12/27/2022 0 Comments Game golf shot tracker![]() ![]() ![]() “I looked at golf and thought, it’s a sport played by White, old, rich men, period,” Malik said. Since then, the MGA has partnered with the Marriott hotel chain to stage a tri-series tournament beginning in 2021, with the winners of this year’s edition securing an all-expenses paid trip to the Turkish golfing paradise of Belek. Play is paused to allow golfers to pray during an MGA event at Carden Park, Cheshire in May. “That we could get guys together, feeling safe and comfortable and just be on our own platform.” The event, held in August 2020, raised £18,000 for charity, and the sight of over 60 players praying together in the Grove’s courtyard marked a watershed moment for Malik. Within 24 hours, all 72 places had been booked, with over 100 people on the waiting list by the week’s end. The MGA’s maiden event would be open to all religions prayer facilities would be provided and there would be no alcohol or gambling. On the contrary, they spurred him to scout out other British Muslims who shared his love of the game.Įncouraged by “pockets” of interest he had seen on his travels, in December 2019 Malik put a name to his new venture – the Muslim Golf Association (MGA) – and sent out invitations to a charity golf day at The Grove, a prestigious venue just outside London. Malik’s passion for golf was not soured by his experiences. And it’s not until you hit one straight down the middle of the fairway – when you’ve smoked a drive – that people then think, ‘Oh, he can play,’ and it’s too late by then.” “It used to really frustrate me because you sense it, you feel it, you grow up in it, you know what it feels like. “And you’re just like ‘Wow, just because I’ve got a beard, I’m brown, and I don’t look like you, you probably think I can’t play or you don’t think I know the etiquette. “You turn up and immediately you can feel the vibe and the atmosphere, the way you’re spoken to, the way you’re treated,” he said. Malik, who is of Pakistani descent, said he has experienced racism on the golf course. As Malik doesn’t drink alcohol, he was left to hand in his scorecard and make an early exit.Īs he improved and played more prestigious courses, discomfort often escalated into outright hostility. His unease was exacerbated by the commonplace tradition of clubhouse drinking after competitions. ![]() “We always made sure we were out of the way, but you were made to feel very, very uncomfortable.” How are people going to react?” he recalled. Out on the course, stepping aside to observe salat – ritual Islamic prayers performed five times a day – further heightened his anxieties. The discomfort would begin before a ball was struck, as Malik says he drew questioning looks at his refusal to partake in wagers over in-house competitions, as gambling is forbidden in Islam. It was at these events that the “ugly side” of the game was swiftly revealed to Malik, who felt isolated by the jarring clash of club culture and his Muslim faith. ![]()
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