Royal Calcutta Golf Club reopens

Kolkata: Months after trade unions had paralyzed Kolkata's premier golf club, the links are back in business. The Royal Calcutta Golf Club had been locked out in April because of labour trouble. The issues had been resolved in September. But it has taken the club three months to get the greens back in shape. "Today, we have seen 24 golfers, playing 9 holes," said M M Singh, CEO, Royal Calcutta Golf Club. Only 9 of the 18 hole course is now ready for the putt. Another couple of weeks and workers promise that the all the links will be as good as new. "For five months there has been lot of trouble for the worker and casual labourers. They were dying of hunger but now that the club has re-opened, they are all very happy," said Mishra, Caretaker, Royal Calcutta Golf Club. The RCGC turns 175 next year and is planning major events to celebrate its heritage status. Kolkata is simply relieved that the club has reopened. For a while, militant labour seemed to have prevailed over the club culture that corporate Kolkata is so proud of. Now, that blot, on the golf course at least, has been erased.