The golf scene in Pakistan is beginning to reflect a ‘wind of change’. With more and more media coverage the game is starting to become a household word in the major cities, thus luring youngsters to the golf courses. And those connected with golf can experience cool breeze of development causing tremors that are impact oriented.
With the player passion delightfully extravagant, one can hope that in the next two or three years the top professionals and amateur golf players of substance can hope for a golfing career that is lucrative and rewarding. As things stand a heartening aspect of our professional golf circuit is that those ranked in Top 10 are earning an average of a million rupees a year, which ensures a reasonable economic level.
Weather wise, Pakistan is fortunate as conducive climate bolsters golf and for about eight months the perfect weather conditions exist and help the game to flourish. Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar have similar temperatures – not too harsh in winter, unlike Quetta and this factor alone entices the intent ones to the golfing areas.
As for Karachi, it is comfortable the whole year round and over the weekends the eager ones virtually invade the golf courses. Golf playing enthusiasts are increasing by the hundreds and the graph of new entrants shows a cheerful rise. In the last three years, the junior talent hunt programme launched by the Pakistan Golf Federation, the Punjab Golf Association and the Sindh Golf Association have brought to the fore considerable talent. Golf clubs like the the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club, Lahore Gymkhana, the Lahore Garrison Golf Club, the Karachi Golf Club and the Arabian Sea Golf Club have encouraged the young ones to take up this game. Summer vacations were an ideal time and the little ones literally swarmed the golf courses with visible zest. Through this programme, some 50 talented juniors have managed to get noticed and owing to a continuous formal coaching programme, in the year ahead we just might have a few champions in the forefront, if the education option abroad does not steer them away from this fine sport. And mind you lately we have lost quite a few very talented ones to education and careers other than golf.
Youngsters like Mubraiz Ahmed (Rawalpindi), Muhammed Rehman (Royal Palm), Salman Jehangir (Lahore Gymkhana) and Mahad Zafar (Royal Palm) have already made it to the national reckoning, and also by playing overseas in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Bangladesh. These promising youngsters, by consuming self owned resources, as lots of dough is a must to stay focused on national level golf – have caused sufficient waves through performances that can be graded as emphatic. Yes, ultimate victory was not theirs, but if they continue to gain international experience through regular outings, the big breakthrough seems to be just round the corner.
Talking of talented juniors, a few juniors who deserve a mention here are Faisal Mir, Minhaj Maqsood, Mustafa Gilani, Rao M. Hassan, Zeeshan Khan and Adnan Khan.
Golf Courses
The golf courses across the country are nestled in a splendour-oriented environment and in particular the ones in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar have substantially improved playing conditions so as to create a unique golfing experience. The Defence Authority Golf Course in Karachi has been professionally designed and poses a challenge to both amateurs and professional golfers, who are toppers in this line of activity. Then there is the Arabian Sea Golf and Country Club Golf course which can rightfully boast of carpeted fairways and a bite of its own. The Karachi Golf Club Golf Course is landscaped by water features and exotic greens and served as an acceptable arena for international open golf events luring players from 45 countries.
As for Lahore, the Royal Palm Country Club Golf Course has certainly attained a glamorous touch and the setting is exquisite. Also available is a clubhouse with full recreational facilities and a 20 bay driving range and practice rounds on this golf course have already helped many golfers to hone their game to high competitive levels. Shahid Javed Khan is just one example, while Muhammed Rehman is another.
Developments carried out at the Lahore Gymkhana golf course over the years make it a challenging layout and players from overseas while golfing here have always given it a high score.
A welcome new addition to Lahore’s golf scene is the Defence Raya Golf Course and although club house facilities are a work in progress category, the golf course itself is majestic, every fairway awesome, facilitating crisp hitting. In the years to come we are going to see world class players converging to this place for a share and feel of its splendour.
Major development work has also been carried out on the golf courses in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar while not far behind are the 18-hole layouts in Gujranwala and Jehlum.
Two new golf courses, professionally designed, are in the construction phase in Lahore, with one in Islamabad and a couple in Karachi.
Shabbir, the conqueror of the Professional circuit
In this decade, Muhammad Shabbir Iqbal has emerged as the conqueror of Pakistan’s professional golf circuit. During the open competitions held at the leading golf courses of the country, Shabbir virtually assailed these courses through amazing shots and spotless putting.
Other names who sparkled are Matloob Ahmed, M. Munir, Hamza Amin, M. Tariq, Waheed Baloch, Shahid Javed Khan, M. Siddique and Amjad Yousaf. A heartening feature is the emergence of young professionals with a will to play quality golf. Aadil Jehangir, Shafiq Masih and Asher Masih are names capable of swarming the international arenas. Already Aadil, Shafiq and Shahid have cast their spell in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) golf scene in Dubai. During the four competitions in this golf circuit’s tournaments their performances were extraordinary. They now have to use the platform of the Asian Tour to enrich themselves through victories on the Asian tour competitions and in the process become international celebrities.
The professional golf circuit of Pakistan hosts around 20 open events, worth Rs18 million and as Arif Abbasi of the Arabian Sea Golf Club rightly said, “Although golf is growing, it still has to hit more headlines in Pakistan. Recently PTV telecast live the Sindh Open Golf Championship held at the Arabian Sea Golf Course and that did a world of good to the golf heroes”.
Need of the hour
Need of the hour is to spread the base, and help the game to prosper. The Pakistan Golf Federation in association with provincial golf bodies (Punjab, Sindh and the KP) have a major role to play, as it is their duty to enable the golfers to raise their levels of excellence to the extent that they can perform well on the international circuit to win laurels for themselves and for the country. Bold initiatives relating to coaching and competitive golfing activities are already yielding results, and inspite of restricted economic activity, the golf loving prosperous ones will readily sponsor players and golf competitions.
Recently, elections to the provincial and national bodies brought forth some really energetic men who can render valuable services to the golf arena. The Pakistan Golf Federation is headed by Lt Gen Zaheer ul Islam, the Sindh Golf Association by Asad I.A.Khan and the Punjab Golf Association by Lt Gen Maqsood Ahmed bodes well for the immediate future of the game in this country.
The writer is a member the Punjab Golf Association’s Executive Committee.
