In many parts of the world, golf continues to carry a reputation that has proven difficult to shake – an expensive pursuit, reserved for the privileged few. India is no exception. For many aspiring players, the financial commitment required to enter the sport can be nearly as daunting as the cost of surviving at its highest professional level.

Yet the contours of that reality are beginning to shift.

According to Kapil Dev, the man currently steering Indian golf’s future, the sport is slowly but steadily breaking free from the stereotypes that have long defined it.

One of India’s greatest cricketers has never shied away from addressing golf’s challenges, nor from articulating his vision for where it can go.

Speaking at the recent Boulders Classic in Hyderabad, Kapil drew a compelling parallel with cricket’s own journey. Once a game played, in his words, “solely by the rajas and maharajas, and not the common man,” cricket has evolved into a sport where anyone, regardless of background or social standing, can dream of building a career.

Now serving as president of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India, Kapil believes golf possesses a similar transformative potential.

“Who wants to remain poor? Everybody wants to be on the top of the world. If you get the opportunity to take one step forward, why not? Golf gives everyone an opportunity to make a difference in their lives. Why should we always say that it is a rich man’s sport? It is for everyone,” he told The Hindu, arguing for golf’s ability to offer opportunity, ambition, and upward mobility.

For the 67-year-old, the game’s value extends far beyond scorecards and trophies. At its core, golf is a rare social equaliser – a space where people from vastly different walks of life interact on level terms, often in ways few other arenas can offer.

“This is one game where an ordinary player can come out and play with the CEO of a company. All the top people play golf. I initially thought it’s the other way round. Yes, if you become a player then top people want to play with you. But if you’re just a kid and learning golf, you’re meeting with the top people and learning from them. That’s also why it’s very important to play, you become a better human being at the end of the day.”

In Kapil’s view, that may be golf’s most powerful promise. Beyond competition, beyond prestige, and beyond wealth, the sport offers something far more enduring: access, perspective, and the chance to learn from people one might never otherwise encounter.

If cricket’s history has taught India anything, it is that barriers can fall. The biggest obstacle facing golf may not be cost, but perception. And that’s a battle Kapil believes the sport can win.