Kashmir
offers a unique opportunity to play golf all through
the summer – from April to November –
in invigorating surroundings, where the wind whispers
through enormous trees of chinar and stately pine.
In
the verdant golf courses at Srinagar and Gulmarg,
you will be able to play for longer hours than
you can in the plains because of the lower temperatures
– Srinagar’s highest temperature seldom
goes above 35°C. The layout of both the courses,
too, will delight the golfers. Srinagar has an
18-hole golf course with common fairways, and
a par of 70. This course is open throughout the
year, unless snowbound in winter
The
course at Gulmarg is like nothing you’ve
ever seen or imagined before. Situated at an altitude
of 2,650 m, it is the highest green golf course
anywhere in the world. The layout of the course
too is strikingly different from most golf courses–
the land slopes and inclines along the complete
area of the course, which has a par of 72. There
is history at Gulmarg for those interested. The
club, started by the British who used Gulmarg
as a holiday resort, first opened its doors in
1904, and a charmingly written book traces its
past. The J&K Tourism Development Corporation
(J&K TDC) now manages the Club.
If
you plan to play golf regularly during the entire
duration of your stay in Kashmir, a temporary
membership can be availed, which will enable you
to use the course for as long as you are here.
Naturally the membership entitles you to use the
clubhouse restaurant facilities. You can hire
a golf set and balls for the day from the pro-shops
at Gulmarg. Should you want to brush up your play,
or simply to learn golf for the first time, there
are competent trainers at both clubs.
Gulmarg
Golf - A 'Look Back'
Golf
is a way of life at Gulmarg. At an altitude of
2,650 m, in the heart of the world famous resort,
is its rolling golf course, the highest in the
world. The historic Gulmarg Golf Club was started
in 1911 by the British who used the place as a
holiday resort. Since then it has seen over four
score years of tournaments of both amateurs and
professionals, of men, women and children.
The
origin of Gulmarg as the Golfing Mecca of India
goes back to the late 19th century when a 6-hole
course was made in 1890-91 by Colonel Neville
Chamberlain - the greens were known as browns
in those days. By 1896, three more holes in the
nullah, below Raja Sir Amar Singh's house, were
added. In 1901, the Maharaja of Kashmir donated
land at Gulmarg for laying out a golf course,
which came to be known as the Upper Golf Course.
In 1915 a 9-hole course, also known as 'Rabbits
Course' was also built. There was a separate 6-hole
course for children. By the 1920s the resort was
totally covered with golf courses: two 18-hole
courses, the ‘Upper Course’ and the
‘Lower’ and one 9-hole middle course,
which was more famous as the ‘Rabbits Course’.
Gulmarg,
with its rarefied atmosphere, is natural all the
way. As the ball is hit, it 'whistles' its way
to the next hole. The turf, since it lies buried
six to eight feet under snow for five months of
the year, is soft. The greens have a combination
of moss and a high variety of grass and natural
slopes, which are fast to play on, and the thin
air carries the ball further. Golfing at Gulmarg's
18-hole course, with a par of 72, is a unique
experience.
A
hundred years of golf in Srinagar
The
Kashmir Golf Club has all the luxuries
fitted that make playing golf a memorable experience.
It is spread over 52 sprawling acres of lush land
adjoining the Maulana Azad Road, the City’s
main avenue. Its president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah,
is himself a keen golfer.
The
Kashmir Golf Club at Srinagar. With well laid
out bunkers and hazards, interspersed between
chinars & pine is a professional 18-hole course
and has been the venue of many tournaments. The
course has common fairways and a par of 70. Srinagar
offers an exclusive opportunity for golf enthusiasts
to play through an extended summer, from April
to November. While the plains are boiling, Srinagar's
temperate climate allows the golfer to play longer
hours without getting tired.
Associated
with history of Kashmir Golf Club is its famous
pro man of many golfing facets, the 98-year old
Ghulam Mohammad. In 1930, he was the first golfing
professional in India. He has trained hundreds
of aspiring golfers during his long career as
a golfing pro. Ghulam Mohammad started life as
a fore caddy in the early years of this century.
Later, he went on to play to a scratch handicap
for 30 years. Through time, he trained famous
golfers of India: the late Billoo PG Sethi, the
late Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir, the late
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and J.S Pathak. He has also
trained Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah who began
playing golf since the age of 12, and today is
living up to his teacher’s name. According
to Ghulam Mohammad, "golf is like an addiction.
You can’t have enough of it."
Royal
Spring Golf Course
Spanning
an expense of 300 acres near the famous Cheshma
Shahi, The Royal Spring Golf Course is open to
general public.The Golf Course was designed
and laid out by the World renowned Golf architect,
Robert Trent Jones Jr. II, who has designed about
500 courses all over the World, including in Bangkok
and China.
The
Golf course picturesque located over looking the
famous Dal Lake, is set in a natural environment
created against the dramatic backdrop of Zabarwan
hills. The setting is a combination of aesthetic
delight and golfing pleasure and is a truly transcending
experience of the Golfer and nature lover alike.
The 118 holes, 6445 mtrs. Course at a par
of 72 offer a challenge to all levels of players.
The
fairways are turfed with coolweather grass of
different Shades. Rye, Kentucky blue and tall
frescoes have been bordering trees lend a touch
of colour throughout the golfing season.
The
club building is built in a style reminiscent
of old Kashmiri architecture with separate wings
of locker rooms and other facilities.
The
club building is yet to be commissioned which
is planned to offer the following facilities:-
* Change room.
* Bar and Restaurant.
* Billiard, Cards and Ping-Pong.
* Pro-shop.
Club
membership fees are yet to be fixed. However the
green fees are fixed at Rs. 250/- per round of
8 holes and Rs. 150/- per round of 9 holes.
Contact Address
The Director/Administrator,
Royal Spring Golf Course,
(Cheshma Shahi) Boulevard Road,
Srinagar-190001.
Telephone: 0194-2457672
