With 10 teams, the Vizag Golf League will see 14 matches played over the next seven weeks in Visakhapatnam
With 10 teams, the Vizag Golf League will see 14 matches played over the next seven weeks in Visakhapatnam
The sylvan East Point Golf Club (EPGC) is bustling with energy with the start of the second edition of the Vizag Golf League (VGL). The much-awaited league was inaugurated last Sunday and the inaugural program was attended by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command (ENC), who was the chief guest.
VGL, which was launched with eight teams last year, will see 10 teams participating this year with 12 players in each team and a prize money of ₹6 lakh. As part of the league, 14 matches will be played over the next seven weeks. “This year over 140 EPGC members had given their consent for playing for VGL, out of which 120 were chosen. The idea is to encourage golfers to improve their game, bring the spotlight on East Point Golf Club and its facilities that are on par with other top golf courses in India and keep the competitive spirit and enthusiasm high among golfers,” says the secretary of the EPGC , Prashant Sagi.
The newly designed 18-hole golf course of EPGC was upgraded to a championship course in 2021 and is the only golf club in Andhra Pradesh. The winding terrain in the shade of palm trees has 75 bunkers peppered with water bodies on the long holes.
In the past one year, golf has been drawing enthusiasts in greater numbers in India and EPGC has seen a similar upsurge in interest among golfers.
An aerial view of the redesigned East Point Golf Club to a category-A championship course in Visakhapatnam | Photo Credit: KR Deepak
According to Indian golf industry statistics, revenues around the game are currently about ₹75 crore and are expected to grow by 20 to 25% year-on-year in the immediate future.
“The energy is visible. Last year we hosted the south zone junior golf tournament in December and this year too EPGC is gearing up to host again. This has brought in a lot of motivation among junior golfers,” says Prashant.
According to TS Varma of EPGC, VGL will create visibility for the club. After the upgrade of EPGC, it was rated as moderate to high difficulty by the Indian Golf Union.
Members of EPGC say that to play here at an 18-hole event is a test of physicality and fitness. “The design of the course is very unique as it is surrounded by the Eastern Ghats range,” says Varma who has been playing golf for over 16 years. “Golf was revived during the pandemic as it is the only sport that maintains social distancing. The wide acceptance and increasing popularity for the sport has spurred the golf economy and industry and VGL is one of the steps towards creating an ecosystem for the sport,” he adds.
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