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India's golf revolution tees off with power, parity, and pure entertainment

India's golf revolution tees off with power, parity, and pure entertainment

Khaleej Times22-07-2025
"Let's make it all for one and all for love."
The words of Canadian rock star Bryan Adams' chart-topping song now echoes through a new arena - not an amphitheatre, a cricket stadium or football pitch, but the expansive greens of India's newest obsession: golf. Yes, golf - but not as you know it.
This September, India is stepping into a fearless new direction. It's launching a movement, one that reimagines the centuries-old game into an explosive, inclusive, and futuristic sporting experience. Welcome to the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) - where sport meets spectacle, and golf enters a bold new era.
Once seen as the quiet gentleman's game, golf is undergoing a paradigm shift, and it's being led by a bold Indian experiment that has the potential to revolutionise the game.
"Golf has always been globally respected, but remains underappreciated in India. A dynamic format can attract broader audiences and athletes,' said cricket legend Yuvraj Singh, who has joined IGPL as both co-owner and brand ambassador. 'Joining the IGPL team is an exciting opportunity to rejuvenate this remarkable sport,' he added.
Golf for All, All for Golf
The IGPL's war cry is clear - "Golf for All, All for Golf." This isn't a league for the privileged few. This is a national campaign to make golf India's next big sport, with three powerful pillars:
1. The IGPL Tour
World's first fully mixed-gender pro golf tour boasting equal prize money for men and women. No cuts, only pure competitive golf over 11 high-stakes tournaments in its first year, growing to 15 in the future.
This Tour isn't just about winning, it's about creating heroes, rivalries, and a new generation of champions. It's a platform where young prodigies, some even before their teens, get scholarships and a shot at greatness.
2. Turf Wars – Clash of the Cities
A franchise-based showdown where city pride is on the line, Turf Wars features top-tier male and female golfers competing in fast-paced matchups made for the digital generation. Backed by the Indian Golf Union (IGU) and the Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI), the league includes teams from Delhi, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai. With drama, rivalries, flash golf, packed crowds, and a high-stakes grand finale, this is where golf gets personal.
3. The Showdown - X-Treme golf
One course. One chance. One winner. A high-octane stadium finale in a lightning-fast X-Golf format featuring lights, team walkouts, music, cameras and madness - is all built for digital.
Golf is evolving, stepping fearlessly into the spotlight with a fresh, fast-paced format designed for today's audiences.
"Golf is no longer hidden. It's loud, proud, and finally, fun," says the IGPL manifesto.
It will include a celebrity wildcard format, imagine golf supercharged, with the buzz of a rock concert and the intensity of prime-time sport.
"This is turbo-charged sportainment. And it's what moves the needle," said IGPL Director Manav Jaini.
The IGPL hopes to ignite passion and rally fans and players nationwide ahead of the big launch by kicking off a thrilling 10-city tour from September to December 2025.
Crafting Golf's New Blueprint
What truly sets IGPL apart is its vision to build not just a league, but an enduring ecosystem. This is a proudly Made-in-India initiative, not imported, not adapted, but designed from the ground up to serve Indian athletes and audiences.
IGPL isn't just staging tournaments; it is actively investing in golf infrastructure, developing a comprehensive tech platform, curating merchandise, and managing talent at every level. It's a blueprint for how sport can be both spectacular and sustainable.
As cities pick their icons like Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chawrasia, Gaurav Ghei, Jyothi Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh, the IGPL is shaping up to be India's most disruptive sporting innovation in years.
"The IGPL is not only India's league but also a gift to global golf,' declared IGPL CEO Uttam Singh Mundy.
The Final Putt
Golf is no longer just about birdies and bogeys. It's about tenacity, gender equality and energy.
It's also about India, and it's about reclaiming golf for everyone.
The Indian Golf Revolution has begun.
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