Pune,
Maharashtra, India
Pune, located 170 kms south of
Mumbai has been the cultural capital of
Maharashtra since ages. Now a bustling city, the Osho Commune
has put the city on the spiritual map and gets many overseas
neo-pilgrims visiting it as well.
The
western city of Pune has a wonderful course – the Poona
Club Course is spread over just 94 acres of land and hence
is not very long. But to economise on space most of the
holes on this par-71 course yardage 6604, have been given
interesting shapes. That has made it a thinking man’s course.
The greens here are among the fastest in Asia. The opening
hole, a par-4 is a tough starting hole . There is a wall
guarding the left of the narrow fairway, while a thick clump
of trees runs along the right side. The green is fairly
large and elevated and thick rough and small ditches punish
those who overshoot..
|
Pune Golf Club
| Open |
Round the year |
| No. of Holes |
18 |
Yardage |
6,604 yards |
| Par |
71 |
Playing Conditions |
Open to anybody with a registered handicap. |
| Club Facilities |
Restaurant, Bar |
| Additional Facilities |
Driving Range, Putting
Green |
|
 Poona
Club Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in India, situated
within half an hour's drive from major industrial areas of Pune
and very close to the airport and the rail way station. Though
the course is within 5 minutes drive from the city, it is in a
quiet area. The course is a 6,198 yards par 71, 18 hole golf course
spread over 90 acres of land, which is the largest in the Western
Region. The exact date of establishment is not known, but based
on available records, tournaments were being played since 1920,
the first being the RWITC CUP (Royal Western India Turf Club Cup).
Originally the course was spread over nearly
135 acres of land, part of which was later taken over by the Government
for housing development.
When the British left India, Poona Club was
thinking of giving up the golf grounds, but thanks to a handful
of golfing enthusiasts, the course still exists and over 30,000
trees have been planted since the course was relayed between 1980-85
during the captainship of the late Mr. C.S.Kirloskar.
 Competitive
golf is played throughout the year and over 30 tournaments are
held, the most prestigious being the Maharashtra Amateur Open
Golf being played since 1957, in which leading amateur golfers
from all over India participate.
There are four golf courses in Pune, but the
Poona Club Golf Course is the only course available to all golfers,
including foreign visitors. The weather being cool and pleasant,
golf is enjoyed throughout the year, unlike at many other places.
Pune being a major industrial town and close to Bombay, the flow
of visitors is continuing all the time. |
