Golf your way home...

Globally, residential golf communities have been very popular with discerning upmarket residents. The opportunity to live around the expansive manicured greens of a golf course has appealed not just to golf enthusiasts, but to many of the well-heeled too.

The benefits of living in such a community are manifold — it spells a lifestyle statement of success, healthy living (a golf course produces oxygen sufficient for about 8000 people), the assurance of a manicured backyard, easy access to the golf course, a very low density housing community and the address value associated with a golf development, among others.

Given the large land requirement for a golf course, these developments typically tend to be located away from city centres, usually around 20 to 60 km away. In developed countries, where road infrastructure is good and affluent suburbs tend to be away from the cities, golf developments are popular primary homes. In India, given the poor road infrastructure, such developments tend to be positioned as second home communities in the short to medium terms.

But undoubtedly, with the pace of urbanisation in India, these will become primary home destinations over the coming years. Some of the popular golf residential developments in India are concentrated in regions like NCR, Bengaluru, Pune and Ahmedabad.

Gaining popularity

Golf as a sport is at a very nascent level in India. Even though golf has a long history in India, due to the British, access to this had been restricted to a few cities where the British established golf courses. Its appeal and access has been limited to families who had memberships to such clubs or to armed forces families.

Incidentally, the armed forces own half the golf courses in India. Memberships to the old clubs have long waiting periods of over 20 years and cost several crores. Until recently, these clubs were inaccessible to the larger middle class and upper middle class.

Today, however, golf is gaining popularity amongst the upwardly mobile and educated urban executives. The sport value of the game, the social value as well as the business and networking value of the game is catching on. It is said that more business gets done on golf courses than in a board room. Furthermore, the success of many Indian golfers is inspiring Indian children to pursue golf as a potential career with supportive parents encouraging them all the way.

For the Indian urban executive, the appeal of a golf community therefore is undisputed. Viewed as a lifestyle investment, these properties are also a place to get away impulsively with friends and extended family or be by oneself occasionally. Avid golfers take advantage of the proximity to the golf course and its exclusive member benefits. In addition, the opportunity to network and entertain friends and business associates in a premium private space bodes well for business. Golf communities will always be few and large, and therefore, will be premium addresses in a city.

With the assurance of a serene living, golf community developments tend to be spread over a couple of hundred acres with thousands of trees and probably two or three houses per acre. Golf communities in India, typically, also offer a wide range of amenities like a fully-fitted clubhouse with restaurants, sporting facilities and the like.

Things to keep in mindHowever, these projects are extremely difficult to replicate. As the city grows to surround these developments, these are likely to be quite priceless (like the membership rates to a golf club). These communities, typically, tend to attract like-minded discerning buyers. In recent years, the definition of a ‘golf’ development has become misleading in some marketing residential communities. Projects with a green spread of over a few thousand square feet also tend to be called a golf development.

A good golf development should feature at least a nine-hole golf course spread over about 40 to 50 acres and endowed with minimum practice facilities. So, if you are looking to invest in a golf course residence, here are some key considerations to look out for:

Size: An 18-hole, full-fledged championship golf course spread over 120 acres would, of course, be the best. Anything less than a nine-hole golf course spread over less than 30-40 acres is really not a golf community.

Designer: While a signature name of the golf architect is not necessary, an
experienced architect with a good track record is important. Designer labels tend to increase the ticket price of the housing without necessarily improving the liva-
bility or playability value.

Stage of development: Golf course developments are relatively new in India and tend to be more risky. Therefore, it would be wise to invest in a project at an advanced stage of development.

Location: From a usability perspective and from an investment value perspective, projects that are located along corridors that are likely to develop are the best bet. These homes are easily usable second homes and future development will make them good primary home destinations, therefore driving up its premium values.

Sustainability: Two critical sustainability factors are water for the golf course and funding to maintain the area.

Density of housing: Density of housing in and around a golf development can vary from about one apartment per acre to even 30 or more per acre. Less dense projects are better from a quality of life perspective, though it will have cost implications.

(The author is director, Zion Hills Golf County)