therefore, latching on to that age-old wisdom that insinuates, “behind every successful married woman is an ambitious husband”, I wasted no time in tacitly declaring myself as the ‘Shadow to the CADO’. The Bloody Civilian ostensibly wanting to make the most of those privileges by being unashamedly projected (and therefore feted) as the proverbial ‘power behind the throne or the Kingmaker if you please!  
 
Now from my privileged perch within the CADO’s well-appointed residential quarters, I have an unhindered view of the runway (an absolute manna for the compulsive plane-spotter in me), that was until recently marred in-between by an unkempt and crudely mowed expanse of open unused land. But lo and behold, for within a span of just a few months it has given way to a perfectly manicured, rolling Golf course with a full 18-hole indulgence. So, in effect my ‘runway view’ has now suddenly metamorphosed into a ‘Golf course view’ in terms of proximity and one, which I admit, sounds rather swish and upmarket too!​
 
Not particularly keen on being in the ‘swing of things’ myself, the best part about Golf for The Bloody Civilian is the beer afterwards and the freedom to unleash my repertoire of naughty jokes on a captive male audience, that is perpetually on an adrenaline rush and eager to lap it all up! Just the other day upon being asked about my Golf handicap, I had the young officer asking the question in a bit of a tizzy when I replied +2. Clearly, the rookie must have come close to a nervous breakdown upon hearing that number until it was explained to him that I would feel handicapped to get on a course unless at least 2 pints of ice cold beers were guaranteed at the end of play!​

But Golf definitely seems to be gaining flight (pun intended) given its popular resurgence, universally across the three armed services. The Army had an early mover advantage as did the Navy owing mainly to the legacy of the Raj. The Brits introduced the game to the country in the 1800s where it remained the exclusive bastion of the privileged class, the bureaucrats and the Armed Forces. And even though the Air Force may have come late into the game, but clearly seems to be catching up fast in order to make up for lost time. And a new class divide seems to be spawning in the officers' messes around the country between those that can talk golf  and those that cannot. So if you are someone that can't distinguish an iron from a wood or don't know an eagle from a birdie, then be prepared to be left out to dry - literally!
 
But it’s interesting to observe, how all the three services have varying aims in their approach towards Golf, based on what they expect to achieve on the greens.​

For the men-in-green, it’s all about power projection. Seemingly endowed with more resources and manpower than their other two  sister services, they come out in style with a retinue that comprises besides the caddy, chaperons to install the tees, collect stray balls, serve beverages, diligently scrape mud/grass from the clubs after every shot and ensure the parasol is correctly inclined to block the sun lest the ‘saab’ mistimes the drive. After-play refreshments usually call for a Bloody Mary or Gin & Tonic served with exotic finger food on the side.

​For the men-in-white it is about style-projection and with their easy  access to the best gear, they can be spotted nattily attired sporting the best clubs that money can buy, on perfectly manicured greens (usually overlooking the sea) to complement their playing ensemble. And while they may have to make-do with cramped quarters aboard their sea-going vessels, their style is certainly far from being cramped on the course, what with liveried attendants in tow holding stiff starched white towels and energy drinks. After-play refreshments may include among others, sparkling wines along with a cheeseboard and the likes.​

For men-in-blue, their reasons for picking up the game are very undistinguished really. Apart from keeping up with the Joneses (read: the men in green and white), getting away early on a weekend to escape the drudgery of being put into domestic chores or being detailed for organizing ladies-club lunches and picnics et al. But clearly the men-in-blue are struggling to play catch-up with their other two sister services in any sartorial/style projection leave alone power and are mostly reduced to DIY (read: being their own caddies and scrubbing their own balls and clubs)! After play refreshments seldom go beyond a regulation Neembu Paani (lemonade), unless the Mess Secretary is part of the playing group, in which case there may be some masala peanuts on the side.

But it could be reasonably argued that the men-in-blue possibly make for better Golf players because of their natural dexterity and highly enhanced motor skills, conditioned by living a life between their legs i.e. handling the stick/cyclic/control column, besides their inherent understanding of flight & trajectory. And at the risk of letting the cat amongst the pigeons, I daresay that the men-in-blue have bragging rights over their Army and Navy counterparts, on their ability to swing it better!​

As for The Bloody Civilian, I am enjoying being cajoled to play and pampered on the greens so that as the Shadow, I can have the CADO ‘divert & deploy’ critical manpower for the upkeep of the course. So, it’s enjoy while it lasts because as the The Bloody Civilian knows all too well - it never does!​

Postscript
At the time of publishing this, the CADO had been posted out to a lesser-mortal type assignment in another city down South and resultantly the 'shadow' is now a pale one, trying hard to reconcile to a commoner-life minus all the backroom power and attention - par for the course, one could say for The Bloody Civilian!