As the 66th Steel City Golf Tournament came to an end at 18 hole Golmuri Golf Course, the response only went on to show that the game though considered to be for the elite, is gaining more popularity among middle class in the city with women playing key role in it.
Jamshedpur boasts of two lush green golf courses ' Beldih Golf Course and Golmuri Golf Course. The Jamshedpur Golf Committee is the apex body that maintains the two courses and also works for the promotion of golf in the city.
A few years back only a handful of golfers were seen sweating at the greens but now several smart young women sporting pink trousers and T-shirts can be seen catching the eye. Some of the prominent names in the field Golf are Alka Garg, Anahita Taunk, Shweta Singh,, Sushmita Ghosh, Manisha Kumar, Shakti Sharm, Rita Jh, Kiran Mehta, Hetal, Adesara, Malvika Jha and Rekha Jha.
Take the example of Alka Garg, a famous name in the Golf in the city. Sharing her journey she says: “I started golf in 2009 with a handicap of 30 and in one year time I became golfer of the year with many wins. I won several tournaments like Regent Cup, Timken, Sojitz, Flitrum Trophy , and many more”.
She says that the facilities available in the city are at par with any metro city. “I have been practicing here and thus my handicap got revised and I was playing to 17. Since then there was no looking back. I also won the longest drive in Ranchi and the best net score . The best win was in Patna 2012 when I won the ladies tournament and trophy was given by Hema Malini. Right now playing to the handicap of 11.
Another city-based leading lady Shradhanjali Singh has been in the national women’s golf squad for a tourney in Australia.
Support from corporate houses like Tata Steel has also played a major role in the promotion of game. Events like the Tata Open Golf championship saw the participation of ace golfers like Ashok Kumar and Jyoti Randhawa.
The facilities available here Beldih Club, the course consisting of nine holes provides facilities of the Drive Range and Proshop facilities. The Drive Range at BOC Pavilion allows golfers to play at under floodlights. This allows golfers to play after work during evenings. Golmuri Club, has 18 holes and plays hosts to several important events throughout the year.
Golfer Anil Singh said that facilities available in the city have played a key role in the promotion of Golf. The game has come a long way in the steel city. “We have produced some of the best known players in the country like Navtej Singh, Karan Taunk and Shradhanjali Singh. We should also set up a golf academy to promote the game professionally,” he added.