Teeing Off In Kashmir

The Express Power Golf 2004 saw head honchos of Indian corporate circuit trading drives with professional golfers on the scenic greens of Kashmir writes Shona A Singh

The Express Power Golf 2004 - which was played at Srinagar and Gulmarg - was a weekend of great golf on some of the most scenic courses in Kashmir. It was also a trip down memory lane for some of the participants, who made a nostalgic journey back to the Government Golf Course in Gulmarg after 15 years or more, having been regular visitors each summer till trouble hit the valley in '89.

However, when we landed at the Srinagar airport on September 3, 2004, a peaceful silence enveloped us. Three flights that landed one after the other, off loaded golfers as well as other tourists, who were escorted into the city. The beautiful Grand Palace hotel in Srinagar with its sprawling colourful gardens, offered a breathtaking view of the Dal Lake on the horizon, surrounded by tall trees and towering mountains that rose up into the sky. Ancient Chinar trees dominated the grounds and one of the oldest - a 400-year-old Chinar believed to have been planted by Akbar still stood out proudly. The harmonious chirping of birds further enhanced the calmness that seems to envelope the picturesque beauty of the valley. However, security guards and plain-clothes police men were stationed at every post. Our travel advisor, Puneet Suri explained, " They are there for our safety."

On the eve of the Express Power Golf 2004 at the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar, the lobby of the Grand Palace Hotel was abuzz with activity as participants and golfing buddies greeted each other. Close to a hundred golfers were participating in the two day event (September 4 and 5) including leading lady golfers like Champika Sayal and Ranjeet Grewal - the latter had flown in from Bangalore. She had already played a practice round. Golf enthusiast Bharat Patel, chairman Proctor and Gamble, also introduced me to his motto: "have clubs, will travel." He summed up in just four words what the hundred golfers in Kashmir felt that week.

The next day started bright and early and even the busy chief minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was on time to inaugurate the Express Power Golf 2004 at the Royal Springs Golf Course, accompanied by minister for tourism, Ghulam Hassan Mir. The ceremonial tee-off was followed by a shotgun start as the hundred participants teed off to compete for the numerous prizes on offer for the 18-hole competition.

"This event is a great platform for interaction as well as a perfect opportunity for individuals to see the tremendous potential this area offers. Furthermore, as heads of corporations and businesses, they can be our future investors as they can see the various sectors that can be developed," said the chief minister. He also emphasised: "These two days of golf are a great boost for tourism, as golf is an internationally known game. We have golf courses in Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pehalgam and are now developing a world class golf course in Sonamarg by inviting international experts."

Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Hassan Mir, added, "During the last 14 years, Kashmir has been projected as being unsafe for tourists. Only when these people see the situation for themselves can they spread the good word, as they are our best ambassadors. "

The participants enjoyed playing the course and were left speechless by the signature hole - the par-three fifth, which offers a view of the Dal Lake. Sanjay Krishnamurti, executive director (retail), Bharat Petroleum, who worked in the valley between 1984 and '86, and has traveled all over the region, was full of praise for the course. "This is a beautiful golf course and I recently met some locals who say that even though a lot of issues have been raised about forest land being cleared to design this course, they feel that this golf course is the best thing that happened to them," he stated.

At the end of day’s play, Johnny Suri was declared the winner in Division A after carding a net score of 70, while Ashok Malik was the runner-up with a net score of 71.8. Division B was won by Capt. DK Ahluwalia with a net score of 69.8 and Sangam Lal finished second with a net score of 71. Meanwhile, Arvind Walia won division C with his score of net 73.4, while Rohit Nath finished as runner-up with a net 74.

Suresh Sagar, who carded a net score of 72.6, won the prize for best senior while Prem Sachdev finished as runner-up with a nett score of 75.6. The ladies category was bagged by Ritika Modi, who carded a net score of 70.4, while, Urvashi Sodhi finished second with a net score of 71.2. Amongst the other prizes on offer, Danish Aman hit the longest drive, 260.58 yards, while Champika Sayal won the prize in the women's category after hitting a 185.62 yards drive. Arjun Modayil, who hit his shot to four feet six inches, won the closest to the pin in the men's category, while Ranjeeta Grewal won the prize in the ladies category, hitting her shot to six feet three inches. Prizes were given away by the chief minister at a prize distribution ceremony followed by dinner on the hotel lawns.

While some of the participants decided to stay back and play Royal Springs Golf Course again the following day - September 5, 2004 - over eighty participants enjoyed the scenic beauty of the Government Golf Course in Gulmarg. “Gulmarg,” as minister for tourism, Ghulam Hassan Mir said; "is an important destination for the state and one that is known the world over. Golf lovers will see Kashmir and know that we have the potential to develop it as a great destination with some of the best golf courses in the world."

The visit to the golf course was also an overwhelming experience for some of its past champions like Ashok Malik, Majeet Singh and Champika Sayal. The large boards listing the winners of various championships that have been played here since its inception in 1911 were a silent reminder of the historic importance of this place.

The course remains the same with no major changes since Peter Thompson redesigned it in the early seventies. However, the Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, Gopal Sharma, who is also an avid golfer and participated in the tournament, said, "The course did face some neglect as people had started using it as a picnic ground - they would cook food on the fairways - but since last year it has been receiving regular maintenance and it has also been fenced off to make things easier." Abid Maqbool, Assistant Director, Tourism Gulmarg added, "Last year after 13 years for the first time the course was cut properly."

Five-time All India winner, Ashok Malik did feel that there was some difference since he played the course last in '88. "This is a natural course and sheep grazed here and kept the fairways in perfect condition. Now the course has been fenced off to keep people out but this has also kept out the sheep, he observed."

The competition, which was conducted over nine holes, had two sets of winners - for the front and back nines. Rajan Chadha won on the front nine with a total of 22 stableford points, while Anil Goswami finished second with 21 points. The back nine was won by Nauhar Rana, who accumulated 25 points, while Ravi Lamba finished as runner-up with 23 points. Renu Ahluwalia, who scored 15 points, won the ladies category, while Pomi Malik finished second with 13.5 points. The day's proceedings came to an end with a prize distribution ceremony over lunch, which was followed by a cultural programme and dinner, hosted by the Chief Minister.