Four regional Centres of Golfing Excellence, including one at CGA Chandigarh, also in the works
Apart from IGU’s initiatives, a slew of startups is jumping in to tap the huge latent demand from the upwardly mobile and aspirational Indians by opening golf driving ranges and academies to make the sport more accessible for mass participation
One such startup with a unique concept of golf with fun and entertainment, and with ambitious plans for expansion, is Zen Golf (https://zengolf.in/). Promoted by Shyam Grover, its maiden driving range-academy in the heart of Gurgaon, steered by the highest A-level certified trainer Arjun Malik, has completed a successful year
Day is not far when we can expect mini golf arcades to spring up in high traffic areas like malls and mini academies in schools across the country
Imagine an international ace golfer earning 20 times more from prize money annually than our biggest stars in cricket, which is like religion in the country. And yet we have just over 1,00,000 golfers playing on around 100 golf courses, a miniscule fraction of the 25 million golfers playing on 15,000-odd courses dotting the length and breadth of the USA.
Now that golf has been restored as an Olympic sport, from the 2016 Rio Games, competition is only getting tougher.
There is an ever-increasing latent interest in golf among the upwardly mobile sections of society, which are wanting to enhance their lifestyle, and even among aspirational Indians in all tiers of cities. It is somewhere in the back of their minds, yearning to come out. But apparently lack of avenues to indulge in the sport have been holding them back.
All this is set to change with a slew of startups jumping in to tap this huge latent demand by opening golf driving ranges and academies to make the sport more accessible.
Indian Golf Union (IGU), the apex body of golf in the country responsible for the promotion and development of the sport, has also announced steps to democratise the sport by aggressively reaching out to the schools and drawing up plans to introduce newer and shorter formats of the sport to make it more attractive for mass participation.
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In its current format, golf is played at a leisurely pace over 18 holes on a full-length, winding and undulating course, peppered with woods, sand bunkers and water bodies in between greens and fairways. A round can take up a good three hours.
Brijinder-speak
Your own news portal LifeInChandigarh.com recently caught up with IGU president Brijinder Singh while on a visit to Chandigarh, on the invitation of Chandigarh Golf Association (CGA) to participate in its silver jubilee celebrations which were kicked off with a Silver Jubilee CGA Cup pro-am tournament, and we got chatting on the status of golf in the country and plans to take it to the next level.
Serving his second consecutive tenure at the helm of IGU, Brijinder Singh informed that his organisation has recently appointed a full-time National Golf Development Manager under an aggressive plan to collaborate with schools across the country in setting up small academies with basic golfing facilities where aspiring students can learn the basics of the sport like driving within nets, chipping and putting.
The government can also contribute to making the sport more popular among the masses by including golf training in its flagship initiatives like Skilling India and Khelo India, he suggested.
Brijinder Singh informed that IGU is also keen on setting up four fully equipped regional centres of excellence in golf where talented golfers can hone their skills under the close supervision of expert coaches. Chandigarh is a strong contender for one of these regional centres since it already has the necessary wherewithal – a driving range and equipment – which can be further strengthened.
To generate greater attraction in the sport for mass participation, the IGU is working on preparing a plan to introduce the shorter and more exciting format called Golf Sixes, which is increasingly catching on in many parts of the world. Compared to the traditional 18-hole course, this format is played over just 6 holes.
In another positive development, the National Golf Academy of India (NGAI), the educational and teaching arm of IGU, recently achieved full membership in the Confederation of Professional Golf (CPG), opening avenues for receiving additional resources.
IGU Hony Secretary SK Sharma
Separately, CGA president SK Sharma, who is also Hony. Secretary of IGU, told LifeInChandigarh.com that under a recent IGU campaign,10,000 school children and their PT teachers were provided basic training in clinics organised across Delhi NCR. Out of these school children, 129 are actively pursuing the game.
He also informed that apart from India’s Hero Group, which is has been steadfastly supporting the development of golf in the country, an international business giant DP World also has plans to bring a major amateur golf tournament to the country.
India’s golf journey
India’s golf journey thus far has been decent, without being spectacular.
There is a long list of men and women golfers from modern India who have inspired or are inspiring the next generation of aspiring golfers with their stellar performances on the international circuit – the likes of Jeev Milka Singh, Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa, Anirban Lahiri, Shubhankar Sharma, Aditi Ashok, Diksha Dagar, Sharmila Nicollet and Tvesa Malik.
As proof of some democratisation having already happened in the sport within the country, a host of caddies (persons who carry golfers’ clubs and provide other assistance during play) have been provided opportunities to not only play the sport but eventually live their dreams of turning professionals and earning handsome prize money.
Some of the names which come to mind are Ali Sher, who made a generational shift by becoming the first Indian caddie-turned-pro winner of the biggest prize money Indian Open, Jamshed Ali, Basad Ali, Feroze Ali, Ashok Kumar, SSP Chawrasia, Om Prakash Chouhan, S Chikkarangappa, and more. Many among these names went on to win multiple Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) titles.
According to available information, caddie pros account for nearly half of the 300-odd pros on the Indian tour.
Isn’t this enough to inspire boys and girls, men and women, regardless of age, to pick up the club and start stroking the ball!
Cheers to a strong golfing culture, which is around the corner!
