If you love golf passionately, here is a list of golf courses from Kashmir to Karnataka that should be on your radar. There are approximately 300 golf courses in India, and while not exactly spoilt for choice, the itinerant golfer is never too far away from a layout to tee it up at. Amongst these are historical layouts, quirky hill courses, ultra-modern championship venues, oddities among tea and coffee plantations, and everything in between. Here are some that you can not only golf in but also stay in.
Aamby Valley GC
Even by the dispassionate standards of course conditioning, the Aamby Valley GC would easily rank in the top-five courses in the country. Add to that a spectacular natural location&mdashon a sloping forested patch abutting a deep valley and encircled by low rolling hills&mdashwith just the chirping of the birds and wind whistling through the trees occasionally scythed by the sound of your golf club swishing through the air. One of the better ones designed by David Hemstock, it is a gem of a layout. If you dream about golf, as most of us do, this is how that would pan out. Spread over 250 acres at an elevation of 2,700 feet, the 18 holes flow along the natural contours of parallel valleys.
ITC Classic Golf Resort
Now part of the ITC Grand Bharat&mdashan expansive luxury hotel&mdashthe Classic Golf Resort's proposition to visiting golfers is complete. The only Jack Nicklaus signature design in India is also one of the largest spread over 300 acres, the resort has an 18-hole championship course and another nine holes. About an hour's drive from New Delhi and nestled in the Aravalli hills, the CGR is usually in excellent condition throughout the year.
Royal Springs Golf Course
The Royal Springs GC is truly the jewel in the crown of India's golfing firmament. Dramatically poised between the Zabarwan Range and the legendary Dal Lake in Srinagar, this Robert Trent Jones Jr. creation takes its name from the 'Chashme Shahi' (royal springs), which adjoin the GC. The springs, surrounded by an exquisite walled garden, were prized sources of fresh water during the reign of the Mughal emperor Jehangir and existed to this day. The course, situated at 6,445 feet, was carved out of deciduous forest and fruit orchards, which ensconced the elaborate 300-acre layout. The setting imbues the course with a rolling landscape, natural marsh and wilderness. The magnificent ruins of Pari Mahal overlook the course and are best seen while walking the 14th fairway. Royal Springs GC is located adjacent to the palace of the erstwhile Maharaja of Kashmir. History, golf, and magnificent vistas combine to make a round at the RSGC much more than just a golfing experience.
Oxford Golf & Country Club
Carved out on 136 acres amongst hills with stunning backdrops, the Oxford Golf and Country Club (designer Phil Ryan of Pacific Coast Design, Australia) outside Pune is surrounded by the Sahyadri range on three sides. This championship facility presents a very pretty picture The lush green strips of the golf course stand out against the stark landscape, with the large white sand bunkers adding a touch of their own to the layout. The fourth tee is the highest point of the golf course, perched 84 metres above the 14th, which forms the floor&mdashgiving an idea of the elevation changes on the golf course.
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