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Looking for the best golf courses in New Delhi India? Here you will find an in-depth review and tips for playing your best game yet.
New Delhi Weather
In a hot place, pleasant winter months are welcome, like in New Delhi. From April to June, temperatures range 40°C or higher (approximately 104°F). Then, from July to September the rain of the monsoons will also affect your golf game. October brings about a pleasant change and sees people coming back into the open spaces.
And on to golf courses, which witness flights taking off back-to-back, as the reduction of daylight hours also squeezes the playing time.
Note for golf travelers: Unlike the west, where outdoor activities increase in the summer, in India, because of the weather, it is winter when people engage more in outdoor activities.
That being said, golf courses are open throughout the year, except for the occasional rain-forced closure, and are, in fact, much more readily available during the summer and monsoon. However, the playing conditions may not be conducive for people not used to the climate.
5 Best Golf Courses in New Delhi
Golfers in New Delhi have access to the thickest concentration of good golf courses anywhere in India, including the newer ones that have come up in the suburban areas of Gurgaon and Noida.
1. The Lodhi Course at the Delhi Golf Club
- Location: Heart of New Delhi; entrance from Dr. Zakir Husain Marg
- Closed: Monday
- Par: 72
- Yards: 6932
- Walk-in green fee: Weekdays – Rs. 6000, Weekends – Rs. 8000; Foreigners: Weekdays – $95, Weekends – $125
- Guest fee: Weekdays – Rs. 1,700, Weekends – Rs. 2,500
- Designer: General J H Wilkinson, redesigned by Peter Thompson in the seventies, with Gary Player during the recent refurbishment
- Website: Delhi Golf Club
Delhi Golf Club Holes
A discussion about golf in New Delhi has to inevitably start with the majestic Delhi Golf Club, right in the heart of the capital, with fairways cut out of the thick forest and historical monuments carelessly strewn around the tees and greens. They even have peacocks watching you tee off. Each hole is named after a bird, many of them found in the jungles on the course.
Not having a single water hazard or major topographical features does not make the course any easier. If you are not able to hit straight, you are likely to spend more time in the jungle bordering each fairway than on the fairway itself.
The course underwent a facelift a few years back with contouring and increasing the size of the greens and the addition of bunkers, to give it a more contemporary feel.
In addition to the championship 18-hole Lodhi course, the club also has a shorter 9-hole Peacock course.
Read Next: Pebble Beach Golf Links Holes: Everything You Need to Know
2. The Gary Player Course at the DLF Golf & Country Club
- Location: Phase 5, Gurgaon; main entrance from the Golf Course Road. About 40 minutes from New Delhi.
- Closed: Tuesdays
- Par: 72
- Yards: 7684
- Walk-in green fee: Walk-ins not permitted
- Guest fee: Not published on the website but expect to pay upwards of Rs. 6000- for weekdays and Rs. 9000- for weekends for 18 holes
- Website: DFL Golf and Country Club
The DLF Golf Club opened its 18-hole Arnold Palmer (AP) course in 1999 which immediately set the standard for modern courses in India.
In 2015, DLF redeveloped the back 9 of the AP course and added 9 more holes to create a new 18-hole course designed by Gary Player (GP) which has played host to the top championships right from its inception. The 18-hole course at DLF is the Gary Player (GP) course. AP is the old courseof which only 9 holes remain.
The golf course is split into Lake 9 and Quarry 9 and offers dramatic landscapes with lakes and rocky canyons. Taking a golf cart is required on the back 9.
Rumor has it that the par 4 on the 17th hole was eased up after complaints of being ‘too tough’ by several professionals.
The 9-hole AP (the remaining 9 of the original) course was the first in India to offer night golf.
Recommended Hotel: DLF Club 5 – Golf Course Road
3. ITC Classic Golf & Country Club
- Location: P.O. Hasanpur, Tauru, Dist. Mewat. Just over an hour from New Delhi and 35 minutes from Gurgaon.
- Closed: Monday
- Par: 72
- Yards: 7114
- Walk-in green fee: Walk-ins not permitted
- Guest fee: Not published, but expect to pay upwards of Rs. 5000- for weekdays and Rs. 8000- for weekends for 18 holes
- Website: Classic Golf and Country Club
Designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1998, the Classic Golf and Country Club is easily accessible from the city.
Classic Golf & Country Club Courses
The golf course is made up of three, 9-hole courses:
- Ridge – 3541 yards, 36 par
- Valley – 3573 yards, 36 par
- Canyon – 3135 yards, 36 par
The Ridge and Valley courses combine to make up the 18-hole championship course, while the even more picturesque Canyon serves as the Executive course.
The Classic Golf & Country Club course is a favorite of professionals, amateurs, and club golfers as it provides opportunities for recovery unless you hit the ball into a lake or out of bounds.
All holes have deceptive protection, like sloping fairways, upturned edges of greens, and fairway bunkers.
It is one of the few courses that permit golf carts on the fairways, except in wet conditions.
The super-luxury ITC Grand Bharat hotel has come up next to Classic, making it an exciting stay-and-play combination.
Recommended Hotel: ITC Grand Bharat, a Luxury Collection Retreat
4. Golden Greens Golf Club
- Location: Sector 79, Village Sakatpur, Gurgaon, Haryana. An hour from New Delhi and 30 minutes from Gurgaon.
- Closed: Monday
- Par: 72
- Yards: 7051
- Walk-in green fee: Weekend Rs. 4000 and weekday Rs. 2000
- Guest fee: Weekend Rs. 3000 and weekday Rs. 1600
- Website: Golden Greens Golf Club
Golden Greens Golf Club is a links course designed by Dr. Martin Hawtree. Set in the Aravalli Hills, the course design uses the contours of the bleak and arid range well. It is a sight to behold. It is unique with the brightness of the fairways and greens against the browner shades of the native scrub.
Golden Greens Golf Club Holes
With its pot bunkers and fairway humps, negotiating the course successfully demands accuracy as well as strategic placement of shots. Amateur golfers are known to find the course challenging to negotiate.
Though admired by golfers for its layout, the maintenance of this course over the recent past has left something to be desired. However, with the game’s increasing popularity in this region, we hope this fantastic course finds its mojo again.
The positive for golfers is that the club has reduced its green fees and is now permitting walk-ins.
5. Jaypee Greens
- Location: Sector G, Surajapur Kasna Road, Greater Noida. Near Pari Chowk. Under an hour from New Delhi. 30 minutes from Noida.
- Closed: Monday
- Par: 72
- Yards: 7347
- Designer: Greg Norman
- Walk-in green fee: Not permitted
- Guest fee: Not published on the website but expect to pay upwards of Rs. 5000- for weekdays and Rs. 8000- for the weekend for 18 holes
- Website: Jaypee Greens
Jaypee Greens Golf Course Layout
Created on a featureless part of the North Indian plains, Jaypee Greens is an exciting course. It contains water bodies and topographical features such as scrublands, woodlands, and wild-grassed sections. Water also comes into play on at least half the holes.
It creates a cocoon within a busy urban sprawl. Some of the fairways run along a periphery on the other side, which are residential blocks, that might occasionally create a feeling of being hemmed in. On the other hand, it could also be considered the crown jewel of a large residential project.
Jaypee Gardens prides itself on being India’s only Greg Norman designed course. It is also one as one of the longest in the country.
Recommended Hotel: Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort
Helpful Tips on Golf Courses in New Delhi
Golfing in New Delhi, India can be different than in other parts of the world.
Here are a few tips to make your journey easier:
- Caddies are required on all golf courses.
- Two golfers can share a golf cart. A caddy can be shared between two players when using a cart.
- Upscale hotels in the city tend to have arrangements with good courses for access to their guests. Check with your hotel if you wish to play at a golf course that does not permit walk-ins.
Final Thoughts: Best Golf Courses in New Delhi India
Golf is fast coming of age in India. The last thirty years have witnessed unprecedented activity in golf course development, resulting in many remarkable courses sprouting up throughout the country. It is a must-do destination for golf enthusiasts anywhere.
