Golf Course Designer: Career in which Grass is Greener in India

The turf is growing - for golf course designers. About 195 Indian Golf Union-registered and 20 unregistered golf courses dot the country. And more are coming up.

"About 20 are under construction and 50 are at the planning stage," says Ashish Vaishnava, consultant for golf course development and founder and CEO, AV Golf, who works with various architects for conception and execution of designs.

Vaishnava, who has played competitive golf but didn't turn pro, now hits the greens on and off. He has been involved in the development of the Cambay Golf Course and Cambay Golf Academy in Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Emaar's Mohali Hills Golf Course and the Cambay Golf Resort in Jaipur. Vaishnava, 28, is currently consulting with various developers for projects coming up in Ludhiana, Jaipur, Bangalore, Goa and Pune.

"There's definite growth in India. The game is becoming popular. The prize money is increasing," points out Vaishnava.

The market is ripening with work for those with the expertise. In India, a lot of former army officials who play the game are utilising their experience for golf course development. Some international golf course designers, too, have bagged projects in different parts of the country.

"The hub (for golf) is north India but south India is picking up fast," says Vaishnava, adding, newer centres are catching up. "Tier-two cities are looking at golf courses because developers believe golf courses add value to projects and ultimately, premium on the property they are selling."

The grass is greener in the east of India's border. At the moment, south east Asia is the "hottest" market for golf course development. "The maximum number of projects is in China," says Vaishnava.

Here, the scope in golf course has grown but "you can't maintain it" as the only service you offer, says Amit Khullar, architect, Enar Consultants, which designed Delhi's Lado Sarai golf course and redesigned Jaipur's Ram Bagh golf course.

Let's discuss how to make a Career as a Golf Course Designer.

What's It About?

Golf course designers are architects as well as golfers who lend their experience to projects. Globally, there are renowned former golfers, such as Greg Norman, who design signature golf courses.

Clock Work

9.30 am: Visit a site to check the status of work

11.30 am: Back in office. Give feedback about the work to the design team

1 pm: Lunch

1.30 pm: Sit with a horticulture consultant to discuss various aspects of plantation at the upcoming golf course

3 pm: Evaluate our design team's latest designs which are to be taken to another developer for a different project

5 pm: Go to make a presentation to the developer at his office

7 pm: Back to office. Debrief the team. Head to a golf course (designed by us) for a round of night golf

Please note that a golf course designer does not always do all these tasks in a single day. Designers work as part of a team. Sometimes, they may be engrossed in research from morning to evening.

Preparing a presentation for a client can take three to four weeks

The Payoff

An architect's fee depends on the size of the project, his/her experience and reputation. It can be a percentage (8% to 12%) of the cost of construction, or a fixed amount. A designer can earn R10 lakh to R45 lakh on a project. An international designer conceiving a signature golf course can rake in top dollar fees.

Skills

• Creativity - ability to put ideas to paper
• Quick learner, research skills
• Good understanding of the game, so you know the requirements of a player
• Ability to make the project environmentally sustainable

How Do I Get There?

Study science in Class 11 and Class 12, followed by a BArch programme. You can then go for a master's in landscape architecture.

Institutes & URLs

• BArch/ Master's in landscape architecture from institutes such as the School of Planning and Architecture, www.spa.ac.in

• European Institute of Golf Course Architects, UK, www.eigca.org

Pros & Cons

• Projects take time; getting a large enough tract of land is often difficult in India

• Number of golf courses in the country is growing but there still aren't too many projects

• Not many Indian designers. Emerging competition from international designers with global experience

 

Author: Rahat Bano (HT Horizons)

Date: 28th December, 2010

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