The New India Revealed - Swan Leaves His Mark!

The championship course at the Karnataka Golf Association in Bangalore, India, is due to reopen in November after a two-year renovation. The original Peter Thomson course, redesigned by architect Howard Swan and his Swan Golf Designs firm, is being rebuilt to contemporary standards.

The 7,100-yard, par-72 layout will feature new greens, tees, bunkering, and irrigation system along with new grassing throughout. Considerable attention has been given to the design of the fairways, raising them above the flood plain and expanding the course's water features so that, even in the worst of the Southern Indian monsoons, the course recovers quickly.

"We are delighted that the objective in raising the bar at KGA has been achieved and that the first nine holes of the course, opened after completion of the first stage of the renovation, are proving playable even in the most inclement of weather," Swan said. "We look forward to seeing the full 18 holes opening soon."

The course at the Premier Club will be a challenge for all players - members and visitors alike. "It is, after all, one of India's best clubs and it now has a course to match that status," Swan said. "I believe it will be a benchmark for many more in the subcontinent."

This story originally appeared in Asian Golf Business (http://www.asiangolfbusiness.com).