The Panchkula Club - An Interesting Precedent

The union territory of Chandigarh has 2 18-hole golf courses, the Chandigarh Golf Club, located in the hart of the city (Sector 6) and the Panchkula Golf club. The Panchkula Club is outside the union territory, in Haryana approximately 14 km from the heart of Chandigarh. The golf course was created by the state of Haryana and is maintained by the city. It is public golf course that also offers membership.

Unlike the Chandigarh golf club the Panchkula Club features wide fairways with a water hazard on the 9^th hole and the 18^th hole. The greens are moderately sloped, but offer interesting pin locations that can penalize wayward approach shots. There are not as many trees on the course as CGC and even a miss-placed tee shot can be easily recovered. All in all this is a great practice golf course and quite impressive that a golf course of such caliber was created by state.

In the future the need for public golf courses is will greatly influence the popularity of the sport. Especially n India, where there are more private association style clubs that restrict guest players and charge Green fees that are in the premium range. The Panchkula club offers a great example of what can be achieved with the will of the government. Clubs such as these will play a pivotal role in encouraging and promoting the game amongst the wider section of the community.

It is my hope that tier 2 and tier 3 cities embrace golf courses not just as a draw for business but even as centers for bio and environmental diversity, sewage treatment, beautification and contributing to the public lung space. It can be used to preserve monuments and even be developed on disregarded pieces of land.

There are urban legends about foreign companies preferring land around the golf course as opposed to an industrial area. As the government develops ‘Smart Cities’ and ‘Port Cities’, golf will be a highly valued amenity by the prospective developers and investors. In this case the Panchkula Golf Club will make an excellent precedent for governments to follow. 

The game of golf is a great leveler, it is one of the few sports where a professional and club golfer can play together and it can be a competitive game. I hope government bodies recognize this and leverage this sports positive value. The few states that have done so… have never looked back. 

Lessons learned from my visit to the Chandigarh Golf Club

The city of Chandigarh was created after partition, because the large state of Punjab had lost its original capital, Lahore to Pakistan. The displacement of many people (and villages) coupled with the loss of the capital, forced the then central government to create an iconic Capital City for the people that lost so much.  When Haryana broke away from the state in 1966 Chandigarh became a Union Territory and now serves as the joint capital for both states. The city is 4.5 hours from Delhi and is a preferred ‘retirement paradise’ for individuals and government officers from Delhi; with the result that the ‘Golf culture’ caught on early here and remains well entrenched, unlike anywhere else in India.

The Chandigarh Golf Club was created in 1950 and is an association style golf course. It has 18 holes with a monstrous 7^th hole Par 5 that is one of the longest in India at 610 yards when played from the ‘Back’ Tees. The golf course is designed in a traditional style, narrow fairways that are lined with old trees and native shrubs and bushes; the course does not feature many water hazards. However, the steep bunkers and sloping fairways demand accurate approach shots from the golfer. The best way to tackle this course is to play it with a 3 wood or driving iron, which will eliminate most trouble.

This golf course is home to some of India’s most successful golfers on the international circuit, Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar.  

Chandigarh has a vibrant golfing population; it is not uncommon to find parents on the driving range straight after work with their children. Even the number of amateurs here, out number those found in the metros of Mumbai or Bangalore. What could be the reasons for this? Could be a cultural difference that sways the perception of golf in the eyes of the population?

To further grow the game in India it is necessary to understand the impact of society and culture. The tendency has been to apply cookie cutter strategies and principles that have worked in one region. Going forward this approach will need to change. As one travels within India, the cultures and social dynamics change quite dramatically and more so in the Southern States. As a first step towards achieving integration Regional Centers of national golfing bodies need to be created. From here, programs, tournaments, seminars can be tailor-made to suit the needs of the area. The creation of standalone practice areas (like the Chandigarh Golf Association) needs to be developed and supported by the industry bodies.  

In this manner the cities of India can create and actively engage with the golfing community, which will go a long way in the development of the sport in India.