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A GREAT DESTINATION
ETERNAL
INDIA
encyclopedia
GOLF
In India, you can play golf almost anywhere, for this outdoor
sport is widely played by a cross section of people to the country's
often dramatic background. In the hills and high Himalayan fast-
nesses, in metropolitan cities and in small towns, by lakes and
forests, or surrounded by tea estates, out in the desert and in old
British cantonments...the flavour of India is visible everywhere that
golf in the country is played. You can stroll off the course to share
a cup of piping hot tea at a 'dhaba', tee off from the world's highest
18-hole course in the world, watch a peacock dance on a green or
play on a course that is enriched by old monuments and beautiful
buildings.
India was the first country outside of 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 also the first outside Great
Britain. The eighteenth century saw a mushrooming of new golf
clubs in India. Wherever land was available and grass grew, golf
found a new home.
The founding of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in 1829 was
followed by the now defunct Royal Bombay Golf Club in 1842, the
B angalore Golf Club in 1876 and the Shillong Golf Club in 1878. The
Madras Gymkhana Club incorporated a golf course in 1886.
Golf had already been played in India for 59 years before the
first major course was started in USA and Europe in 1888. By the
end of the 19th century, India already had a dozen golf clubs.
What makes golfing in India exciting is the diversity of its
courses. Not only does it have the oldest golf club in the world
outside Great Britain, but also the highest at Gulmarg (altitude
2,700 metres) in Kashmir. There are golf courses in the mountains,
plains, deserts and at beach resorts. The environment of each
course is unique in its culture and history, highlighting all that
makes India a diverse destination. In fact, it would not be wrong to
say that one of the best ways to experience India is through its golf
courses.
The army has done a great deal to promote the sport, and almost
every major cantonment and encampment has its own little golf
club. Not all of India's over 160 golf courses are open to casual
members, but most of them welcome a visitor on their fairways.
The golden triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is the most well
beaten of India's tourist tracks. The Delhi golf course is a sanctuary
for over 300 species of birds and the golfer is often startled by the
dance of the peacock or the scurrying of a partridge. Planted with a
variety of over 200 trees, the Delhi course is the most lush in the
country and its sandy loam has produced a rich turf good for exacting
fairway shots. The oval green on the 12th hole is also one of the
most interesting with dips, slopes and ripples, making it fast and
difficult to read. In the city of the Taj Mahal, at Agra, a game of golf
can be played against the backdrop of the magnificent mausoleum at
the Agra Club, located on the city's main mall. In
Jaipur,
or the Pink
City, the golf club is a part of the residence of the former maharaja,
the Rambagh Palace. The 18-hole course has 'browns', mqstly on
small hillocks and mounds, offering a challenge to even the most
seasoned 'greens' player. The Naldehra Golf links at the mountain
resort of Shimla is crowned by a beautiful grove of deodar trees and
commands a spectacular view of the Shivalik ranges. Golfers would
do well to spend a night or two in Naldhera's deodar forest. The
woods are teeming with a variety of birds and the apple orchards
nearby offer fresh fruit. Naldehra is more than just a game of golf.
It is a complete outdoor holiday.
The second largest city in the state of Rajasthan, after Jaipur,
Jodhpur,
located on the edge of the Thar desert, is one of India's
most picturesque cities. The city's arid climate, with its hot summer
temperatures, do not, however, deter its golfers who enjoy the
game in the sandy fairways of the Sardar Club.
Away from the desert of Rajasthan, in the Kumaon hills is a
small township called
Ranikhet.
Close to the more popular hill town
of Nainital, Ranikhet is a resort for those who prefer the quiet
environs of a country township. Located amidst a thick grove of
pine trees, the Uppat Golf Course has nine holes with 'browns'.
Also located on the Kumaon-Garhwal range of mountains is Dehra
Dun, most famous for its Forest Research Institute, and as a
gateway to the hill resort of Mussoorie. Dehra Dun is also the
training ground for the young recruits of the Indian army and the
Indian Military Academy initiates its cadets into the sport on a lush
nine-hole course, playable 18.
Lucknow,
the former seat of the rulers of Avadh, is the capital of
the state of Uttar Pradesh, a city steeped in culture and tradition,
fine monuments and exotic cuisines. Lucknow has two golf
courses, the privately owned Lucknow Golf Club and the army
maintained Mauribagh Golf Course. Mauribagh is a 18-hole course
with greens and thickly wooded fairways. The Lucknow club, close
to the zoo, has 18 holes with browns. Not far from Lucknow is the
holy city of Allahabad, the venue of the famous Kumbh Mela and the
meeting point of the holy rivers Ganga, Jamuna and the mythical
Saraswati. The Defence Services Golf Club at McPherson Park has
a fine nine-hole course. Also in the state of Uttar Pradesh,
Kanpur
is an industrial town with a nine-hole golf course at the Defence
Services Club. Running parallel to the river Ganga, the course is
playable to 18, and has well-maintained greens.
In
Varanasi
the holiest of cities, a Mecca for Hindus who it is
believed can cleanse their sins with a dip in the holy Ganga flowing
here, a fine game of golf is possible at the DSO Gorkha Golf Club.
The capital of the state of Bihar,
Patna,
has a well maintained
course at the Patna Golf Club.
Mhow,
which literally stands for Military Headquarters of War,
is a military town close to the city of Indore, has an excellent nine-
hole course, playable 18. This picturesque course is particularly
famous for its tricky greens which call for precise and calculated
putts.
South India has some of India's finest and most picturesque
course. At an elevation of 6,000 feet in the Palni Hills, surrounded
by nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper groves at
Kodaikanal
is the
Kodaikanal Golf club. An 18-hole, par 66 course, it is laid over
natural grasslands and is criss-crossed by streams.
Coimbatore
is at the base of the Nilgiri mountains and is the
gateway to the famous golf resort at Ootacamund. The Coimbatore
Golf Club has laid out a new 18 hole course which promises to be
one of the finest in the country. Between Coimbatore and Oota-
camund is
Wellington,
a small army settlement which has a nine
hole course maintained by the Wellington Gymkhana Club.
Cochin
is one of India's most frequented southern ports. The Golf Club at
Cochin is located at Bolghatti, an enchanting island in the middle of
the harbour which is approachable only by boat. East of Cochin, at
an elevation of 6,000 feet is Munnar one of the most scenic and