The 11th edition of the Golf & Turf Summit commenced on Thursday at the Oxford Golf Resort with a central theme, ‘2024: Is the Golf & Turf Industry prepared for new challenges and innovations?’
Related: GIA’s 11th Golf & Turf Summit to focus on tourism, turf management
Organised by the Golf Industry Association (GIA), the Golf & Turf Summit was inaugurated by Suman Billa, Additional Secretary (Ministry of Tourism), Government of India. This year’s summit witnessed 40-plus speakers, comprising renowned golf course architects, turf managers, and industry stalwarts, taking part in insightful panel discussions and interactive workshops.
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GIA president Anirudha Seolekar gave the opening address, and Anit Mehrotra, vice president, welcomed the delegates, which was followed by keynote address from Suman Billa on the topic ‘Driving Sustainable Tourism Growth Through Golf: Policies, Strategies, and Partnerships’.
The session was concluded with a thank you note by Deepali Shah Gandhi, Board Member, GIA.
An exclusive question and answer session was organised next with prominent golf course owners and real estate developers like Devang Shah, Managing Director of Kalhaar Blues & Greens, Ashwani Khurana, Founder & CEO of Karma Lakelands, Rajesh Gurumurthy, Senior Director & Head-Strategic Consulting of JLL and Anirudha Seolekar, Chairman of Oxford Group. The session was moderated by Nandan Heblikar, Consultant of Golf Designs.
Thereafter, Andrew Harvey Johnston, General Manager of Sentosa Golf Club, gave his insights on the topic ‘Golf Course Design Trends and Sustainability, followed by Clinton Southern, Director – Construction & Agronomy of Troon International gave a power presentation on ‘Power of Communication.’
Sandra Ruttle, Real Estate and Business Planning Executive of European Tour Destinations and Jeremy Slessor, Managing Director of European Golf Design were involved in an engaging discussion on ‘Strategic Management of Golf Course Operations’, sharing their invaluable experiences.
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In between the session, exclusive presentations were made by Gareth Knight, The Toro Company, Mohan Subramanian, Rain Bird Corporation, Kneale Diamond, Capillary Flow, and many other.
The Golf & Turf Summit saw some brainstorming discussions starting with ‘Enhancing Member Experience: Innovations in Club Amenities and Services.’ The panel discussion was moderated by Indraneel Mujgule, Vice President, The Poona Club Ltd.
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In addition to the sessions & presentations, an exclusive chat was organised to discuss the real estate perspective. Moderated by Ravi Garyali, GIA; panellists Rohan Seolekar, CEO, OGR & Austin Roach, CMD, Clover Greens shared their views.
The session on ‘Maximizing Collaboration: Forging Partnerships Between Tour Operators, Golf Courses, and Hospitality Providers’ was moderated by Karan Bindra, Founder of K&A Golf, followed by a discussion on the topic ‘Uplifting, Upgrading, and Expanding Golf Footprint in India.’
The summit concluded with the announcement of strategic collaboration between GIA and CMAA in the presence of Anit Mehrotra, Bruce Williams, Visiting Professor, CMAA, Mr Seolekar, and the digital presence of Brad Revill, BRT Agronomy.
