Back to sprawling greens

Shillong, Aug. 17: Acknowledged as one of Asia’s best natural fairways till mismanagement took its toll, the 18-hole greens at Shillong Golf Club is undergoing a facelift to become par for the course again.

The Assam Rifles and the Border Security Force have joined hands with the management of the Shillong Golf Club to restore the greens’ lost splendour. The idea is to promote it as not only a venue for competitive golf, but also as a tourist attraction.

The British established the golf links, as the course and its lush surroundings are known, in 1924. Nestling between tall pine trees, the fairway has long been the favourite haunt of golf lovers in these parts, but encroachment and mismanagement have taken their toll on the course.

The club’s new management committee is, however, confident the course can still be a money-spinner for the state.

“The facelift has done wonders for the course and new greens have been developed. The clubhouse is being restructured,” said former minister A.H. Scott Lyngdoh, who is a member of the managing committee.

An avid golfer, Lyngdoh admitted mismanagement had pushed one of the “major tourist attractions” of Shillong to the verge of ruin. “Thankfully, it was revived in the nick of time,” he said.

The club has spent nearly Rs 10 lakh on the facelift. The tourism department has chipped in, too. “The Assam Rifles and the BSF have given us assistance in the form of machinery and manpower,” the former minister said.

One of the major club events slated for this year is the Chief Minister’s Cup. The Governor’s Cup was held a week ago.

The Shillong golf links have found mention in reputed international directories. “It is still ranked among the best natural courses in the world. The pine trees and the beautiful setting are God-given. Visitors say the aesthetic value of this course is underestimated,” Lyngdoh said.