"One of world's top golf course architects": PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl
New Delhi, July 30
The PGTI J&K Open 2026 is set to be held from August 2 to 7 at the Royal Springs Golf Course in Jammu and Kashmir, with golfers and organisers expressing excitement over the tournament and the opportunity to promote the region's tourism.
CEO of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Amandeep Johl praised the golf course, saying it was designed by internationally renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Jr.
"I think Robert Trent Jones Jr. is one of the world's top golf course architects. Royal Springs Golf Course in Jammu and Kashmir was designed by him, and he's an internationally renowned architect. I think all the professionals on the DP World PGT are looking forward to playing there," Johl told ANI.
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Director of Tourism Rashid Raina said the tourism department was excited and proud to host the Open Championship and had made arrangements for the event.
"We are very excited, and we are very proud to host this Open Championship that's going to be held from 2nd of August till 7th of August. Government of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the tourism department, we have made all sorts of arrangements whatever was asked by DP World and PGTI because they are the main organisers of the event," Raina told ANI.
Indian golfer Amardeep Malik, who has played at the course before, highlighted its distinctive setting and the variety of fruits available around the fairways.
"I've been there before, and I'm now one of the senior players on tour. So I'm probably one of the players who's telling Saptak to enjoy and play the golf course purely because it's one of the unique golf courses where you can just walk on the fairways and pluck apples from the side of the fairways and eat. There are multiple kinds of fruits on the golf course. And it's a sight that is not very common, especially as a golfer, because there are not many golf courses in the world that provide that. So that's something we're looking forward to," Malik told ANI.
For Indian golfer Saptak Talwar, the tournament will also mark his first visit to Kashmir. He said he was excited to experience the region's golf, cuisine and culture.
"I'm very excited. I've heard great things from my fellow players who have been there in the previous editions. My first time in Kashmir, I'm excited to play golf, and I'm more of a foodie. So I'm excited to try the cuisine and the culture over there as well," Talwar told ANI.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Kashmir's beauty is simply unmatched 🇮🇳 I'm an American but visited Srinagar last year and the Royal Springs course is spectacular. The apple plucking on fairways sounds like a Bollywood scene - hope they promote this properly to international golfers!
As a Kashmiri Pandit reading this, I feel happy to see my homeland get positive attention through golf 🏌️♂️ But let's not forget the valley needs peace and stability for such tourism to flourish. Hope the event brings all communities together.
Finally some good news from J&K! The PGTI doing great work. Robert Trent Jones Jr is indeed a legend - his courses at Pebble Beach and now in Kashmir...what a contrast! Hopefully this puts Kashmir on the global golf map. But need more such events throughout the year, not just one tournament.
From Australia 🇦🇺 and I've played at Royal Springs twice - it's genuinely world-class. The elevation changes, the views of the Himalayas, and yes, the fruit trees along fairways make it unforgettable. Hope the Indian government keeps it well-maintained for future generations.
Saptak Talwar being excited about Kashmiri cuisine is so relatable! Wazwan is legendary 😋 But honestly, spending crores on golf events when the valley still faces unemployment issues? I'm all for tourism but this feels like an elitist event. Wish they'd involve local artisans and vendors more.
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