Gulmarg Golf Course: Green Fees, Timings and How Tourists Can Play

The course sits in the middle of Gulmarg town, a five-minute walk from the market, with St Mary's Church on the slope above the 18th hole and the Apharwat ridge behind the greens.

Gulmarg Golf Course at a Glance

About the Golf Course in Gulmarg

At 7,505 yards from the championship tees, Gulmarg is the longest golf course in India, and its 8th hole, a 610-yard par 5 that climbs the whole way, is the longest single hole in the country. Add the altitude and the setting, with snow still on the Pir Panjal peaks behind the greens well into June, and this is the course most Indian golfers want to play once.

The climate is the other draw. In June, when the plains are above 40 °C, afternoons on the Gulmarg meadow sit in the low 20s, so a full summer round is comfortable rather than a slog. The thin air changes the game as well. At 2,650 m a drive carries roughly 10 to 15% further than at sea level, so most visitors take one or even two clubs less on approach shots.

What brings people here:

• A layout whose story goes back to a 6-hole meadow course in 1890

• One of the highest green golf courses in the world, at about 2,650 m

• India's longest course and its longest hole on the same card

• Green fairways against snow on the surrounding peaks

• Coaches on site who teach complete beginners

Play is possible for most of the year except the snow months, roughly December to March, with April a melt month when only some holes may be open. Sets and balls can be hired from the pro shop or from golf professionals registered with the Tourism Department. The first championship was played here in 1922 and the club still hosts tournaments, but on an ordinary weekday it is relaxed enough for someone who has never held a club. Book a lesson with one of the coaches and try a few holes.

Gulmarg Golf Course Green Fees and Charges

Indian visitors pay about Rs 800 for 9 holes and Rs 1,200 for 18 holes; foreign nationals pay Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500. Club hire, a caddie and balls are paid on top. Walking along the road edge of the course costs nothing.

JKTDC sets the tariff and does not publish it online. The figures above are the published 2025 to 2026 rates from the Travel Path Holiday fee card, so confirm them at the clubhouse before you play. Older pages that say entry is "INR 0" are wrong for anyone who wants to play. Carry cash. Card machines at the clubhouse are not always working, and phone signal in the bowl can drop.

If you plan to play several rounds over a longer stay, JKTDC offers a temporary membership that covers the course for your visit and includes the clubhouse restaurant. For one or two rounds, the daily green fee works out cheaper.

How Tourists (Non-Members) Can Play Golf in Gulmarg

You can play as a walk-in on most days. This is the sequence our travellers follow:

1. Reach the clubhouse by 9 am. It sits at the lower end of the course, a short walk from the market and the bus stand. Mornings are calmest and the queue for sets is shortest.

2. Choose 9 or 18 holes and pay the green fee at the reception. Carry a photo ID. Ask whether any holes are closed for maintenance that day, as the course has been under phased restoration.

3. Hire a set and shoes if you did not bring your own. Golf professionals registered with the tourism department rent out kits, and your hotel staff can line one up the evening before. Left-handed sets are few, so ask early.

4. Take a caddie. Visitors are expected to, and on these sloping fairways a caddie who knows how far the ball runs downhill saves you several shots a round.

5. Dress for the course and the weather. A collared shirt, trousers or golf shorts, and soft-spike or flat-soled shoes. Pack a fleece, because clouds roll over Apharwat most afternoons and the temperature drops fast.

Never held a club? Ask for a coach and a 30 to 45 minute session on the practice ground and putting green, then try three or four holes. Children over about 8 manage this well.

Timings and Best Time to Play: Month by Month

The course is open every day in season, usually from April or May to early November, with the first tee at about 8:30 am and the clubhouse open until about 6:30 pm. An 18-hole round takes 4.5 to 5 hours, so start it by about 11 am; after 2 pm, 9 holes is the realistic limit, especially in October when the sun is down before 6 pm. The best months are June for wildflowers and September to October for crisp air and clear views of the peaks. For the wider picture, see our guide to the best time to visit Gulmarg.

Play in the morning. From about 2 pm, cloud builds over the range and thunderstorms are common in July and August.

History of the Gulmarg Golf Club: 1890 to Today

Golfing in Gulmarg started in British India. Colonel Neville Chamberlain laid out a 6-hole course on the meadow in 1890, and the first golf championship was played here in 1922. The Nedou's Cup, named after the family that ran Gulmarg's best-known hotel, followed in 1929.

The present property follows Ranjit Nanda's 2011 design, and the overall course measures 7,505 yards at a par of 72. In June 2025 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said nine holes had been restored and the rest would follow, with tournaments and a golf academy for local schoolchildren planned for 2026. If you are visiting for serious golf, ask at the clubhouse which holes are in play that week.

The Course: Signature Holes and What Makes It Different

Almost no fairway in Gulmarg is flat. The course rolls across the bowl of the meadow, pine and fir line the edges, and snow-fed streams cut across several holes as natural hazards. The greens are creeping bent grass, which putts faster than the hardier grass on most Indian plains courses.

Three holes stay with people:

• The 8th. A 610-yard par 5, uphill all the way. It is India's longest hole and plays even longer than the card says.

• The 17th. Short, but the green sits on the edge of a cliff. Miss long and the ball is gone.

• The 18th. A par 5 that drops about 300 feet from St Mary's Church down to the clubhouse, so you finish with the church spire behind you and the whole course spread below.

Off the tee, remember the altitude. The ball flies further, rolls further down the slopes and breaks more on the greens than you expect. Most golfers take two or three holes to adjust.

Not a Golfer? Things to Do at the Golf Course

You do not need to swing a club to enjoy the place. The road around the course is the easiest flat walk in Gulmarg. From June to September the meadow is covered in wildflowers (Wikipedia counts 16 species on the course itself), which is what the name Gulmarg, "meadow of flowers", refers to.

• Walk up to St Mary's Church, the 1902 stone church above the 18th hole, for the classic view over the course

• Watch a round from the clubhouse lawn with a cup of kahwa

• Hire a pony for a short ride around the bowl. Agree the rate and the route before you get on

• Come back at sunset, when the light falls across the meadow toward the church

In winter the same slopes are where most first-time skiers and sledgers in Gulmarg take their first runs.

A Golf-and-Gulmarg Day Plan

This one-day plan fits a round of golf around the town's other big sights:

Gondola tickets are sold online only, on jammukashmircablecar.com (there is no counter sale), and in season the slots sell out days ahead, so book as soon as your dates are fixed. A small batch of next-day Tatkal tickets goes on sale at 5 pm; current fares are on our Gulmarg Gondola ticket prices page. If you would like the round, the Gondola slot and the transfers arranged for you, our Gulmarg tour packages can include a tee time on request.

Places to Visit Near Gulmarg Golf Course

The church, the temple, the market and the Gondola base are all within about 1.5 km of the course.

• St Mary's Church. Directly above the 18th hole, a few minutes' walk.

• Maharani Temple. The hilltop Shiva temple, visible from most of the course.

• Gulmarg Gondola base. About 1 km away; the ride climbs to Kongdoori and on to Apharwat Peak.

• Alpather Lake. A high-altitude lake trek, open from June to September.

• Ningle Nallah. A glacier-fed stream about 10 km out, good for a picnic.

• Strawberry Valley. A short pony ride from town in late spring.

See the full list of places to visit in Gulmarg.

How to Reach Gulmarg Golf Course

Gulmarg Golf Course is 52 km from Srinagar, about 2 hours by road via Tangmarg. Fly into Srinagar International Airport (SXR), then take a taxi or a shared cab up the hill. The last 13 km from Tangmarg is a winding climb through pine forest. Our route guide for Srinagar to Gulmarg covers taxi fares and timings, and how to reach Gulmarg covers trains and flights from other cities.

Once you are in Gulmarg, the course is in the middle of town and most hotels are within walking distance of the clubhouse. If the uphill walk back is hard going at this altitude, hire a pony for the return leg and agree the rate before you set off.

Tips Before You Play

• Avoid December to March for golf. The course is under snow. April is a gamble.

• Pace yourself. 2,650 m is high enough to tire you on the uphill holes, especially the 8th. Drink water and walk slowly on day one.

• Wear sunscreen and a cap. UV is strong at this altitude even on cool days.

• Carry cash for the green fee, caddie and tips.

• Book your set early on June weekends. Hire kits run short when tour groups come through.

• Play before the weather turns. Afternoon cloud is common after 2 pm.

• Ask about tournaments. Club events can close the course to visitors for a day.

Sightseeing in Gulmarg works best as part of a wider Kashmir trip. Most travellers pair it with Srinagar and Pahalgam; our Kashmir tour packages cover both.

Golf in Kashmir: Gulmarg vs the Other Courses

Kashmir has three other courses that visiting golfers play. Gulmarg is the one to choose for alpine scenery and cool summer rounds.

Edited by TravelTriangle