Sportspersons play golf for the thrill of the game. But, movers and shakers of any city play golf to network, to unwind with influential people, to build contacts.
To give Ranchi these inherent advantages, members of Jharkhand Golf Association (JGA), a two-year-old outfit comprising bureaucrats, businessmen and professionals, are planning to meet chief minister Raghubar Das soon, asking his help to patronise setting up a state-sponsored golf course in the capital.
A capital city which is now also a smart city needs a golf course to add to its glam factor, they feel. To bolster this argument is the logic that investors, whom the Raghubar Das government is assiduously wooing, will love a golf course in the city.
It is too well known to document how a golf course adds class and character to a city. The Delhi Golf Club, the Bombay Presidency Golf Course and Willingdon Sports Club in Mumbai, the Bangalore Golf Club have all given their host cities a unique slice of history. And, with golf debuting in this year's summer Olympics and likely to be included in the 2017 National Games, the facility seems to be par for the course, to use a golfing analogy.
Right now, Ranchi has a golf course on army cantonment in Dipatoli, but entry is restricted to armymen, ex-armymen and special invitees. People also informally play the game on the grounds behind BIT-Mesra, but as any golfer knows, the game is anything but informal.
Golfing action in Jharkhand seems restricted to its industrial capital Jamshedpur, which has two courses - the 9-hole Beldih Golf Course and the 18-hole Golmuri Golf Course - and well-known tourneys such as Steel City Golf, Tata Open Golf and Jubilee Golf. It also has golfers Karan Taunk, Kurush Heerjee and Navtej Singh, to name a few. "We've always promoted the game professionally," said Jamshedpur Golf Committee chief administrator Alan Singh.
In Ranchi, treasurer of JGA, Balkar Singh Namdhari said they were currently chalking out a detailed wish list to sit with the chief minister and senior government officials.
"When Arjun Munda, a golf enthusiast, was the chief minister, we had managed to identify a large chunk of land on capital outskirts beyond Jhiri, near Cheri-Mantau, for setting up a golf course. Munda had verbally agreed and asked for a formal proposal. Later on, that land identified by us was allotted to IIM-Ranchi and we couldn't submit the proposal," said Namdhari.
He added their outfit had around 100 active players who regularly practise and some 250-300 members on board from various professions. "But, everyone can't play in Dipatoli cantonment area owing to security reasons. This morning, a group of golfers played in BIT area on capital outskirts and crowds just thronged to watch the game," he said.
The JGA treasurer said they ideally wanted around 150 acres for an 18-holes ground but were willing to make do with 50-60 acres initially to start a 9-holes ground.
On why Ranchi must have a golf course, Namdhari summed it up. "In today time, a golf course is one of the things that create an impression about a city. When overseas cricketers come to Ranchi, they want to play golf. Investors would love to play golf. So would students. And, a well-maintained golf course means a green lung for the city, which is a huge plus."
Where can Ranchi have a golf course? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com
Additional reporting by Pinaki Majumdar
