TEEING OFF: The Subtle Draw of Golf Course Beyond the Game

Golfing destinations are not just for professional golfers. Their exquisite and serene locations provide a perfect opportunity for family holidays as well as corporate gatherings. While there are several popular international destinations that offer golf holidays, India is fast catching up

- Chandreyi Bandyopadhyay

A MICE Opportunity 

As a favourable MICE destination, India, with 158 meetings, was at 28th place in the 2019 rankings released by the International Congress and Convention Association. With 200 meetings scheduled across 55 cities under India’s G20 presidency, the tourism sector is expected to add $56 billion to the country’s GDP.

However, it may be a while before golfing destinations in India can double up as MICE venues. Vasudha Sondhi, managing director at Om Tourism, a tourism representation company, says that golfing is not a part of MICE offering in India currently. “I do not think golf is part of MICE trips from India. Even domestically, MICE and golf are not mixed. Currently, golf is more specialised. There are very few golf specialist sellers in India,” she says.

She believes there is potential to develop the sector in India. “Thailand, which had a reasonable green fee even for championship courses, has become pricier, pushing golfers to look at other destinations,” she points out. However, she feels that destinations in India are not doing enough to woo golfers.

Dhruv Verma, founder of Thriwe, a benefit-as-a-service platform running loyalty and reward programmes for organisations, disagrees. He feels that India has improved considerably in its golfing offerings in the last five years with new golf courses being added to the existing list.

“Golf has evolved beyond solely associating with the affluent. Players now include young working professionals and entrepreneurs, both men and women, who possess substantial disposable income,” says Verma. Thriwe manages golf bookings across a network of 4,000 golf courses worldwide and 40 golf courses in India.

The Course of Action