My Journey to Explore Golf Courses in the North: The Rambagh Golf Club, Jaipur

I had been looking forward to this part of the trip for some time. The city of Jaipur takes one back in time, to the India of old where people spoke of an exotic destination of the east shrouded in royalty and mystery… From the beautiful palaces to the tantalizing street food, Jaipur is a treat for the senses. The pink city of India also boasts of one of the most beautiful golf courses in India, the Rambagh Golf Club.

The Spectacular 'Hawa Mahal' in the Old City

The Rambagh Golf Club is located on the grounds of the Rambagh palace and is patronized by the Royal family of Rajasthan. The golf course is stunning with almost every fairway lined by a variety of flowering trees. The course itself is quite small, spread over 80 acres of land, but it is very well designed as it is offers 18 individual holes of golf. This is the only course in India that has a true compact course design. The fairways are tight and demand accurate tee shots from the golfer, but for the most part it is straight forward and does not feature many hazards to trouble the scoring.

This club is one of the many  prominent social clubs in the city. The golf club is controlled by an association of members, while the land is leased from the JDA (Jaipur Development Authroty) similar to most other golf clubs in India. The course has been host to many amateur events in the past; however, the focus has not been on championship tournaments. It aims to promote the game and encourage more people to take up the sport.

The manicured fairways of the Rambagh Golf Club 

 The layout of the course was interesting to me because the golf course had 18 holes and did not take up too much of land. During times where land costs are escalating this is important in order to develop golf courses. In order to make golf more accessible the country will need more of such well-designed golf facilities. Unfortunately, for many years, people hold the misconception that golf requires very large acreage (greater than 175 acres) to play; this golf course breaks that myth. This could makes it easier for the sports ministries at the center and the state to allocate land for promotion of the sport.

I have often said that golf can be a sport that India can compete in. However, there is a strange apathy in the sports ministry towards non main stream sports such as golf. This has got to change. In the years ahead I hope that the attitude to golf that I have seen here is replicated around the country; where people are encouraged to play and courses are not out of reach.

The Imposing 'Amber Fort'

My next stop on this tour is the heart of India’s golfing world the NCR and Delhi. For many years golf in India has been centered mainly in the North, with cities such as Gurgaon, Delhi and Kolkatta being centers for major tournaments or golfing exhibitions. In fact most of the major governing bodies for the game in India are based in Delhi. In recent times the NCR has seen a flurry of new golf courses, each of which hopes to be the best course in the country. It will be interesting to see this first hand… Next stop Gurgaon! 

My Journey to Explore Golf Courses in the North: Gulmohar Greens

The Gulmohar Greens presents an unusual course for golfers. The course has nine greens, but 18 holes can be played through a repeat nine with different hole locations. The Gulmohar greens is part of a country club and the focus is on recreation and family entertainment rather than golf. This is very different to Kensville and Kalahaar Blues and Greens, where the main activity is the golfing.

The golf course is very well laid out and features a compact course design with a combination of long par three holes and a few short par four holes. There are very few hazards on the course making it quite an easy and enjoyable round of golf,that one can play with the entire family.

There are not many nine hole golf courses in India. There is a common misconception with golfers that a 9 hole golf course will have an average quality and challenge. This is not necessarily true. In fact 9 hole golf courses can be extremely challenging if creatively designed. After just visiting a championship golf course, it is intriguing to see this format that I believe will be critical to growing the game in this country. Not everyone can play on a championship golf course, but a nine-hole facility, can be open to anyone.

In India a challenge that many developers are facing is the high cost of land. Therefore for golf courses to become viable options for developers to consider, reducing the land requirement of a golf course becomes critical. A 9 hole golf courses could be an answer.

On contrasting the two styles of golf courses, it is evident that there is a need for both. A championship golf course to attract the talent; and a nine hole golf course to encourage people to take up the sport. What needs to happen is a change in the mind set of golfers that both courses have their merits and it is not a question of one being better than the other. These are just different styles of golf. Both complement each other and both are necessary if the game is to grow and succeed.

As I leave Ahmadabad  I look back on the two golf courses I have visited; each very unique and necessary especially as the game is growing in India. Currently there are little over 200 courses in India and more than 50% are owned by the army. This makes it a very small number for a country which has a golfing population of little over 300 million. Golf Courses like the Kalahaar Blues and Greens lift the standard of golf facilities and golf courses like Gulmohar Greens give people access to the sport.

I now move to Jaipur, I hear that the Rambagh golf course is the most beautiful in India in terms of its location and scenery. I cannot wait.

My Journey to Explore Golf Courses in the North: First Stop Kalahaar Blues and Greens

Tucked away in Ahmadabad is a new 18 hole golf facility that hopes to become the leading golf course in the country. This is quite possible. It is the Kalahaar Blues and Greens located 20 km from the city. This golf course by Nicklaus Design and is one of the toughest courses that I have encountered. The course has very tight fairways with water in play on almost every hole. The greens are also very narrow and require accurate approach shots from the golfer. Even the bunkers are challenging as they are beach bunkers which brings the water into play even in the bunker!! Every hole demands prudent play from the golfer and any wayward shot will be punished, either from the tee or fairway.

The Large Bunkers are a standard feature on the course

 The course is currently almost ready for play, with 2 holes to be completed on the back nine. Once this course is operational it will most certainly have a shot at the title of ‘India’s Championship Golf Course’. It is safe to say that if you are below a 15 handicap, this course will be stimulating to play as it forces the golfer to carefully plan each shot. On the other hand, this could also be a potential problem.

Ahmadabad is one of the oldest cities in India with a rich historical tapestry. It is most renowned for Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashram located here. Gandhi spent much of his life in the Ashram and consequently Ahmadabad was the epicenter for many skirmishes during the freedom struggle. Post-independence this city has grown steadily; in recent years benefiting greatly from initiatives launched by the Gujarat government to encourage foreign investment into state. However, the cities tryst with golf has only just begun. For many years Ahmadabad had only one private golf course, the Gulmohar Greens, located 25 km away from the city. A few years ago, the Kensville Golf and Country Club was added, located approximately 1.5 hours away from the city. The later was the first 18 hole golf course developed in Ahmadabad.

A view of the tight fairways the course offers 

The Kalahaar Blues and Greens has a distinct advantage of being relatively closer to the city than Kensville; but, is this city ready for a championship golf course when golf here is still a growing sport? Are there enough golfers (Below a 15 handicap) who can appreciate the challenge this golf course presents? These are some tough questions to answer, and only time can tell. From a golfer’s point of view it is about time this happened; this country needed a course that can be on par with the best courses in the world and attract world class players. This is a must watch course for me. I will be very interested to see how the course develops and raises the standard of golf played in India. Kalahaar Blues and Greens is going in forefront of Indian Golf soon.

As a first stop on my travels to golf courses in the North, this set the tone for the rest of the journey… Next stop: ‘Gulmohaar Greens’…