Kodaikanal Golf Club, Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal Golf Club is a private
membership club with an 18 hole, par
71 Golf course. It is located about 6 kilometres (4 mi) southwest
from the center of Kodaikanal in Tamilnadu, South
India at an elevation of
2,220 metres (7,280 ft). The club is on Golf links Road near the popular
view point 'Suicide Point' (Green Valley View) and 3 kilometres (2 mi)
before the 'Pillar Rocks' viewpoint and flower garden.
This club is notable for its age and the wildlife frequently seen on the course. The club logo is
two crossed golf clubs behind an Indian
tiger on a round yellow
field, framed with "Kodaikanal Golf Club * Play the Game" imprinted in
white on a dark green border.
History
The club was established on 17 June 1895 by twelve
British golfers. They were also the architects of the course. In the early years, members were
British and American civil servants and missionaries. During the fifties it
became a club tradition for the annual Captaincy to rotate between an Indian, an American and a
Commonwealth citizen. This tradition continued until the late 70's, when the
local expatriate population diminished.
Originally there were only 9 holes and the putting
surfaces were browns. In the early fifties the course was extended to 18 holes.
In 1986 the putting surfaces were relaid with greens. The clubhouse, named the Centenary Building, was built
in 1995.
Facilities
The Kodaikanal Golf club is a private membership club with over 600 members. The club has a range of
facilities available for the recreation, entertainment and comfort of its
guests. The main facility is the 18 hole golf course described below. There is
a practice net for driving practice and a designated putting practice area.
Inside the clubhouse, for group activities there is a 12
seat conference room, a card
games room, a billiards Room, a members lounge with fireplace, a BYOB bar and
a dining hall. For members visiting from a distance, there is lodging available, including 2 super deluxe rooms, 2
deluxe rooms and 2 standard rooms.
Golf Course
The Golf Course which is located here is one of the
oldest and biggest golf courses not only in Kodaikanal but in the entire South
India.
Non-members are allowed to play the full 18 holes by
becoming temporary members or by paying the required green fees. Non-members
must have a handicap or take lessons before they play here. The course
is closed 15 April to 15 June.
This 18 hole, par 71 course covers about 150 acres
(61 ha). Total length of the course is 6,426 yards (5,876 m). Some
holes have interesting alternative names, depending on the challenges they
offer to golfers. The 4th hole is also called the Devil's Dip, as
the fairway from the tee-box to the green is a solid dip,
which runs on as far as the eye can see. The 6th hole is named Tiger
Hole because Tigers used to be sighted near it. The 12th hole is
called the Cardiac Hole, due to the strenuousness of the walk. A
"hard hitters" course, the 13th Twister green is not
visible from the tee box. The 15th hole (New Long'un) which has the longest
yardage of 587 yards (537 m), needs two long shots to sight the green.
|
Hole
|
Name
|
Gents
|
Ladies
|
Par
|
||
|
Yards
|
Metres
|
Yards
|
Metres
|
|||
|
1
|
Old
Long'un
|
350
|
320
|
292
|
267
|
4
|
|
2
|
Plateau
|
218
|
199
|
203
|
186
|
3
|
|
3
|
Hoping
|
231
|
211
|
184
|
168
|
3
|
|
4
|
Devil's
Pit
|
383
|
350
|
333
|
304
|
4
|
|
5
|
Pulpit
|
322
|
294
|
260
|
240
|
4
|
|
6
|
Tiger
|
441
|
403
|
372
|
340
|
4
|
|
7
|
Hill
Side
|
489
|
447
|
462
|
422
|
5
|
|
8
|
Punch
Bowl
|
167
|
153
|
161
|
147
|
3
|
|
9
|
Pimples
|
496
|
454
|
458
|
419
|
5
|
|
10
|
Saddle
|
304
|
278
|
244
|
223
|
4
|
|
11
|
Overhill
|
162
|
148
|
145
|
133
|
3
|
|
12
|
Sentinel
|
256
|
234
|
226
|
207
|
4
|
|
13
|
Twister
|
344
|
315
|
302
|
276
|
4
|
|
14
|
Majestic
|
175
|
160
|
171
|
156
|
3
|
|
15
|
New
Long'un
|
561
|
513
|
516
|
472
|
5
|
|
16
|
Roadside
|
524
|
479
|
388
|
355
|
5
|
|
17
|
Sure
Shot
|
160
|
150
|
143
|
131
|
3
|
|
18
|
Home
|
526
|
481
|
437
|
400
|
5
|
|
|
Total:
|
6,109
|
5,586
|
5,297
|
4,844
|
71
|
It takes about 3 hours to play the entire course.
Tournaments
In 2008 fifty-six tournaments were conducted daily
between mid-April and early June. Palani Hill Open, Veday Cup, Rudrappan
Memorial Cup, Contessa Open and A V Thomas Tournament (introduced recently),
are some of the major tournaments. The 2008 Addicts Golfing Society of
Southern India 3 day Kodaikanal meet had 108 entries and 5
competitions. The first regional round of the 'TAKE Solutions World Corporate
Golf Challenge' was played in Kodaikanal on 29 December 2010.
Contact
The Kodaikanal Golf Club
Pambarpuram Village,
Observatory P.O, Kodaikanal
624 103,
Dindigul District,
Tamilnadu
Phone: +91 4542 240323/ +91 4542 293323
Fax: +91 4542 241255
