Hyderabad Golf Club approves Richardson | Danner renovation plan

Golf course architectural firm Richardson | Danner has received approval to begin work on their renovation of Hyderabad Golf Club in India.

The course sits inside the 600-year-old Golconda Fort, which is an important historical site for India as well as a nominee to be recognized as a United Nations World Heritage Site. It is one of 298 golf courses in India.

“[Richardson | Danner’s] experience and attention to detail was ideal for Hyderabad, and their approach to re-routing holes within the historic fort was not only creative, but has brought a fresh new design to the club that we are enthused to see come to reality,” said club president Jayant Tagore Madireddy.

The firm — led by Forrest Richardson and Jeff Danner — looked at the history of the course’s routing going back to its inception in 1992. At its founding, the course only featured a few holes but gradually grew to nine before transforming into a full 18-hole layout. The process of gradual expansion, however, made for a somewhat unwieldy hole layout, with some holes crossing each other and others running parallel. Many had similar features, making for a playing experience lacking in variety. The club acquired the rights to expand the course to 10 acres as part of the new design goals.

Danner said that the routing changes are delicate but bold where necessary.

“The result will be a strong opening hole and a breathtaking finishing hole, now without the direct visual interruption of tall nets surrounding the range,” he said.

“Our mission was to preserve, yet improve,” said Richardson. “We worked very diligently to create a stronger experience — one that honors and embraces the grandeur of the fort, to unfold as a better journey for players as they make their way through the fort’s walls, up onto the parapets and landings we have been allowed to use as tees.”

Some of the new features planned for the renovation include a journey through the fort’s narrow passageway after the first hole to one of the main grounds of the fort, the ascension of the fort’s ancient steps to access tees at six holes, an increase in par to 72, as well as new yardage that exceeds 7,000 yards.

Work began mid-way through 2022 to prepare the course for the renovations that will start soon. Construction is expected to conclude sometime in 2024.