Signature Golfing Bangalore

Tennis and squash hold their charms for the fitness fanatics. Chess calls the Machiavellian mind. Golf is the magnet that exercises its pull over the rich and powerful. And yet, it is the game in which even the most seasoned pro turns egalitarian and seeks the advice of the caddy who lugs his golf bag around. The greens hold irresistible allure for high fliers who despite being hard pressed for time, indulge in a leisurely walk across a hundred acres, taking the occasional chip shot, drive or putt.

Golf in all its glory has captured the imagination of corporate India; its die-hard devotees boldly countering inclement weather and ridiculously early alarm bells. Like golfers around the world, they subscribe to the view that the game promotes a sense of corporate camaraderie. In fact, 90 per cent of Fortune 500 Company CEOs tee off, even in the face of mounting work pressures. The stimulating green expanse offers a refreshing alternative to the pressure-cooker boardrooms lined with eyeballing executives.

Big ticket sponsors like United Spirits Ltd (USL) have given a fillip to the game through consistent associations. The most prestigious of these is the McDowell’s Signature Club Golf Championship - the biggest amateur club golf tournament in India. In 2007 the sixth edition of this championship saw 4500 golfers from 30 leading clubs across 20 cities in India and Nepal, vying for the prestigious title. Finalists from the four regional champion clubs competed in a spectacular finale at the Burapha Golf Course in Thailand.

The glamour and prize money is encouraging youngsters to address the ball right or to putt perfect with the help of high priced coaches. Dozens are showing promise of becoming the national, even global champs in the near future.

Golf was first popularised in Bangalore by army officers, many of who played in make-shift courses in the sprawling camp grounds of the Madras Sappers or Madras Engineering Group (MEG) and the Army Supply Corps (ASC). Maharajahs and members of the royalty also played the sport. The Army and the Air Force each have 18 hole golf courses which are primarily meant for the officers, though a limited number of civilians are also permitted to play.

The Bangalore Golf Club, founded in 1876 is the second oldest in India. It has the distinction of hosting, along with Chennai, the oldest inter-club tournament in the country, which started in 1878. The bar at the Bangalore Golf Club holds interesting memorabilia tracing the history of the club. The par 71, 6650 yards, 18 hole course has been deftly packed into just 60 acres of land.

The KGA was conceived in 1973 by a small group of self-confessed golf addicts, but it was only in 1981 that the then sport loving Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao sanctioned 124 acres of land in Challaghata. It took five more years of collecting funds and the goodwill of another chief minister, Ramakrishna Hegde, for the course to become a reality. The first phase of the course was designed by Peter Thomson, the 1965 British Open Champion. It was completed in 1986, and within the next ten years, it helped create national champions. The Indian Golf Union rates it among the top four courses in the country.

There are private golf courses such as Eagleton, an 18 hole, 72 par US PGA standard golf course, an hour’s drive along the Bangalore-Mysore highway. The Prestige Leisure Resorts course is fast nearing completion near the new international airport.

Going by the numbers of the hopeful waiting to tee off, the city is well and truly in the sway of “the passion, an obsession, a romance, a nice acquaintanceship with trees, sand, and water”.