Getting Into the Swing

You don’t need a six-pack to play golf, Stay fit enough to amble around in the fresh air for an hour or two, and you can get a fair amount of enjoyment out of the game well into your retirement: Jack Nicklaus, now 69, played his last competitive tournament in 2005.

It’s expensive, though. Decent clubs, golf bag, shoes, gloves, balls and tees will cost from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 150,000. TaylorMade, Calloway and Titleist are available in India, but for their best, you’ll have to order online. (To give your credit card a real workout, check out Maruman Golf’s Majesty Series: a set of irons, fairway woods and drivers will cost you around $10,000.) Then there’s course memberships, and caddy fees, if you don’t want to lug all those clubs around yourself.

Still with us? Right then, Big Spender, let’s start you off with a mix of scenic and challenging courses. And, overleaf, an introduction to three of the country’s best coaches, to help you up your game.

Royal Springs Golf Club, Srinagar, Kashmir
You could be forgiven for thinking you’ve stepped into a fruit orchard as you pass peach, apricot, cherry and Kashmiri apple trees on your way around the course. The signature hole is the fifth, with a sheer drop down a flower-lined hill. The whole course was carved out of a forest. Pari Mahal is in view at all times and the little shikharas on the Dal Lake peep out at you every now and then. Oh and it’s not all about the style. The up-and-down fairways will test you, as will the lightning fast greens.

Amby Valley Golf Course, near Lonavala, Maharashtra
The sheer beauty of this course makes you gasp. Just a two-hour drive out of Mumbai, it is laid out 2,700 feet above sea level in the Sahyadri range in the Western Ghats, surrounded by ravines on three sides. An early morning start lets you take in the best sunrise in this part of India. The course is completely floodlit, which means you can enjoy a round or two under moonlight. It was re-modelled by Professional Golfers Association Design Consulting of Great Britain and Ireland for the Indian PGA Golf Tour in 2004, and is up to championship standard. Conditions change by the minute at this altitude to make it just that much more challenging.

Kundale Golf Club, Munnar, Kerala
You’ll need to be in good physical condition to tackle the terrain. Once the private enclave of British tea-planters, vestiges of the Colonial world are still visible in the charming little clubhouse. Not just the look; when we last visited this place (three years ago) all you had to do was write down the number of drinks you had in the log book, word of honour, and you would be charged for that. It’s a nine-hole course and quite easy to navigate; beware, though, of the sudden cracks across the fairways, and of course the altitude. It’s an overnight drive from Bangalore, six hours from Kochi or Coimbatore, and a further half-hour up-hill from Munnar.

Delhi Golf Club, Delhi
Be careful not to let history weigh you down as you begin your rounds; the red sandstone Lal Bangla, the tomb of Sayyid Abid, and the Barah Khamba will attempt to distract you. There are no water hazards on this course, but the thorny bush-lined fairways and deep sand bunkers more than make up for their absence. The Barah Khamba guards the eighth hole and there are quite a few protective bunkers that team up with the wind to prevent you making the hole. When you do manage to get through them you are up on another very tricky surface. The Indian Masters used to be played here until this year, when it was cancelled because of the economic downturn. For the environmentalists, more than 300 species of birds and 200 species of trees make their home here.

JP Greens Golf Resort, Noida
Greg “The Great White Shark” Norman’s distinct style is imprinted all over this place. One of India’s best championship courses, this one has 14 water bodies including lakes to challenge the champion in you. Also the longest one in the country, everything here tests you: The 88 sand bunkers, the wind, the fairways and the 7,347 yards. The club runs a golf academy that has courses for both beginners and experienced hands. The course also has a 270-yard driving range and greens for putting practice.

Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Kolkata
Another reminder of the British, this is the oldest golf club outside the British Isles and was founded in 1829. The most appealing features to any seasoned golfer are the strategically located water bodies and water hazards. The course has been upgraded in the last few years and the greens are smaller than most other championship courses, but the fairways have to be negotiated well. This has been the venue for the All India Championship since 1958.

TOP COACHES

Brandon de Souza
Played professionally from 1982-1990. Turned fulltime coach in ’91. The Indian Golf Union sent him to Florida in ’93 and ’96, where he learnt under David Leadbetter, one of the world’s most respected golf coaches. Operates out of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. Runs programmes for individuals as well as corporates. Coached national champs like Gaurav Ghei, Rahul Ganapathy and Shruti Khanna.

Jesse Grewal
A golf enthusiast since college. Worked in tea plantations across the country, combining his career with his golfing passion. Returned to Chandigarh to start a tea business before turning to golf coaching fulltime in the late 90s. Nurtured talents like national champs Gurbaaz Mann and Irina Brar. He teaches at the Chandigarh Golf Association.

Romit Bose
An expert with young golfers. Has headed ten successive Junior Training Programmes at the Delhi Golf Club. Conducts programmes for Indian and multinational companies.Involved with setting up academies across the country. Coached caddy-turned-pro Ashok Kumar, and others like Amardip Sinh Malik, Karanjit Singh and Himmat Singh Rai. A certified Class A teacher.