A first: Women to get free golf coaching in Mohali

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 30

In a first, the fairer sex won't have to pay anything for learning and playing golf in Mohali.

In a bid to promote golf among women, the Punjab Housing and Urban Development Department, headed by the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, took the decision here today.

Announcing this, Additional Chief Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Vini Mahajan said the Mohali Golf Range (MGR) would offer free coaching and golf equipment to women wishing to learn golf. The prospective women golfers would not be required to pay any user charges for the golf set and bucket of balls required for the game. The offer would be valid with effect from July 1 to 31.

The decision was taken during the MGR governing body meeting, chaired by Mahajan, who is also the president of the range.

She said the offer would encourage women to play golf and extend the golfers' base in the tricity. “The offer does have financial implications but the intention is to promote the game of golf in the region,” Mahajan said.

The governing body also decided to take a slew of measures to improve the functioning of the golf academy as well as the club house developed by GMADA on Airport Road in Mohali. The measures include introduction of cash cards, mechanised cleaning, guest fee, affiliation with the Panchkula Golf Club, replacement of the existing lights with LED and solar lights and rationalisation of the annual subscription. GMADA also proposes to start billiards and banquet halls, which are ready but yet to be made functional.

It was further decided to open new membership and enrol 200 more members -- 100 vacancies in the general category, 75 in the government servant category and 25 in the student category. At present, the MGR has 883 members.

The governing body decided that the golf test, which is part of the process for promoting temporary members to permanent members, would be taken by the committee constituted for this purpose by the Chandigarh Golf Association.

Programmes

The programmes conducted at the MGR include golf orientation for 1,000 new members, junior and adults, golf rules and etiquette clinic, inauguration of the pitch and putt golf course, conduct of golf tests of new members, Independence Day golf competition, open golf challenge and sports skill challenge.

Award

The Mohali Golf Range was awarded for “the best facilities provided by any State Development Authority in India” for 2016 by the Indian Golf Industry Association.