The Flight

“Once you learn to function at the peak of consciousness, everything will become a play.”

Sadhguru

I sent an invite on a WhatsApp group of golfers at PAF Skyview Golf Club Lahore last night. Within no time, a flight of early birds was formed for a post-dawn takeoff. I booked a caddy courtesy of the internet and allied services. Most things can be done on the phone and usually without speaking a single word. Late at night, one of us dropped out for some lazy reason. We accepted the chap's regrets and decided to play English — otherwise known as Split Sixes.

The first hole is par four, which ended this morning with a bogie, a double and a triple. I, as usual, finished the first round staying in the middle, both on the fairways and on the scorecard. Generally in life I choose to remain on the middle path, as I always try to read between the lines. Driving in the middle lane may not be fast and furious, but rest assured it will get you home safely. Second is a par five, and I scored nothing there, while the two fellows split it in half. Long roads usually wear out the passengers, and golfers seldom keep calm on par fives. The third one is par three about 180 yards, surrounded almost entirely by encircling water hazards. Despite a poor tee shot, I made a bogie there again, staying in the middle of the fairway. The next fairway is a dogleg, par five, with an OB on the one side and accompanied by two of the strangest of all water hazards. Skyview Golf Course is a narrow and difficult course, so this fairway tests the skills of golfers of all handicaps. I obliged both the OB and a water hazard. In regards to the favors from the two fellow golfers, I acquired two points there as well.

Now comes another dogleg again, facilitated by two more water hazards and a long, egg-like, sloped green. This green is nothing less than a test of the control of the chip shot. Sharp slopes, ditching bunkers, deep water hazards and the narrow nature of this green gauges your patience and precision. Although in theory it is usually reachable, I never try to land on this green. Playing a less club leads to better outcomes here. In fact, self-control always bears better fruits in life. A bogey comes as a great relief, and I walk to the next par three.

“For me the worst part of playing golf, so far, has always been hitting the ball.”

Dave Barry

The designer of PAF Skyview GC is a real thirsty crow. Or he loves frogs. Knowingly or unknowingly, it is designed as some sort of magical rainwater system. Minutes after rainfall, golf is resumed. I have a strange relationship with this hole. For some unknown reason this hole holds a grudge against me. Nevertheless I always try to proceed across these fairways as gently as possible. A bogey or double will do. I strolled through the rest of the round with bogies and doubles.

PAF golf course is also known for its wooden bridges. Bridge or no bridge, you will see a traffic of turtles visiting pond after pond. And if it's not the traveling turtles, it's a series of airplanes landing and taking off above the fairways. PAF Skyview GC is situated at Alama Iqbal international airport Lahore.

You will also hear repeated air shots being fired prior to the landing of the flights. This firing scares away the birds from the airport locale. Lahore is known for heavy bird activity. You will often see big birds trying to lift balls from fairways. It’s all about flights — golf flights, bird flights, airline flights and flights of mind which eventually lead to flights of souls.

“This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.”

Rumi

I want to narrate the full tale of this round, but I am limited by time and the length of the blog. I will complete this story some other time.

Credits

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PAF Skyview GCC

By

Ahsan Jamil

Golfer, Blogger, Entrepreneur, Author, Poet, Wanderer, photographer, Rebel.

Email: Golfaij@gmail.com

Website: Golfaij.com

YouTube: Morning with Golf