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.