Golf

golf is my other passion. I enjoy the greenery, the fairways, trees, birds, the open air and the ambience of the golf courses and the company of golf buddies and the competition. I cherish the friendship developed over four hours of leisurely walk during each round in the golf course. I have made some very dear friends in the golf courses around the world.

 

Argentina, which was my last posting, is a paradise for golfers. There are about 100 courses in and around Buenos Aires itself. I organised four India Cup golf tournaments in Jockey Club ( the most prestigious club of Argentina in which I was a member ) in November 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 as part of the Festivals of India.

Following are the courses I have played in Argentina

Buenos Aires

 

Other cities

 

Pargauay

Asuncion Golf club, Yacht and Golf Club, Centenario club, Club de Carlos Franco

 

Uruguay

Punta Carrretas club, El Cerro - Montevideo

Cantegrill, Club del Lago, La Barra - Punta de Leste

 

Snow Golf

I played a snow golf tournament in Ushuaia on 14 August 2010

More on this in my blog

 

Viswanathan with Roberto de Vicenzo from Argentina, who won the 1967 British open and had won six PGA championships.
He was the  first latin american to win a major golf tournament - 24 July 2010

 

With Andres Romero and Eduardo Romero in Pilar Golf Club, Buenos Aires - 7 December 2009

 

With El Gato and El Pato at Villa Allende Golf Club, Córdoba - 15 April 2009

I have played golf in many countries of Latin America and in almost all the golf courses in Brazil and Venezuela during my stay in 1996-2003. I got an albatross in a golf tournament at the Puerto la Cruz golf course in Venezuela.

- Colombia isthe second best in Latin America for golf after Agentina. Bogota has about 20 golf clubs with scenic and undulating courses. Ball goes ten yards more due to high altitude

- Chile has some fascinating courses in hills, desert and near glaciers

- Dominican Republic has some memorable courses such as The teeth of the dog and Dye Fore, where I had played with the Foreign Minister of the country.

- I have also had the pleasure of playing in Mexico, Cuba, Honduras, Panama, Japan and Thailand during my tours.

- During my visit to Bolivia I played in Santa Cruz golf club, which has live crocodiles in the water hazards. I did not have the courage to play in La Paz, after hearing the story of a brave golfer who fell dead after playing nine holes. At the height of 14000 feet, I was happy to survive with the help of gallons of Coca leaf tea.

I have played in about 90 golf course in New York, New Jersey and the east coast of USA during my posting in Newyork 1993-96.

Also played in all the courses in Mauritius during my posting 1986-89. I won the Club Championship in 1988.

I have won some trophies in the tournaments in these countries as well as in India.

Delhi Golf Club is my home course. This Golf course is unique in many respects. There are peacocks in the fairways. It is an incredible sight to see the the males opening up the full featherscreen of colours to attract the females and dance in rainy season. There are over a dozen kinds of birds darting between trees and shouting with joy or making mating calls. There are a few four legged animals and legless ones ( snakes ) too in the thick growth of bushes on both sides of the fairways. Inside the golf course there are monuments from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

 

More pictures of peacocks in the Golf course in my foto gallery

Golden Greens in Gurgaon is a favourite. It is a links course in the middle of agricultural fields, exposed to strong winds and surrounded by hills.I also like the JP Green and DLF courses which are long and challenging with water hazards.

In India I have played in Bangalore( Eagleton is the best ), Calcutta ( Royal calcutta club is challenging and ancient ), Chennai ( not much interesting ) ,Mumbai( nothing great ), Pune, Ooty( the undulating course is scenic and fascinating ) , Trichy ( some course.. ) , Naldera ( up and down but not so interesting) , Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Jodhpur. .

Guess where I started golf? ...in the most unlikely place... in Tripoli. There is an abandoned and uncared for ( Qaddafi does not like this kind of bourgeois pursuits! ) golf course with browns instead of greens. No green fees.. no entrance fees... absolutely free.. one can walk in and out of the course.

 

below - at the Varadero Golf course in Cuba in 2005. undulating course on the sea side with lot of water hazards.

below- New York Centennial Club with Minister Rao Inderjit Singh and Rajan in 2005.

above- Golf at Santiago Golf Club in Chile in March 2006

 

below- at the Lima golf course with Ambassador Warjiri in July 2006

 

 

at the Country Club in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on 15 Feb 2007

at the Teeth of the Dog golf course in La Romana in Dominican republic, where I played in 2005. six of the courses are jutting into the sea like dog's teeth.

 

I played on 17 feb 2007 at the Dye Fore Golf course in La Romana in Dominican Republic with IT Minister Eddy Martinez and Tito

 

the four golf courses of casa de campo in Dominican Republic - foto taken from the plane

the par four thirteenth hole of the Constance Spring Golf Course in Kingston jamaica, where I played on 18 Feb 2007

below- at the Santa cruz country club in Bolivia with Arvind Sharma in 2006