Expo to take elite game to commons

GURGAON: In the last 25 years, both Chandigarh and Delhi have been called the ‘cradle’ of Indian golf. Today, Gurgaon can rightly claim to hold that title, in terms of the number of golf courses the city boasts and the young talent that is emerging from here.
Many seeking to enter the world of golf get deterred by the cost, or intimidated by the game’s perceived elitist image.But that’s not necessarily true in 2015, and change has been afoot for a decade now.
The India Golf Expo, to be held at DLF5 Club on April 15 and 16, will be hoping to ease golf’s accessibility to the common man.
The Expo is ideal for those who would like to discover more about golf, whether he or she is an eager golfer (but still getting to grips with the game), has ambitions of becoming a coach or course superintendent or course architect (among other golf-related vocations), or are tempted by a life spent amidst verdant fairways and greens.
There are, at the last count, 24 golf facilities in Delhi and the NCR, with 10 of them in and around Gurgaon, making the Millennium City a golfing hub. For every DLF Golf & Country Club (a private club), there’s a Golden Greens and a Classic Golf Resort (pay-to-play facilities). There are even golf courses run by the Army and the BSF, designed as part of a township (IMT Manesar) or managed by a company (TERI).
Aakash Ohri, executive director of DLF, and president, Indian Golf Industry Association (under whose aegis the Expo is being organised), said the aim is to create a “knowledge bank” which anyone can benefit from. “It’s not just about learning the game,” stressed Ohri.
“It will be for people who are seeking technical advice, who want to find out about the best management practices to grow grass, or maybe for the developer who would like to know about the best sustainable practices.”
India’s top coaches will be at the Expo, and so will Michael Hebron and Donato Di Ponziano, instructors of international repute. So there will be a few brains to pick, for the young and old who’ve been dreaming of swinging away. If golf is a game that’s always intrigued you, a visit to the India Golf Expo will help brush up your knowledge.