Jammu gets golf course

Jammu gets golf course
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Sidhra (Jammu), April 24
The winter capital of J&K today got its first ever civilians’ golf course “Jammu Tawi Golf Course” on its outskirts at village Sidhra, situated on the bank of river Tawi. The golf course is still having 9-holes, inaugurated by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, while the work is going on to expand it to 18-hole golf course.

The construction work of this golf course was started in 2007 with the keen interest of the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, but it took a long time to get completed, because of Amarnath land row and some other agitations.

A senior official of the state tourism department said that it took almost Rs 20 crore to get the first phase of this golf course done. He further said that the 18-hole golf course, spread over in 1,485 kanals land would be completed by 2013. He added, “This golf course is bigger than the Royal Spring Golf Course, Srinagar.”

“The golf course is going to be an attraction point for the tourists and would be of immense help in boosting tourism in the state,” said the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while inaugurating the Jammu Tawi Golf Course, here. He added, “The location of this golf course is very important, as our heritage monuments like Mubarak Mandi complex, Amar Mahal have a good view from here.”

Meanwhile, the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and a number of senior bureaucrats and the Army officials had a friendly match at the newly opened Golf Course.

Both the ministers were seen so crazy for the game that they didn’t even care body scorching heat and played for almost an hour. They also appealed the golfers from across the country to come and play here. An inaugural tournament was also organised during the occasion.

The tourism minister Nawang Ringzin Jora, minister of state for tourism Nasir Aslam Wani and a large number of bureaucrats and golfers were also present during the occasion.

Col KD Bagga (Retd), a man who calls himself “India’s Golf God” has designed the Jammu Tawi Golf Course, who charged Rs 20 lakh for it. He has, so far, designed 11 golf courses in India, mostly in Gujarat.

“This was the toughest land, as far as the issue is concerned to make a golf course here. Even the foreign architects had refused to work over here, citing the land as a reason,” said Bagga.