By IANS
New Delhi : After legendry golfer Nick Faldo, South African Ernie Els is keen on designing his signature golf course in India.
The booming golf market in the country has attracted six-time Major champion Faldo, and his design company Faldo Design is already looking for properties and prospective partners in an around the National Capital Region. And now three-time Major champion Els has revealed that he is also looking to design course in the country.
“There are lots of property developments going on in India with real estate companies like EMAAR coming in. We haven’t done anything in India, but we will have one soon. We are talking with people and hopefully we would have some knocking on our doors,” said Els on the eve of $2.5 million EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters at the par-72 Lodhi Course of the Delhi Golf Club.
The picturesque Lodhi Course, which has been build around the Lodhi tombs, have impressed the South African and makes him feel at home.
“I have played on a lot of courses around the world, but this course reminds me of South Africa. The type of grass and the vegetation in and around the course is very much like home. The layout is also very old and the best thing is that no hole is similar to each other. It is a true and a classy golf course,” said the world No.4 golfer.
The 38-year-old South African, however, is looking leave his disappointing loss to world No.1 Tiger Woods in the Dubai Desert Classic last week behind.
“It was a disappointing loss in Dubai. I was playing a tournament after quite some time, but losing to world No.1 is no disgrace, but that doesn’t make it better either. I had a chance and I probably should have won but I didn’t.”But I feel my game will be good this year. I have done a lot of hard work and for my first event of the year to come that close is good, and obviously too bad. But I think I will have more chances like that in future,” said Els.
Asked whether he is prepared for the noisy Indian crowd, Els said: “Well I think compared to cricketers we are pretty small here but it was quiet nice with the people coming out here to watch us play. They seem to be knowledgeable about golf and I am sure we will have a good week.”
When asked, how does he rate the India’s growing prowess in golf as compared to China, Els said: “They have a couple of more tournaments in China and also a lot of more golf courses. But I think India is catching up fast and its players are at a better level than the Chinese. All the top Indian players have broken through. But India need to build more golf courses and have an good infrastructure for the game.”
The South African is also hopeful of coming back to India to play the Indian Open in October.