GOLFING IN INDIA
[ Dr Gour Kanjilal ]
[ Author And Tourism Representitive Government Of India ]
GOLFING IN INDIA
Few people realise how important and competitive a destination India is for golfers. Top players are looking for new destinations. No doubt, for them, the opportunity to play in cities and small towns, by lakes and forests, surrounded by tea estates, out in the desert, and in old British cantonments will always be a lifetime experience.
Very few will remember that India was the first country outside Great Britain to take up the game of golf. The Royal Calcutta Golf Club, established in 1829, is the oldest golf club in India and the first outside Great Britain. In fact, the club celebrated 170 years of its existence in 1999. The founding of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club was followed by the Royal Bombay Golf Club in 1842, the Bangalore Golf Club in 1876, and the Shillong Golf Club in 1886. It is quite astonishing to know that golf has been played in India for well over 100 years before the first major courses were opened in the USA and Europe in 1888.
What makes golfing in India exciting is the diversity of its courses. Not only does India have the oldest golf club in the world outside Great Britain, but it also has the highest golf course at Gulmarg (2,700 metres) in Jammu and Kashmir. There are golf courses in the mountains, plains, deserts, and beach resorts. The environment of each course is unique. Through golf courses, one can explore India's rich tourist heritage and experience the country's diversity.
Golfing in India has come a long way, and a large number of Indian players are competing on the international circuit and holding prime positions. India is organising open golf championships, and big names in the game are participating in Indian championships.
The Delhi Golf Course is among the lushest in the country, and its sandy terrain has produced rich turf suitable for exacting fairway shots.
The Delhi Golf Course is also a sanctuary for over 300 species of birds, and golfers are often startled by the rain dance of the colourful peacock or the scurrying of a partridge. The course has a variety of over 200 trees, and within its precincts is a collection of interesting tombs and monuments dating from the time of the Lodhi rulers. While golfing in the city, one can discover the excitement of Delhi and experience the contemporary city, beginning with the golf course itself.
The neighbouring state of Haryana has the Country Club Resorts Golf Course as its latest addition. Similarly, adjoining Delhi is the Noida Golf Course, easily accessible from Delhi. It is an 18-hole golf course covering about 100 acres.
Jaipur offers a game of golf in surroundings as historic as the city itself. The golf course spreads out against the backdrop of a palace and a fort, both picturesque and typical of Rajasthan.
GOLF IN SOUTH INDIA
Southern India has some of its finest and most picturesque golf courses, primarily due to the efforts of the tea and spice planters who popularised the sport in the region.
At an elevation of 6,000 feet in the Palani Hills, surrounded by nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper groves at Kodaikanal, lies the Kodaikanal Golf Club. It is an 18-hole, par-66 course laid out over natural grasslands and criss-crossed by streams.
Coimbatore, at the base of the Nilgiri Mountains, is the gateway to the famous golf course at Ootacamund. Primarily an industrial township, Coimbatore is often referred to as the Manchester of the East because of its large number of textile mills. The Coimbatore Golf Club has laid out a new 18-hole course that promises to be one of the finest in the country.
Between Coimbatore and Ootacamund lies Wellington, a small army settlement with a nine-hole course maintained by the Wellington Gymkhana Club.
Cochin is one of India's most frequented southern ports. In fact, it was one of the earliest trading points in the country and attracted a large number of Portuguese, Spanish, and English merchants. The golf club in Cochin is located at Bolghatty, an enchanting island in the middle of the harbour, which is accessible only by boat.
East of Cochin, at an elevation of 6,000 feet, lies Munnar, one of the most scenic and superbly managed areas of real estate in India.
At Top Station, 29 km from Munnar, is the Kundale Golf Club, first opened by local planters in 1918. The nine-hole course is a par-34 layout and runs through some of the most exciting and undulating terrain.
Two other centres for golf are Trivandrum, the capital of the southern state of Kerala, and the beautiful hilly region of Coorg in Karnataka. While Trivandrum is a city with a strong historical tradition and has as much to offer tourists as it does golfers, Coorg is tucked among verdant hills lush with tea and coffee plantations and interspersed with quaint cottages and colonial memorabilia.
BANGALORE
Founded on June 24, 1876, the Bangalore Golf Club is the second-oldest golf club in India. It also has the distinction of hosting, along with Madras, the oldest inter-club tournament in the country, which started in 1878 and is played alternately in Bangalore and Madras.
In the days when railways and aircraft were still things of the future, golfers often travelled as much as 300 km on horseback and in bullock carts to participate in the tournament. The bar at the Bangalore Golf Club has some interesting memorabilia tracing the history of the club.
The par-71, 6,650-yard, 18-hole course started with browns, which were later converted to greens. Besides trees and deep ditches, the major hazard on the course is the Bangalore crow, which often picks up the ball, mistaking it for an egg. It is, therefore, not surprising that the logo of the Bangalore Golf Club depicts a crow with a ball in its beak.
Though the fairways at the Bangalore Golf Club are fairly dry and sandy, the greens are lush and well-manicured. Drives have to be well planned to avoid the rocky parts of the fairways, where the ball tends to veer off and change direction. The greens are invariably protected by large bunkers.
A large number of flowering trees, including the colourful gulmohar, as well as palm and eucalyptus trees, are planted along the tight fairways. The course is remarkable in that all 18 holes have been deftly packed into just 60 acres of land.
The second course in Bangalore is more recent. It came about after the government recognised golf as a major tourist attraction and acquired 126 acres of land near the airport for the Karnataka Golf Association.
BANGALORE
Founded on June 24, 1876, the Bangalore Golf Club is the second-oldest golf club in India. It also has the distinction of hosting, along with Madras, the oldest inter-club tournament in the country, which started in 1878 and is played alternately in Bangalore and Madras.
In the days when railways and aircraft were still things of the future, golfers often travelled as much as 300 km on horseback and in bullock carts to participate in the tournament. The bar at the Bangalore Golf Club has some interesting memorabilia tracing the history of the club.
The par-71, 6,650-yard, 18-hole course started with browns, which were later converted to greens. Besides trees and deep ditches, the major hazard on the course is the Bangalore crow, which often picks up the ball, mistaking it for an egg. It is, therefore, not surprising that the logo of the Bangalore Golf Club depicts a crow with a ball in its beak.
Though the fairways at the Bangalore Golf Club are fairly dry and sandy, the greens are lush and well-manicured. Drives have to be well planned to avoid the rocky parts of the fairways, where the ball tends to veer off and change direction. The greens are invariably protected by large bunkers.
A large number of flowering trees, including the colourful gulmohar, as well as palm and eucalyptus trees, are planted along the tight fairways. The course is remarkable in that all 18 holes have been deftly packed into just 60 acres of land.
The second course in Bangalore is more recent. It came about after the government recognised golf as a major tourist attraction and acquired 126 acres of land near the airport for the Karnataka Golf Association.
MYSORE
The golf course covers 100 acres. Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the Prince of Mysore, started the course and maintained it until he lost his privy purse. With a par rating of 63 when it was started, it is now rated at par 70.
The two major tournaments conducted here are the Maharaja's Tournament and the Addicks Golfing Society of Southern India tournament.
OOTACAMUND
The Ooty Golf Course follows the soft contours of downland, with its tree-bare heights, surrounded by gorges and thickly wooded copses of eucalyptus, oak, rhododendron, and fir in the hollows. The course is surrounded by the thickly wooded Avalanche Range.
The altitude of 7,600 feet, just a few degrees above the equator, provides a combination of light and thin air that is almost intoxicating. The ball travels much farther than it would in the plains because of the rarefied atmosphere.
The Ooty Golf Course is not only scenic but also quite challenging, and it would be wise for visitors to play only nine of the 18 holes on the first day.
Nine of the 18 holes on the Ooty course are blind, meaning that the green cannot be seen from the tee because of the undulating landscape. Guideposts fixed on the intervening ridges provide players with the necessary directions.
KODAIKANAL
The Kodaikanal Golf Club has an 18-hole, par-66 course laid out over natural grasslands and criss-crossed by streams.
One of the oldest clubs, the Kodaikanal Golf Club was founded in 1895 with a modest membership of just 30 people. The fun-loving British were the architects of the course. The course and clubhouse are situated on Golf Links Road, connecting to Kochi Road, near the famous tourist attraction known as Suicide Point or Green Valley View.
MADRAS
One of the older golf courses in Madras is associated with the Madras Gymkhana Club, founded in 1886. Unique in its location, the course is situated within the 2,400-metre oval of the Guindy racecourse and offers a challenging game.
HYDERABAD
Hyderabad is an excellent choice for golf. The course is spread over 160 acres and was founded in 1888, making it one of the oldest courses in the world. The subscription fee at that time was the meagre sum of one rupee.
The golf club merged with the Secunderabad club in 1939 and was subsequently brought under the Army's management in 1983. The old browns have since been converted to regular greens.
A number of opportunities for golf also exist in western India. Bombay, the Gateway of India, provides excellent opportunities for playing golf.
The Willingdon Sports Club of Bombay is a green haven amidst a concrete jungle. Founded in 1927, its 18-hole course was designed to international standards. The fairways are narrow and slightly undulating, but the greens are undoubtedly among the best in the country.
PUNE
The Poona Club Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in India. It is situated within an hour's drive of major industrial areas and is very close to the airport and railway station.
The course is a par-72, 18-hole golf course spread over 90 acres of land, making it the largest in the region.
FACILITIES
Should you require any special assistance, the secretary of the club you are playing at will, in most cases, be able to advise and assist you.
It is wise to remember that although some clubs have facilities for golfers who wish to stay at the club, the number of rooms is limited and must, therefore, be booked in advance.
There is an extensive variety of services available for your convenience. Between the hotel and the golf club, you can use various forms of transport, including yellow-top taxis and inexpensive autorickshaws. Caddie services are usually available locally, and most clubs offer temporary membership, which may cost as little as five rupees.
Some clubs also have bars and catering facilities where basic meals and snacks, both Indian and Continental, can be enjoyed at lower prices than in restaurants.
Golfing in India, in fact, probably costs less than golfing anywhere else in the world.
Handling agents in India organise golfing tours that can include friendly matches with club members, subject to the payment of green fees and other applicable charges. The agents can also arrange cocktail parties after friendly matches, giving visiting golfers an opportunity to meet socially with their Indian counterparts.
Special golfing itineraries can be tailored exclusively to meet your needs.
[ Dr Gour Kanjilal ]
[ Author And Tourism Representitive Government Of India ]
