I, Saurabh Khillare, have never played golf before, and when my friend offered to take me out on a weekend for a game of golf, I was thrilled. We found ourselves traveling to Pune from Mumbai. Well, I said not bad to spend a weekend in Pune. We steered off Pune and headed towards the picturesque location of Lavale Hills, and it was like escaping from the urban jungle and stepping into a fantasy location!
Lavale Hills | Image Resource : skyscrapercity.com
As I entered the Oxford Golf Resort and Country Club Pune, I started getting the feel of the place. It looked cool. The golf links around the main resort among the Lavale Hills was a pleasant surprise. This was not a Holiday Resort; it is a fully fledged sporting complex. They had some very serious games going on. Squash courts and Tennis courts were fully occupied. The Olympics sized Swimming Pool left nothing to be desired for the true blue swimming enthusiast.
Oxford Golf Resort and Country Club Pune | Image Resource : oxfordgolfandcountryclub.com
I am a sports fan and have played cricket and football but never engaged in tennis or swimming as I do not have access to such facilities in Mumbai. This place seemed to be a heaven. I wish I could drive out here every weekend. But let us talk more about the sport that brought me here, that is Golf.
Swimming Pool of OGCC & Resort | Image Resource : priceline.com
The Golf Link here is gorgeous. It won the First Runner up 2013 Award for the Best Golf Link in India. The golf link is a full 18 hole link designed by Pacific Coast Design, a Golf Course design company from Australia. The link has a par of 72. If you are not familiar with golf, it means you are expected to take less than 72 hits to hole your ball in all the 18 holes on this 7220 feet course.
Golf Link of Oxford Golf Resort Pune | Image Resource : golf-designers.com
As I started out on my attempt to take this course in my stride, I met many fellow golfers who had reached from all over the world for a golfing weekend at Oxford Golf Resort here in Pune. They found this course quite challenging due to the wind that knocks off from the Sahyadri Hills around the course. The picturesque course with its bunkers and water bodies are a great treat to just walk around if you are not an ardent golfer.
I would not miss coming here a second time if I get the chance. The other amenities of accommodation and food and drinks are great and I could not find anything to complain.
