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Delhi Golf Club

Golf is a sport for the elite and Delhi Golf Club caters to a very select and exclusive set of members from the higher echelons of society in Delhi. The club was established in the 1930s and hence can be called the oldest and also the most esteemed and coveted institution of repute.

Membership to this elite club is hard to get. There is a very long, almost 30 years waiting period to have your membership application accepted. It is centrally located on prime property in the vicinity of India Gate on Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg falling in the NDMC area.

The DGC is spread over 220 acres and has two courses; an 18 hole course and a 9 hole course. The DGC hosts part of the prestigious professional men’s Golf Tournament in Asia viz. Asia PGA Tour.

There are top class facilities for other games in the club house and outside including a swimming pool.

History

When the Delhi Golf Club was established the golf courses were not laid out where they are presently located. In the 1930s, while India was still under the British Rule and Lutyen’s Delhi was still being developed, the Horticulture Department laid out the first course in a much larger area than the present one. The club was known as the Lodhi Golf Club then and there were too few members to sustain the expenses that were required to maintain the club. During WWII however,  there were many officers of the Allied Forces who enjoyed the facilities of the club. There were only eighty members in the year 1948 and by 1951 the membership had risen to 120. It was also renamed as the Delhi Golf Club, a name that it still carries.

The financial problems and sustainability issues of the Club were resolved only after the Government of India leased the land on which the club existed for a very low lease rent for thirty years. This came about when the IAS officers who were members of the club headed by Dharma Vir who was one of the founder  members of the club requested Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India to do so. Even now the club pays a very low annual rent that is much lower than the value of the prime property on which the club is located.

The main 18 hole golf course also called the Lodhi Course is spectacular and unique as there are many ancient archeological sites from the Mughal era that have been maintained. The more famous and interesting among these is the Lal Bangla.

Course

There are two courses of the DGC; the 18 holes main course that is also called the Lodhi Course and the smaller 9 holes course that is called the Peacock course and which was laid out only in 1976. The main course is part of the Asian PGA Tour and also hosts many prestigious tournaments and competitions such as the Indian Open Golf Tournament.

Status of DGC

When the club was founded, it was owned by the Delhi Municipality. After independence, in the year 1950, the Club became a corporate entity or an organization formed with state governmental approval to act as a single body to carry on its functions. After the Company Act came into being in 1956, the DGC was registered as a Company under the Act. However, recently, in 2013, when responding to a Right to Information appeal, the Information Commissioner did not agree that the DGC had the status of a company. He averred that the Club was a Public Authority as it received finance from the Government of India albeit indirectly. There are many senior civil servants who are members of the club. As it has the status of Public Authority it was answerable to the public queries.

Government and the DGC

Subsidy

Spread over prime government land covering around 220 acres, the DGC pays only a paltry sum of Rs.5. 82 lacs per year (less than USD 10000) as lease rent. The lease rent is renewed and raised at regular intervals. However, the amount paid as annual rent bears no relation to the current worth of the land which is estimated to be Rs 47000 crores to Rs 60000 crores or around 8 billion to 10 billion USD when the rate of conversion is taken as Rs 60 equal to 1 USD.

The UPA Government has given an extension to the lease in 2012 way before it was due for extension and now the DGC is allowed to use this land until 2050.

Today, the total number of members of DGC is around 4000. Most members are IAS officers or retired IAS Officers, members of the Judiciary, Politicians or from the highest echelons of society. The Government of India gives a subsidy of almost Rs. 1 and a half crores equivalent to USD 25000 per annum to each member. It is not surprising therefore that membership to this club is highly coveted.

Central Government Nominees

The Management Committee of the DGC consists of three nominees that belong to the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation. They are A category members and have a working term of two years. The rules of the Delhi Golf Club make it compulsory that 20 percent of the members of the committee have to be nominated by the MUD and have full rights to vote.

Reserved membership for Civil servants, Judges, lawyers, and Politicians

There are special rules in the Rule Book of the DGC that reserve membership for civil servants. Under these rules the Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation (MUD & PA) nominates upto 150 members belonging to the bureaucracy who are posted in Delhi and are of the level of Joint Secretary and above. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Chief Justice of Delhi together nominate 20 members who are senior members of the Judiciary and prominent practicing lawyers. The Law Ministry also nominates 5 members who are senior law officers.

The regular members of the Delhi Golf Club come  from the civil services who could be serving or retired IAS officers, high officials from the bureaucracy; members of the Judiciary, important citizens in various walks of life, industrialists and businessmen.   

Membership for "Rich-and-Famous"

It has been the practice of the Ministry of Urban Development to recommend prominent citizens from various walks of life for membership of the Club. For example after the lease of the Club had been renewed until 2050, the Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation nominated several distinguished civilians from different fields such as fashion designer, high profile lawyers, politicians, social workers, sportsmen etc. The Ministry also informed the Management Committee that it would exercise its rights to nominate further 25 more members under the LPR or Limited Playing Rights Regular Member Category and 15 more regular members that could be inducted out of turn in the next few years.   

Club Amenities

Pro Shop

You can buy the best golfing gear; equipment and clothing from the Pro Shop of the Delhi Golf Club. If you need something related to golfing that is not available in the shop, you can request and that will be sourced for you. Some minor repair work of golf equipment such as clubs, shoe spikes etc. can also be got done at the Pro Shop.

Swimming Pool

A large Olympic size outdoor swimming pool is also there at the Club. It is only for use of members and is open from the beginning of April to the end of October. There is also a patio that surrounds the pool which has a capacity of 100 seats. You can also order snacks and drinks near the pool.

Timings:  The pool is open from 7 in the morning and closes at 1.30in the afternoon and opens again at 4 in the evening to 9 at night.

Health Club

The Health Club or the Fitness Centre is the new addition to the Club. It is in the Annexe adjoining the main building and overlooks the fairway of the 18th  hole. The steam room and changing room is next to the fitness centre.

Timings:

  • The Gymnasium Timings for both men and women are from 7.00 AM to 9.00 PM.
  • Steam Room Timings for men from Monday through Friday are 7.00 AM to 11.00 AM and                3.30 PM to 9.00 PM
    Ladies can use the Steam Room from 12 Noon to 3.30 PM

Card Room

The card room at the Club is very popular among the members. It is always well occupied as it is fully equipped to play card games. Members can order snacks and drinks at the card room.

Timings: The Card Room is open for members and their guests between 12 noon to 10 pm all through the week.

Changing Room

he club has a well equipped Changing Room with individual lockers, showers and also an area for cleaning and storage of shoes. The changing room has a TV and some massage chairs for the relaxation of members.

Club Rules

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