Know your Royal Ranthambore BT Golf Venue: Jaypee Greens Golf Club

Royal Ranthambore BT Golf’s 2024-2025 season opens at the majestic Jaypee Greens Golf Course, the only Greg Norman designed layout in India. Faced with a flat and featureless space, the Shark reverted to his Australian roots – particularly the Sandbelt around Melbourne – and came up with a design that incorporated 14 lakes/water bodies and a back-breaking 88 bunker complexes used to guard most of the course’s 18 holes that first opened to play in the year 2000.

At 7,470 yards from the championship tees, Jaypee Greens is one of India’s longest courses and even from the shorter tees, provides for both an interesting as well as a technical challenge. Norman used the earth excavated from the water bodies and the surrounding 430-acre development to provide an undulating feel to the course and save for a few holes that are more or less flat, all the rest are contoured and wooded generously.

BT Golf competitors however will tackle shorter distances, 6,993 yards from the Gold Tees for men and 5,923 yards from the Red Tees for women.

The lakes and water bodies are probably the most testing aspect of Jaypee Greens, especially on the front nine. Tw par-3s, one each on either nine can only be approached over water, while the ar-4 fourth and ninth holes have water running all along the fairway virtually from tee to green.

The use of Bermuda grass lends itself to a satisfying playing experience and golfers can swing freely at the ball on the superbly-maintained fairways and spicy greens. Recently, Jaypee Greens also completed floodlighting of all its 18 holes which is now used regularly both for casual as well as tournament play. The completed floodlighting was in fact celebrated with a tournament and recently used for the Inter Boarding School event which began in daylight and ended under the floods.

Mention also must be made of the bunkers, numbering some 88 in all that are designed to test approach shots that stray off line. Again, Norman’s use of the Sandbelt model came in handy in creating and placing of the sand traps which are liberally placed around the greens. Golfers not overly familiar with the layout will need to cater to the changing elevation and underfoot undulations that frequently lead to topped or duffed shots. 

All in all, Jaypee Greens makes for a challenging round so make sure you carry a generous supply of balls as “water, water everywhere” waits to gobble them up at high speed. Hit straight, play wisely and every golfer in the Royal Ranthambore BT Golf field will come away richer for he experience of wandering through the open and closed woodlands, scrublands, wetlands and wild-grassed areas that make up the course.

You are after all encountering one of India’s longest courses and designed by a golfer who won all around the world.

Course facts
Designer: Greg Norman
Holes / yardage / par: 18 holes, 7,470 yards, Par 72
Longest hole: Holes 3 and 13, 569 yards, Par 5
Shortest hole: Hole 5, 162 yards, Par 3
Most testing hole: Hole 7, 475 yards, Par 4, index 1
Water bodies: 14
Bunkers: 88
Hazards: 4