Kodaikanal

Founded in 1895, Kodaikanal Golf Club nestles 7,000 feet above sea level in the Palani Hills, between Madurai and Coimbatore. The course was extended to an 18-hole layout in the early 1950s and its browns were converted to greens in 1986.

Founded by twelve British golfers who laid out the original 9-hole course, the club was a welcome sporting refuge in its early years for the likes of foreign civil servants and missionaries, with captaincy of the club rotating between Indian, American and Commonwealth citizens until the late 1970s, when the number of local expatriates decreased.

A glance at the scorecard indicates holes have been laid out to fit the landscape, with back-to-back par threes at #2 (“Plateau”) and #3 (”Hoping”) on the front nine then back-to-back par fives at #15 (“New Long’un”) and #16 (“Roadside”) on the back nine – and there are also short par fours at #5 (”Pulpit”), #10 (“Saddle”) and #12 (“Sentinel”).

Measuring just over 6,000 yards from the back tees and playing to a par of 71, Kodaikanal’s a bit of a roller coaster ride!