KARMA’S MAN OF THE MOMENT
WILL HE WIN THE WORLD RECORD…?
Ben Hogan, arguably one of the greatest golfers of all time, famously said, “There are no shortcuts on the quest for perfection.” Mr. Anup Singh embodies this sentiment in his own pursuit of excellence.
Hailing from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Anup recalls growing up around Army cantonments across India, as his father served as an officer in the Armed Forces.
Having moved across states during his education, he later graduated in Commerce from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in his hometown of Meerut. Passionate and sporty by nature, he developed a keen interest in golf in 1991, at the age of just 5. Recognising his enthusiasm, his father crafted a golf club tailored to his size. Before long, this early passion evolved into a prolific career, and today he serves as the Head Golf Instructor at Karma Lakelands.
He had also tried his hand at various other sports, including tennis, skating, and horse riding, and was the captain of his school football team, alongside a love for swimming.
P. G. Wodehouse once said, “Golf, like measles, should be caught young.” True to this sentiment, Anup was identified as a promising young talent while attending a golf camp at the prestigious Delhi Golf Club. Thereafter, he played regularly on the junior circuit under the aegis of the Indian Golf Union (IGU), where he was ranked 3rd. He was soon selected for the ITC Golf Trials in 2001, where he finished 2nd, and later that year, he represented India in Malaysia in the under-15 category at the Asia Pacific Junior Golf Championship.
Maintaining a top 3 ranking until 2005, he went on to represent India at the Nick Faldo Tournament Asian Series, held at the Army Golf Course, Dhaula Kuan, in the Hong Kong Amateur category. His focus later shifted to teaching, and he became a golf instructor with the National Golf Academy of India (NGAI). Today, he plays a key role in running the Golf Academy at Karma Lakelands, where young prodigies are nurtured and honed to perfection.
Karma Lakelands recognised his prodigious talent at just the right time, supporting his journey from a novice to a professional player and helping him realise his dreams and aspirations.
A landmark moment in his career came in 2023, when he broke a Guinness World Record in golf by walking 12 km while continuously juggling a golf ball on a club. In doing so, Anup surpassed the previous record held by Ashrita Furman of New York, who had covered 2.9 km in 2010.
The official announcement and confirmation, however, are scheduled for the end of June by the Guinness authorities, and it will be exciting to follow the next issue of Karma Konnect to learn whether the record is formally recognised.
Anup also broke another record held by Iwan Widjaja of Indonesia for the longest duration of continuously juggling a golf ball. He achieved an impressive 2 hours and 27 minutes, surpassing the earlier record of 1 hour and 44 minutes.
Currently, he is a B-class certified golf instructor and envisions growing further with Karma Lakelands while working towards his A-level certification.
His advice to aspiring instructors is to be personable and to excel in communication. Honing one’s interpersonal skills, coupled with a quick wit and a sense of humour, is essential.
Beyond golf, he enjoys riding motorbikes and trekking in the wilderness, occasionally indulging his adventurous side with long rides alongside his father. At home, he is a devoted father to his 2-year-old daughter, Nyra, and is supported by his wife, Rakhi Singh, who encourages his passion for golf.
He feels deep gratitude to team Karma, especially the visionaries Ashwani Khurana, Diki Bhutia, and Sandeep Trehan, for their unending support in nurturing his talents and supporting his endeavors in Golf. Saving the best for last, he wants to break a new world record for juggling 2 balls with 2 clubs while walking. Now that is a feat that we at Karma Lakelands are eagerly awaiting. And as Arnold Palmer famously said, “Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger”, and who better to exemplify this than our very own Anup Singh.