Kensville Golf & Country Club, Ahmedabad: Complete Guide to Gujarat’s First International Championship Golf Course

Forty kilometres southwest of Ahmedabad, on the Bavla-Rajkot Highway near Dev Dholera Village, a 900-acre expanse of manicured fairways, water features, and sculpted greenery extends across a landscape that most of Gujarat’s flat agricultural heartland would not suggest was possible. Kensville Golf and Country Club is Gujarat’s first truly international 18-hole championship golf course and it is, by almost any measure, the finest golf facility in western India.

The course was designed by Jeev Milkha Singh India’s most celebrated professional golfer, the first Indian to win on the European Tour, and the son of the legendary sprinter Milkha Singh. Inaugurated in 2010, the course has since hosted the Gujarat Kensville Challenge on the European Challenge Tour the first European Challenge Tour event ever held in India, and the moment when Gujarat first appeared on the international golf circuit. Sachin Tendulkar has played here. Amitabh Bachchan has walked these fairways. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has been a guest.

But Kensville is not merely a celebrity attraction. It is a seriously designed, seriously maintained championship course with a Par 72 layout stretching 7,300 yards from the back tees, with elevation changes, doglegs, narrow fairways, and par 5s that play to over 600 yards. It is also a resort with accommodation, restaurants, and leisure facilities that make it a genuine destination for a weekend escape from Ahmedabad. This TravelRoach guide covers the course, the resort, the tournaments, the facilities, Jeev Milkha Singh’s design philosophy, how to book, how to reach, and the Kensville Golf Academy for those learning the game.

Kensville Golf & Country Club – Quick Information

Detail	Information
Full Name	Kensville Golf & Country Club
Address	Dev Dholera Village, Nr Baldana Village, Bavla-Rajkot Highway, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382240
Developer	Goyal & Co. Group leading real estate company in Ahmedabad
Course Designer	Jeev Milkha Singh -India’s most decorated professional golfer; first Indian on the European Tour
Inaugurated	2010 by Jeev Milkha Singh and his father, Milkha Singh (‘The Flying Sikh’)
Course Type	18-hole championship course
Par	72
Total Length	7,300 yards (from back tees)
Course Rating	73.5
Course Character	Elevation changes, doglegs, narrow fairways, strategic water features, tricky greens
Notable Hole	Two par 5s playing over 600 yards among the signature challenges on the course
Estate	900 acres of manicured lawns, water bodies, and wooded trails
Resort Partner	Club Mahindra Kensville Golf Resort (luxury stay-and-play packages)
Restaurants	’19th Hole’ (colonial-themed) and ‘Plunge’ (poolside) -signature dining venues
Open to Public	Yes – members and public visitors welcome; tee time booking required
Golf Academy	Kensville Golf Academy separate urban facility behind Rajpath Club, off S.G. Road, Ahmedabad
Status	Gujarat’s first international 18-hole championship course; European Challenge Tour venue
Distance from Ahmedabad	~40 km (~50–60 minutes via Sarkhej-Bavla Road)
Distance from SVP Airport	~60 km (~70–80 minutes)
Distance from Vadodara	~125 km (~2.5 hours)
Near Nal Sarovar	~20–25 km from Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary Gujarat’s famous Ramsar wetland

Jeev Milkha Singh -The Designer and the Legacy

India’s Most Celebrated Golfer

Jeev Milkha Singh is the defining figure of modern Indian professional golf. The son of Milkha Singh the legendary sprinter who won gold at the 1958 Asian Games and became one of India’s most beloved sporting heroes Jeev inherited his father’s athletic discipline and applied it to the fairways rather than the track. He was the first Indian golfer to earn his European Tour card and the first Indian to win on the European Tour.

Jeev has won multiple European Tour titles, multiple Asian Tour victories, and has represented India in international team competitions. His achievements placed Indian golf in a completely different context from where it was when his career began demonstrating that Indian players could compete at the highest global level. In a country where cricket dominates sporting consciousness, Jeev Milkha Singh carved out a genuinely celebrated golf legacy.

The Kensville Design – A Player’s Perspective

When Jeev Milkha Singh was commissioned to design the Kensville course, he brought a tournament professional’s understanding of what makes a golf course genuinely challenging and genuinely enjoyable not merely visually attractive. The design philosophy at Kensville reflects his experience at the highest levels of European and Asian Tour competition:

• Strategic bunkering – bunkers are placed where a professional’s approach shot must account for them, but where a recreational golfer can navigate around them with thoughtful club selection
• Water features as genuine hazards – the water bodies at Kensville are not merely visual elements; they are placed to punish the inaccurate shot and reward the precise one
• Elevation variation – the course incorporates natural elevation changes into its design, creating up-hill and down-hill lies that test club selection and ball-flight management
• Dogleg design – the doglegs on the course require players to shape shots and manage course strategy, rather than simply hitting straight
• Par 5s of genuine championship length – two par 5s exceeding 600 yards from the back tees present legitimate birdie challenges for low handicappers and genuine distance tests for all

The course was inaugurated on a meaningful occasion: Jeev Milkha Singh cut the ribbon alongside his father Milkha Singh the ‘Flying Sikh’ in a public ceremony that brought together two generations of Indian sporting achievement and underlined the significance of the course for Gujarat’s sporting culture.

Also Read: Wildlife Sanctuaries in Gujarat

The Golf Course – Playing Kensville

Course Overview – 7,300 Yards of Championship Golf

Kensville plays to 7,300 yards from the back tees a length that places it firmly in championship territory. From the senior or forward tees, the course is significantly shorter and more accessible to recreational golfers. The Par 72 layout is divided into the standard configuration of 4 par 3s, 10 par 4s, and 4 par 5s. The rating of 73.5 indicates that a scratch golfer can expect to score slightly above par even in average playing conditions the course plays harder than its yardage suggests.

The Signature Challenges

The Kensville course’s most distinctive challenges come from its combination of length, design, and playing conditions. The two par 5s that play beyond 600 yards are the most obviously demanding holes on the course requiring three full shots for most players and rewarding the ability to hit long iron approaches accurately. The strategic bunkering means that pulling the ball left or pushing it right on these holes creates genuinely difficult recovery situations.

The doglegs holes that bend significantly right or left require players to choose between a conservative play to the inside of the bend or an aggressive attempt to cut the corner. The elevation changes affect both distance judgment and club selection in ways that straightforward, flat courses do not. The tricky greens described by visiting professionals as one of the course’s most demanding features reward approach shots that leave the correct side for putting.

The Setting – 900 Acres of Greenery

One of the most immediate impressions of playing Kensville is the setting. The 900-acre estate creates a complete visual separation from the urban environment of Ahmedabad standing on the 1st tee at Kensville, there is no city visible, no industrial skyline, no highway noise. There are fairways, water, trees, and the flat Gujarat countryside stretching to the horizon in the distance. The course is genuinely quiet. This quality the physical and psychological separation from the city is something that metropolitan golf courses in India’s major cities cannot easily replicate.

The manicured lawns, sculpted bunkers, maintained water hazards, and seasonal plantings around the course create a visual quality that is consistently high throughout the 18 holes. This is not merely cosmetic well-maintained turf and consistent green conditions are fundamental to course playability, and Kensville’s maintenance standards are among the best available in western India.

Tournament History – When Kensville Went International

Gujarat Kensville Challenge – European Challenge Tour History

The most significant single event in Kensville Golf Club’s history was the Gujarat Kensville Challenge of 2011 an event that made genuine sporting history for Gujarat and for India. The European Challenge Tour is the development tour of the European Tour the proving ground for professional golfers who are building toward the main European Tour. It is a significant professional circuit with players from across the world.

The 2011 Gujarat Kensville Challenge was the first time the European Challenge Tour had ever come to India. It was also the first time Gujarat had appeared on the international professional golf circuit. International professional golfers competed on a course designed by one of India’s own greatest golfers, in a state that most of the global golf world had not previously associated with the sport. The event established Kensville’s credentials as a venue capable of hosting world-class professional competition.

Other Major Tournaments

• Louis Philippe Cup – Professional Golf Tour of India; a significant domestic professional event hosted at Kensville
• Mercedes Trophy – the global Mercedes-Benz amateur golf event, one of the most prestigious amateur corporate tournaments in the world, has been hosted here
• Audi Quattro Cup – the global Audi amateur golf tournament; hosted at Kensville as part of the India circuit
• BMW Golf Cup International – the global BMW amateur tournament; hosted at Kensville as part of the India circuit
• Kensville Open – Indian Golf Union Amateur Tour; domestic amateur competition

The combination of professional tour events and major global corporate golf tournaments positions Kensville as the pre-eminent golf venue in Gujarat and one of the significant golf venues in western India.

Also Read: Sarkhej Roza, Ahmedabad

Notable Visitors – Who Has Played Kensville

The Kensville Golf and Country Club has attracted a remarkable roster of celebrity and prominent visitors since its inauguration. The course’s combination of championship quality, luxurious resort facilities, and proximity to Ahmedabad has made it a natural choice for prominent individuals visiting Gujarat:

• Sachin Tendulkar – India’s most celebrated cricketer; visited during the Gujarat Kensville Challenge and was photographed interacting with players on the course. The combination of India’s greatest cricketer at India’s finest Gujarat golf venue was a significant public moment for the club.
• Amitabh Bachchan – India’s most celebrated actor has been a guest at the course
• Sonam Kapoor – Bollywood actor
• Narayana Murthy – Infosys co-founder; one of India’s most prominent business leaders
• Harbhajan Singh – Indian cricketer
• Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev – Spiritual leader and founder of the Isha Foundation; has visited the property

Club Mahindra Kensville Golf Resort -Staying at the Course

The Resort Experience

The Kensville Golf and Country Club property is now also operated as the Club Mahindra Kensville Golf Resort offering full resort accommodation within the 900-acre estate. This makes Kensville a genuine stay-and-play destination: guests can arrive the evening before their tee time, stay in rooms that open onto views of the fairways, dine at the resort’s restaurants, use the pool and spa, and wake up on the course.

The rooms and suites are designed with what Club Mahindra describes as ‘understated opulence’ warm wood interiors, modern amenities, air conditioning, and private balconies with views of the emerald fairways or the resort’s azure swimming pool. The colonial-influenced architecture of the clubhouse sets the visual tone for the resort buildings: a design language that draws on the country club tradition while remaining appropriate to Gujarat’s climate and landscape.

Dining – 19th Hole and Plunge

The resort has two dining venues with distinct characters:

19th Hole: The signature restaurant and bar, located within the historic clubhouse building. The 19th Hole serves a menu that combines Indian and international dishes in a setting that reflects the classic golf clubhouse tradition colonial architecture, photographs of tournament history, and the particular atmosphere of a post-round gathering space. The menu includes traditional Gujarati dishes (undhiyu, sev tamatar nu shaak) alongside continental and Indian favourites.

Plunge: The poolside restaurant serving lighter fare snacks, beverages, and casual meals in an outdoor setting adjacent to the resort swimming pool. Ideal for lunch between nines or for an evening meal in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere.

Kensville Golf Academy – Learning the Game in Ahmedabad City

For those who want to learn or improve their golf without making the 40-km drive to the Dev Dholera course, Kensville has established a separate Golf Academy facility in Ahmedabad city conveniently located behind the Rajpath Club, off the S.G. Road in the heart of the western Ahmedabad corridor.

The Kensville Golf Academy is designed for both complete beginners and experienced golfers seeking to improve specific aspects of their game. It offers professional coaching, a driving range, and training infrastructure within an urban setting that is accessible without requiring the full country-club commitment of the main course visit. The academy has been described as gaining significant popularity among Ahmedabad’s professional and business community, for whom golf represents both sport and business networking.

For visitors interested in trying golf for the first time while in Ahmedabad, the academy is the most practical starting point. For those who want to improve before playing the main course, it provides the practice infrastructure to do so.

Also Read: Kankaria Lake Ahmedabad

Best Time to Play and Visit Kensville

October to February -Perfect Golf Weather

The winter months are the premier season for golf in Gujarat. From October to February, Ahmedabad’s climate is ideal for outdoor sport temperatures ranging from 15 to 27 degrees Celsius, low humidity, clear skies, and the gentle early morning air that makes the pre-sunrise tee time genuinely pleasant rather than merely early. The course is at its most beautiful in this period: the fairways are at their most lush, the water hazards are full, and the playing conditions are at their most consistent.

Winter weekday mornings between November and January are the optimal playing conditions at Kensville. The course is generally less busy, the greens are in excellent condition from the sustained dry-weather maintenance of the post-monsoon months, and the light on the course in the early morning creates visual conditions that golf photographers travel specifically to capture.

Monsoon (June to September) – Lush but Wet

The monsoon transforms the Kensville landscape dramatically the 900 acres become intensely green, the water features fill, and the estate has a lush, almost tropical quality that is completely different from the dry winter landscape. Golf during the monsoon is possible but the course may be softer and certain holes may be affected by standing water after heavy rain. For those who enjoy golf in changing weather conditions, a monsoon round at Kensville has a particular dramatic quality.

April to June – Hot, Early Morning Only

The Gujarat summer from April to June can produce extreme heat temperatures exceeding 40 to 43 degrees Celsius. Golf in the afternoon in May is genuinely dangerous. If visiting in summer, book the earliest available tee time (typically 6 AM or 6:30 AM) and plan to complete 18 holes by approximately 11 AM. The early morning in Ahmedabad in April and May is still manageable the heat builds through the morning rather than starting from dawn.

How to Reach Kensville Golf & Country Club

From	Distance	Mode	Approx. Time
Ahmedabad city centre	~40 km	Car (via Sarkhej-Bavla Road toward Dev Dholera)	50–60 minutes
SVP International Airport	~60 km	Car / Taxi	70–80 minutes
Sarkhej Roza	~20 km	Car	25–30 minutes
Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary	~20–25 km	Car	30 minutes
Vadodara	~125 km	Car	2.5 hours
Rajkot	~165 km	Car	3 hours
Kensville Golf Academy (S.G. Road)	Within Ahmedabad	Auto / Cab (~10–15 min from S.G. Road area)	10–15 minutes

Navigate to ‘Kensville Golf and Country Club, Dev Dholera Village, Ahmedabad’ on Google Maps. The route from Ahmedabad city takes the Sarkhej-Bavla Road (also known as NH-947A) southwest toward the Dholera area. The course is clearly signed from the Bavla-Rajkot Highway. Parking is ample within the estate.

Booking and Practical Information

• Tee time booking – book in advance, particularly for weekends and tournament periods. Contact the club directly or check availability through golf booking platforms such as GolfTripz.com or GolfPass.com.
• Green fees – approximately ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 per round depending on day (weekday/weekend) and time. Confirm current rates directly with the club before booking.
• Golf cart and club rental – golf carts and club sets for hire are available at the pro shop; confirm availability when booking your tee time.
• Caddies – caddie services are available; book when reserving your tee time.
• Dress code – appropriate golf attire required; collared shirts, golf trousers or shorts. No denim, no sleeveless shirts. Soft spikes only on the course.
• Resort stay – book accommodation through Club Mahindra or the resort’s own booking channels well in advance for weekend stays. The resort is popular and rooms fill on peak weekends.
• Golf Academy – contact the Kensville Golf Academy directly at the S.G. Road location for lesson bookings and academy enquiries.
• The course is open to the public – non-members are welcome. Tee time booking and green fee payment are the primary requirements.

Nearby Attractions to Combine with Kensville

• Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary ~20–25 km | Gujarat’s famous Ramsar wetland, known for flamingos, migratory ducks, and 200+ bird species. An early morning birdwatching trip to Nal Sarovar followed by a round of golf at Kensville makes for an extraordinary nature-and-sport day. Read our full TravelRoach guide.
• Sarkhej Roza ~20 km | The 15th-century Sufi dargah and royal complex — the ‘Acropolis of Ahmedabad’. The most architecturally significant heritage site in the southwest Ahmedabad corridor near Kensville. Read our full TravelRoach guide.
• Ahmedabad City ~40 km | Gandhi Ashram, Manek Chowk Night Market, Atal Bridge, Adalaj ni Vav — the full range of Ahmedabad’s heritage and food experiences a 50-minute drive from the golf course.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final Thoughts

Gujarat is not a state that most people associate with golf. Cricket dominates. The flat landscape and urban heat do not immediately suggest fairways and greens. And yet, 40 kilometres from Ahmedabad on the Bavla-Rajkot Highway, there is a 900-acre estate where Jeev Milkha Singh’s championship course waits quiet, well-maintained, genuinely challenging, genuinely beautiful, and significantly less crowded than the golf courses of India’s major metros.

The European Challenge Tour came here in 2011. Sachin Tendulkar played here. The greens are 73.5-rated. The par 5s go beyond 600 yards. The 19th Hole restaurant serves undhiyu and Hyderabadi biryani after your round.

If you play golf and you are in Ahmedabad for more than a day, this is the easiest decision you will make. Book a morning tee time. Get on the road by 5:30 AM. Watch the sun come up over a Jeev Milkha Singh fairway. Then come back and eat at Manek Chowk in the evening.

Gujarat turns out to have excellent golf. Tell your golfer friends.

Have you played at Kensville Golf and Country Club? Share your experience the hole that challenged you most, the tournament atmosphere, the sunrise on the fairway in the comments. TravelRoach would love to hear from every golfer who has played in Gujarat.