Golf
A legacy from the British
colonial period, golfing in Sri Lanka has many nostalgic links to
this era. In previous days, wealthy English planters and governors
spent their evenings at clubhouses, in an effort to recreate the
English lifestyle in Sri Lanka. Today, the remnants of this period
are put in good use by hordes of tourists and traveling executives
enticed by the calm and soothing atmosphere of the golfing
terrains.
There are three most excellent
golf courses in Sri Lanka. The first one is the Royal
Colombo Golf Club which is the island oldest established
in 1879, measuring 5,770 yards in length and featuring several
water hazards. It has hosted a number of local and regional
championship events in the past.
The Nuwara Eliya Golf Club
encompasses full of scenic beauty and is an 18-hole golf course
that lies at the base of a chilling elevation, Mount
Pidurutalagala, 1890 ft above sea level. Laid out by the Gordon
Highlanders stationed in Nuwara Eliya in 1889, the course is
acknowledged to be one of Asia's best, fringed by forest cover and
gifted with a stunning view. Not only scenic surroundings that the
course comprise but due to the fact that it features fir-lined
fairways, bunkers, especially that surround 9th hole, and a river
on 6th hole that also make the course very challenging.
The newest
addition to Sri Lanka's golfing assets is the Victoria
International Golf Club, opened in January 1999, situated
on the shore of the Victoria Reservoir, 20 km away from Kandy.
Designed by Donald Steel & Company, it is another most
enjoyable course in the island. The challenging T-shots and narrow
coconut-trees lined fairways are really golfers' obstacles. The
3rd and 5th holes are beautifully overlooking the sweeping
panorama of the reservoir. It is recommended to get a caddy as the
greens are hard to read. Caddies are courteous and mannered and
getting one of them is really contributing to the enjoyment of the
game.
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