Among the cliches that reverberate whenever a new golf tour takes shape is that here is a platform out to make a difference by enriching the country’s sporting ecosystem.
The vision of Veteran Golf Trotterz (VGT) is to grow golf as well through tournaments that are inclusive and allied initiatives, but rather than join the wild race to be counted as among the fast-growing golf tours, a sense of calm prevails.
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The founder, Group Captain Jaideep Mandody (Retd), is certain that his transition from an air warrior to entrepreneur will not be immediate, and there will be plenty of learnings along the way.
Beginning steeped in emotion
As VGT grows slowly yet steadily, at no point will the emotion that became one of the driving forces behind its conception will be forgotten or forsaken.
In 2010, Air Vice-Marshal JH Mandody (Retd), the founder’s father, and his golf buddy Colonel ME Fernandes (Retd) commenced an annual practice of staging a tournament, MIL VETS, for military veterans at the ASC Golf Course in Bengaluru.
The seeds of VGT were sown back then as Jaideep began lending a hand in putting the event together the Sunday preceding August 15 every year.
The trigger
Two storylines started to play out almost simultaneously around the time the pandemic struck. Mandody Sr was forced to curb his appearances on the golf course for obvious reasons, and Jaideep’s superannuation followed soon after three decades of service.
The transition from the disciplined life in a cantonment to the chaos outside wasn’t easy and took time to adjust to, but the phase was used well by Jaideep to chart the road ahead while golfing across the country and South-East Asia with distinction.
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The memories of helping put together his father’s project and the experience of constructing two golf courses for the Indian Air Force, and staging tournaments ensured that Jaideep had his blueprint.
Thus, VGT was born and in the space of less than a year, the three tournaments staged under its banner have lived up to the mission statement, which targets areas carefully thought of.
Promotion of Golf: Encouraging participation of veteran members and their spouses, specifically targeting men 55 years and above, and ladies 45 years and above.
Veteran Inclusivity: Including retired professionals from the Indian armed forces, central and state services, doctors, engineers, lawyers, senior corporate officials and distinguished sports personalities.
Golf carnivals and networking: Tournaments at armed forces’ golfing establishments with focus on Tier II and Tier III cities.
Popularizing golf in remote areas: Expanding the sport’s reach in remote destinations like Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya and similar regions.
Support for startups: Facilitating and promoting visibility for new startups by fostering innovation and ensuring alignment with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Caddie Welfare: Assisting in organizing welfare programmes for caddies at golf courses where carnivals and tournaments are hosted.
Latest initiative
Driven by the values that define the armed forces — mission, integrity and excellence, VGT’s upcoming fourth tournament at Zion Hills at Kolar, Karnataka, will honour a man who stood for these tenets throughout his career and even now.
Named “The Mandodys in Blues”, June 15 coincides with Air-Vice Marshal JH Mandody’s (Retd) 86th birthday, and while the one-day tournament will be a son’s tribute to the man who shaped him, it is another assertion that the challenges Jaideep faced along the way have hardened his resolve to make VGT a success story.
