www.indiangolfunion.org THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INDIAN GOLF UNION Fourth Quarter - November 2013 Vol.6 Issue No.4 In this issue President’s Message President’s Message 1 Editorial 2 reetings and good wishes for the coming season, Committee Reports It is indeed an honour for me to serve the Union - Turf Management Certificate Course 3 as its 32nd President. With visionaries, leaders - Ladies Committee 3 G and prominent citizens having safely guided us through Features the years, for me to be in this exalted company is a unique - The 50th Indian Open 4 experience. The history of the IGU has been encapsulated - Tee 20, the IGU’s Strategic Plan 6 in a brochure that is attached to this edition of GY and - Gouff - An Unproffitable Sport? Part II 7 I commend this to your attention. - Amateur Golf Championships 8 - Green Keepers Programme 8 With the conclusion of the landmark 50th Indian Open, - Report from the NHPM 10 it is time to take fresh guard. On the 10th of November, Merit List 11 my predecessor, Gen. Bikram Singh, officially launched the Tee20: Strategic Plan. This seven-year vision statement envisages India becoming a leading golf nation in the world by providing more opportunities for participants to start, stay and succeed in the game. The keystones being, Grow, Sustain and Excel. Tee20 is inclusive of all stakeholders and THE IGU COUNCIL the keys to progress at every level are collaboration, partnerships and interdependence. It President - Raian F Irani will now be my endeavour to have the Council detail and execute plans on this platform. Vice-President - Jaydeep Chitlangia ARMY ZONE The other pathbreaking initiative, effective in India from 3rd November, is the National Lt. Gen. Sanjeev Anand Handicap Service based on the USGA GHIN software and used in over 60 countries. Lt. Gen. AKS Chandele (Retd.) While providing a fair and consistent handicap to players, the IGU’s NHS is set to Lt. Gen. Subroto Mitra change the growth scenario of golf in India as golfers of any age and ability will be able Lt. Gen. Anjan Mukherjee (Retd.) to get a handicap from the IGU without being a member of a golf club. Check out the Lt. Gen. Mukesh Sabharwal (Retd.) IGU website or log on to www.halogolf.com for details and to enroll. Golf Clubs can also EAST ZONE WEST ZONE migrate to the service and leave the chore of handicapping to the NHS and just Jaydeep Chitlangia Anil Seolekar concentrate on reviewing players handicaps on a continuous basis. Farzan Heerjee Devang Shah On the final day of the Indian Open, I reflected on the decade I spent as a member of the Gaurav Ghosh Brijinder Singh junior committee, helping to devise and implement programmes. The joy of seeing our NORTH ZONE SOUTH ZONE youngsters like Anirban Lahiri, Chiragh Kumar, Rashid Khan, Khalin Joshi and Prabhat Chaturvedi Dilip Thomas Chikkarangappa performing at the highest level was reward enough for the time and S.K. Nandal Ishwar Achanta Sanjeev Rattan C S Subramanian effort spent. FOUNDER CLUB MEMBERS I am convinced that there is no limit to where Indian golf can go so long as each of us give Bombay Presidency Golf Club - K.K. Raman back just a little of what we have received from playing this wonderful game. I urge you to Delhi Golf Club - Kapil Channa join us in this exciting journey by helping the IGU achieve its goals. Madras Gymkhana Club With my best wishes, Royal Calcutta Golf Club - Dr. Satbinder Singh Tollygunge Club - T.V. Ramaswamy Raian Irani Willingdon Sports Club - Akshay Kilachand President, IGU LADIES COMMITTEE CONTACT US AT: Anuva Saurabh Editor: Ishwar Achanta Editorial Board: Maj. Gen. A. Parmar (Retd.), Farzan Heerjee, Anuva Saurabh, The Indian Golf Union, 24, Adchini (1st Floor), EX-OFFICIO Lt. Gen. M. Sabharwal (Retd.), Brijender Singh, Lt. Gen. V.K. Pillai. New Delhi 110 017, INDIA. Gen Bikram Singh Designed by: Art Works, Chennai Tel: +91 11 26525771 Fax: +91 11 26525770 Email: [email protected] For private circulation only Printed at: VM Prints Pvt. Ltd., Chennai 2 GOLFINGLY YOURS OCT-DEC 2013 3 GOLFINGLY YOURS OCT-DEC 2013 Secretariat Obiter Dicta... Committee Reports Maj. Gen. A. Parmar (Retd.) Director General n the run up to the 50th Indian Open, the Council of the Turf Management Certificate Course Lt. Col. Ajay Singh (Retd.) IGU took stock of its ability to effectively connect with the Secretary & Director, Golf Operations playing diaspora of this country. am thankful to the IGU Council Tusshar Malhotra I for nominating me once again as the Assistant Director, Golf Operations With 2013 marking the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the existence of the Indian Open and given the historic nature of Chairman of the “Turf Management C.S. Shetty Iand Infrastructure Committee” and Tournament Director this event, it was an opportunity to reflect on the road Indian Golf had travelled and to chart the course of the next five thereby reposing their added confidence decades. We felt that this Anniversary should facilitate and in me. I am aware of the responsibility celebrate narratives of past, present and future that will bestowed on me. It is very encouraging to Director General’s Message enthuse and energize the Indian population and use their constructive energy to note the growth of this game in the form The months gone by exponentially grow this game in India. of emergence of many Indian players in have been busy with the international arena. series of events which By doing so, we hope that there will be an enhanced confidence in the IGU from within and In addition, over the last 8 years, 49 golf finally culminated in the outside the country and a renewed commitment and mobilisation of our agenda highlighted projects have come up of which 10 new courses are of international 50th edition of the Indian in our strategic plan,Tee20. Open Golf Champion- standard. It is our responsibility, as the apex body, to ensure the high Holmesglen Institute The week saw not just Golf but numerous activities organized by the IGU. Brandon De standard of maintenance and the upgrading of the existing ones as ship. This has been a Eagleton in Bangalore in last week of November 2014. The remaining momentous year for Souza, a recognized name in Indian Golf, recounts his experiences and the magnificent well. The question to ask is if we have enough trained staff to semester will be via the web with online support from Holmesglen the IGU. evening where a clutch of past Indian Open winners and performers were present to be maintain and to upgrade these courses. My own opinion is that we College, on a weekly pre-planned, web video cam session. Successful The Indian Open which started in 1964 recognised and felicitated by Gen. Bikram Singh, our then President. S.S.P Chowrasia do not have enough course Maintenance staff or in other words “golf candidates will receive a IGU-Holmesglen Certificate in Turf at the Delhi Golf Club celebrated its 50th missed a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to allow Bangladeshi Mohammad Siddikur to clinch superintendents” in this country. If we do not address this problem, Management. year, back at the same venue and is now the 50th Hero Indian Open title by just one stroke. A fitting winner, he is and a humble lad then the general maintenance of golf courses particularly the existing acknowledged as one of the most to boot. ones will suffer due to the dearth of qualified staff. As part of the IGU Vision document Tee 20, to take the game to prestigious events on the Asian Tour. the public, more public courses will be built, with the help of During the Open week, Gen. Bikram Singh formally launched the IGU’s strategic Plan, In order to mitigate this issue, the IGU and the Golf Industry Among many distinguished visitors who Government organisations. witnessed the event were Mr. & Mrs. titled Tee 20. Raian who took over the reins at the AGM conducted around the same time has Association (I-GIA) of which I am the President, have proposed to David Harrison from Scotland, who his task cut out as he steers the IGU over the next 12 months while formulating and detailing institute a “Turf Management Certificate Course” in association While we are pursuing a number of offers in this regard. Do stay in conveyed their good wishes on behalf the action plan in the strategic document. Having known Raian for many years now, I am with premier Australian Turf Training Institute Holmesglen College. touch with us if you have suitable land to build pitch and putt, 3/6/9 of the R&A. hole courses or any if you have facility that you may feel is suitable confident that the IGU continues to be in very good hands and the entire Golfing The course will be launched with minimum 16 students during 6/7 The IGU released a coffee table book to our plans. community of India wishes him the very best. March, 2014 at The India Golf Expo 2014, at Pune. The course will which captures the growth of golf in India Anil Seolekar and the role played by the IGU in the As one of the two survivors of all the AAC’s thus far, I had the privilege of officiating at the be for 12 months including a one week face-to-face contact with development of the game. The book was 5th Asia Pacific Amateur Championship at the Nanshang Golf Club, Longkou city, students in March 2014 at the Oxford, Pune and one week at Chairman - Turf Management & Infrastructure Committee released by Gen.