Residents of the steel city are slowly warming to golfing activities, thanks to the efforts of the corporate houses, which is promoting the game in a big way. On lazy Sunday mornings they can be seen enjoying a round of golf. Though golf is considered to be a game of the elite, the middle class is also taking an interest in it.

Jamshedpur can boast of two lush green golf courses ? Beldih Golf Course and Golmuri Golf Course. The Jamshedpur Golf Committee, which was formed six years ago, is the apex body that maintains the two courses and also works for the promotion of golf in the city. B.L. Raina, managing director of Tinplate Company India Limited and an avid golfer, heads the committee.

The earlier golf committees of Beldih and Golmuri were converged to form a single committee to promote the game in a professional manner. The committee conducts coaching camps for lower handicaps from time to time. It also invites golfers from metros like Calcutta to conduct the camps.

Budding golfers will have to become a member of either of the two clubs in order to take part in the camps. They should also have all the necessary equipment to play golf. ?The golf committee has played a major role in the promotion of the game in the city,? said B.P. Tiwary, joint secretary of the committee, Golmuri Golf Course.

The 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 Mohammad Islam. Again, the recent announcement by B. Muthuraman, managing director of Tata Steel, that the steel major will popularise golf among the masses has given an added boost to the game.

Hot Zones

Beldih Golf Course: Situated near Beldih Club, the course consists of nine holes. The course has 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.

The Proshop at Beldih Residency provides the A to Z of golf accessories. It is a one-stop shop for golfers.

Golmuri Golf Course: Situated near Golmuri Club, it has nine holes. The club plans to convert the course into an 18-hole advanced golf course. According to the officials of the club committee, the ball has already been set rolling to give the course a face-lift. A Delhi-based consultancy company has been appointed for the project.

The officials said a consultancy team recently conducted a survey to study the feasibility of the project. ?The team has given a positive response and has pointed out that there is immense scope for improvement. The proposal to convert the golf course into a 18-hole course is feasible.We are looking forward to implementing the project in an efficient way so that city can host more national-level championships,? said Tiwary.

Climbing up the popularity charts

Golfer Alan Singh is happy with the manner in which the game has gained popularity in the steel city. ?Golf 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. A consultant with the Jamshedpur Golf Committee, Singh says there is scope for improvement. ?I think lack of good coaches is a major hurdle. If we can rope in former golfers to train youngsters then the city can produce international-level players. We should also set up a golf academy to promote the game professionally,? he added.