Rajasthan, MP plan golf courses

To attract new generation business travellers and international tourists, states seem to have embarked on a race to set up golf courses. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra have already teed off in this direction.

While the Rajasthan government has asked the US-based Professional Golfers' Association to carry out a feasibility study for setting up four golf courses, the Madhya Pradesh government is in talks with the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) is planning to set up three courses with the help of private companies, while the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, which has two golf courses in Mumbai and Pune, has launched a techno-economic feasibility study for more such courses.

"Rajasthan, along with the Asian Development Bank, will invest Rs 1,750 crore to develop urban infrastructure in the next one year. This will make the state more exciting to business travellers and will also increase international tourist traffic," said Rajeeva Swarup, managing director of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC).

He said the golf courses would be set up in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Udaipur and a feasibility study was being carried out by the PGA.

The PGA, which started the study in February, is scheduled submit its primary report to the RTDC by the month-end. The golf courses are likely to be ready in three years.

The MP State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) is also working on a plan to set up golf courses. While one golf course would be developed near Bhopal, other was likely to come up near Indore, said a MPSTDC official.

The state government was expected to invite expressions of interest for these projects soon, he said. The government could rope in the PGA to carry out feasibility studies for courses elsewhere, he added.

In Gujarat, private companies have been invited to set up golf courses. The state government would be the facilitator and ensure the availability of land, said Rajiv Gupta, TCGL managing director.

Two golf courses, spread over 600 acres and 400 acres of land with international quality amenities, were being set up within the 30 km radius of Ahmedabad by two separate companies, he said.

Another project had been launched at Icchapore near Surat by the Bharat Hotels Group. The company plans to invest around Rs 250 crore in the project, which is being set up on 50 hectares of land.

Private companies are expected to invest around Rs 1,400 crore in setting up golf courses and allied amenities in Gujarat.

"Such courses will help Gujarat in attracting more international tourists, especially from Asian countries like Japan. We will make such locations also fit for business travellers who can spend their weekend at leisure," Gupta said.