Desert Festival Jaisalmer, Rajasthan - a Journey into Heart of Desert

Southern India has some of India’s finest and most picturesque courses, primarily due to the efforts of the tea and spice planters who popularized the sport in the region.

Founded on June 24, 1876, the Bangalore Golf Club is the second oldest in India. It also has the distinction of hosting, with Madras, the oldest inter-club tournament in the country, which started in 1878 and is played alternately in Bangalore and Madras. In the days when railways and aircraft were still things of the future, golfers often traveled as much as 300 km on horseback and in bullock carts to participate in the tournament. The bar at the Bangalore Golf has some interesting memorabilia tracing the history of the club. The par 71, 6,650 yards, 18-hole course started with browns, which were later converted to greens. Scarcity of water is a major constraint in the area and the course has few water hazards. Besides trees and deep ditches, the major hazard on course is the Bangalore crow, which often picks up the ball, mistaking it for egg. It is therefore, not surprising that the logo of the Bangalore Golf Club crow with a ball in its beak. Though the fairways at the Bangalore Golf Club are fairly dry and sandy, the greens are lush and well manicured. Drives have to be well planned to avoid the rocky parts of the fairway, where the ball tends to veer off and change direction. Large bunkers invariably trap the greens. A large number of flowering trees, which include the colorful gulmohar, palm and eucalyptus, are planted along the tight fairways. The course is remarkable in the 18 holes have been packed into just 60 acres of land. The second course at Bangalore is more recent, and came about after the government recognized golf as a major tourist attraction and acquired 126 acres of land near the airport for the Karnataka Golf Association. Peter Thompson, the internationally known golf architect, was chosen to design the course, and nine of the 18 holes have already been laid out.

Bangalore is the garden city of India. Capital of the southern state of Karnataka, Bangalore has a salubrious climate with moderate annual temperatures, making it an ideal health resort. Bangalore has also emerged as a major commercial center and a large number of industries and trading houses have moved here. Tipu Sultan was fond of good living, and built gardens and palaces throughout his state.

Bangalore also presides over a very fascinating state of India, Karnataka, that harbors a diversity of interests such as the ruins of Vijayanagara, sculptural wonders of Belur and Hale bid, the gigantic mausoleum of Bijapur, the golden sands of Karavali, the proud hills of Kodagu, the forests of Bandipur, Nagarhole and Bannerghata, wild and winsome Chikmagalur with its mountains and coffee plantations, and majestic Mysore. Bangalore has a rich tradition of handicrafts. Mysore silks, sandalwood, ivory, brass and rosewood inlay, clay toys and Lambani jewellery are but a few of the specialties that are stocked in the city’s emporia.

Course Details: 18 Holes, Par 71, and Yardage 6703/5414
General Info: Public Course
Open: Round the year (Monday Closed)
Best Season: Round the year (Monday Closed)
Additional Facilities: Bar & Restaurant, Conference Hall
Accommodation: 10 Double Rooms, 01 Single room & 01 Family Suite
Club Address: No. 2, Sankey Road, High Grounds, Bangalore - 560001

Eagleton – The Golf Resort is a govt. approved resort. It is a state of the art resort with all luxurious facilities. Eagleton is famous for its golf course and the hospitality of high standards. Eagleton - The golf resort is one of the finest golf courses in India. The hotel facilities are the best of its kind.

Just half an hours’ drive along the Bangalore Mysore highway is Eagleton the Golf Village, a 500 acre spread of land that combines nature and modern day amenities to give you a recreational & residential complex.

Being the first of its kind in India, Eagleton has an 18 hole; 72 pars US PGA standard golf course spread over 168 undulated acres, a Country Club offering almost all leisure and entertainment activities and an expansive residential enclave offering 1400 plots/designer villas. No wonder, Eagleton is the only golf destination in India to be selected & featured by BBC World.

Course Details: 18 Holes, Par 72, and Yardage 6632
General Info: Designed by Pacific Coast Designs Rated best in India by Golf line
Green Fees: Weekdays - Rs. 500; Weekends - Rs. 800
Additional Facilities: Golf Academy Buggy paths
Accommodation: Good hotels are available in city
Club Address: 30th Km, Bangalore Mysore Highway, Bangalore

The Chandigarh Golf Course is one of the oldest courses in the region. Its 18 holes were laid out in 1962 on an area of 132 acres just south of Sukhna Lake and adjacent to the residence of the Punjab Governor in Sector 6. Golf Club membership is confined to the city’s elite. Although the initial outlay required from a new member is around Rs. 70,000, the list of those waiting to become members is long. Aside from the golf course, the members enjoy an excellent swimming pool, games rooms for bridge and mahjong, and a well appointed Club house.

Course Details: 18 Holes, Par 72, and 6618/6182 Yards
General Info: The most scenic hole is the 580 yards, par five, sixteenth, with an extremely tight fairway running parallel to the lake on the left and mini-zoo and grove of trees on the left, Mango, Jamun, Eucalyptus and Kikar
Accommodation: Good hotels are available in city
Club Address: Sector 6, Chandigarh

It is in very good shape. The well-elevated greens slope from top to bottom and are mainly fast. The fairways are a blend of green and brown but get really brown in summer due to an acute water shortage. The golf course allows preferred lies and the tree lined fairways make the game interesting. The best time to play here is between August and January. There is a drain that runs through the course that actually divides the course into two, which makes the game all the more exciting.

The Cosmopolitan Golf Annex at Saidapet has a par 72, 18-hole course. Spread over an area of 75 acres, a variety of trees run along the fairways which are tight for the first nine holes but open out for the back nine. Peter Thompson has redesigned the well-laid cosmopolitan course with a liberal use of lateral water hazards. The first hole is a 371 yards, par 4, dog leg around a water tank. It’s best to use a three iron to place the ball at the elbow, which will give you an easy approach shot. Like most of the greens on the course, the first is also thick and slow, and requires firm and sure putts. The fifth hole is a test even for the seasoned golfer. A 432 yard, par four, it has the tightest fairway, with a thick row of trees running along on the left and an out-of-bounds fence to the left. The first drive has to be lofted well over the trees to fade into the fairway.

Course Details: 18 Holes, Distance Ladies - 5,863 yards, Distance Gentlemen - 6,859 yards, built in 1988
General Info: 7 km away from the airport
Open: Round the year
Best Season: February
Additional Facilities: Bar & Kitchen
Accommodation: Close to Trident Hotel
Clothing: Light Cottons
Club Address: Golf Annexe, 334, Mount Road, Nandanam, Chennai - 600 035

Delhi Golf Club is perhaps the only Golf Club in the world dotted with the monuments of great historic and archeological value. This course was originally called the ‘Lodhi Golf Course’. In the 1930’s the British ordered their Chief of the Horticulture Department to design a course amongst the picturesque surroundings of the Tombs of the Lodhi Dynasty of Delhi which date back to the 15th century. The character of the course lies in the rich fauna and flora that it has on either side of the fairways thereby giving prime importance to accuracy in the game. It has two courses now viz. The Main course, known as the ‘LODHI COURSE’ and a short Course which has been christened as ‘THE PEACOCK COURSE’.

Originally located in an area more than twice its present size, the course at the Delhi Golf Club was consolidated to its present 220 acres in 1950. Like the rest of Delhi, its golf course is also laid out on a part of India’s history. Carved out of a portion, which was the estate of the Lodhi rulers, it has in its precincts a collection of interesting tombs and monuments. The Delhi Golf course is also a sanctuary for over 300 species of birds, and the rain dance of the colorful peacock or the scurrying of a partridge often startles the golfer. Planted with a variety of over 200 trees, the Delhi course is the lushest in the country, and its sandy loam has produced a rich turf good for the exacting fairway shorts. The 6,972 yards, par 72, 18 hole golf course was redesigned by Peter Thompson in 1977-78 and got a major fillip when it was chosen to host the first ever golf tournament at the Asian Games in 1982.

More than 500 golfers walk into history every day as they play the country’s busiest course. The club also has a nine-hole B course, used primarily by beginners. The first hole on the main course is a 522 yards par five, which doglegs to the left around a thorny bush rough. A bunker placed a good 180 yards from the tee is the marker for the drive. The second shot has to negotiate the narrow elbow, which has thick bushes on either side or a trap in front. It’s best to use an iron on this stroke and keep the ball in play. You are still a good 100 odd yards from the green, which looks deceptively distant because of the mound in front of it. The green itself is very fast and tilts on either side. The 378 yards, par four, second hole, is intriguing. If you take the tiger line, you have a long carry over some grasping trees, but then an easy shot to a sporting green, fast in some parts and slow in some. The par three holes on the course are fairly simple with the exception of the 12th, which is on a plateau with a deep hazard in front where water and slush are allowed to accumulate during the winter and thick scrub abounds in summer. The oval green on the 12th is also one of the most interesting with dips, slopes and ripples making it fast and difficult to read. The 17th hole is an easy par 3, the tee off for which is located near a Lodhi Tomb, and the green of which requires a lofted shot by three bunkers, one almost five feet deep. The 16th a long par four is among the most testing on the course. The drive needs to carry a good 210 yards to enable the player to take a regulation on the second shot. The drive is constricted by a narrow doglegged fairway and needs to clear the two-neem trees paced at the center of the elbow. Should you drive fail to clear the trees, the green is obstructed by the trees on the left, thorny rough on the left and a huge mud hill in the center. Most of India’s modern history was written in Delhi.

Course Details: 18 Holes, Distance Ladies - 5,859 yards, Distance Gentlemen - 6,869 yards, built in 1931, Par 72
General Info: Private Club
Open: Round the year
Best Season: Sep - Mar
Additional Facilities: Pro Shop, Restaurant, Bar, Card Room, Swimming Pool
Accommodation: Good hotels are available in the city
Clothing: Light Cottons
Club Address: Dr. Zakhir Hussain Marg, New Delhi - 10003

Aiming to provide leisure and entertainment of high standards, the DLF Golf and Country Club, India’s first night Golf Course is today ranked as the best in the Country as also amongst the leading Golf Courses in Asia.

The Dlf Golf and Country Club is an integral part of DLF City, Asia’s largest private-sector township on the - southern border of India’s Capital city, New Delhi. In the immediate vicinity will be a resort complex with a five-star hotel, ultra-modern convention facilities, sophisticated shopping malls and state-of-the-art entertainment centers.

Situated at the foothills of the gently rolling Aravali Range, the 7250 - yard golf course carries the distinctive signature of the King of Golf, Arnold Palmer With its unique layout and picturesque surroundings, the DLF golf course offers challenging play for golfers of all skill levels and a natural beauty that envelops your senses.

Night golfers tee off from the manicured parkland style course that boasts of five lakes, 14000 trees and waterfalls. The 18 hole, par 72 Arnold Palmer signature course, thus, joined the world League of Nations that have night golfing courses. The 7250 - yard course with white-sand bunkers carries the distinct signature of the King of golf, Arnold Palmer - with buffers between fairways, water bodies and in total harmony with nature.

The varieties of grass selected for DLF Golf Course are based on their ability to cope with vagaries of the weather, tolerance to disease and pest attack and also color holding capacity in winter, summer spring and monsoon. In order to provide perfect playing surfaces, DLF has hand-picked two of the most superior grasses available anywhere in the world - Tiff dwarf 11 for greens and Tiff way 419 for tees, fairways & roughs.

Maintained to prime conditions with world - class ‘Toro’ turf equipment, the specialized turf, computerized irrigation and efficient drainage that makes the course playable within 30 minutes of a downpour.

The course is equally suitable for amateurs and professionals. The holes are positioned in such a way that the player can finish a round and head back to the club to freshen up. Our Pro-shop features apparel and equipment essential to your game. At the DLF Golf Academy, which is another first of its kind in India, we offer a dual-level floodlit driving range, a chipping green, practice sand traps and a putting green…everything to perfect your game.

The Arnold Palmer signature is about beauty, and aesthetics. It allows you to set your own goals. The greatness of the course is Palmer understands of the technique in playing and the player’s navigation through the game and course. You can enjoy the game at various levels of championship, competitive or as a stress reliever.

From the moment you enter our elegant, beautifully landscaped entrance, view the elevated, undulating greens and savor the laid-back luxury of our club facilities, your enjoyment of the DLF experience will capture your imagination.

Picture yourself walking down one of our beautiful fairways. When you stand on the elevated tee box on the 14th green, take a moment to enjoy the panoramic view of nine different holes – perhaps one of the most unique features of this outstanding golf course.

We offer you a day’s play next time you visit New Delhi. Whatever you are looking for, DLF Golf and Country Club has that….and more.

Course Details: 18 Holes 7,176 yards, Par 72, Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course
General Info: Private Club, Renovated in 1990 by Arnold Palmer
Open: Round the year
Best Season: Sep - March
Additional Facilities: Pro Shop, Restaurant, Bar, Card Room, Swimming Pool
Accommodation: Good hotels are available in city
Clothing: Light Cottons
Club Address: DLF Golf Country Club, DLF City, Gurgaon, Haryana

The Classic Golf Resort has been constructed according to international standards and is world class in every respect.

Classic Golf Resort is set amidst the foot hills of the Aravali, Mother Nature’s own hillocks and knolls make for natural golfing country…lending themselves ideally to enticing fairways, cunning greens and engaging waterways…enough to quicken any serious golfer’s heart. Both professionals and leisure golfers can discover the joys and challenges of golf at this 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

Special Tiff way 419 and Tiff Dwarf grass used world-wide on Nicklaus courses has been planted and multiplied under the full care and guidance of Nicklaus agronomists. Rain bird, the world leaders in golf course irrigation, laid down CGR’s irrigation network. The installed set up consists of computerized system with satellite controls for remote operation of sprinkler head groups and rain water runoff protection, making CGR virtually self sufficient in its irrigation needs.

Jack’s philosophy behind Classic Golf resort was to create a great and unique golf course by mixing shot value and blending holes which rewards the player who uses his intelligence and favors precision over power.

The course is well balanced with holes that vary in direction, “look” and “feel” so that one type of golfer isn’t favored over another. The course rewards strategic, intelligent thinking as much as fine ball striking and the holes are designed to enable golfers to make precise decisions in club selection and execution of each shot.

Preserving the land’s natural character was also paramount and the natural features have been integrated into the design. The majority of the holes follow the existing contours of the site in order to make the course as enjoyable and user friendly as possible.

India’s most prestigious golf tournament, The Wills Indian Open was held at Classic Golf Resort for the first time in 2000.

Course Details: 27 Hole Championship Course, Distance 7114 yards, built in 1998, Par 72, Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course
General Info: Private Resort
Open: Round the year
Best Season: Sep - March
Additional Facilities: Driving Range, Pro Shop, Teaching Academy, Golf Clinics
Accommodation: Good hotels available in city
Clothing: Light Cottons
Club Address: Community Centre, Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi - 110057

Rambagh Golf Club is a part of the Rambagh Palace Hotel, the residence of the former maharaja. It overlooks the picturesque Moti Doongri Palace and the historical Nahargarh Fort.

In the footsteps of the Maharajas: The Rambagh Palace & Golf Club in Jaipur is an eighteen-hole course overlooking the Moti Doongri Palace and the historical Nahargarh Fort. The fairway passes through the Rambagh Polo Grounds, which have seen some of the finest polo matches in the time of the late Sawai Man Singh. These days there are more golfers to be seen on the grounds where the royals once moved on their chargers. The courses, spread over undulating terrain, are all greens except for the fifth hole.

Course Details: 18 Hole Course, Distance Approx. 6,400-6,500 yards, built in 1920 (approx), Par 71
General Info: Members encouraged but walk-ins allowed at extra charge; Guests can accompany members
Open: April to November (depending on weather)
Best Season: April to November (depending on weather)
Additional Facilities: Driving Range, Putting Green
Club Address: Bhawani Singh Road, Jaipur - 302005

The Royal Calcutta Golf Club, established in 1829, is not only the oldest golf club in India but also the oldest in the world outside Great Britain. Originally located near the Calcutta airport, the club moved to the Maidan and finally to its present location at Tollygunge in 1910. Meant exclusively for the use of gentlemen, ladies were very reluctantly admitted to the club in 1886, when the committee voted 43 against 13 on the condition that female members be allowed to use the course only in the mornings. In 1911 King George V and Queen Mary, who conferred on it the title of “Royal” to commemorate their visit to Calcutta, honored the club. Much of the memorabilia connected with the history of the club is still preserved in the clubhouse.

The country over which the Royal Calcutta course is laid was originally paddy fields, and the course is consequently very flat. Successive committees have built mounds planted thousands of trees and shrubs. But the Royal’s conspicuous features are its strategically located water tanks and natural water hazards. The most significant are the two large tanks across the tenth fairway, a 457 yards, par four hole. From the tee, the tiger line is over the first tank and must carry all of 230 yards. The safer route to the left leaves a very long second shot over the second tank, a good 100 yards wide, to a small undulating green wickedly trapped all around. The out-of-boundary wall dangerously hugs the entire left flank of this hole. Greens at Royal are small by modern standards, but undulations make them tricky, and there is a little nap.

The Royal Calcutta also has a Bowling Green section, founded in the early 19th century. Here members can indulge in bowling their woods along the grass in an attempt to get close to ‘jack’ the little white ball immortalized by Sir Francis Drake. Just across the road from the Royal Calcutta is the Tollygunge Club. The extensive grounds of the club were originally an indigo plantation, laid out in 1781. In 1895, Sir William Cruikshank, a banker of repute and a keen sportsman, acquired the estate from Prince Ghulam Mohammad, the son of Tipu Sultan, and founded the Tollygunge. Besides maintaining an 18-hole golf course, the Tollygunge Club also pioneered equestrian sports, and steeple chasing and show jumping are still held annually at the club. The 100 acre club grounds boast an enviable collection of flowering trees and tropical plants which have been brought from as far afield as Australia and South America. The foliage provides a home for a number of species of exotic birds.

The par 71 course at Tollygunge is fairly easy to tackle but for the large number of water hazards. The fairways are lush green and wide, and the greens well maintained and easy to read. A particularly difficult hole is the 321 yards, par four fourteenth, also known as ‘Hydrophobia’. The player has to cross over a large water tank, built by Prince Ghulam Mohammad and filled with water lilies, to approach the green on the other side. A miscalculated or over swung drive could easily land the ball in the tank or the out-of-bonds area. The dog legged seventh, also called ‘Devil’s Elbow’, is 491 yards, par five over a large water body.

Course Details: 18 Holes, Par 72, and 7195 m
General Info: In 1911 conferred the title “Royal”; mostly flat terrain
Open: Round the year
Best Season: Oct to March
Facilities: Bar & Dining, Swimming Pool, Billiards, Bowling, Tennis
Accommodation: Good hotels are available in city
Club Address: 18, Golf Club Road, Tollygunge, Kolkata - 700033, West Bengal

The Club is located in Tollygunge , a southern suburb of Kolkata only 9 Kms from the centre of the town & 20 min. drive from Chowringhee Road. The club grounds cover an area of 100 acres.

Founded in 1895 to “promote all manner of sports", the Tollygunge Club, Kolkata, the only country club of its kind in India and ranked amongst the top 20 clubs of the world, is spread over a hundred acres with a club house that is over 200 years old. The house and its vast grounds that sport an idyllic 18-hole golf course carry a rich store of legends, anecdotes and memories about them. The club grounds have a unique collection of flowering trees and tropical plants which provide a natural sanctuary for a variety of exotic flora and fauna. A walk through these lovely grounds is a delight in itself, but the Tollygunge Club also provides a range of facilities rarely found in any one club. The club has inherited a tradition of sports from the late eighteenth century and offers facilities for golf, tennis, squash, indoor and outdoor swimming, riding and amateur equestrian sports. Indoors, it has a bridge room, a billiards room, a pro-shop, a cozy reading room & a cyber cafe.

The Club offers members and guests a wide range of entertainment the year round from open-air theatre and cinema to music and dancing. Excellent cuisine is available at its restaurants, lawns, pavilions and well stocked bars. The club has 70 air-conditioned suites and residential rooms, each with an attached bath, while separate conference and banqueting facilities offer a choice of rooms accommodating between 25 and 100 persons. There is abundant provision for parking. A country club that is truly an oasis of greenery and quietude in the midst of Kolkata’s bustling southern residential district, the hallmark of Tolly – as it is often affectionately called – is its warm, leisurely and friendly atmosphere.

Course Details: 18 Holes, Par 71, and 6628 yards
General Info: Golf clubs are available on hire & lessons can be booked with the Golf Pro and his Assistant
Open: April to November (depending on weather)
Best Season: April to November (depending on weather)
Accommodation: Double Bed Golf Hut & Log huts

Additional Facilities

•        Tennis: There are six hard courts. Tennis games can be booked with the Tennis Marker.
•        Swimming: There are two pools, one covered & the other outdoor; the later is open throughout the year.
•        Riding: Horses and children’s ponies are available for riding in the morning and in the afternoon . A riding instructor gives lessons from 6am to 8 am and from 3pm to 6 pm.
•        Squash: The Club has four squash courts.
•        Billiards: There are two billiards tables situated in the Hastings Block (1st Floor).
•        Bridge Room: The bridge room is in the Club House.
•        Health Club: There is a well-equipped health and fitness centre (6.30 am to 9.00 pm) adjacent to the Belvedere Dining Room.
•        Message: A masseur and masseuse are available from 6.30am to 8.00 pm. Please enquire at the Health Club.
•        Lounge: Wills Lounge and reading room in the main Club House.
•        Restaurants & Bars: The club has air conditioned and outdoor bars and restaurants with Indian, Western or Oriental Cuisine.
•        Ice Cream Parlor: Air- conditioned Parlor opposite to the Pro Shop.
•        Pastry Hut: Attached to the Children’s Park offering a wide range of Pastry and Savory items.

Club Address: 120, Deshapran Sasmal Road, Kolkata - 700033

The Madras Gymkhana Club was founded in 1886. Unique in that it is situated within the 2,400-meter oval of the Guindy racecourse, it offers a challenging game. The fairways at Guindy are flat and fast and encircled by the out-of-bounds race track. The greens are lush and well maintained and also strategically located, mostly along the track. Hazards on the course include thick roughs, bunkers and water tanks, but unpredictable obstructions like the racehorses on their workouts. The first hole on this course is an easy looking par four at 415 yards. It, however, takes a calculated and well-lofted drive to avoid the bunkers placed on the fairway, 130 yards from the tee. The second hole is an easy par three at 170 yards, with tricky green, at a gradient of almost 30 degrees. However, the most sporting hole on the Guindy course is the third at 512 yards, par five. The hole doglegs dangerously to the left around a large water tank. The first and second shot call for a straight and long drive, the third half chip over the tank brings the green in view. A bunker wickedly traps the green on this hole in front and rough in the rear, and needs a wheel chipped ball to drop on the center of the green. The Guindy course, easy as it may seem, requires a firm hitter and a sure putter to tackle the tough fairways and fast greens. The player is allowed two preferred fairway lies on the par fives and one on a par four.

Course Details: 18 Holes, Distance Ladies - 5,765 yards, Distance Gentleman - 6,325 yards, built in 1886, Par 70
General Info: 7 km away from the airport
Open: Round the year
Best Season: July – October
Additional Facilities: Restricted bar and lounge
Accommodation: In the city; Closest Town - Madras 7 km
Clothing: Light Cottons
Club Address: Golf Annexe, 334, Mount Road, Nandanam, Chennai - 600035

More than 110-acre Bombay Presidency Golf Club at Chembur is a green haven in an otherwise urban environment. Founded in 1827 the course was redesigned by Peter Thompson to international standards. Presidency’s fairways are narrow and tight, but its greens are undoubtedly the best in the country. The real test at Presidency, however, is the variable and shifting sea breeze, which could fox even the most experienced player. It is not a difficult course; it’s not too long, not too narrow and yet not an easy course to break par. The fifth hole is one of the most challenging on this course: a 480-yard, par five, a dog leg to the left, with a fairway trap strategically placed to catch the long hitter trying to cut the corner. The drive on this has to be placed carefully. If too long and pulled, it would end up in deep trouble. With a well-placed drive around the fairway bunker, the hole, in spite of the two overhanging trees on the left, is a comfortable par five. The 416 yard, par four 11th hole is also a test of precision golfing. The player has to steer his drive through trees overhanging on either side, a short distance from the tee. The fairly tight fairway has thick scrub and trees on the left, a water hazard and an out-of-bounds on the left with perhaps the trickiest and fastest green of this course. With the pin placed towards the left edge, the approach would roll off into the thick roughs, and not even a miracle would allow a par. Of the par threes, the 17th hole is the longest at 218 yards. The green is deceptive with deep bunkers on either side, and the rippled fairway can make a loose tee shot veer sharply.

Course Details: 18 Hole Course, Par 70, Distance 7,132 yards
General Info: Public Course
Open: Round the year (Monday closed)
Best Season: Round the year (Monday closed)
Additional Facilities: Caddie, Kit, Buggy, Umbrella and Shoes
Accommodation: Located at a distance of 20 Kms from all the good hotels
Club Address: Dr. Choitram Gidwani Road, Chembur, Mumbai - 400074

Seat of erstwhile kingdom of the Wodeyar, Mysore is a city of Palaces and Temples replete with history and heritage, tradition and culture. The rustle of the finest silks and an atmosphere laden with sandal and jasmine envelops the city. Mysore city has been a center for excellence in studies, arts and culture and was a princely state ruled by the Wodeyars. The erstwhile rulers of then Mysore patronized arts, and culture and sports in a big way. During the World famous Dhusara festival every year, arts, culture, music programmed and sporting events were conducted in which cream of the talent from the state and country would participate. Mysore has been regularly contributing talented sportsmen to the country from time to time and has been living up in its rich tradition.

Rahul Ganapathy, the golfing sensation from Mysore became the first Indian from the South to win the National tournament golf championship , in its 99 year history when he won the 36-hole final in the 99th Amateur golf championship of India held at Delhi golf course, from Feb 6 to 12 1999. He has since turned a professional and he is in the reckoning to bag the “Mahindra Rookie of the Year” award.

The Wodeyars designed and developed Horse racing and the Race club is designed in a picturesque backdrop of the Chamundi hills. The Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Golf Club has excellent facilities with a 70- par course and has 18 holes around the race course.

Course Details: 18 Hole Course, Distance 5446 Meters, built in Year 1906, Par 70
Open: Round the year
Best Season: Round the year
Additional Facilities: Caddie, Kit, Buggy, Umbrella and Shoes
Accommodation: Good hotels are available in Mysore
Club Address: Race course Road, Indra Nagar, Mysore

Pune Club Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in India, situated within half an hour’s drive from major industrial areas of Pune and very close to the airport and the railway station. Though the course is within 5 minutes drive from the city, it is in a quiet area. The courses spread over 90 acres of land,which is the largest in the Western Region. The exact date of establishment is now known, but based on available records, tournaments were being played since 1920, the first being the RWITC CUP (Royal Western India Turf Club Cup). Originally the course was spread over nearly 135 acres of land, part of which was later taken over by the Government for housing development. When the British left India, Poona Club was thinking of giving up the golf grounds, but thanks to a handful of golfing enthusiasts, the course still exists and over 30,000 trees have been planted since the course was replayed between 1980-85 during the captainship of the late Mr. C.S. Kirloskar. Competitive golf is played throughout the year and over 30 tournaments are held, the most prestigious being the Maharashtra Amateur Open Golf being played since 1957, in which leading amateur golfers from all over India participate. There are four golf courses in Pune, but the Poona Club Golf Course is the only course available to all golfers, including foreign visitors. The weather being cool and pleasant, golf is enjoyed throughout the year, unlike at many other places Pune being a major industrial town and close to Bombay.

Pune is one of the fastest growing cities in Maharashtra; Pune gives the tourist a good idea of the dualities present in modern India.

Course Details: 18 Hole Course, Distance 6198/5488 yards, built in 1920 (approx), Par 71
General Info: Public Course
Open: Round the year (Monday closed)
Best Season: Round the year (Monday closed)
Additional Facilities: Snacks & Beer
Accommodation: Located at a distance of 20 Kms from all the good hotels
Club Address: Airport Road, Yerawada, Pune - 411006

Blessed with a vast treasure of natural bounties, Shimla, the state capital of Himachal Pradesh is an ideal holiday resort for those seeking a respite from the excruciating heat of Indian summers. Located on the slopes of lower Himalayas, surrounded by green hills with snow-capped peaks, and magnificently robed in dense forests of oak, pine, fur and rhododendron, Shimla is today one of the most sought after hill stations.

No English township could be complete without a golf course. A suitable site was finally chosen close to Shimla at Naldehra (23 km). The Naldehra Golf links are one of the oldest in the country, and also the most ’sporting’ east of the Suez. Located on a spur, the Naldehra course is crowned by a beautiful grove of deodar trees, and commands a spectacular view of the Shivalik ranges. The environs at Naldehra are so serene that Lord Lytton and Lord Curzon, two of India’s viceroys preferred it to their stately homes, and spent many weeks of their summer here. The Naldehra course is carpeted by a fine springy turf which requires little maintenance.

The par 68 course is basically located in a bowl and has nine holes which can be back played to 18. The longest hole is the sixth at 370 yards; and the shortest, the fifth, with a yardage of 115. The undulating landscape demands lofty and sure shots, as a stray ball would tend to roll off the hillside into the ‘out-of-bounds’ areas. The greens are extremely fast and have to be read carefully. It is difficult to master the Naldehra course as a misjudged drive would change direction on hitting the rocky part of the fairway. Hazards on the course include an artificial water tank, cliffs with greens on the edges, and a local temple. A game of golf can be pleasantly interrupted by a colorful procession of hill folk bringing a deity from a nearby village to confer with the deity at the Naldehra temple. It is well worth spending a night or two in the log huts in Naldehra’s deodar forest. The woods are teeming with a variety of birds, and the apple orchards nearby offer fresh fruit. Naldehra is more than just a game of golf; it’s a complete outdoor holiday.

Course Details: 9 Hole Course, Distance 3,791 yards, built in 1920 (approx), Par 68
General Info: Private Resort
Open: April to November (depending on weather)
Best Season: April to November (depending on weather)
Additional Facilities: Restaurant & catering, horse riding
Accommodation: Double Bed Golf hut with kitchen - 01, Double Bed Rooms – 05
Clothing: Light Woolens in Summer; Heavy Woolens in Winter
Club Address: Naldehra, PO Durgapur, Shimla - 171012, Himachal Pradesh

The Ootacamund Golf Course managed by the Ootacamund Gymkhana Club is the finest natural golf course in the world. Situated over 7000 ft above sea level in the Nilgiris District of Tamilnadu, South India the course is incredibly beautiful and also presents a challenge to all golfers. We welcome you to our website and encourage you to add your comments and suggestions.

Course Details: 18 Hole Course, Distance 6235 yards, built in Year 1889 (approx), Par 70
General Info: Public/Private
Open: Round the year Best SeasonRound the year
Distances: Coimbatore - 90 kms, Bangalore - 275 kms, Railway Station Ootacamund - 3 kms
Accommodation: Cottages and Deluxe cottages are available apart from good hotels
Club Address: Ootacamund Gymkhana Club, Finger Post PO, Ootacamund, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu - 643006