Kodaikanal Golf Course
Kodaikanal Golf Club came in to existence on June 17, 1895, it is laid over natural grasslands and is criss-crossed by streams. Located about 6 kms from the centre of town on the road to pillar rocks. Total length of the course is 6426 yards.
The fun loving British were the architects of the course; the course and the clubhouse are situated on Golflinks Road connecting the Kochi road, near the famous tourist attraction view point ‘Suicide Point’ or ‘Green Valley View’. The course with its well furnished club house recently gave up the 19th hole, for the license was too costly. Some of the finest greens adorn the course like emeralds; one can play the full 18 holes here. The spread of the course is about 150 acres.
The jungle which runs very close to the course attracts wild animals sometimes. Wild boars are commonly sighted in herds. Tigers used to be sighted near the 6th hole, and the hole itself is named ‘Tiger Hole’. Some of the other holes are also given very interesting names, depending on the challenges they offer the golfer. The 4th hole is called the Devil’s Dip, for the fairway from the tee-box to the green is a solid dip, which runs on as far as one’s sight can carry. The 12th hole, due to the strenuousness of the walk and the stroke, is called the ‘Cardiac Hole’. A hard hitters’ course, the thirteenth green is not visible from the tee box. The 15th hole, which has the longest yardage of 587 yards, needs two good shots to sight the green. The entire course takes about 3 hours to play all the holes.
At least 50 tournaments are conducted during the year. Palani Hill Open, Veday Cup, Rudrappan Memorial Cup, Contessa Open and A V Thomas Tournament (introduced recently), are some of the major tournaments generally held between end April and the beginning of June. A par rating of 72, the course is a long-hitting course.
