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’…