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.