Time Out
Golfing in the clouds
BRINDA SURI
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Looking for a golfing break with a touch of the royal? Pack your bags for Nainital to tee off on the greens of its Raj Bhawan.
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Nainital is among the hill stations developed by the British, and the colonial essence is visible in its architectural landscape.
Photo: Brinda Suri
Colonial splendour: The Raj Bhawan.
On a lazy Sunday, during a man-to-man session, a father was overheard in conversation with his teenage son. “It’s time we had a little talk, my young boy. Soon, you will have urges and feelings you’ve never experienced before. Your heart will pound and your hands will sweat. You’ll be pre-occupied and won’t be able to think of anything else. But don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal...it’s called Golf.”
If you are a keen golfer the humour would certainly be familiar! That’s how involving the sport is. The reason you can never take golf away from a golfer even if you take a golfer away from golf. Not even on holidays; unless of course it’s a golfing vacation. A perfect place for such a break is Nainital that’s beautifully embedded in the verdant Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand, with a pretty as a picture golf course wrapped by conifers and hills.
Everyone’s favourite
Nainital, like a host of its hill brethren, has come to acquire an “everyman destination” tag, and the usual grouse accompanying that classification. So I wasn’t overly enthused with the idea of my maiden trip to the lake-town. On a cloudy day, as the car wound its way up to the entry barrier on The Mall, a very picturesque town lay before me. To my right stood an assortment of pleasant looking hotels and to my left at the foot of a rhododendron hill were the shimmering emerald waters of the Naini Lake freckled with myriad coloured boats. Mist was building up in one corner of the lake and in a matter of seconds it had enveloped the entire townscape. All that was visible amidst green hills were tiny specks of colour, of homes and hotels — their much-detested concrete, I’ll admit, adding an allure to the canvas. I parked the car and began walking on the tree-lined promenade alongside the lake, my ears tuned to the gentle sound of its waves and my face feeling enlivened by the touch of wet vapours. Slowly and softly, the mist became denser and I felt transported to a fairytale castle of clouds. It’s said first impressions last longest. In those moments, clothed in the translucence of white, Nainital looked surreal and that’s how I still perceive it.
Perfect ambience
Photos: Brinda Suri
Indulge yourself: The 18-hole golf course at Nainital
As the mist lifted the town came into its own. I saw tourists queuing up for boat rides and cable-car trip; some busied themselves browsing through shops; others were excitedly making plans of trips to the nearby lakes of Sattal and Bhimtal, a sprinkling was content munching roasted corn or peanuts; and almost all made a customary visit to the Naina Devi temple on the bank of the eye-shaped lake. A hustle-bustle was visible all around, but what overpowered it all was the natural beauty that Nainital is so endowed with.
Nainital is among the hill stations developed by the British, and the colonial essence is visible in its architectural landscape. There is a surfeit choice of heritage places to stay in to savour the experience of the days of yore. One of them is Naini Retreat which has a legacy of a slightly different sort. It was the summer palace of the Maharaja of Pilibhit and apart from a section that’s still retained for family use; it’s been converted into a delightful resort. A throwback to the days of the Raj, its gabled roofs, frontal stone elevation, chequered windows and hydrangeas sprouting in profusion, accentuates that ambience. Overlooking the Naini Lake, its elevation provides an eagle’s eye view of town and you can’t blame yourself for not wanting to move from its garden. For golfers, checking in at this heritage property also means getting the all important license to play at the close-to-a-century-old Raj Bhawan golf course.
That’s where I headed on a nippy afternoon. History tells us that Sir Malcolm Halley, governor of then United Province, found the location ideal for golf so a team of British Army engineers was summoned to design an 18-hole course that was eventually commissioned in 1926. At an altitude of 6,338 feet and spread over undulating 50 acres fringed by a sub-alpine treeline of deodars and fir, the course is amongst the most scenic in India. It has testing fairways and hazards that are an adrenaline-rush for any golfer. Rain and dew are quite a constant in the hill town so swinging the club in such conditions adds to the challenge and what I missed this time around were my golf shoes. Naintal’s two most talked about summits — Naina Peak, also known as China or Cheena Peak and Tiffin Top or Dorothy’s Seat — are visible from the golf course. To be able to tee off in such stimulating surroundings is a high in itself.
The ever-popular boating at the lake.
Must-see structure
On my return after a quick pitch and putt session, I paused at the Raj Bhawan, a striking Gothic-styled edifice surrounded by manicured lawns. It appeared to me as though a jigsaw piece from a British countryside dotted with houses of nobility had been placed here. The two-storied manor with 113 rooms, dating back to 1900, is one of its kind in the country and not to be missed when in town. A section of it is a museum open to public viewing.
There are many more attributes to Nainital, far beyond what tourist brochures mention. These shall be experienced on another trip when I come back with golfing accessories packed in my bag.
Getting to Nainital
Airport: The nearest airport is at Pantnagar, 72 km from Nainital,
Trains: Closest railhead is at Kathgodam, 40 km south, linking Nanital to Agra, Bareilly, Lucknow and Delhi.
Time to visit
The best seasons to visit Nainital are from March till June and again in September-October; an Autumn Festival is organised at Nainital in October. In May and June the town usually gets very crowded due to the rush of tourists escaping the hot summer of the plains.
Attractions near Nainital
Jim Corbett: 63 km
Mukteshwar: 53 km
Bhimtal lake: 23 km
Sattal: 22 km
Naukuchia Tal: 26 km
Clothing
Heavy Woollens in winter and continue to wear light woollens in summer. Raincoat and umbrella are must during the rainy season.
Official website
www.nainital.nic.in
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