Born-again Lodhi Course at the Delhi Golf Club is a delight to play

By Rahul Banerji

Setting foot on the Lodhi Course of the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) for a fresh round is always something of a thrill for a golf nut, even a devotedly bad golfer such as yours truly.

So it was a “moment” when club chief executive Anil K. Rattan called to confirm DGC president Maj T.S. Bedi VrC (retd) and golf captain Rohit Sabherwal had acceded to a request to get a feel of the newly-laid greens and other renovations carried out on the famed course.

Co-incident with the Members Day tournament backed by Tourism Authority of Thailand and SLW Golf, the two-day event saw an impressive turnout with close to 400 players hitting the course late last week in the course of which yours truly got to play the renovated 18 holes.

Every Indian golfer who has gone on to bigger and better things has at one point or another, made a mark at the Lodhi Course in Delhi. Along with the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, the Delhi Golf Club is one of the original nurseries of the game here, and with very good reason.

Low moment

However, until a year or so ago, the course had fallen into a state that can most kindly be described as one of disrepair. The low moment came during the 2018 Panasonic Open India, an Asian Tour event at which the state of the course, particularly the greens complexes, was laid bare.

But in nine months flat, the DGC, working with Gary Player Design (GPD) was able to not just pull things back on track, but go one better in relaying the entire set of 18 holes, redoing a significant number of fairways and their irrigation systems and redesigning bunkers to make for an almost new experience.

So on Saturday, one set out with the CEO, his brother Sunil and Commorore S.K. Iyer (retd) to not just get a game, but also hopefully keep one’s dignity intact.

That second part, my playing partners will answer about (once they have stopped laughing), but the pleasure of swinging one’s clubs over the 6,600 yards off the Blue tees more than made up for the pain of about 50 mis-hit drives, topped or shanked irons and foozled putts.

Other than that, it was a round to remember!

New experience

More seriously, playing the Lodhi Course is now a whole new experience. The greens, particularly on the back nine, are lively while those on the front nine are still getting up to speed.

The contouring of the putting surfaces effectively means that while the general layout is the same, each hole is now a completely new test.

Throw in the fact that bunkers have cropped up in new areas to test physical and mental ability, so players now have to plot their way a lot more than earlier.

Roll-off areas around the greens are wider and deeper, and demand greater accuracy both on approach and landing. You could well see the ball roll back further beyond strike point, or away on the other side if the short irons are off.

And as for the greens, let’s just say they are 18 re-born surfaces.

Add to this the pleasure of good company, clear (and clean) skies and Commander Rattan’s ferocious driving, it all made for a morning to remember for Teetimetales.

Also read: Delhi Golf Club unveils its new-look 18-hole Lodhi Course