July 19, 2017 TnH Global 0

Golf Tourism in India: A Growing Trend That’s Here to Stay

India doesn’t exactly spoil golfers for choice. But what it lacks in numbers it makes up in diversity. India is home to the oldest golf course outside Britain. It also has several golf courses of international standards. Further, golf events held in India have lately been attracting several domestic and international tourists. Japan and Hong Kong have a shortage of golf courses and golfers from these countries have started coming to India to play the sport at a comparatively low cost. With golf tourism emerging as the new global trend, the tourism industry in India is focusing on golf tourism in an attempt to promote the country as a preferred golfing destination for international tourists.

Early beginnings

The history of golf in India started with the Royal Calcutta Golf Course in Kolkata, the oldest golf club in the world to be founded outside of England and Scotland in 1829. As British influence spread over the vast subcontinent, golf courses and clubs were established wherever “a patch of grass grew,” and in many places where it did not. India’s second golf club, Royal Bombay came up in 1842, the second oldest in the world outside of Scotland and England. Thirty years had to go by before the city of Bengaluru started a golf club in 1876, followed in 1878 by the scenic Shillong Club in Upper Assam. Next, Ahmedabad started a golf club in 1884 and two years later, the Madras Gymkhana Club started a golf section. Further in 1887, a golf course was created in an army cantonment in the erstwhile princely Nizam’s dominions of Hyderabad.

Current scenario

Today, India has more than 220 golf courses of which 30 are professional level and 15 are signature ones at par with international standards. Several others are located in beautiful resorts across the country. It surely goes to say that golf in India is not just a game but a lifestyle in itself. We highlight here some of the prominent golf courses:

Starting at the top, the Royal Spring Golf Course in Srinagar enjoys panoramic views of the Dal Lake, and is undoubtedly one of the most stunning golf courses in Asia. Not too far away is the Gulmarg Golf Course—the highest course in the world, it also boasts of India’s longest hole. Ananda in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand has a small six-hole golf course within the resort premises, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains as well as a world-class spa.

Coming to the capital city, the Delhi Golf Club is a heritage golf course where the Viceroys and Nawabs had once played golf. The course is also a feast for all birdwatchers. The Qutab Golf Course is the first public golf course in India. The ITC Classic Golf Resort in Gurgaon is a 27- hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course that is accompanied by a 104-room, allsuite luxury destination resort. The ITC Green Bharat truly combines quality golf with true Indian hospitality. The Jaypee Greens Golf Resort in Noida is one of the world’s longest courses. It is a golf resort having 170 spacious rooms, out of which 152 are deluxe rooms and the rest are premium category suites with open-air Jacuzzis. The resort also has the Six Senses Spa offering an array of holistic therapies as well as several food and beverage options: Eggspectation, a 24- hour restro-cafe, an Indian cuisine restaurant called Paatra, and La Brezza, an Italian fine dine restaurant, four other dining and bar venues and two patisseries.

The Rambagh Golf Course in Jaipur is one of India’s oldest and most prestigious golf clubs. The Gulmohar Greens Golf Course in Ahmedabad is the first to build an island green in India and to possess a third split golf green in the world. Also in Ahmedabad, is the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Course, which is one of India’s longest golf courses. Mumbai has lots of great options for golf courses to choose from. While the Bombay Presidency Golf Course offers accommodation facilities for members and guests, the Oxford Country Club has villas with landscaped gardens and plunge pools. The Aamby Valley Golf Course located close by in Lonavala makes for a perfect weekend getaway from Mumbai. The course offers accommodation in a wide variety of units, right from Swiss chalets to Spanish- style cottages.

The Lalit Golf Resort and Spa in Goa is perfect for a luxurious golfing holiday. Situated along a pristine coastline, this beach resort offers breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea. Accommodation is offered in 255 suites, including 10 luxurious villas, all of them built in grand Baroque- Portuguese style architecture. The resort also offers amazing therapies in a holistic spa and as many as six dining venues.

Initiatives to promote golf tourism

In 1955, the Indian Golf Union (IGU), formed in New Delhi, took over the mantle of governing the sport in India from the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, which had been handling India’s golf interests since its inception in 1829. The IGU is the apex body of golf in the country and is responsible for the promotion and development of golf in India. Starting with only six golf clubs at the beginning, it today boasts of 194 golf clubs and many more under planning. The IGU has introduced a number of initiatives for the promotion of golf and also to upgrade the standard of the game to the best in the world. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India endeavours to work as a catalyst and active supporter for the development of golf tourism in the country. In order to tap the growing interest in golf tourism, the Ministry is creating a comprehensive and coordinated framework for promoting golf tourism in India, capitalizing on the existing work that is being carried out and building on the strength of India’s position as the fastest growing free market economy.

In 2015, ministry officials said that financial assistance would be provided to conduct approved golf events in the country. For instance, to promote women’s golf, the ministry would provide financial assistance for a maximum of two professional events with the upper ceiling of up to Rs 1 crore each for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and the Ladies European Tour.

The India Golf Tourism Committee (IGTC) is the nodal body for golf tourism in the country. The committee functions with the aim of promoting India as a preferred golf destination and makes suggestions and recommendations in connection with the identification and grading of golf courses, approval of the calendar for golf events and evaluating the need for forming and managing a corpus with contributions from various stakeholders and the Union government to promote golf tourism. The committee is also involved in the identification of promotional materials to be developed, events for participation abroad and showcasing golfing facilities in India.