Kashmir offers outstanding opportunities for the golf players all through the summer - from April to November - in inspiring surroundings, through trees of chinar and pine.
In the flourishing golf courses at Srinagar and Gulmarg, one is able to play for longer hours than one can in the plains because of the lower temperatures - Srinagar's highest temperature never goes beyond 35 deg. Centigrade. Srinagar has an 18 hole golf course with common fairways, and a par of 70. The golf course at Gulmarg is something unique, you have ever seen or imagined before.
Kashmir boasts of acquiring one of the world's highest green golf courses, as well as a clubhouse, a historical building in its own right, situated at Gulmarg, also one of the finest hill stations at J&K. Situated at an incredibly high altitude of 3730 meters above sea level, it is not only the highest green golf course anywhere in the world but also one of the most beautiful with amazing ambience. The tourism department of J&K justly offers all required facilities for the travelers and golf lovers. There are various facilities for both the beginners and the experts. For the starter, there are golf sets on hire, instructors to instruct one in the game, and temporary memberships. Similarly, these facilities are available for the players as well, leaving out the serious golfers, who usually carry their sets along.
As a part of IGC Tourism, the government of Jammu and Kashmir in the early 1990s conceived the idea of having an 18 hole International Golf Course near Cheshma Shahi in Kashmir. For this purpose the government secured the services of the world renowned Robert Trent Jones-II of California, USA as consultant for designing and laying out the course. The irrigation system is provided by Toro. It is an underground sprinkler irrigation system controlled through a computer.
Kashmir and Golf have been synonymous for over 100 years now. Kashmir is famous for it's beauty as well as it's rich heritage for being the Mecca of Indian Golfers. Gulmarg, known for its world famous slopes is also very famous for its natural Golf course. It was the efforts of Col. (afterward Sir) Neville Chamberlain and Mr. Henry Mitchell who were visiting Gulmarg in 1888 who then stumbled onto this beautiful and picturesque meadow which they felt was a perfect site for a golf course. So natural indeed that they immediately got down to clearing away some of the Rose bushes and the Alpine flowers to carve a short 6-hole course at about the place the practice area is located. To this course, three more holes were added by Col. George Shakespeare in 1896, and these 9 holes were played as such until 1901, when the course was extended to the mandatory 18 holes.
In early 1900's golfer's used to get away from the heat of the plains to Gulmarg to play golf in this picturesque and high altitude (8700 ft above sea level) golf course which is surrounded by mountains on one side . The golf course of Gulmarg has everything it takes to make a world class golf course. This world famous meadow is shaped like a horse shoe.
The club building lies in the center of the meadow. At the west end of the Marg is the 18 hole course .The first 9-holes are known as the "Upper Course" and the later added 9-holes are known as the "Lower Course" . On the lower slopes of the Marg are located many wooden huts in which the visitors reside.
The main golf courses of Kashmir are:
Kashmir Golf Club Srinagar
The Kashmir Golf Club is situated on the Maulana Azad Road. Spread over an area of 52 acres, it boasts of common fairways and a par of 70. It also has well laid out bunkers and hazards, interspersed between chinars and pine trees. Srinagar offers an exclusive opportunity for golf enthusiasts to play through an extended summer, from April to November. While the plains in the rest of India are boiling, Srinagar’s temperate climate allows the golfer to play longer hours.
This 18-hole course has served as the venue of a number of tournaments. Kashmir Golf Club prides itself for churning out the first golfing professional in India, Ghulam Mohammad in 1930. He was the first golfing professional in India and went on to play to a scratch handicap for 30 years.
Royal Springs Golf Course Srinagar
Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar is the most picturesque sporting venue of the country. It derives its name from Cheshma-Shahi, The Royal Spring, around which the Mughal Emperor Jehangir built his own famous garden. Nestling at the foot spurs of the Zarawan mountain range that dominates the Dal Lake, the course is, quite unselfconsciously, lovely. The setting, between lake and mountain, is the cause both for the spectacular views and unreadable greens.
Spanning an expanse of 300 acres of rolling hills, natural marsh, native deciduous forests, lakes and wilderness, the course has been declared as the best golf course in India and among the top ten in Asia. It is indeed one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The golf course was designed and laid out by the World renowned golf architect, Robert Trent Jones Jr.
The 18-hole, par 72 courses, which has been designed to USPGA standards, is about 7200 yards but plays shorted because of the altitude and offers a sufficient challenge to every level of player. The greens are of Bent grass. The fairways and rough are made up of a mixture of four kinds of Kentucky blue. The deep rough have mixtures of tall fescue. Adjacent to the course is a 5-star hotel – Lake View Centaur and SKICC (Sheri Kashmir International convention centre). The mind boggling ruins of Pari Mahal can be seen from any point in the Golf Course.
The club building is built in a style reminiscent of old Kashmiri architecture with separate wings for locker rooms and other facilities. The club offers the following facilities:
Change room
Bar and Restaurant
Billiard and Table Tennis
Pro-shop
Driving Range
Card Room
Lake View Golf Course Srinagar
Lake View Golf Course is another breathtaking course crafted out of the foot spurs of the Zabarwan Mountains that descend onto the shores of the fabled Dal Lake. This 9-hole course has lush green fairways. It also has a variety of fruit trees and wild species of flowers, bordering many tees and greens that besides lending a touch of color also fill the breeze with a tantalizing fragrance.
Gulmarg
Gulmarg boasts of the highest golf course in the world. Situated at an altitude of 2,650 mts, the golf course of Gulmarg is quite different from most of the other golf courses. It has typical links characteristics and the thin air makes the long hitter take a fancy to the course.
At one time, during the early part of the twentieth century, Gulmarg had three golf courses and each one used to be much frequented during the summer months when the British used to come to this resort to escape the scorching heat in the plains of the country. The first 6-hole golf course was laid in 1892 by Colonel Neville Chamberlain. The golf club was built in 1902 and Captain Hill became its first Honorary Secretary. The course was redesigned in 1978 by Peter Thompson Associated of Australia and the Golf Course was laid out by changing the location of greens and making it more challenging.
Rather than being flat, most of the area of the golf course is full of land slopes and inclines. Gulmarg now has an 18-hole, 6760 yards and par 72 course. The course boasts of India’s longest hole- the 610 yards, par 5, eight. The origin of the Gulmarg golf course dates back to 1911, when it was started by the British as a holiday resort.
Temporary memberships can be availed to play golf and golf sets can be taken on hire from local caddies who will also surprise you with their skills. The golf club has a restaurant and also offers facilities like Billiards, Table Tennis and carom. Gulmarg is also India’s premier winter ski resort and usually the course remains snow-bound for about six months in a year (Nov-Apr).
Pahalgam
Pahalgam 96 kms from Srinagar, and at 2130 meters, is the premier summer resort of the valley. Situated at the confluence of the Lidder and Sheeshnag streams and set in the midst of fir and pine forests with snow covered mountains, Pahalgam is renowned for its natural beauty. The resort homes a popular golf course which is being redesigned and re-laid and shall be ready to welcome golfers soon. The 18-hole delight will surely be a unique course. The serene surroundings with mighty mountains and gushing waters make the course distinctive. Pahalgam gets lesser snowfall than Gulmarg and the course remains open for eight to nine months a year.