Aditi Ashok at Tokyo Olympics
The 2021 Tokyo Olympics gave Golf in India the biggest shot in the arm as Aditi Ashok being in contention for a gold medal, saw millions of Indians tune in their Televisions on a Sunday morning and the nation was captivated as Aditi stayed in contention till the very end. The commentators did a commendable job explaining the game to viewers who until that moment had probably never watched a stroke of golf played. Golf in India will probably never be the same.
Indeed driving ranges where people go to learn Golf in India are more crowded than ever before. Golf courses are logging in their highest number of rounds ever and distributors of golf equipment, accessories and apparel are recording the highest sales in history. The pandemic gave a shot in the arm to golf all over the world as sports lovers discovered that golf was safe – indeed played in areas around 100 acres of open green, wooded space, the crowding ratio is approximately 1 person per acre at most points in time !! Which other sport played within cities can give you this much breathing space ?
So golfers in India can be broadly segregated into two segments – defence personnel and civilians. Around 100 golf courses exist on defence land and officers flock to play. Another 100 golf courses are enjoyed by civilians with the greatest concentration around the National Capital Region which boasts some 20 golf facilities.
Qutab Golf Course, New Delhi
Photo credit – Romit Bose
Around half the golf courses in India offer only 9 holes with land space being at a premium in overcrowded urban areas. There are two types of courses that can be built going forward – the type that are funded by real estate developers looking to add premium value to apartments and villas bordering or overlooking the beautifully landscaped green spaces that golf offers. The other type are those that can be built by the Govt – by Urban Development bodies who realise that golf courses offer fresh air and can be commercially sustainable through sales of memberships. Indeed the success of the Qutab Golf Club in New Delhi and Panchkula GC in Chandigarh area has spurred interest in other cities like Naya Raipur and others.
Panchkula Golf Club
Image: Delhibuilder
Fortunately because of the success of professional golfers Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal who flew the Indian flag proudly around the world from the mid 1990’s to around 2012, thousands of youngsters have taken to the game. The next generation of Anirban Lahiri & Gaganjeet Bhullar along with Shiv Kapur & SSP Chawrasia have kept hopes alive. The latest sensation Shubhankar Sharma along with Aditi Ashok have further inspired boys and girls around the country to chase the dream of being stars. The money in pro golf is certainly motivating – all the above players have earned tens of crores of rupees. Golf’s riches far exceed what is available to Indian champion badminton players, shooters, weight lifters or wrestlers. In pro golf around the world, Indian parents have realized that it is possible to earn a very good living without breaking into the world top 100.
Royal Springs Golf Course, Srinagar
Golf courses in India stretch from the beautiful mountains of Srinagar , Kashmir to the southern coast of Cochin. From Ahmedabad in the west to the tea estates of Shillong and Mizoram in the North East. More importantly India boasts a dozen world class courses starting with the awe inspiring DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon designed by South African golf legend Gary Player. The capital further boasts of Jack Nicklaus designed Classic Golf Resort, Greg Norman designed Jaypee Greens and the Peter Thomson assisted Delhi Golf Club. In the east Royal Calcutta Golf Club, the oldest golf club in the world outside the British Isles still delivers a world class test of the game as does KGA and Golfshire in Bangalore and another Nicklaus masterpiece – Kalhaar Blues & Greens, Ahmedabad. Srinagar boasts a Robert Trent Jones designed Royal Springs and Pune boasts of the formidable Oxford Golf Resort and the nearby Aamby Valley. The Bombay Presidency GC still provides a stern test as do a few others who are constricted by space but don’t lack passion or challenge.
DLF Golf & CC, Gurgaon
Hole No. 7 at Kalhaar Blues & Greens, Ahmedabad
Golf in India is healthier today than ever before. Awareness and interest has never been better. Better marketing and more conducive legal framework for real estate will see the sport reach its full potential as an industry.
Author – Rishi Narain, Editor, India Golf Weekly
Credits:-
Photo – IGF