Playing Golf In The Lap Of Heritage

This article is a sponsored feature by PGTI

It is one of the warmest states in the country and is famously known for the Thar Desert, but as you walk across the 18 hole golf course at Jaipur’s Rambagh Golf Club that was established in 1944, one would find it hard to believe that you are anywhere near Rajasthan. Across a vast expanse and under a clear blue sky, the course is looks resplendently green with a smattering of trees that include Ashoka, Gulmohar, Neem and Silver Oak. The occasion is the ₹30 lakh Jaipur Open that was played for the first time on the Professional Golf Tour of India’s (PGTI) calendar from the 13th to the 16th of September. It isn’t the first time that the Rambagh Golf Club has hosted a golf event, but the Jaipur Open is a first and it is something that those associated are clearly proud of.

Uttam Singh Mundy, the Chief Executive Officer of the PGTI and a former professional golfer himself says, “Jaipur has been on our mind for a while. We have always looked at coming here for a main tour event, this was one event where we thought we could help the sport in Rajasthan.”

Rajasthan is one of the most tourist-friendly states in the country and is famous for its forts and palaces. Walking around the Rambagh Golf Club, one gets a sense of the picturesque beauty of the course. Jaigarh Fort built in 1726 is visible from the tee of the 15th hole but clearly the most stunning visual is from behind the putting green of the 8th hole where one can see Moti Dungri fort, which was renovated by Sawai Man Singh II to give it the feel of a Scottish castle. Given the tourist appeal of Rajasthan and with Jaipur being the capital, a golf tournament of this nature went well with the state and city’s image, so it may come as a surprise why it took so long.

Giriraj Singh, the captain of the Rambagh Golf Club, feels that while every event eventually takes its own time to fructify, he remains grateful to the sponsors and the state sports council for their role in helping the event take place. “It’s a really wonderful experience for all the players and the club especially the youngsters who have been playing here. Theinvolvement of Rajasthan State Sports Council and Rajasthan Tourism getting involved will help make the sport popular and benefit tourism in the city,” says Singh.

Rajmata Gayatri Devi whose residence Lily Pool can be seen from behind the 14th hole, was a keen golfer and it is because of her that the golf course has been developed. She had gone to Kashmir and returned from there in the 1940s*, after which she first conceived the idea. In the initial days and in fact till very recently it was a brown course, and only a few years back has it become a green course.

Shamim Khan, 39 is the top ranked golfer on the PGTI as well as leader in the Order of Merit standings with ₹23.61 lakhs. He won the Jaipur Open with a score 20 under par, overcoming a four shot deficit from leader Vikrant Chopra at the start of the final day’s play, thus winning the 14th title of his professional career. Speaking on the sidelines of the Pro-Am event which took place a day after the main tournament concluded, he was full of praise for the course and his experience here. “I like the golf course and its layout. Moreover Rajasthan is well-known for its monuments, tourists keep coming here. The layout of this course and moreover the backdrop, it lends character to the city.”

Mukesh Kumar, 52 is also one of the top golfers on the PGTI and last year won his first Asian Tour event at the Panasonic Open held at the Delhi Golf Club. He first played in Jaipur in 1990 when the course was brown unlike the resplendent green that it is now. He praised the course’s current condition and has complimented the authorities for working hard to make it what it is. Kumar says, “As a golfer when you get to play with forts in the background, it is very encouraging and motivating.”

In a country where golf is largely known as a sport for elites, things have been turning around in recent times with golfers from varied backgrounds taking up the sport. Also, the sport which was largely being played in bigger cities like the capital New Delhi and Kolkata, is now spreading its wings to other destinations. Kamlakar Sharma the former captain of the Rambagh Golf Club who was playing the Pro-Am event is confident about the growth of the sport in Jaipur and other parts of Rajasthan. “A large number of youngsters have picked up the sport in Jaipur. In times to come you will see Jaipur as a prominent golf centre,” says Sharma.

Garib Dass (IPS officer who is currently Director Vigilance in the Railway Board),an avid golfer playing the Pro-Am event feels the mixture of culture and tourism which Rajasthan was always renowned for, will only help take the sport forward in the years to come. “Golf will help promote tourism in Rajasthan,” says Dass.

Singh certainly believes that in the years to come with the support of the sponsors and state authorities, the Rambagh Golf Club will be capable of hosting an international event. He plans to redesign the course, make it greener and have more and better tournaments.

One of the grouses with India’s sporting scene is that it has been famously referred to as a one-sport nation in cricket. That has changed considerably over the past decade and golf is one of the sports which has been part of this changing landscape. This is not just in its coverage but also what golfers can earn. With the PGTI becoming an open tour from next year, more international golfers will be expected to come. Kumar feels if they come and see quality golf courses like the one at Rambagh Golf Club, it will only increase the participation. Khan is even more optimistic as he feels that with an increase in the turnout of top golfers, the sponsorship money will start increasing which going ahead will be better for golf in the country.

The mood in general is upbeat around the Rambagh Golf Club and while it may have come late, the Jaipur Open is a step in the right direction for India’s steadily improving golf fortunes.