Golf is an Olympic discipline & there are 06 medals to win at Olympics. In Goa, we require at least one Golf Course says Roque Dias former ED,SAI & Dy.Director General,CWG,2010, who was handling the Central Golf Project, in Delhi.
For a start, we require at least one 18-hole Golf Course & Driving Range – for which an area of over 120 acres is required, for hosting an international Golf Championship, so as to promote Goan Golfer & even to attract domestic as well as international tourists, besides grass root training & Golf for leisure elderly persons & enormous employment for Goans.
Interestingly, Golf courses usually have a Golf club & restaurant or cafe facilities. The Golf course can be developed under BOT (Built, Operate & Transfer). The Goan Golf enthusiastic ought to come forward to form Goa Golf Association & register with the state Government, & then subsequently convert into Goa Golf Gymkhana. Further, they can demand for a requisite place with the support of apex body–Indian Golf Union & in collaboration with the state Govt. for an 18-hole Golf facility, which includes bodies of water, hard structures & out-of-play areas.
Goan Corporates including big Hotels should come forward to support this Discipline. The Golf course even can be built without Resort/5-star Hotel, which mean against TCP proposed plan. Interestingly, Delhi Golf Club employed 560 staff for the smooth running of the Club, & Goa can generate similar employment.
Two decades back Goa & North-East states were considered as backward in Sports & today North-East are medal winners in Olympics and Goa lagged behind and only thing achieved is rampant influx outsiders in Goa.
Instead of people protesting on Roads, Eminent NGOs like Claude Alvares & others should support Golf discipline for development of sports so as to promote promising Goan Golfers to represent India in Olympics.
Further, some plans to combat the environmental impact of creating the Golf course, adequate water supplies, replanting of trees etc.
