Visakhapatnam: The East Point Golf Club (EPGC) at Visakhapatnam is gearing up to host the first-ever Andhra Pradesh Amateur Golf Championship being organized under the aegis of the Indian Golf Union (IGU) from 28 September to 1 October.
IGU runs the sport in India and regulates the rules. It organizes junior events, ladies' events, and the amateur circuit. All of the stars of Indian golf like Anirban Lahiri (Olympics, PGA Tour), Gaganjeet Bhullar (Asian Tour), Shiv Kapur (Asian Games Gold medallist and European Tour), Chikkarangappa, Rashid Khan, Subhankar Sharma, Aditi Ashok (Olympics), and Udayan Mane (Olympics) have come through the IGU amateur system.
IGU conducts amateur events annually for men around the country on a variety of courses and also sends amateur teams to international events such as the Asian Games, Eisenhower Trophy (World Amateur Team Championship), Nomura Cup (Asia Pacific Amateur Team Golf Championship), Faldo Series, Asian Junior Championships, and now the Olympics.
This year due to COVID-19, the IGU circuit was cut short by six tournaments confining mostly to metro cities like RCGC Kolkata and Delhi Golf Cub. However, with some persuasion, Vizag was added to the calendar. Tamil Nadu and Telangana do not have the event this year.
EPGC is now firmly on the national golf map and will open the doors for national tournaments, professional golf, and more importantly, will give a boost to junior golf.
The East Point Golf Club, founded around 1884, is Visakhapatnam's premier golf club and the only golf course in AP with 18 holes. It is also working towards popularizing the game and promoting golf in the state.