Victoria Golf Course - Second best in Sub-Continent

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr

Despite having the worst of an eight month drought, the beautiful Victoria Golf Course at Rajawella off Kandy owned by Rajawella Holdings brought honour to this country by being adjudged the Second Best Golf Course in the Sub-Continent in a contest organised by the Asia Golf Digest and the presentation of awards ceremony was held at the Empire City Hotel and Recreation club in Brunei a few days back.

The chief guest at the presentation Awards Ceremony was the Sports Minister for Brunei Y.B. Pehin Dato Haj Yaya and making the special trip to this oil rich country to collect this prestigious award was Victoria Golf and Country Resort's Marketing Manager Dhanushika Medagoda.

Victoria Golf Course has a short, but a colourful history and opened for golfers only in 1999. It was the vision of former planter and sportsman and one time Chairman of John Keells Limited late Mark Bostock to open up a golf course in the 560 acre mixed plantation comprising coconut, coffee and other products surrounded on most part by the Victoria Hydro Project Reservoir commissioned in 1983.

But he had a tough job in his hands to obtain the necessary approval from various authorities, even if a lease agreement was possible. One thing which was on his side was it will help to boost both golf tourism and tourism in general which was badly hit by the terrorist war with bombs exploding from time to time which kept away the tourists.

Though a lease was signed to open up a golf course in the Victoria Division of the Mahaberiatenna Group, but the environmentalists put the brakes on trotting up various excuses and of them was it would disturb the environment and the grass which will be planted could be alien to the environment and could cause more harm than good. But all these were surmounted. Then came the re-location of he line room settlers living in the middle of the area ear-marked for the course. This too was overcome using brilliant strategy by Rajawella Holdings in relocating the line rooms with over a 100 cottage type houses with a plot of 40 perch land as a good measure and this was a windfall for the line room dwellers and they grabbed this opportunity with both hands. A golf course closer home would also mean employment for the youth of the area and good money.

The designing of this golf course was done by the best in the trade the world renowned golf architect and the one time President of the Britain's Professional Golfers Union Donald Steel and co-designed by Martin Ebert and their designs were put in place by former planter and Thomian cricketer Tony Witham who flew over from the Melbourne Parks in Australia to take up this challenge.

Two years of hard work saw the birth of Victoria Golf Course in 1999. The first championship to be worked off was Donald Steel Golf Championship.

Victorian is a golfer's dream and could play an undisturbed game of golf in sylvan surroundings. It is hemmed by the famed Knuckles and Hunnasgiriya Range on one side and the Hewaheta hills on the other. This is something which cannot be constructed by man . It is stunningly beautiful and the climate is temperate all round the year. There is a swimming pool, luxury accommodation, saddle club, mountain hiking, table tennis and badminton, to relax in the evening after a hard game of golf. All this is just a short drive away from the City of Kandy.

Victoria has been ranked among the 100 most golf courses in the world and it is a 18 hole golf course designed for 36 holes. It has won the award as the Best Course in the Sub-Continent on no less than five occasions since 2002. Its par 736,933 yard championship course equals the finest anywhere in the world as testified by world famous golfers in the visitors book.

The sixth hole is amongst the most spectacular in the country as it stands 100 feet above fairway which provides a breathtaking view of the course and the waters beyond it and it demands a drive combining accuracy with distance and nerves of steel to reach the next hole.

This is about the toughest in Sri Lanka. Three of the holes are over 500 yards apart which will provide you with all the excitement and the test of your own skills.

The year 2012 has been one in which Victoria has had to bear the brunt of a prolonged 8-month drought during which hardly any rain fell making it extremely difficult for the golf course staff. Drought which started in early part of 2012 continued till October 2012 and the course at one time looked brownish with drooping coconut palms. It is possible that adjudicating team would have made an inspection during this time which resulted in Victoria ending up as the runner-up as the in the competition and it was mainly the drought conditions which prevented this golf course in not winning top award.

Overall it was a fine achievement by Victoria Golf and Country Resort headed by its Australian -born General Manager Errol Johnston and the Golf Course Manager Indu Rodrigo supported by the golf course staff. On administration side of it, it was backing of Finance Manger Nishantha Pathirana and managing the marking side of it and the events was its Marketing Manger the amiable Dhanushika Medagoda and the chain of chalets and accommodation is managed by Ms. Indumala.

Victoria Golf and Country Rersort has been managing several events last year which included Donald Steel Championships, Pam Fernando Trophy,

Oman Air Open Golf Championships, Club Championship, Senior Masters Championships, Rotary International, Mercedes Benz Championship, Sri Lankan-Dubai Championship, Swedish Golf Classics, Mark Bostock Trophy, Sri Lankan Golf Championship just to name a few.

The winning of the runner-up award for the contest "Best Golf Course in the Sub-Continent" is another major achievements by this golf course which is just 13 years and had the worst of the 8 month drought during the period under review, but still it rose up to the occasion to perform quite creditably.