rendezvous with golf bosses

DEVANG SHAH

MD, Navratna & Organisers & Developers Pvt. Ltd. (kalhaar Blues & Green Golf Club)

GII. Favorite Golf Course in India & Abroad.

DS.    India:      Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club, Ahmedabad

          Abroad:  Public Golf Course: Bethpage Black, NY,

                          Private Golf Course: Augusta National GC

GII. Which particular country you rate as the ultimate Golfing destination? Why?

DS.    USA, so many varied golf courses, all over the country.

GII. For how long have you been playing Golf and what initiated you into this game?

DS.   Playing Golf since January 27, 1997. Played cricket all my life so it was a natural transition to Golf after the cricket career got over.

GII. Describe a day in the life of Devang Shah.

DS.    Wake up at 5 am, get ready and leave to play golf at KBG by 530 am. A round of golf finishes at around 1030 am, come back home, get ready for office, be in Office by 12 noon. Office hours are 12 noon-8 pm. Back home by 845-9 pm. Twice a week, socialize with friends otherwise, dinner with family. Sleep by 11 pm. I play serious golf about 4-5 times a week, whenever I am in Ahmedabad.

GII. What fascinates you the most about the game of Golf?

DS.   Uncertainty about the game! One day you can own your swing the other day it’s gone. Such similarity to life in general. Keeps you on ground, all the time.

GII. Your favorite Holiday Destination.

DS.    Manhattan, New York

GII. Favorite 19th Hole Drink.

DS.    Whiskey with lots of ice!

GII. Favorite Quote.

DS.  In Gujarati it says “ Nishan Chuk Maaf par Nahi maaf nichu Nishan” It means “ You are pardoned if you aim high and miss but you are never pardoned if you aim low”

GII. What are the challenges being faced by Golf Industry in India?

DS.   Active Golfers are very less in India, compared to other countries. All golf related industries will do great if that number grows three times!

GII. What is the potential for Golf Development and Tourism at the state level and how can India attract more Golf Tourists?

DS.   India can be a great Golf Tourism destination, if marketed properly. We are so rich in our culture, cuisine and history. We have to offer Golf itineraries around clusters of good golf courses and such other diversities of our country.

GII. How do we grow the numbers of Golfers in India?

DS.   Start at the bottom of the pyramid, teach the basics to the kids in school. Bring awareness to the grown ups and the well settled people in their 30s and 40s. All tier 2 & Tier 3 cities have club culture, grow the game amongst the social club members.

GII. Your thoughts on doing business on the Golf Course?

DS.  Where can you spend 4-5 hours of quality time with your business associate, that too in a completely relaxed environment? During a round of Golf, one gets quality time with your business counterpart and it normally gets converted into a successful meeting/outing.

GII. Do you use any Golf apps on your phone? If yes, which is your favorite?

DS.   Of lately, Golf TV is my favorite app. I get to watch all PGA tour events live on that.