Tolly golf beckons corporate honchos

CALCUTTA, JAN 19: When Mark Twain muttered that memorable one liner after a horrifying round ``golf is a good walk spoiled'' he surely was...

CALCUTTA, JAN 19: When Mark Twain muttered that memorable one liner after a horrifying round “golf is a good walk spoiled” he surely wasn’t playing at the Tollygunge Club.

While it is easy to have a terrible round at the tricky Tolly Club course, it is almost impossible to have a spoilt walk. Emerging from the almost languid atmosphere of the shamiana near the first tee to finishing the 18 holes is a sheer pleasure enhanced by natural surroundings. Almost 400 varieties of flora and numerous fauna makes the Tolly an environmental lung for the City of Joy.

The 105-year-old club still retains some of the old-time charisma of the Raj. The clubhouse, actually the bungalow of the Johnson family who used the land in and around the club for indigo plantation way back in 1781, is an impressive structure. The facilities, which includes such sports as horse-riding, tennis and swimming apart from indoor games, ensure that there is some activity for everyone in the family.

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A true country club atmosphere prevailshere and it was not surprising when the BBC chose the Tollygunge Club as one of the top 20 social clubs in the world recently.

Starting today, the club will add to its ever-growing reputation when it hosts the Wills Tolly Cup, without doubt the biggest and the grandest corporate tournament in the history of Indian golf. The tournament will see 150 teams comprising 300 decision makers from various industries, 100 special invitees from rest of the country and world and 200 club nominees.The participants will compete for the exquisite trophy for the first three days before a celebrity scramble on Sunday brings an end to the four-day festivities.

A spruced-up Tolly awaits its illustrious guests. Some of the big names who have confirmed for the event are: Mr KM Mammen, MD, MRF; Mr Subberwal, MD, Al-Kabeer, Dubai; Mr Reijo Oikarnan MD, Nokia; Mr Pawan Kant Munjal, CEO & Director, Hero Honda Motors; Mr BC Bora, Chairman, ONGC; Mr BN Kalyani, Chairman, Bharat Forge; Mr Uttam Kumar Bose, CEO, Sahara Airlines apartfrom Mr YC Deveshwar and others. Over the next three days, one thing is for certain: these guys will definitely have a good walk!

— Tiger Sports Marketing