Victoria - chance to win top Asian award

by S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

GOLF: The top ranked Victoria golf course at Rajawella off Kandy is once again likely to bring honour to the country as it has been one of the nominees for the award for the best golf course in the Asian Sub-Continent by the Asian Golf Digest at the awards ceremony to be held at the Golden Horse Hotel in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia on October 28.

Victoria Golf and Country Resort has won this prestigious award twice before - in the year 2005 and again in 2008 when the industrious Marketing Executive of the Victoria Golf and Country Resort Ms. Dhanushika Medagoda collected the award at Mission Hill Hotel in China last year. This year, too, she will be making the trip to Malaysia to collect the prestigious trophy. The winner of the competition will be announced only at the awards ceremony.

Just eleven years old, Victoria golf course opened for golf in 1998 has made a tremendous impact not only in the local golfing scene but also internationally with the challenges it has to offer and the enchanting beauty and the small wild life making it, a visitors paradise. It has also been ranked among 100 most beautiful golf courses in the world.

Former England cricketer and one time holder of the most number of test wickets Sir Ian Botham in one of his visits to Victoria to play golf has made this remark in the visitors book "Try to stop me from playing at Victoria". In other words nothing could stop him in playing at Victoria.

Legendary lady golfer Kitrina Douglas who won the Ladies world championship title ten times has written in the visitors, book thus "This will be one of the ten top golf courses in the world, it offers a challenge to even the most accomplished player." Words of prophecy no doubt.

This golf course which is ranked number one in the Asian Sub-Continent has a Par 73, 6933 yard championship course located in a 550 acre coconut plantation which two centuries was a Dutch farm. The course itself equals the finest anywhere in the world and will be beyond the expectations of any golfer. Regular golfing events are being held.

The Australian born General Manager of Victoria Golf and Country Resort Errol Johnston who took over this position early last year has been working hard as he himself is a reputed golfer and enjoys his work and golf. His day at the golf course starts around 6 a.m. using the early morning moisture to the optimum. With the assistance of the Course Manager Raheel Bulumulla he looks into every little things at a time when most workers specially those from the top management will be still in their beds. He is such a dedicated worker, this is an essential ingredient for an official handling the affairs of a such a large course possibly the biggest in the country which had been built and maintained to USGA standards.

Even the chain of chalets within the course complex enjoys a very high rate of occupancy.

Whether Victoria golf course will lift the prestigious title and bring honour to the country is left to be seen on the day of presentation of awards ceremony to be held in Malaysia next week.