Take a Golf Break in Nepal
Nowhere else in the world can your adventure travel bring you the delights of golf amidst the Himalaya Mountains. Originally regarded as the sport of royalty in Nepal, a number of extremely well designed golf courses have been developed in various parts of the Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys. It is believed that golf was introduced to Nepal by the princes or Ranas who returned to Nepal with golf clubs after a visit to Scotland. The royal ministers began playing golf informally on grazing fields for cows near the city called Gaucharan. This is now the location of the Radisson Hotel. The oldest formal golf course, the Nepal Golf Course was established in 1829 in Kathmandu’s Til Ganga region. The first real golf tournament for the Lava Cup was started in 1920.
One of the most spectacular courses in Nepal is the Himalayan Golf Club in Pokhara. This pro-championship designed 9 holes golf course has been featured in many international magazines including the Golf World Magazine. Located just seven kilometers from the center of Pokhara city in an incredibly beautiful amphitheater like setting of a river canyon, the course offers a breathtaking panorama of the majestic Annapurna range. A river gurgles through the course that offers a challenging and invigorating game. This is a golfing experience like none other, particularly when it is followed by a drink at the club house built on a ledge 250 feet above the river canyon. You have a birds-eye view the golf course and the canyon walls dotted with eagles nest and waterfalls.
The Gokarna Forest Golf Resort & Spa is located deep inside the five hundred year old Gokarna Forest, traditionally the private Royal hunting grounds of the Kings of Nepal. It is impossible to believe this serene forest is within the city of Kathmandu. The luxury resort and spa with its 18-hole championship golf course is operated by Le Meridien. The first 18 hole golf course in the country and built to USGA specifications, it is the only Bent Grass Greens in South Asia which makes it one of the highlights of the professional tour circuits in the region.
