Panchkula Golf Club

Overview: Haryana's Panchkula Golf Club offers an 18-hole, par-72 public sports facility on the western bank of the Ghaggar. Haryana Tourism dates the course to 2003, and the club's current hole-by-hole map totals 6,904 yards. The layout is framed by the Shivalik hills and the river, with narrow fairways, varying elevation, water hazards and rough that can punish a wayward line. Four par-threes and four par-fives give the scorecard a clear balance, while the changing wind along the Ghaggar means that the same yardage can play differently from one round to the next.

History: Panchkula was developed as part of a larger Haryana government sports complex and has been operated as a public facility rather than a private resort course. The club's official information records a redesign and renovation in 2012, bringing the layout up to the specifications then being targeted for international play. Since its opening, the course has matured as trees and rough have grown in, and it has hosted professional and regional events. The result is a government-backed city course that has developed in step with the Chandigarh-Panchkula urban area.

Did You Know? The club's own map calls the fifth the longest hole at 585 yards, while the 18th is a 475-yard par-four finishing hole with lateral water hazards on both sides of the green. The tenth and twelfth run along the Ghaggar, so the river is involved in the strategy as well as the scenery. Haryana Tourism also reports that nearly 14,000 trees now line the course, explaining the mature character described by visiting golfers.