Godrej Golf Links, a new nine-hole golf course designed by Vijit Nandrajog of Golf Design India, has opened for play near New Delhi, India.

The course has been designed for one of India’s largest real estate developers, Godrej Properties, and is part of a large housing development project.

“From the very beginning I wanted to create a golf course with unique character and distinct aesthetics to make it stand out from the rest of the golf courses in this region of the national capital, which already has more than a handful of golf courses… with more planned,” said Nandrajog. “I wanted to give this course a completely different feel and ensure that the golf features look considerably different than what golfers in India are accustomed to.”

Instead of the clean edge bunker style that golfers typically see on courses in India, bunkers have been designed with free-flowing edges that have been shaped by hand.

Tees have been designed in random shapes and forms. “The tees are not going to have any markers or fixed positions as I want to give golfers the freedom to choose where to play each hole from,” said Nandrajog. “By doing so, within large teeing surfaces, golfers can experience different angles of play and yardages for each hole, every time they play the course.”

The course also has a water management system that provides a sustainable solution for the housing community. “The golf course occupies the central portion of the site and has real estate all around it,” said Nandrajog. “We designed large swales that run through the site, collecting water from all areas, largely by surface drainage patterns. Furthermore, all the treated water from the entire township is also directed into these swales, which then drains through into the central pond of the golf course from where it is used to irrigate the entire course. The swales have been developed using natural soils and plantations of a great variety of grasses and shrubs that thrive under local conditions, thereby giving the entire golfing landscape a unique and earthy appearance. 

“Overall, I am thrilled with how this golf course has turned out. Not only will the course provide golfers with a unique playing experience but shall also set an example for sustainable golf development in the country”.