The Chandigarh Golf Association (CGA) range is aiming to drive to the next level as the Indian Golf Union (IGU) evaluates the facility as a potential high-performance centre of excellence.
Central to this push is the CGA’s landmark initiative for economically weaker section (EWS) golfers, conceptualised by CGA president RK Pachnanda, IPS (retd). The programme provides underprivileged youth—many of them former caddies—with comprehensive equipment, professional instruction, and tournament funding. The initiative has already propelled four EWS players onto the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and secured a sports-quota job with Indian Railways for one participant. Look at the sheer talent it has produced, whether it’s golfers like Jeev Milkha Singh, Gaganjit Bhullar, or Shubhankar Sharma. It also has the lone golf Dronacharya awardee, Jesse Grewal, acting as the epicentre for shaping talent. We may need to add specialised teachers and equipment, but the infrastructure is already there. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Chandigarh offers an established talent incubator While metro venues like NCR’s DLF Golf and Country Club remain costly. “Imagine playing with Sachin Tendulkar at the nets during his prime—that is the exact environment we foster here. Funding the long game
You don’t need an 18-hole course for a centre of excellence. The National Golf Academy of India (NGAI) is already headquartered at the CGA Range, where a rotating squad of 20 elite junior golfers regularly trains.
“CGA champs hitting off the tee and rubbing shoulders with junior golfers is deeply inspiring for the kids,” the IGU chief said. Speaking to HT on Saturday, Brijinder Singh said, “CGA is an apt place.
These are long-term propositions, but with the Olympics in our sights and an excellent squad stationed right here in Chandigarh, the momentum is undeniably with us,” he adds. Because for funds we need sponsors or the government to invest, “There is no specific deadline.
With Commonwealth Games and Olympic cycles on the horizon, Brijinder Singh says establishing a dedicated centre of excellence remains a primary regional goal, though timeline depends on institutional backing.
