Dinesh Kamath's news 'City golfers attracted towards Kharghar Valley Golf Course' that was published in Newsband

City golfers attracted towards Kharghar Valley Golf Course

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: City golfers with their golf clubs and paraphernalia is a common sight at the Cidco-managed Kharghar Valley Golf Course. Some golfers here were complaining about the amenities which they found were not satisfactory. They find the need of improvement in the toilets and the cafeteria and even the golf carts which they found were mostly drained of batteries. Some were not happy with the fees which they felt were not like those charged in other cities. The course has weeds growing, bunkers looking like craters and grass growing rather high on the sides of fairways.

The Kharghar Valley golf course is located at the foothills of the Kharghar mountain range that provide a spectacular backdrop – particularly during the monsoon period. The golf course is planned as a 18 hole, 7137 yard, Par 72 layout & currently has 9 holes in operation. The 9 hole layout is a long 3665 yard, Par 37 layout with 3 par 5′s. During the monsoons there is a majestic waterfall that flows over the cliff face of the mountains in the backdrop into a rock pool. During the wet season, lush green foliage transforms the landscape into a natural wonder of green. Kharghar Hills is also the setting of the important religious site, the Pandav Cave, and the golf course will offer controlled access to this area to preserve its iconic features.

The golf course is developed by CIDCO & after Central Park at Kharghar and Urban Haat at Belapur is another welcome addition to the ever growing list of city level facilities in Navi Mumbai. The Golf Course is spread over an area of 103 hectares approx and is located just across the Central Park in Sector-23, 24 & 25 of Kharghar.

The course is designed by M/s Pacific Coast Design of Melbourne, (Australia) & has plenty of challenges to offer all levels of golfers. There are 4 sets of tee boxes & the design incorporates changes in elevation, plenty of hazards, Bermuda greens & fairways & the unpredictable winds. Off the tee box the fairways look wide & inviting but small errors of the tee will most often find you in bunkers, water hazards, OB areas or thick brush which dot the landscape.

This course is open to foreigners too & operates on a PAY & PLAY model. A driving range, pro shop & practice facilities are also open. The project also envisages residential development over a period of time. The course was inaugurated on December 23 (Monday), 2012.

At one stage in the recent past Cidco had come up with the idea of forming the company which was to be next referred to the urban development department to finalize procedures. The company would have technical experts to operate, manage and handle the day-to-day activities. Since they did not have the expertise to run the course, they preferred to form a separate company that would be run professionally.

India's second public course to come up in Navi Mumbai - KVGC now offers an opportunity to golfers, young or seasoned, to pursue the sport. The members can tee off and relax in the scenic backdrop of Kharghar hills and Pandavkada waterfalls. Described as the only government-run golf course in the state, out of the 11 holes -nine are for playing and two for driving range where beginners can get training. Cidco had planned 18 holes on the lines of international golf course, but objection by local residents and other technical aspects of land acquisition delayed the process. Cidco then made a fresh move for acquiring land is in process.

The pay-and-play scheme, introduced by Cidco, before the golf course for the members, has shown good results with bureaucrats, businessmen and many expats working in the city wanting to play, said sources. Weekends have also seen higher footfalls. Those interested in playing golf, but not as a member, can avail the scheme, with Cidco charging nominal fees for weekdays and weekends.