Royal Springs Golf Course

Overview: Royal Springs Golf Course is an 18-hole mountain course at Chashme Shahi in Srinagar, set on the foothills of the Zabarwan range above Dal Lake. Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed the course to work with the descending spurs, rather than flattening the site into a conventional parkland grid. The current PGTI course card lists par 71 and 6,700 yards, giving the course a genuine championship scale alongside its scenery. Fairways, mature trees, springs and mountain views combine to make this one of Kashmir's most distinctive golf settings.

History: The course was opened in 2001 after being developed by the Jammu and Kashmir government, with Robert Trent Jones Jr. responsible for the design. It was laid out in the former Salim Ali City Forest near the Chashme Shahi gardens and became a public golfing anchor for Srinagar. Its tournament identity has continued through professional and amateur events, including the J&K Open and the Royal Springs club competitions. The course's importance is therefore both sporting and geographic, connecting Kashmir's tourism landscape with a full-length championship venue.

Did You Know? Tourism material notes that four Royal Springs are contained within the course. The springs are associated with the Chashme Shahi gardens, built around water prized by Mughal emperor Jehangir, so the course's name describes a real feature of the land rather than a marketing invention. The famous fifth hole is also noted for the elevated view it gives across Dal Lake.