Secretary Tourism Department, M H Malik Saturday morning teed off 2-day Golf Tournament titled ‘Golfing in Paradise’ at Pahalgam Golf Course which saw the participation of over 102 touring golfers from other States. Around 15 female golfers besides 40 local golfers are also part of the tournament. Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah and former JK Bank Chairman M Y Khan and President J&K Golf Association Mushtaq Burza were also present on the occasion.The golfers will also play at Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar on the concluding day on Sunday. The tournament is being organized jointly by the Department of Tourism and J&K Golf Association.Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary Tourism said the State is blessed with the natural beauty which adds to world class golf courses here.He said the state is a full golfing circuit which needs to be promoted through such tournaments. He appreciated the golfers who came from other states of the Country to participate in the tournament here.
The Secretary said large participation of the golfers from others states will promote State’s MICE and handicraft tourism.
He said the participants in the tournament include the owners of the top notch business houses who can be roped in for holding Conventions and Meetings in Kashmir.Malik said the golfers have also visited here with families who are mostly high-spending tourists and they can shop here for famed handicrafts of the Kashmir which will help in the promotion of our handicraft sector.He said the Department has been highlighting Kashmir as the golf circuit in the travel trade shows outside the State.Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah said 102 golfers from other parts of the country visited Kashmir to participate in the tournament which will send a message across that ‘Kashmir is also a golfers’ paradise’.He said the golfers have a lot of choices in Kashmir as the Valley has numerous breathtaking golf courses at stunning locations. “The 18-hole golf courses in Pahalgam, Gulmarg and in Srinagar are at stunning locations which attracts golfers from the country and abroad. The tournament is aimed to highlight the potential of the J&K state in the game of golf,” said Shah.The prominent personalities featuring in the tournament include Former Chief of Army Staff and Governor Gen J J Singh, Director General of Police, Chandigarh Tajender Singh Luthra, Owner of Sara Group D P Singh, Owner of Kohinoor Group Gurnam Arora, and Owner of Silver Glides Peadeep Jain.The prize distribution of the golf tournament will be held at RSGC on Sunday.