International golf course architects Lobb + Partners has been hired as a strategic partner for the design of multiple golf destinations across India with the PGA of America by Aivot Golf & Sports Management Private Limited, a newly founded organisation created by a group of Indian/American investors.

Golf has a long history in India — the subcontinent’s first course, Royal Calcutta, was established in 1829, the first in the world outside Scotland (before golf had even spread to England or Ireland), and in the modern age, there are approximately 300 courses across the country. But large-scale golf development has been slow to take off in India, despite the historical and cultural fit, because fragmented land ownership has made it difficult for potential developers to acquire suitable properties. Aivot, along with its partners, has ambitions to fix this, and transform the development of golf in India.

After signing the partnership agreement at the newly opened PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas, L+P founder and principal Tim Lobb said: “As a team we aspire to create world-class golf courses, academies, and outstanding hotel and residential amenities alongside them. This is massively exciting for Indian golf, and we are overjoyed to be involved.”

The golf facilities will be PGA-branded, and are planned to include a mix of courses, academies and training centres, where Indians, whether previously exposed to golf or not, can develop their skills and enjoy the game. A substantial number of developments are planned across the subcontinent, in cities and regions including Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Lucknow. The Mumbai, Goa and Hyderabad projects are slated to be first up.

“The Goa project will be a resort — ideal for an area that is a major tourist destination — but some of the others, nearer to major cities, will be integrated golf communities,” says Lobb. “Aivot is a very forward thinking and talented group aiming to achieve something new for golf in India.”

Aivot’s CEO Alok Tiwari says: “Our plans are hugely ambitious — we are trying to create a hub for innovation and excellence in golfer development for India. As such, we naturally need partners who provide the absolute best quality support available, and we are confident that, in the PGA of America and Lobb + Partners, we have just that.”

The post AI-powered Indian golf development group hires Lobb + Partners appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Golf is riding a wave of huge popularity in India right now thanks to the emergence of such stars as Shubhankar Sharma and Aditi Ashok, who are taking their place alongside the likes of Shiv Kapur, Anirban Lahiri and Jeev Milkha Singh as household names. 

Fans of the game can get their fill at the renovated Delhi Golf Club this month as the Asian Tour superstars come to town for the second edition of The DGC Open from March 16-19.

Kapur and fellow Indian SSP Chawrasia will be among those flying the flag for the home nation in the $750,000 tournament, which was won last year by Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong, who just held off India’s own Ajeetesh Sandhu in a playoff to end hopes of an inaugural home champion. 

Gary Player was brought in to redesign the Lodhi Course and bring it up to world-class standards, without changing the basic nature of the course, and will now set the scene for another memorable DGC Open. A field of 132 players, with players from around 25 countries, is expected.

The post A Delhi delight: Asian Tour returns to India for the second DGC Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Scot, a two-time DP World Tour winner, holed his tee-shot from 243 yards with a four iron at the par-three 16th during Tuesday’s practice round to enjoy a confidence-boosting start to the week.

16th today…265 yards 4 iron?#HIO2023 pic.twitter.com/cFXDp9w4Dj

— Robert MacIntyre (@robert1lefty) February 21, 2023

The 26-year-old is aiming to follow in the footsteps of countryman and defending champion Stephen Gallacher by winning this year as the event returns to the schedule after a four-year absence.

“It’s a difficult hole, 16, I’m just trying to hit it on the green,” he said. “It’s playing 243 yards so I just wanted to get it around the green.

“I hit a good one and I thought ‘that might have a chance’ and I get down there and it’s in the hole!”

MacIntyre has previously spoken of watching this week’s event on the television but admits the difficulty of the closing three-hole stretch in Gurugram took him by surprise.

“I’ve heard a lot of stories about how difficult and almost wild it is,” he added.

“I played the back nine today and stood on the 15th I thought: ‘This is all right here, we can deal with this,’ then the last three-and-a-half holes, it blew my mind a little bit.

“It’s the same for everyone, it’s just different, it’s going to be difficult, it’s a mental test rather than a test to your golf game. This week is the first week of the new season that I’ve got a calm head on.”

"I've heard a lot of stories about how difficult and how wild this course is."@robert1lefty speaks about his first experience at DLF Golf & Country Club ??#HIO2023 pic.twitter.com/ivBtTs0eZL

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 21, 2023

MacIntyre has claimed Tour wins in Cyprus and most recently in September last year in Italy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, where the Ryder Cup is being held later this year.

The 2019 Rookie of the Year believes his game is at its best when the course plays tough and is determined to be firing on all cylinders when he tees it up alongside fellow Ryder Cup hopefuls Nicolai Højgaard and Guido Migliozzi on Thursday.

“I don’t mean to sound disrespectful to anybody but there are golf courses that suit me and it’s the difficult ones where you’re not needing to shoot 20-under par to win golf tournaments,” he said.

“When it’s more demanding off the tee and more demanding into greens, that’s when I play my best golf.

“I’ve shown that throughout my years on Tour and this golf course is a tee to green monster. I’m happy with the way I’m playing with things tee to green, it’s just going to be a mental test.

“My last five mental tests, I’ve failed, so hopefully I’m going to pass it.”

The post Robert MacIntyre warms up for India challenge with hole-in-one appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By recruiting India’s top man Anirban Lahiri, LIV Golf has tapped a new market and one that could hold massive dividends.

WATCH the LIV Golf action live here!

While Cameron Smith — the Aussie world No. 2 grabbed the headlines — Lahiri may well be the man LIV Golf wanted the most.

“I see this as an effort to correct my work-life balance,” Lahiri told the Hindustan Times. “I see this as a move to get back closer to my family and friends. I see this as something that gives me more time to enjoy my kids growing up.”

If you look at cricket’s Indian Premier League — an ambitious set-up that was not too dissimilar to LIV Golf in its early days — it is simple to see how a fledgling sports franchise could attract massive attention in a country of almost 1.4 billion people at the last time of counting.

Granted, India is a cricket-mad nation — one of the few that counts bat and ball ahead of football as its No. 1 sport — but by signing Lahiri, LIV could open the doors to a wave of new golf fans on the subcontinent of Asia.

Given LIV Golf’s free-to-view broadcasting on YouTube and websites such as Golf Digest Middle East, expect a whole new audience tuning in to see how Lahiri fares against some of the best players in the world, including fellow new recruit Cameron Smith, and the likes of Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.

Interesting times ahead, for golf fans new and old…

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