Places That Defined Delhi For Me – 3

It is fair to say that I have had a love/hate relationship with golf. That is not just true of recent years, but is something that goes right back to my teens. I have some great memories from golf, but also some aweful ones, which is testament to the fact that we see the full spectrum of human character on the course.

The same holds true of my golfing experiences in Delhi. I have some wonderful memories that will stay with me forever. Not only did I re-learn to play golf there, but also learnt to play golf at a better level than I had ever managed before. But also some terrible ones (a few that reveal some habits of the wealthy that I cannnot abide). In particular I recall being chased down a fairway by someone who had issues with westerners playing on “his” course.

My home course was DLF Golf and Country Club (you can see a flickr folder here). I played mostly on weekdays, striving to avoid the busier times (and the 5 hour rounds that could easily follow). It was fun to play night golf, educational to play regular rounds with the local pros and a privledge to play with a caddie. I hope one day to revist the course and see how it matures in a few years.

Will India emerge as a golfing destination in the years to come? Certainly, but at the moment, with the cost of accomodation in top class hotels and the delays in play, it is still not a value proposition, compared say to Thailand or even Dubai. However, this will change and in time India will become a destination for luxury golf travel.

[tags] DLF [/tags]