Noted golfer Arjun Atwal and Gaurav Ghosh of J Thomas & Co today called on Assam Chief Secretary Dr Ravi Kota and discussed the potential of promoting Assam’s unique tea estate golf courses — popularly known as “tea-tees” — as a niche tourism experience. Assam is home to nearly 20 such courses, most of them natural nine-hole layouts located within scenic tea estates. Many of these estates also have heritage bungalows, offering visitors the distinctive experience of staying amidst tea gardens while enjoying golf and exploring the tea country.
During the interaction, it was noted that Assam’s tea-tees represent a rare blend of tea heritage, natural landscapes and sporting tradition. Their historical legacy and unique setting have the potential to attract golf enthusiasts and tourists from across the country and abroad. Atwal shared his vision of gradually renovating and upgrading selected tea estate golf courses, beginning with one or two pilot locations and eventually developing them into a wider network across the state. He also expressed interest in establishing a golf academy or center of excellence in Assam in the future to nurture talent and promote the sport.
As a way forward, the stakeholders will submit a detailed proposal outlining the concept and a possible roadmap for developing these tea estate golf courses as a tourism and sporting initiative. The Government of Assam will subsequently hold consultations with tea garden managements and other stakeholders to explore the proposal further. The initiative could help showcase Assam’s distinctive tea landscape while opening new avenues for tourism and sports development in the state.
