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Tee off in Kathmandu
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Local golfers could check out Nepal which has some of the best greens on earth
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Golfers are often pleasantly surprised to see deer grazing on the greens nearby
ROLLING GREENS The Gokarna Forest Reserve Golf Course course lies in a 470-acre site with the forest abutting the playing area
George Deeb, founder of iExplore, listed 10 top travel memories which were unique in experience and provided `travel bragging rights' for a lifetime. Number seven on Deeb's list was `Trek to Mount Everest Base Camp'. It would not be far off the mark to extend that a bit and say `Trek to Mount Everest Base Camp and Play Golf at Nepal'.
There are five golf courses in Nepal, the Gokarna Forest Reserve Golf Course and the Royal Nepal Golf Course situated in Kathmandu, the Himalayan Golf Club and the Fulbari Resort Golf Course located in Pokhara, and the Nirvana Country Club in Dharan. By all accounts, the one at the Gokarna Forest Reserve is the most magnificent. The course lies about 10 km to the east of Kathmandu and with its picturesque backdrop of a section of the Himalayan range can lay claim to be one of the most spectacular golf courses in the world.
Gokarna initially had only a hunting lodge where Nepalese royalty used to stay when on their shikars. The idea of a golf course there first germinated when the King decided in 1984 that the location was ideal for the sport. A nine-hole course with browns not greens was set up and existed till about 1996. The decision to upgrade the course to international standards was approved in '96 and Gleneagles Golf Development was awarded the contract. Course designer David McLay Kidd got down to business in Kathmandu and in three year's time an 18 hole, par 72, 6715 yard course was ready.
Unbeatable location
The location of the course was well chosen with breathtaking sights on view throughout the course. From the first tee box there is a splendid view of the snow clad Lamthang peak. The course lies in a 470-acre site with the Gokarna Forest Reserve abutting the playing area. Golfers are often pleasantly surprised to see deer grazing on the greens nearby. Monkeys are a common sight while a trek into the nearby forest area may provide sightings of bears and other animals.
In 2000, the Golf club which is now attached to the Le Meridien hotel and managed in partnership with Nikko Golf Hotels, established a complete practice area including a driving, pitching and putting range. It is as yet only a walking course though the hotel is likely to acquire some buggies shortly.
As recently as last week, the Gokarna Golf Course was the venue of the PGAI Amby Valley tour championship. Bangalore's professional golfers C Muniyappa, S.Madaiah and Srinivas turned out for the tournament and Muniyappa was in the lead on the second day of the tournament. The Karnataka Golf Association caddie-pro had two good cards of three under 69 but lost out to Gurbaaz Mann on the final day. Muniyappa finally finished joint fourth in the final standings.
Golf apart, Kathmandu offers plenty for tourists and holidaymakers. The city has a flourishing casino business where "fools and their money are soon parted". Clubs and eateries are a-plenty. For mountaineering enthusiasts, Rum Doodle is a must-visit. The restaurant has signatures of some 700 of the 1200 people who have conquered Mount Everest, including Appa Sherpa who has scaled the peak a record 14 times.
Music is very popular in Kathmandu and jazz bands play twice a week at places like Jazz Upstairs.
The J Bar attracts large crowds. Another great feature is the Mountain Flight which takes tourists on an aerial tour of the Himalayan Mountain Range. All the peaks Gauri Shankar, Makalu, Kanchenjunga and the mighty Everest can be seen from very close range on the flight.
Almost every golfer who played in the Surya Nepal Masters tournament last week said the location was great and the combined both the seriousness of the game as well as the perfect holiday.
D. RAVI SHANKAR
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