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.

India's First National Golf Academy

22^nd September 2014 will long be remembered in the history of golf in India, because it marked the inauguration of the first National Golf Academy by the Sports Authority of India.

In India, even though we have some of the oldest courses outside of the British Isles, the growth golf has always stymied by the elitist tag that it obtained from the British Raj. 

There have been many other sports that were once considered elitist, but now have shed their elitist tag, for example, Lawn Tennis, Squash, Swimming, Badminton, Snooker to name a few. What has helped, in each of these sports is success by an athlete in an international event. With the creation of this academy under the SAI (Sports Authority of India) banner, accessibility will improve and will go a long way in reducing the elitist burden this sport is carrying.  

Through this academy, students will have access to world class training facilities, access to some of the best courses in the world, access to some of the best coaches and technology. The SAI has announced exchange programs for students and coaches to visit the Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs Colorado, one of the best courses in USA and a host site of tournaments such as the 2008 Senior Open, 2011 Womens Open. SAI is also in discussion with the Arnold Palmer Foundation as they have in principal pledged their support to the academy in all its initiatives. 

I have always felt that Golf is a sport India can compete best in, unlike hockey, tennis and football where Indian's are at a dis advantage in terms of their physique. In golf this is nullified because, there is always a second shot that needs to be hit. Going off the tee with a booming 300 yard drive may be sufficient but one can still bogey or even double bogey the hole if the second shot is not executed correctly. This is where we can nullify the american, european and south east asian brilliant long game…

I am proud as a golfer to know that finally golf is now a real option for almost every Indian from all walks of life and public funds can be directed to develop one of the ‘…Greatest games ever played…’

Arnold Palmer Design Company in India

After a gap of more than 30 years, the Arnold Palmer group has decided to re-enter the region through its Design Company. They have appointed Liam Timms as their South Asian Director that covers the territories of India, Bangladesh, Sri lanka and Nepal.

The only golf course built in South Asia by the group is the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon, Haryana. The 18-hole signature course was built in the late 1980’s however, the company felt the market was very new and did not actively pursue more projects in the region. After the economic slowdown in 2008 the golf industry faced a major setback in America with many golf course closures and reduced demand for new golf courses. This has forced many of the marquee names to look outside their home market for development projects and other initiatives.

It is with this mindset that Arnold Palmer Design Company has entered the region again. The group believes that going forward just like the success they had with China, India can follow in the same way. India is not just a potential market for golf courses but also a huge market for the many other services under the ‘umbrella’ of the Arnold Palmer Group.

In an unprecedented move to mark their commitment in the region, the Palmer Foundation, Chaired by Mr. Palmer and his daughter, has decided to support the Sports Authority of India in the First National Golf Academy in Trivandrum. This is the first of many new initiatives by the company and goes a long way to show the long-term commitment the company has for the region and the country.

It is indeed a huge privilege and responsibility to be part of this company in its foray into the market and leading its activities here. I am very excited about what this mean for the golf industry of India. But what is immensely satisfying to see is this groups commitment extends beyond just golf courses. Welcome to India….  The King of Golf…!

My visit to the Bhubaneshwar Golf Club

Bhubaneshwar is another fast growing Teir-2 city of India. Located in Orissa, this city truly is a  shining examples of well planned infrastructure and growth. This city is poised to explode, the infrastructure is truly spectacular, with most major roads in the city upgraded to a dual carriage way. Traffic is orderly and free flowing due to the more accommodating wider roads. Currently the city is adding numerous flyovers to ease the traffic further. It is not surprising to see that many companies are choosing to setup here. Already Wipro and Infosys have large campuses in the city and many more IT giants are sure to follow.

Over the years the city added sporting facilities to balance out the heavy investment into infrastructure. It is not surprising that out of this the Bhubaneswar Golf Club was born. The story of this club is fascinating. It was founded in the 80’s by enterprising and enthusiastic golfers of Bhubaneswar. The first location of the golf course was around the runway of the Bhubaneswar airport, because the land became available and hardly any flights arrived at Bhubaneswar in those days. However as the city grew it was no longer feasible to be located at a place where ‘movable obstructions’ were planes…! so the club decided to find a more permanent address.

The course has 9 greens that can be repeated from a different set of tees to provide the golfer with 18 holes. The course was designed and built by the same group of golfers at the new location away from the city. The holes have some blind tee shots and some long par 4 that make for an enjoyable round of golf overall. The grass is a local variety chosen to withstand the harsh summers. The greens are hard and severely pitch marked which make putting a very irritating affair. All in all the average golfer can have an enjoyable round and that is the broad aim of the promoters of the golf club.

Though this is not a complete 18 hole golf course it is still quite popular with the players from the city. Its location is a drawback; almost 20 km away from the city center. There are talks on to try and extend the golf course to 18 holes so that it will be on par with other urban golf facilities in the country. I thought this small 9-hole golf course is ideal for such smaller cities, as it not only takes up less space, but also can be used effectively to train and build interest in the game.

It is my hope that more tier 2 cities can follow this pattern and build more 9-hole courses. These are easy to setup with less land requirement reducing the cost of development. This can allow many more government agencies and sporting authorities to consider establishing golfing facilities as part of their sport development programs. In the future 9 hole golf courses will become the most cost effective way for the sport to develop in India.

Golfing in Jamshedpur

When people speak of the city of Jamshedpur they usually only have the Tata industry in mind. The city was founded around the Tata Steel plant and the Tatas have played a very active role in the growth and the development of the city. Jamshedpur was one of the first private cities in this respect and is one of the finest examples of corporate social responsibility in our time. Through the years the Tata Company never forgot the importance of the city and always put the good of society before the good of the organization. In fact it is this attitude that sets the Tata’s apart from other large business houses in India.

In spite of its size Jamshedpur still boasts of two well-designed golf courses, the Beldhi Club Golf Annex and the Golmuri Golf Club. The older Beldhi golf course is a nine hole facility. The Golmuri Golf Course was recently extended to 18 holes and features wide fairways. It is located on land that was part of the Tata Tin Plate Factory. However, the roughs are  treacherous and a ball in there would almost certainly be a ‘lost ball’. The course features a Bermuda variant on both fairways and greens. The greens are quite large, with only some holes severely sloped. The greens are generally on the slower side, except for tournaments where the greens stimp at nearly 10.  There are not too many hazards on this course, but it should not deceive the golfer into over confidence. The thick roughs demand accurate drives and prudent approach shots are needed to ensure a par on all holes. Perhaps the most distracting feature on this course is the High Tensions cables that run across the fairways.

The golmuri golf course and the Beldhi golf course provide valuable lungs for the fast expanding city. Sadly I believe the glory days of the Tatas involvement in the city are drawing to a close. The old well-designed streets that people imagine are only found in pockets of the city and it now resembles any crowded and bustling, fast developing city in India. The only difference is the solid foundation in terms of essential services and town planning that were put in place by the Tatas. In this respect it remains as a true testament to what can be achieved if the private and the public sector in India worked together for the greater good.

As this section of my journey draws to a close, I reflect on what I have seen. It is very clear that golf as a game is only partially developed in these two cities.  A common feature of both the golf course I visited was inactivity in the afternoons, uncharacteristic of any other urban golf course. Another is the investment in large driving ranges on these courses that eventually end up inadequately utilized by members or the community. I feel this has to change. The golf courses need to open their doors to the community to draw in new players and interested youth and organize special programs which will fully untilize the down time of the facilities.  

I feel the future of golf depends upon how effectively courses like the Golmuri and the East point golf Course encourage participation from the community to promote the game. If they began to utilize the valuable resource for promotion and growth of the game rather than narrow commercial interests, I believe this could bring about a positive change for the game in India.

The final stop on this journey is Bhubaneshwar and the newly created Bhubaneshwr Golf Club.

The East Point Golf Club

A view of the City

Vishakapatnam (Vizag) is a port city and after Nagapatnam and Chennai it is considered one of the important commercial and naval ports on Indias eastern seaboard. It is the second largest city in Andhra Pradesh, but, unusualy for a city this size, it has only one golf course.

The East Point Golf course is nestled in the foothills of the Eastern Ghats, approximately 20 minutes from the city center. The views from the golf club are spectacular as the golf course is enclosed on three sides by dense forest. With this backdrop and a cool breeze from the sea wafting through, it sets the stage for a memorable round.The golf course is currently being renovated and the management is introducing automatic sprinklers which will benefit the fairways during the harsh summer months.

Some of the Wide Fairways on the Course

The course features a native grass mixed with crab grass on the fairways. These grasses are hardy and require less maintenance. The greens are a local Bermuda variant. They are not very fast, but as they are small, they can be difficult and force accurate approach shots from the golfer. On the whole this golf course is not very challenging with wide fairways that do not severely punish wayward shots. The exception is some awkwardly situated trees on some fairways that force safe play. The lower handicapped golfer would not be greatly tested by the layout and a below par score can be expected.

I feel the course though not very challenging to play, has captured the essence of what most club golfers expect. In recent times golf course designers have begun to create courses that are extremely tough; in fact there is a common fallacy ‘the tougher the course the better it is’. This is not always so. The early proponents of this game intended that golf should primarily be enjoyed by the players. I believe there is a need to have golf courses such as this to encourage players and new individuals to take up the sport.

A view of the 18th Green and Club House

Having said this what is clear is the lack of regular golfers that has leading to the unkempt condition of this course. Currently the course only receives play during the morning sessions and the weekends. After the morning session (during the week) the course is empty. As it is the only golf course in the city this is uncharacteristic. Further the East Point Golf Club boasts of the only full driving range in the area. 

I believe this golf course is perfectly poised to create a program that introduces people to the game. This program could encourage individuals to participate in summer programs, or sign up to utilize only the driving range (driving range membership). The easier golf course would make it fun for new learners and at the same time give proficient golfers the thrill of scoring well. The East Point golf course can make a positive mark on the industry in the region if only it can look beyond being an exclusive ‘member-only’ golf club.

I eagerly await what Jamshedpur has in store for me.