Golf seems to be the new tee-off for India, resulting in more resorts coming up in the country, while hotels too benefit from the surge in occupancies, says Bindu Gopal Rao.
Holidays today are about being niche and custom made, and golf resorts are one such concept that seem to be making their presence felt strongly. In India, there are currently nearly 200 golf courses with almost another 40 in the pipeline.
Golf has been in the country for a long time – the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkatta was the first golf club to be set up outside the British Isles.
India is still considered as one of the favorite destinations by international golfers because of the fact that world-class golfing facilities are available at an affordable price, when compared to South-East Asian countries.
“Most Indian courses combine a sense of history, scenic surroundings, and a variety of other leisure activities with great game possibilities. Although we are not yet in a position to promote India as a pure golf destination, such as some of the European countries and the UK, I’d say we will do well by thoughtfully blending elements of culture and golf in a balanced holiday manner into our country, that explicitly also caters to the needs of the accompanying non-golfers,” says Puneet Sachdev, managing director, The Indian Golf Company.
More than 20 private golf resorts are expected to come up in India this year including DLF, Jaypee, Oxford Golf and Country Club, Clover Greens, and Champion Reef from Confident Group.
Dax Properties is setting up a 18-hole golf course-centric luxury retreat and township at Shadnagar in Hyderabad, at an investment of Rs500 crore. The golf course will be spread over 130-acres on a 300-acre site earmarked for the golf retreat project.
The company’s intention is to set up a golf tourism circuit towards which it is planning similar golf, villa, and resort townships in Vishakhapatnam, and at a hill station close to Bangalore. “Golf is catching up in a big way in India; we chose Hyderabad as there is no 18-hole golf course in the city,” says Masood, managing director, Dax Properties.
In spite of the fact that many Indians are keen golfers, India is not considered an attractive proposition for golf resort developers. Investing in this sector can be a challenge as there is limited land available for development in proximity to the cities, and land costs in India have sky rocketed.
Rainer Stoll, managing director, Seasons Hotels (which manages Tarudhan Valley Golf Resort), says: “Because of the cost of land as well as maintenance, golf expertise, and all the requirements for a golf resort, hotel chains are not looking into an investment in this area, but they are interested into management contracts.”
Marriott Golf, which manages golf courses in 13 countries, is one of the world’s premier golf operators. Catherine Leitner, senior manager, international public relations, Marriott International, says: “With more than 57 golf courses in 41 locations around the world, we believe strongly in the value that the golf element provides for our guests; it is an attractive component of the overall resort experience.”
“Golf in India is still an establishment for a private membership and I believe more has to be done to promote ‘Golf India’ on an international level. Infrastructure is another issue – in spite of the fact that there are close to 200 courses, only a handful are top-class and this is not enough for India to get branded as a golfing destination.
Golfers overseas have a hard time associating golf with India to actually consider the country a destination for a golfing holiday. The most obvious connections are tigers, forts, people everywhere, and suchlike, and the international media re-enforces this stereotype.
If things are to change there is a strong need to begin right at the top, that is, for the Ministry of Tourism to commission campaigns that highlight the golfing angle, and this must be done in partnership with the golf industry,” opines Sachdev.
Karnataka State Tourism is developing golf packages and intends to develop a golf tourism circuit.
According to K Jothiramalingam, principal secretary, Department of Tourism: “Mysore, Belgaum, Mangalore, Chikmagalur, and Madikeri, are being projected as golf tourism destinations, and we will provide budgetary support to golf courses to improve the irrigation facilities. We have set aside Rs one crore for development and upgradation of these golf courses.
We have also identified 135-acres of land located in a peninsular area, with the Arabian Sea on one side and the river on the other where we intend to develop an international standard 18-hole golf course-cum-resort. This is proposed to be developed via Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and we will invite tenders for the same soon.”
Golf remains an attraction for hotel operators because it is a sport that promotes tourism while bringing in major revenues by increasing occupancy, and there is a massive growth in the sport in India.
“The numbers are increasing at an annual clip of 30%. There are some 200,000-250,000 golfers in the country today,” says Sachdev.
Sunil Prabhakar, director, sales and marketing, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, says: “Golf resorts are a relatively new concept in India and, as a sport, golf is increasingly gaining popularity. Hence, the city that has a golf resort becomes a destination in itself that could boost occupancy in city-based hotels.”
“Huge investments are made into these developments and the golf course add-on is a way to preserve green space while adding value to the investment,” adds Terrance Mohamed, senior design coordinator, Middle East and South Asia, Nelson and Haworth, Golf Course Architects.
“India will see growth – the NCR region today is the heart of India for golfing because of the variety of golf courses here. The DLF Golf Course Gurgaon, Delhi Golf Club, Golden Green, ITC Classic Golf, and Tarudhan Valley are present here and there are more coming up,” avers Stoll.
If you are wondering what exactly a golf resort means for golfers and non-golfers, here is the differentiation: “I guess the easiest definition of a golf resort would be a golfing destination that includes accommodation and amenities which cater to the golf enthusiast.
The amenities I speak of usually include a practice facility with possibly a golfing and teaching academy, and one or more 18-hole courses,” opines Mohamed.
“In some cases these facilities may include extra activities such as spa, beaches, tennis, backpacking, and suchlike. It provides the golfing enthusiast a vacation package based around the love for the game. For the non-golfer, it provides an opportunity to be introduced to the game through the teaching facilities with golfing professionals on hand.”
A top class resort involves five-star accommodation, services, and a golf course, which is maintained at a championship level.
“Besides golf, you need to offer a perfect retreat which includes additional sports facilities like say a tennis court and gym. Facilities for children are requested (playgrounds, games, sport activities). Food and beverage is an important signature for a resort. High quality, as well as the health factor, is important, for instance, Seasons Hotel will have one acre of land for an organic farm for vegetables and herbs,” says Stoll.
To be a top class golf resort, the location has to be really special.
“Great accommodation, designer golf courses – ideally more than one course so that the golfers can have a dedicated short golf break at one location, such as Turnberry Golf Resort (Ayrshire), Fairmont Hotel (St Andrews), Gleneagles Golf Resort (Perthshire) – and a choice of activities and entertainment for accompanying non-golfers, a world class spa, child care facilities perhaps, and, more importantly, high service levels,” elaborates Sachdev.
Eagleton, The Golf Village, in Bibadi, Bangalore, is a 500-acre golf resort with an 18-hole, par-72 course, spread over an expanse of 168-acres, designed by Phil Ryan of Pacific Coast Designs Group, Australia.
“A top-class golf club should offer an impeccably designed golf course; a well-equipped driving range with trained professionals and instructors is a must. Living facilities should be on par with five-star leisure facilities, offering a wide culinary range,” explains Chetan Meda, director, Eagleton, The Golf Village.
The average age of a golfer has also fallen significantly, indicating an exponential growth in this sector. “In fact, the first ever junior golf championship with participation from some South-East Asian countries as well, will be taking place at our resort in November 2009,” says Stoll.
Even though golf is everywhere these days, in some countries, it still caters only to the fortunate and is still not accessible to the masses.
“A perfect example of this is the city of Mumbai, where only a very small percentage of people have access to the facilities. For the game to be introduced and to grow on an exponential level, there must be more accessibility available. I’ve heard of different programmes and indoor practice facilities on the verge of opening, and an introduction to junior programmes that may be the gateway for the masses to learn more about the game,” says Mohamed.
