Atwal looks to build courses in India

May 23rd, 2014. Arjun Atwal, the first Indian golfer to win on the PGA tour, wants to give back to golf by helping build the sport in India. He is looking at designing academies and golf courses as the game grows in the region.

Atwal who took up golf at the age of 14 has benefitted from patrons in the sport in India before he moved to the United States to play the game. He believes golf deserves more attention just like cricket in India.

“I am thinking of golf business,” said Atwal in an exclusive interview with golfingindian.com. “My way of giving back to the game will be to tap the golf talent in the country and set up training facilities and golf courses.”

Of the approximately 200 golf courses in India, there are only 75 of them that may be accessible for people or members to use as the rest belong to the military and remain out of bounds for the public at large. An increase in participation in the sport can only be achieved if there is emphasis on building more affordable and accessible facilities, increasing activity in junior and academy golf and ffectively promoting amateur golf to a wider audience by developing courses.

“I expect a lot from India,” shares Atwal who remains unsatisfied with the country’s ability to promote more and more golfers. “We have not tapped enough into the golfing community. We are superb at cricket. The way the economy has grown, public courses and ranges need to be set up. Given the right opportunity our people can def play golf to a highest level.”

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“I am thinking of the golf business. My way of giving back to the game will be to tap the golf talent in the country and set up training facilities and golf courses.”

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Growing up in eastern part of the country, particularly in the golf-loving city of Kolkata (which also houses the world’s second oldest golf club Royal Calcutta Golf Club), golf was central to Atwal’s growing up. The region, mainly West Bengal was known to be a nursery for producing the best golf talent in India a few decades ago until it lost out to Chandigarh and New Delhi. “I think Kolkata has contributed a lot to the sport. Back then when I was growing up all good amateurs and national stars came out of Kolkata. The list is endless but some to mention would include Bunny Lakshman Singh, Ashok Malik, Feroz Ali and more,” recalls Atwal.

After a two year lull, golf is making some economic recovery as the first quarter of 2014 has been better than expected for equipment sales makers but as the year progresses, there is hope that the business will pick up. A few new courses are also expected to come on stream such as the work on the back nine of the Gary Player course in DLF, Gurgaon is likely to near completion.