Stany Bela
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Mar 22: The state-of-the-art 3D planetarium which was recently inaugurated at Pilikula has already made become a huge hit with scores of people, especially youngsters flocking to the venue almost every day. Now, the Pilikula Golf Course is all set to receive a facelift on par with international standards.
The management of Pilikula Golf Club has decided to expand the land and planned developmental works worth Rs 4 crore. By upgrading the golf course, the management hopes to make it more spacious and attractive to national and international tourists and golf lovers of the state.
The development works will be taken up on the 50 acre land, and the existing nine holes will be increased to 18. With this, the golf course will be eligible to host major tournaments.
Sharing the details of developmental works with Daijiworld, Eugene Rent, captain of Pilikula Golf Club said, "With the increase of golf holes, Pilikula will be upgraded to a national-level golf course. We are also creating more sand bunkers, water hazards and landscaping. With this upgrade, our club will accommodate more national-level tournaments and attract more players."
The development work is being supervised by Nandan Heblikar, a well-known technical advisor of international golf clubs. We have associated with major golf clubs in India like Mercara Downs, Golf Links of Virajpet, Mysore Golf Club, JWC Chikmagalur Golf Course, BGC Bangalore and Karnataka Golf Association. We are receiving technical and equipment assistance from these clubs, he said.
Currently, Pilikula Golf Club is conducting three tournaments a year and after the completion of developmental works, the club plans to have more tourneys. The surface of the golf course is fit for 365 days use. In the rainy season, there is no threat of waterlogging. The water run out is very quick, and will happen within 15 minutes after the rains stop.
The club is conducting coaching camps for youngsters on a regular basis. It will appoint a full time coach and periodically the club hires coaches from outside, said Rent.
"Besides the state and national-level players, we are focusing on attracting foreign players and tourists. We are expecting clients from cruise ships, ministerial and corporate world and tourism department. The current course has two bars and restaurants. We constructed 10 special rooms for those who want to stay at the game site. We have an outdoor party space which can accommodate 1000 people at a time. It can be useful for hosting wedding receptions and corporate events. Food and liquor are available at concessional rates. The membership fee is Rs 3 lac, which is very low compared to the other clubs in the country. We already have 700 members and our target is to reach 1,000," says Eugene Rent.