Golf authorities come together to churn out young talent

For the first time in the history of Indian golf, as many as five industry bodies, star Asian Tour professionals like Gaganjeet Bhullar and Rahil Gangjee together with 28 golf clubs across 16 Indian cities, have come together to lend their support to a one-of-its-kind initiative to help the sport prosper in the country. The venues in Mumbai are Bombay Presidency Golf Club, Chembur and Golden Swan Country Club, Thane.

 The India Learn Golf Week (ILGW) is a week-long programme scheduled between September 25 and October 1, 2017. It will be an initiative of Golf Industry Association (GIA) in partnership with Indian Golf Union (IGU), Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI), National Golf Association of India (NGAI), Golf Course Superintendents and Managers Association of India (GCS &MAI) as well as the globally acclaimed Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America.

“There has been overwhelming response to the Golf Week from across the country and we are now working to exceed the target. I think with the success of players like Anirban, SSP, Aditi and Gaganjeet in recent times, the excitement around the sport is at an all time high. The ILGW will be a great opportunity for youngsters to ride this wave and bring glory to the country”, said Satish Aparajit, president, IGU.

The ILGW will aim to initiate 20,000 new golfers into the game, making it the largest such initiative to infuse new talent into the sport at one go. The ILGW will aim to attract 100,000 new golfers over a period of five years.

 Seven-time winner on the Asian Tour, Gaganjeet Bhullar said, “Excellent initiative and nice to know that so many clubs and stakeholders have come together with a long-term vision for the game. I have always felt that golf has great potential in the country and regular initiatives like this can unearth hidden talent from all parts.”

Rahil Gangjee, another pro golfer, expressed similar sentiments. He said, “I whole-heartedly support the India Learn Golf Week and wish it a great success. Kudos to the organisers for bringing an institution like the PGA on board and this will go a long way in spreading the popularity of the game in the country.”

“All the industry bodies have had a plan to work together for a while now and we are glad that the India Learn Golf Week has finally given us this opportunity. I hope that we can make it a big success. We are trying to build this proposition as a strong base for finding golfing talent in India,” said Devang D. Shah, president, GIA

 Vivek Sharma, COO, WGAI believes this initiative will increase participation from women’s players. “This initiative is also going to help in the growth of women’s golf in the country. We have one Aditi Ashok in our country and ILGW will create the platform for more youngsters to join the game,” he said.