Mustang Golf Course is situated at the world's highest altitude, claim organsiers
KATHMANDU, AUGUST 8
The organisers of the Top of the World Golf Classic today claimed that the event would be played at the Mustang Golf Course situated at the world's highest altitude.
A total of 22 golfers from Kathmandu and Pokhara will take part in the first event at the nine-hole course, initiated by Provincial Assembly Member of Gandaki Province Indra Dhara Bista and supported by Lomanthang Rural Municipality, informed the organisers at a press meet.
According to the organisers, the Course is situated at an altitude of 4.645 metres above sea level in Lomanthang.
"After the tournament, we will start the process of registration and hopefully we will get the international recognition," said Deepak Acharya, Senior Golf Director at Gokarna Golf Club. According to Guinness Book of World Records, Yak Golf Course of Sikkim, India holds the record of the golf course at the highest altitude of 3,907 metres.
Provincial Assembly Member Bista said he was inspired to construct a golf course after his visit to the United States. "I felt golf could be an important means to promote sports tourism in the area and used one million rupees from the Constituency Infrastructure Development Fund to develop a course in Lomanthang," said Bista.
"Initially, I was thinking of tourism promotion in the district-level only but now I have realised that the facility can really contribute to the national economy," he added.
"As we have already constructed roads to the golf course, the facility can be one of the attractions for tourists," said Bista.
Nepal Golf Association President Tashi Ghale lauded Bista's efforts in preparing a golf course in Mustang and promised all possible helps from the NGA. "We will know about the exact situation of the course after the event and we are ready to extend helping hands in making it a fullfledged golf course," said Ghale. "If Thailand can attract more than nine million tourists with manmade golf courses, we also can bring them to Nepal as we have natural courses with eye-pleasing landscape," he said.
Nepal Mountain Sports Federation President Govinda Bhattarai said Mustang carried a lot of potential in terms of high altitude sports facilities. "Gandaki Province has invested in high-altitude facilities and Mustang could be a sports hub in near future," he said.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 9, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
