my4moles

The J&K Golf Development and Management Authority Bill was recently passed by the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) government with the intention of creating an all-year golfing calendar that puts the state on the Golf Tourism map. "Golf does not earn money directly, it is a money multiplier... It is a leisure sport that only paying tourists play, but in the process transport, hospitality sector and the general market benefits," M Salim Beig, former Director General Tourism, Government of J&K, was quoted as saying in a report by Masood Hussain in The Economic Times.


Beig blamed poor marketing and situational constraints in selling the infrastructure. "Let the situation stabilise. There will be a long line outside Royal Springs because it is cheap and cool to play golf in Kashmir," he asserted. Ten years ago, Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister of J&K, cleared the city forest and created Royal Springs Golf Course. Built at a cost of Rs 35 crore, the golf course is today counted among Asia's top five, but tourism managers have not been able to market the state as a golf destination yet.