The Hyderabad Golf Association in Telangana, India, has chosen a U.S.-based architectural firm to complete a major renovation of the Hyderabad Golf Club. Richardson | Danner Golf Architects will lead the renovation, overseeing the planning and implementation efforts.
Hyderabad Golf Club is a singular course, boasting holes built within a protected monument, the Golconda Fort. The granite walls of the fort were built between 1512 and 1687 to protect the citizenry. In modern times, the walls have been carefully restored by the course, which worked closely with the Archaeological Survey of India, the stewards of the fort and its history.
Originally constructed in 2001, the course was the brainchild of the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation, which sought to create an environmentally sustainable recreation and tourism facility for the entire state of Telangana on the Indian Peninsula. The course has evolved over time from a simple three-hole offering to the present 18-hole version. In its lifetime, the course has reclaimed land once used for a landfill and currently provides erosion protection of the soil and acts a drainage field for the fort. It also offers its own wastewater treatment for irrigation while also avoiding any pesticides or chemicals.
Richardson | Danner will work to extend the course’s length beyond its current bounds of 6,300 yards.
“We are here to preserve, improve and prepare,” says Forrest Richardson, principal architect for the firm. “One cannot look at the course and be anything but awestruck. We have a golf course lapping up against the edge of an ancient town, the two joined together in a magical way that you have to see to believe.”
Other planned improvements include a major expansion to the clubhouse and amenities, as well as a state-of-the-art practice center, an academy to train golfers in Hyderabad and the surrounding area to participate in competitions, a practice range, and a dedicated short game area for pitching and putting.
“Our obligation is to serve golfers from all over the world as well as those from our local community,” said Ajay Kumar Reddy from the Hyderabad Golf Association. “As Hyderabad’s first public golf course, the members realize that we must continue to improve and bring new vision to reality so that we are at the forefront of service for all who use and enjoy the facilities.”
