Where In The World Is DJ: Prestige Golfshire Club, India, August 2022
Last month I headed back to India for a trip to Bangalore. Over 10 years ago Troon was engaged by the Prestige Group to assist with the opening of the Prestige Golfshire Club. Since its opening, the Prestige Golfshire Club has accumulated several awards, most recently receiving the accolade of India’s Best Golf Course in 2021 by the World Golf Awards. And with the opening of the brand-new JW Marriott Hotel adjacent to the golf course, Prestige Golf Club has become an even more desirable golf destination for many golfers.
Troon’s successful partnership with Prestige at Prestige Golfshire club has allowed us to develop partnerships specifically focusing on agronomy operations at Bangalore Golf Club and KGA (Karnataka Golf Association), both highly recognized and respected golf facilities within the city.
Every time I visit India, I am always amazed at how much history the game of golf has in India. The British brought the game of golf to India back in 1829 when Royal Calcutta Golf Club opened. The game is actually older than India itself, whose birthdate is August 15th, 1947. After that Royal Bombay Golf Club opened in 1842, Troon’s partner facility Bangalore Golf Club followed when they opened in 1876 with many more golf facilities to come to fruition later.
Originally the majority of the golf courses opened on military bases, which had limited access, and were structured as a game for the elite and wealthy. However, in more modern times we are starting to see golf grow in popularity due to more access being provided and the stigmatism of the game being an elitist sport starting to be shaken off.
During COVID, India followed the trend of the majority of the rest of the world with significant growth in player participation and these numbers remain strong today as we move towards some state of normalcy. The game of golf is rich in history in India, but I get the feeling that the future is very bright as much young Indian golf talent is starting to enter the scene and I anticipate big things for the game of golf in the future.