Going by the number of golf clubs being set up in Gujarat, it seems the game is set to emerge as a mass sport of sorts and shed its elite tag.
Once a 'rich man's game', numerous recreation clubs and resorts have sniffed an opportunity in golf.
In fact, according to Bhavin Mehta, Head-Business Development of Ahmedabad-based Ganesh Housing Corporation Ltd., every year Gujarat is seeing a growth of 230 per cent in terms of people opting for golf as a leisure activity, or even professionally at times.
"Our research shows that the trend for golf as a sport and leisure activity is picking up lately. Every year there is a growth of about 230 per cent in terms of people opting for golf," says Mehta.
Ganesh Housing Corporation is itself coming up with a 120 acre, 9-hole golf course in its upcoming integrated township spread across 400 acres.
Compared to metros, the state boasts of just a handful of golf courses, including the Gaekwad Baroda Golf Club, Kensville, Gulmohar and Cambay Golf. However, there are several more in the pipeline, adds Mehta. Of the existing ones, GBGC is the first private golf course in the Gujarat, set up in 1996.
The 10-hole golf course, belonging to the royal Gaekwad family, is headed by Samarjitsinh Gaekwad and boasts of 400 members.
"Although we were the first private golf course, the trend is slowly picking up in the state. But it is to be seen as to how the sport grows. It is very much important to see how these projects will be structured. Usually, in western countries, golf projects are linked with real estate. The game is here to stay but people do take some time to get attached to the game," says Samarjitsinh Gaekwad.
While for Rohit Shankar, director of Be-Positive Wellness Services, the reason for the trend of more golf courses being set up lies in the improved standards of living.
"People are now more informed about what kind of leisure activities they need to indulge in. With the increasing pressures and busy schedule, people have found out activities like playing golf and visiting spa as an easy way to relax. Earlier what activities people had to avail in other bigger cities, the same are being provided here in the state itself," says Shankar whose company runs Wellocity, a golf-cum-spa centre near Ahmedabad.
The IIM-A graduate, who set up the centre in partnership with his batchmate Nikhil Vaswani, however feels it will take another 2-3 years for the game to pick up in Gujarat.
According to Arvind Gupta, managing director of Neesa Leisure Ltd., developers are setting up more golf courses in the state because the game is being driven by cheaper equipment.
"Golf sets are now available anywhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Moreover, it has not remained a rich man's game anymore so there are possibilities of roping in more golf enthusiasts," feels Gupta, whose Cambay Golf in Gandhinagar features a six-hole golf course, alongwith other facilities like swimming pool and a virtual golf course, a first of its kind in Gujarat.
But for Gaekwad, providing just some fancy facilities doesn't help in attracting golfers.
"The golf courses have to be structured and maintained well. Moreover, one needs to inculcate the habit among the visitors. We have been in the market since 1996 and we have grown gradually. What the state needs is some good events placed around the game as well. Gujarat doesn't have a single national amateur or pro golf tournament; and for that we need sponsorships," he says.
Ahmedabad being a bigger city would now be able to bring in sponsors to host such events with some more golf projects coming up there.