Victoria Golf Course nominated for award

S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Correspondent

Victoria golf and Country Resort which has made a tremendous impact both in the local and international golfing scene as one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world is all set to bring glory to Sri Lanka and it has been nominated as one of the golf courses for the prestigious award ‘Best Golf Course in the Sub-Continent’ by the Asian Golf Digest at a ceremony to be held at Golden Horse Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malayaisa on October 28 (Wednesday).

Representing the Victoria Golf and Country Resort will be its Marketing Executive Ms Dhanushika Medagoda. Last year Victoria won this award at a ceremony held at Mission Hill Golf course in China and it was Dhanushika Medagoda who represented Victoria and the Sri Lanka Golf Union. Victoria first won this award in the year 2005.

Though the name Victoria is over a century old in the Kandy area as there was Dutch farm, and later a mixed plantation owned by the British the Victoria waterfalls and more recently the Victoria reservoir commissioned under the accelerated Mahaweli Diversion Schemes to generate electricity for the country.

It is a very beautiful set up hemmed on one side by the Galaha range of mountains and on the other side the Knuckles Range. Victoria is just 11 years old and was opened for golf in 1998 with the Donald Steal Golf Championship. This course was designed by the world famous golf architect Donald Steel. But it was Thomian sportsman and planter Tony Witham who physically converted this 558 acres coconut estate into a golf course. Since then it has made giant strides winning the acclaim of all golfers who have played here.

Kitrina Douglas - the Former European and ten times world’s ladies champion was so amazed by the enchanting beauty and the challenges offered by the Victoria Golf Course remarked in the Visitors book “This will be one of the ten top golf courses in the world. It offers a challenge to even the most accomplished player.”

Another personality who never fails to make the trek to Victoria when he is around in this region is legendary cricketers Sir Ian Botham who at one time held the world record for the most number of wickets in test history before they were broken by Kapil Dev and many others. He wrote in the visitors book “Try to stop me playing at Victoria”. In other words nothing could stop him playing at Victoria.

Victoria golf course is no ordinary course and it is ranked number one in the sub-continent and is also among the 100 most beautiful golf courses in the world. Located around 20 kilometres from Landy in the Dumbara Valley, this course has been designed for 36 holes. It has a Par 73, 6933 yard championship course. One of the tees is located 100 feet above the fairway requiring skills, speed and accuracy to come to terms with it.

The General Manager of the Victoria Golf Course is Australian born Errel Johnston - a very keen golfer and a very practical person. His day in the course starts around 6 a.m. and is assisted by the able Course Manager Maheel Bulumulla. Both look into shortcomings and improvements before the golfers arrive to tee off in the morning.

Victoria does not concentrate on golf alone. It has a chain of Chalets which enjoys a high rate of occupancy by golfing tourists and others looking for a quiet holiday. Recently a 60 seater full air conditioned restaurant ‘Araliya’ was opened for the golfers to relax and enjoy after a hard day’s play.