The government has stepped up efforts to revive the 134-year-old heritage golf course in north Kashmir’s Gulmarg, with authorities expecting the historic facility to become fully operational next month, officials said.
The revival is aimed at restoring the golf course’s lost glory and promoting Gulmarg as a destination for high-end golf tourism, including national and international championships.
MLA Gulmarg Farooq Ahmad Shah told Rising Kashmir that restoration work on the heritage course was underway.
“It is an important asset of Gulmarg which remained unattended for the last several years. We are reviving it and expect it to be operational by next month,” Shah said.
He said Gulmarg’s golf course was among the oldest in India and had a unique heritage value.
“This is not a normal golf course as it has a history and heritage connection. It is 134 years old, and we are working hard to restore its glory so that national and international golfers can be invited and championships can be held here,” he said.
Shah said the government was serious about restoring the facility at the earliest and bringing Gulmarg back on the golfing map.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA), Tariq Hussain Naik, said nine holes of the course had been fully restored, while work on the remaining holes was in progress.
“Nine holes of the golf course have been fully restored, while work on the others is going on. We expect it to be fully functional by next month,” Naik said.
He added that authorities were also hopeful of hosting championships at the course in September.
Naik said the golf course had remained largely unattended for the past six to seven years and that its revival had now been taken up on priority.
“Its fencing has been properly completed, and natural grass has been grown on the course,” he said.
The Gulmarg Golf Course has a long history dating back to 1892, when a six-hole course was laid out in a meadow at the hill station by Colonel Neville Chamberlain during British rule. The course later evolved into an important golfing destination.
The first golf championship at the course was held in 1922, while the Nedou’s Cup was introduced in 1929. The course was subsequently redesigned by legendary Australian golfer and golf-course architect Peter Thomson in 1970. In 2011, the course underwent another redesign by Delhi-based golf architect Ranjit Nanda.
The 18-hole course is spread across Gulmarg’s scenic meadows and includes the country’s longest hole – the eighth, a 610-yard par-five.
Officials said the restoration of the historic course is expected to provide a fresh push to golf tourism in Gulmarg and create opportunities for hosting national and international-level golfing events.
