Golconda Golf

Hyderabad is truly a spectacular destination to travel to in the south. It is rich in history and has some of the tastiest biryani you will eat (…paradise biryani…yumm). Over the years this quiet town has slowly mushroomed into a sprawling well laid out city on the verge of becoming one of the new Metros of India.  Golf has been an important part of Hyderabad for a number of years. The army has many golf courses that were patronized by golf addicts from the city.  Over time the need arose to have a separate golfing facility of superior quality that would be committed to the development of the game in Hyderabad. Thus the Hyderabad Golf Club was born.

A view of the Golf Course

The Hyderabad golf club is located behind the Qutub Shai tombs, with the back drop of the Golconda Fort. This makes it a truly spectacular golf course. All the holes of the golf course are played in the shadow of the fort with some even skirting the fort wall. This golf course is close to 10 years old and the land was allocated by the Department of Tourism. Earlier this area was used as a garbage disposal area by the Hyderabad Municipality and it is safe to say the golf course is a welcome change. The total land allocated was 200 acres but the course is situated on only 75 acres of land. The remaining has been under litigation due to some environmental agencies opposing the construction of the golf course in such close proximity to a national heritage monument. In recent years many of the cases have been won, with the Archaeological Department itself claiming that the golf course would be a good buffer in the area, ensureing the surrounding areas do not fall into disrepair.

The Organic Water Treatment Plant

The layout of the golf course is incomplete being short in length with only 9 greens at present. This nine can be repeated with different hole locations to offer 18 holes for the time being. The greens are tight and prudent approach shots are necessary for the golfer. However the fairways are forgiving which takes some pressure off the golfer. The interesting aspect of this course is that it is completely self sufficient in water. In fact even during the harsh summer temperature of 38 degrees centigrade, the course is brilliant green! The course is conveniently located around a sewage drain and has developed its own sewage treatment plant and treats enough water to sustain the golf course 365 days a year. As this water is not potable, for other purposes, the course purchases water from the city but the savings from the water treatment plant are immense.  The grass on the course is a local variety and responds to the water used. The course features tiff dwarf on the greens and a local ‘dhup’ grass on the fairways.

A view from the club house

This visit provided a lot of food for thought. For one, could the development of golf courses around heritage structures be a solution to promoting the site and the game, especially since the tourism department has so actively endorsed it in this state? The idea of utilizing the sewage water offers another solution to the huge demand for water faced by any golf course. The treatment plant itself is fairly uncomplicated and uses organic techniques to treat the water, (percolation through the soil, settling and re percolated). I believe this golf club is poised to become one of the most beautiful in the country. In recent times the course has been able to resolve many of its issues and begin developing the latter part of the property. I eagerly look forward to revisiting this course which would have transformed itself and the heritage area around it. 

Golfing in the territory of the ‘Super Kings’

For the past few years Chennai has dominated the cricket scene with the ‘Chennai Super Kings’ bagging the coveted DLF IPL championship two years in a row. Although it has had its share of cricket and tennis fans, there has never been such fervor in the game as expressed today. The game of golf too in Chennai has steadily been developing in terms of players and facilities and is all set to capture hearts and fans in this South Indian City.

In the last 5 years this city has witnessed an explosion in the number of golf courses. Earlier the city had one private golf course (the Madras Gymkhana) and a few army courses. Now the city has 3 private courses, another two in the pipe line and even a standalone driving range with a 9 hole executive course! One of the main reasons for the increase e in popularity of the sport is the growing number of MNC’s who have setup operations in Chennai. Another factor is the return of NRI’s (Non Resident Indians) who understand the importance of golf from a business and recreational perspective.

Interestingly golf has been a very old sport in Chennai, the 130 year old Madras Gymkhana being one of the oldest clubs in India, after the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkatta. In fact one of the oldest running shields in the golfing world is played between the Bangalore Golf Club (the third oldest course in India at 128 years) and the Madras Gymkhana Club.

On my visit to the golf course of the Madras Gymkhana, I discovered it is a unique 18 hole par  70 golf course located in the middle of the Madras Race Course (horse racing). The course covers 100 acres with tight fairways and small greens that demand accurate approach shots from the golfer. The course also features 3 par 5’s which demand prudent play with one of these par 5’s being 603 yards from the championship tee. During the summer the course plays slightly easier as the fairways are drier and the ball does not hold. The most interesting feature is playing golf in the shadow of the race course, where even on a non racing day, one can hear the din of cheers and the hype of the announcer as races and results of events held elsewhere are broadcast over the PA system. Golfing is allowed only on non racing days. I thought it was excellent use of vast land that lies unused on the inside of a racing track. The facilities and buildings of the turf club are shared with the golf course. 

One of the main challenges facing developers in the city is the availability of land. As the city of Chennai has expanded, the cost of land has more than doubled. This high cost also makes development of courses questionable, as the land could possibly be better suited for large scale housing which is a priority social need. Another challenge is water. Courses such as the Madras Gymkhana and the Officers Training Academy have an advantage because they are situated virtually in the heart of Chennai. However transport and availability of water tends to become more difficult and expensive for those located on the outskirts.

These constraints have been overcome by some of the golf courses. In fact, the Cosmopolitan Club has developed its own in house water treatment plant that enables it to reuse sewage water. The Madras Gymkhana Club has similar plans to purchase treated recycled water from a hotel nearby.

In recent times golf has been dormant in India, with only a handful of clubs offering membership and not much of an ‘active interest’ shown by the public for the game. Things are now changing. I believe that the change in how golf was perceived in Chennai could reflect a transformation in attitude towards the sport in other parts of the country as well. As the country develops, more people become affluent, the number of NRI’s return home and the inflow of foreign tourists and expats increase, demand for the game is bound to rise. In Chennai today, avid golfers are members of not one, but at least three golf clubs (the Madras Gymkhana, Cosmopolitan and the Kodai Golf Club). All this in the span of the last five years…  I cannot wait to see the transformation in golf in other parts of our country!