Pinnawella © Tourist Board Hikkaduwa © Tourist Board
The Land of wonder may be the next great golf destination . Or more aptly put the next great destination that has terrific golf .
Since the end of the civil war in 2009 Sri Lanka has been on a mission to rebuild its tourism industry . And why not ? Formerly known as Ceylon the country has now been stable and safe for almost a decade , roads are smooth , even if a bit winding through the spectacularly gorgeous mountains , much of the country is relatively untouched with an amazing assortment of wild creatures including the world ’ s largest concentration per square kilometer of leopards and Asian elephants roaming through tangled jungle and savannah like plains .
There is world class surfing , the largest assembly of sperm whales anywhere as well as plenty of blues just off the coast , and very good snorkeling . New additions to the activities offered by resorts include extreme water sports and land based forest zip lines , rock climbing and trekking . Tour operators abound and trips to some of the natural wonders like Sigiriya Rock , historical cultural sites , or tea and coffee plantations are of bucket list caliber .
The approximately 80 % Buddhist population is friendly and helpful . The late 19th century British architecture and infrastructure is an ever present bit of charm and convenience .
Sri Lanka tourism officially has eight tenets that serve well to describe the dizzying array of potential adventures the country offers . Pristine , Heritage , Thrills , Wild , Bliss , Scenic , Essence , and Festive .
So where does golf fit in ? Well it does and it doesn ’ t as of yet . There are a few very interesting tracks scattered around the country that are quite worth the effort to get to . Victoria Golf and Country Resort for instance , is an ingeniously routed test through some of the most beautiful tropical scenery imaginable , no , correction , I could not have conjured prettier views from many areas of the golf course and all of it is exceptional .
Eagles Golf Links in the Northeastern scenic China Bay is a pretty , regulation length , tree lined course in decent condition that is contemplating some major upgrades although it is certainly quite playable now . Colombo Country Club in the heart of the capital is tournament ready and a unique urban golf experience . However if you are expecting perfect fairways and fast greens , you won ’ t find those conditions in the more remote places , but fear not , things are about to change .
The government in conjunction with the Sri Lanka Golf Union is actively in pursuit of supporting and promoting new and improved golf venues . While it has been a slow process , Sri Lanka stands to add what may be the Ninth tenet to tourism . Priath Fernando , President of the Golf Union points to the impressive diversity of golf locations here . From the sea level Colombo CC , in four hours , you can be 1800 meters higher a lot cooler at Nuwara Eliya Golf Club then on to the completely different lovely beaches near Eagles China Bay . Mr Fernando has convinced Ana Punchihewa , of 1996 cricket World Cup fame , to throw his energies into Sri Lanka golf .
One of Sri Lanka ’ s largest tour operators Aitken / Spence Travel , Mr Anil Hapugoda is a whirlwind of energy working to further improve accessibility and enhance travelers experiences . His firm and others offer excellent experiential trips that include a nice dose of interesting golf along the way . Working in concert with the government these key people are building a vision for the future of Sri Lanka golf tourism with a wealth of potential projects soon to begin rolling out publicly . It will be exciting times ahead with new venues in this amazing land opening yearly .
I have fallen in love with Sri Lanka not only for its incredible beauty but for the people ’ s love of country and desire to share this magical place with the world . Big things in golf are on the
Volume 3 • Issue 38 41