Career in Golf Course Designing and Management Sees a New Dimension, says Rajiv Chandoke

In an exclusive interview with Shiksha.com, Mr. Rajiv Chandoke - ex-commander of the Navy who has been associated with this queen of sports for over three decades, reveals how he thinks that a career in Golf Course Designing has extremely good prospects in the coming years, with India's burgeoning economy. Mr. Rajiv Chandoke is an avid golfer himself and is also the Managing Director of GolfKraft India - one of the India's premier Golf Consultancy firms.

How did you get associated with Golf?

I was smitten by the game during my days with Indian Navy, where golf is considered one of the key sports. For more than two decades, I was proactively associated with the United Services Golf Club, Mumbai. My liking for the game gradually developed into a passion and after taking an early retirement at the age of 47, I decided to open up a multi-dimensional firm where I could use my passion, knowledge and experience as a golfer.

What makes a career in Golf Course Designing and Management so challenging for you?

Like all the other sports such as cricket, football, tennis and badminton, golf courses do not have set dimensions or shapes or any such sacrosanct stipulations. Certain specifications of course are more of general guidelines. A golf course is somewhat in-between an architectural design and an abstract painting! You have to be in love with the game to understand the character of the golf course that would suit a particular setting - hilly, flat, desert or coastal. The biggest challenge is that you have to go with the Nature. So, you have to design a beautiful scenic golf course with five-star amenities and the right turf while conserving the natural beauty of the place. Since golf is an expensive game, golf designers and players look for premium settings and just the right sprinkling of aesthetics.

Golf Course Designing is not about straight lines. In fact, it is something between architecture and an abstract painting as mentioned earlier. It is a work of art. When you design a golf course, you have to keep in mind that it is challenging, fascinating and yet friendly for the users. Golf Course Management comes into play only when the golf course is ready. It involves operations, administration, upkeep and maintenance of the golf course.

The biggest challenge in Golf Course Designing and Development process is land acquisition. Golf courses may sprawl across 60 acres, 100 acres or even 200 acres. Getting such an expansive piece of land can be a difficult task to accomplish and we have to devote much time on sorting it out with different stakeholders. It remains a tough trade-off between expanse and expense!

What kind of golf course designers do you look for? What skills will someone who wants to pursue a career in golf course designing need?

The most important thing that I look for is of course the passion for the game. Until and unless, you are a golfer yourself with at least one year of experience of playing on different golf courses in India and abroad, you will hardly be able to do justice to the profession. Knowing about the intricacies of the game and challenges offered by different golf courses will help you to come up with your own innovative and pleasing designs.

I have heard that a few institutes do offer Golf Course Management courses but until you have played the game yourself, you will not be able to understand the importance of it all. Besides, you should have a flair for visual and spatial imagination. A diploma course in architecture might also help you in planning and resource estimation.

Golf Course Designing as well as Golf Course Management effects the way the course plays and the way the rules of the game will be applied. Course Manager or Greenkeeper must have the specialist's knowledge about maintaining the turf, financial and environmental constraints in keeping the turf grass species you choose, soil husbandry, thatch and water management, irrigation, mowing, use of fertilizers and pest management, taking care of weeds and routine checks. They also need the skills of marketing or sales personnel, as they are the faces of the golf courses and the businesses they do. And of all the jobs, formatting a tournament will always remain the most innovative tasks.

Which golf courses are your favorites?

I especially like Aamby Valley Golf Club in India and St. Andrews in Scotland. Aamby Valley is in Sahyadri Ranges, 25 km southwest to Lonavala and has been designed by David Hemstock. Its challenges, pristine outdoors, constantly changing conditions and variety gives new meaning to the golf experience. And Saint Andrews in Scotland? My God! It's the Mecca of golf.

What are the career prospects in the field of Golf Course Designing and Management?

Foreign hotels like Radisson and Four Seasons contact us frequently to suggest location and design for golf courses with associated facilities in India. Besides, even smaller hotels have realized that golf courses are there to help make the right kind of life-style statement for the elite as also an increasing attraction for the inbound tourists in India and hence, are coming up with their own facilities. Golf combines extremely well with real estate. No wonder then that with India emerging as one of the superpowers in the world, the prospects in the field seem to be bright for another decade or two.

Isn't Golf an expensive game?

Yes, you can say so. Land cost itself is a reason for it. Then, the upkeep and maintenance of a golf course requires delicate handling too. But still, you can play a game of golf in India for Rs 500 to Rs 1,500. If you go abroad, you have to shell out as much as Rs 10000/- to 25,000/- for one game of golf! But having said that, I for one and some like minded golfers will want to make this game affordable for the common man too.

Where should one study Golf Course Designing or Golf Course Management?

I haven't yet heard of an institute in India that has made a mark in these fields. In fact, if I find the right VC funding, I may start one of my own institutes for these courses. The training you need for Golf Course Designing or Golf Course Management will require you to have a good knowledge with respect to the game and the course layout and we are still looking for an ideal curriculum. I am presently writing and formatting an exhaustive syllabus for the purpose.

If you love golf and are interested in making a career in Golf Course Designing or Golf Course Management, do post your queries here.

Source: Ruchi Shrimali (Shiksha.com)