Naldehra – India’s highest and most challenging golf course
Friday, July 3rd, 2009In 1905, the then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, “discovered” Naldehra, about 23 km from Shimla. He is reported to have fallen completely in love with Naldehra and he named one of his daughters after this hill station. Lord Curzon planned and set up India’s highest golf course at Naldehra, Shimla at a height of 2044m. Golf course in Shimla made India the second country in the world to play golf after the UK. It’s a 9-hole par 68 course and is reputed to be the most challenging one in the country.
The golf course is the principal attraction in Naldehra. The other significant one being the Nag temple, that is, the temple of the Snake God, set bang right in the middle of the golf course. As a matter of fact, Naldehra takes its name from this temple – home or dera of the Snake God. The best time to visit Naldera if you are a golf enthusiast is around July and September when the rains make the turf springy and increase the yardage. Being a hill station, Naldehra is green all year round. There are other things to do – namely take an excursion to woodsy Mashobra, which is 12 km away. Mashobra is famous for its magnificent thick forests of cedar or deodar. Tattapani 30 kms away is famous for its hot sulphur springs.
Now having arrived in Naldehra one would need a place to stay. However, accommodation at hotels in Naldehra is a little bit scarce. But, from here Shimla, one of India’s most popular hill stations is just 23 kms away. Most people frequently stay over at Shimla at one of the many resorts and hotels and go to Naldehra to play golf. Marigold Cottages is one of Shimla’s most prestigious resort facilities. It is owned and managed by one of the oldest families of the region. Accommodation options are slightly limited in Naldehra. One is the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Board’s Log Huts and Hotel Golf Course and the second The Chalets – a private resort at Naldehra. The HP Tourism will offer the traveller economical and clean lodgings and reasonably good fare for dining. The Chalets on the other hand, is true romance. The Chalets is a boutique resort built in the Scandinavian style set in about 2 acres of land. Chalets offer a range of accommodation to their guests - double rooms, studio apartments, luxury apartments, log chalets and family chalets. The wood and the technology to build the resort are from Finland. The resort is located quite near the Golf Course and has stunning views of the valley and the thick deodar forests. The resort is rated among the finest hotels and resorts in the region.





