Club Events

Booyah! Golfers All Excited at Stroke-Play/Stableford during XXI Pilikula Annual Golf Tournament

Booyah! Golfers All Excited at Stroke-Play/Stableford during XXI Pilikula Annual Golf Tournament held on Saturday 2 January and Sunday 3 January 2021 at Pilikula Golf Club, Moodushedde, Mangaluru. XXI Pilikula Golf Club Annual Golf Tournament -Truly A Golfing Experience of a Lifetime!

Mangaluru : Boo-Yah means exclamation of happiness, being excited, or feeling overwhelmed. And yes, that was the scene at the Strokeplay, Stableford and Handicap XXI Pilikula Annual Golf Tournament at Pilikula Golf Club on Saturday, 2 January and Sunday 3 January 2021. Pilikula Golf Club situated at Moodushedde about 12 kilometers from Mangaluru, is the first golf club in this picturesque City and Coastal Karnataka. This sprawling course is spread across 60 acres of land, and the 18 Hole Golf course is a facility that allows Members and Tourists to tee off amidst the undulating greens. The golf course has been designed making best use of natural terrain and topography, which incorporates narrow and challenging fairways. The Tournaments are conducted annually with the participation of the golfers from the state in particular and also the golfers from the neighbouring states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

One of the biggest events of Pilikula Golf Club (PGC). is the Pilikula Annual Golf Tournament, which is held every year during the second week of December- and this year due to the pandemic the XXI Annual Golf Tournament was bit delayed, and was held on 2 and 3 January 2021 at PGC. This Golf Challenge captures all the drama and unpredictability of a great golf event. Every year this global tournament involves club golfers from PGC, and also golfers from in and around Mangaluru and Karnataka State. What begins at a local golf club can be the start of the golfing experience of a lifetime.

This major Annual Golf Tournament gives golfers the chance to participate in competitive but friendly and professionally-run events, and also get the golfing experience of a lifetime. As a sport, golf knows no boundaries – its participants come together to speak the universal language of golf. What better way to do this than in the XXI Pilikula Golf Challenge? This year’s Golf Tournament attracted quite a few participants, from PGC , and also from other parts of the state like Madikeri, Chikamagalur, Mysuru, and Bengaluru.

From the very first tee, you are greeted by emerald green grass and greenery that are immaculately groomed providing the best Coastal Mangaluru golf experience. Winding through a colorful, sub-tropical foliage, the tranquil surroundings allow you to swing the club with smooth tempo and enjoy a relaxing round of golf that is challenging, yet a pleasure to play in every way. Once again you wonder: “How do I finish in as few strokes as possible but make it last all day?” And that was the experience many golfers felt during the two-day golf tournament, and they loved every bit of it.

After a two-day hectic tournament on a treacherous sunny weekend, it was finally the prize distribution ceremony held on Sunday 3 January, which was graced by family members, relatives and friends of PGC. The dignitaries on the dais for the prize distribution ceremony were- Chief guest- Clarence D’souza- Vice President at a renowned company in Bengaluru, (in the absence of chief guest Deputy Commissioner of DK, Dr KN Rajendra , who is also the President of PGC, who couldn’t make it due to other engagement) ; Dr Sandeep Rai Captain of PGC; Vishal Hegde- Treasurer; Manoj Shetty- Tournament Director; Girish Rao- PGC member and compere of the progarmme; Aroor Ganesh Rao- Managing Director KIA Car Showroom; among others. Eugene Rent was felicitated by the managing committee of PGC in recognition of his contribution and immense support to PGC and to the game of Golf as a whole- he was given a standing ovation while he was being honored.

After being felicitated Eugene Rent addressing the gathering said, “Those who like golfing, it is a sport that requires concentration and precision, and it’s enjoyed by professional athletes and amateurs, both of whom compete throughout the year for titles and prizes. Many people consider golf an easy game to learn, but not everyone is actually good at golf. The basics of golf include hitting a ball with a club, trying hard to hit the ball directly into the hole on the green. If you haven’t tried playing golf, make up your mind, and you’ll love it once you get attached to it. Make some time in between your other busy activities, and feel the difference playing golf”.

Also speaking on the occasion, chief guest Clarence D’souza said ” It’s the participation that matters more than winning. If you didn’t win this time, don’t lose hopes-you have many more chances in the future-and make the best use of the golfing opportunities when they come your way. I feel proud of myself for learning how to play golf, and I enjoy every bit of the game. And most of it is indeed a privilege for me to be on the dais as a chief guest at this prestigious golf tournament celebration”. Prizes were distributed to the winners in various categories by DC.

The winners in the tournament are : Pilikula Trophy-Open Best Gross- Aaron Mendonca (winner); and Ranjith (Runner-Up); Pilikula Challenge Trophy (0-18 H’cap) -Net Stroke Play- Jason Salins (Winner) and K A Ponnappa (Runner-Up); Pilikula ChallengeTrophy- Net stroke Play (19-26 H’Cap) Sanath shetty (winner) and Prabodh Pai Kasturi (R-Up) ; Pilikula Challenge Cup ( 00-18 H’Cap) Stablefold -Nelson J V Pais (Winner) and Manoj shetty (R-Up); Pilikula Challenge Cup ( 19-26 HÇap) Stableford- Sathyanarayana S L (Winner) and Vittal Bhandary ( R-Up); PGC Senior Citizens (70+) Trophy- Net Stroke Play (00-26 H’Cap) Mavasa (winner) and Murthy (R-Up); Longest Drive winner-Aaron Mendonca; Closest to Pin winner- Naveen Shetty; Straightest Drive winner- Gp Cpt Murthy. The names of the winners were read by Tournament Director Manoj Shetty.

The prize distribution was followed by fellowship and sumptuous lunch , and a few happy revelers after a sumptuous lunch and a few cocktails stepped onto to the dance floor and started swinging their hips and bodies to the melodious tunes rendered by duo musicians Elton Nazareth and Melroy Furtado, of band ‘C-7’! It was a perfect Sunday for the happy golfers who had a Happy Golfing together with a Spirited Fellowship . Cheers!

A little more history of Pilikula Golf Club- PGC is a golfer’s paradise! Beautiful property that is well maintained, with lush green lawns and the sounds of birds chirping away greet you. The place looks great, and well recommended for golf lovers. Well maintained and it’s huge, plus the greenery is amazing. Golf is played on a course, and the green area of the course is known as the fairway. The typical course consists of 18 holes, although golfers can play a 9-hole course through twice to play a full game of 18 holes. Golfers begin a play by standing at the tee green and aiming the ball towards the putting green, the area where the flag stick and hole are located. The length from the teeing green to the hole varies depending on the course, and it may or may not be seen from the teeing the green. Most courses have holes that are seen from the tee green, but some angle left or right making them invisible from the teeing green.

The idea of the present course was conceived by M.S. Gowdar, District Forest Officer and Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Deputy Commissioner in the year 1998. The PGC which was originally a part of Pilikula Nisargadhama became an independent entity and was registered on the 11th of October 2001, with A.K.Monappa, Deputy Commissioner as President. At present Dr K V Rajendra, the DC of DK is the president, Dr B Sandeep Rai-Captain; V J Saju Neeliyara- Secretary; and Vishal Hegde- Treasurer

Anyone who enjoys a nice walk and doesn’t mind learning a few rules can begin to play golf. While many professional golfers have contributed to the growing popularity of golf, amateur players still bring a passion for the game that excites fans and players alike. To know more about Golf, please contact PGC (824 2262957, 824-2263957. Mobile : +91 720 480 1217; 9845083322 (Captain Dr Rai) Mail: pilikulagolf@gmail.com. and they will get you in touch with one of their panel coaches for an in-depth info session!