The heritage-laden Tollygunge Club is all set to host the second event of the Royal Ranthambore BT Golf’s 2023-24 season on Saturday with the cream of corporate Kolkata’s golfing talent turning out for a morning on the lush fairways and greens, and a celebratory afternoon off it.
The best of business and powerhouse golfing talent of the City of Joy will take to the leafy expanses of one of the world’s iconic golf courses to display their abilities with driver, wedge and putter, hoping to add sporting glory and at least one of the many attractive prizes on offer to their accomplishments in the boardroom and the office.
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The second leg of the seven-city season that will run till March 2024 is being co-powered by Qatar Airways and IndianOil XP100, with Bandhan Mutual Fund as investment partner, Darwin Platform Group of Companies as conglomerate partner, and O3 Plus as gifting partner. Morris Garages will drive the event and Da Milano will be bespoke partners.
West Bengal Industry Minister Shashi Panja will attend the event as the chief guest and be a part of the post-golf festivities along with the host of dignitaries who have confirmed participating in the golf tournament.
Commencing in 1996 as a standalone single-city Pro-Am, Royal Ranthambore BT Golf evolved into one of India’s most-desired places to be seen for the next two decades and more. A packed field of close to a hundred golfers – far bigger than the average corporate event attracts – will be seen in action at the par-70 course in the heart of South Kolkata.
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A look at the list of entries shows the breadth of the event’s appeal. Besides industry, business and a long list from the tea industry as is only to be expected given the city’s premier status as a trading centre for the cherished morning cuppa, the list of invitees that includes top minds from international bodies, the bureaucracy and defence, and the hospitality industry.
Teeing it up on Saturday will be Amit Bhowmik and Hitesh Gurtu of Linde India, Murali Ganesan, executive VP and head of audit, ITC Limited, Gaurav Soneja of ITC Hotels, Ranabir Chatterjee of Praxair India, Vishal Sahay of Wilson Engineering, Texmaco Rail and Engineering’s Indrajit Mookerjee, Joydeep Duttagupta of Deloitte Touche Tomahatsu, L.K.S. Chauhan of IOCL, Shrishti Infra managing director Sunil Jha, Arnab Basu of PWC, and Vikram Singh Gulia, CEO of Amalgamated Plantations.
Others include ITC limited director B. Sumant, Harsh Pal Singh of Shrishti Infra, Vijay Jacob Parakkal of Wunderman Thompson, and Sanjeev Mehra of the R.P. Goenka Group.
The ladies challenge will be carried by Monisha Ajmera of Everest Commercial, Tolly regular Sonia Barman, Oona Khanna, architect and designer Sheena Rawla, and Rashmi Prasad, among others.
Format
Royal Ranthambore BT Golf Kolkata will have a maximum handicap allowance of 24 and participants need to submit handicap certificates duly certified by their clubs. Scoring will be on the Double Peoria system.
Programme
6.30 am: Registration & Breakfast
7 am: Welcome Address
7.15 am: Golfers proceed to Tee after Briefing
7.30 am: Tee Off
11.45 pm: Submission of scorecards (within 10 minutes of round finishing)
12.30 pm: Cocktails & Lunch
1 pm: Prize Distribution ceremony
Spot winner prizes
Straightest Drive
Longest Drive
Closest to the Pin
Winners
Ladies
Handicap 15-24
Handicap 0-14
Runner Up Prizes
Ladies
Handicap 15-24
Handicap 0-14