Races, Rinks, Ranges: Unpacking India's Expanding Leisure Infrastructure

Last Updated:July 23, 2025, 17:05 IST

How India Unwinds: From high‑speed tracks to heritage polo fields, winter ice rinks to weekend golf resorts, leisure in India has shifted from afterthought to essential.

From golf courses stitched into tea estates to all‑weather ice rinks and racing circuits, these hubs are redefining how India unwind. (Representational Image)

Once seen as luxuries, recreational spaces are now at the heart of India’s urban story. From golf courses stitched into tea estates to all‑weather ice rinks and racing circuits, these hubs are redefining how India unwinds — and how cities measure their quality of life. Leisure, it turns out, isn’t just pastime; it’s becoming part of the country’s growth narrative.

Golf Courses on the Rise

The Indian Golf Union currently oversees 194 golf clubs across the country, and the industry is gaining traction among both players and travellers. According to a report released by the Golf Industry Association (GIA) in April 2020, the golf travel industry in India had an annual growth rate of 20 per cent. The number of golf tourists in India grew rapidly at a 13 per cent CAGR between 2017 and 2021. The total amount of spending by the inbound foreign golf tourists in India during 2015 was reported at Rs 17.7 crore ($ 2.7 million), which increased at a robust CAGR of 20.9 per cent during 2010-2015. In addition to this, golf based real estate projects saw revenues worth Rs 3,829.4 crore ($ 573.5 million) during 2015, out of which Rs 957.4 crore ($ 143.4 million) have been generated from the golf premium added to the sector.

Last December, Delhi inaugurated its longest 18‑hole course in Dwarka, stretching 7,377 yards. Just months earlier in October, AIVOT Golf & Sports Management, exclusive partner of the PGA of America in India, announced the country’s first PGA‑branded courses in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Hyderabad.

A June 2024 report by Tarun Sardesai Golf Academy notes that India has approximately 429 courses, with rising awareness of golf’s health benefits. Delhi NCR accounts for a significant share, home to iconic venues such as the Qutab (India’s first public golf course) and the Delhi Golf Club (established in the early 1930s), Noida and Greater Noida’s Jaypee Greens (designed by industry veteran and golf course architect Greg Norman), along with Gurugram’s courses like the DLF Golf & Country Club, TERI and Hamoni. Sikkim’s Yak Golf Course (the world’s highest golf course as per the Guinness Book of World Records), Srinagar’s Royal Springs golf course (designed by renowned American golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr.), Mizoram’s Thenzawl Golf Course and Chennai’s Guindy Links are yet other prominent names.

The Royal Calcutta Golf Club, established in 1829, remains the oldest club outside Britain. Meanwhile, Assam’s tourism board is leveraging “tea‑tees" — golf courses integrated into tea estates — and airstrip‑linked bungalows for charter‑flying golf tourists. The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also spotlighted Jammu & Kashmir’s untapped potential, hosting golf conclaves and tournaments to drive visitor interest.

India’s tournament calendar is heating up too. The Delhi Golf Club will host the DP World India Championship this October, marking the first year the country stages two DP World Tour events after the Hero Indian Open. Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy has confirmed his participation.

Racing Circuits & Events

According to Nielsen, India ranked among the top five countries by F1 fandom in 2019, with 31.1 million fans. MotoGP has announced the return of the Indian Grand Prix in 2026. Over 50,000 fans had turned up for the inaugural edition of the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in 2023, which made it the biggest motorsports event held in the country since the 2013 Formula 1 race.

The Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, home to MotoGP Bharat since 2023, hosted three F1 Indian Grands Prix between 2011–2013, all won by Sebastian Vettel. Fast forward to March 2023, 13-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner David Coulthard drove the RB7 – Vettel’s 2011 championship-winning car – at Mumbai’s popular Bandra Bandstand during the Red Bull Showrun. The Hyderabad Street Circuit was a temporary racing circuit, used to host the inaugural FIA Hyderabad E-Prix in 2023. Meanwhile, the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit was opened in August 2024, and has hosted the FIA Grade 3, F4, Indian Racing League, and India’s first night race.

Ice Rinks in India

The Ice Skating Association of India manages five outdoor rinks — Shimla, Gulmarg, Leh, Kargil, and Kaza — alongside indoor venues like ISKATE by Roseate in Gurugram. ISKATE, India’s largest all‑weather rink, spans 15,000 sq. ft., supports up to 150 skaters at once, and hosts national coaches and visiting trainers from the USA, Russia, South Korea, and Germany. For beginners, “penguin buddy" skating aids make learning safer and more accessible.

Leh’s iconic Nawang Dorjay Stobdan rink, with capacity for 3,000 spectators and an Olympic‑standard 60 m x 30 m rink, is set to become an all‑weather ice hockey venue this year. In December 2023, the Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League launched training camps across seven Ladakhi zones, part of a long‑term bid to field an Indian team at the 2042 Winter Olympics.

LEISURE INFRASTRUCTURE — A SNAPSHOT

Polo in India

Polo remains one of India’s most storied sports. The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in the United States estimates that polo is actively played in 77 countries, though professionally in fewer countries — including India.

At present, there are 33 polo clubs affiliated with the Indian Polo Association. From Leh’s Ladakh Polo Club and Imphal’s Manipur Horse Riding & Polo Association, Chennai’s Madras Polo & Riding Club and Bhavnagar’s Gohilwad to Delhi’s Army Polo & Riding Centre, Kolkata’s Fort William and Jaipur’s 61 Cavalry, the sport’s footprint spans the country.

Kolkata’s Calcutta Polo Club, established in 1862, holds the distinction of operating the world’s oldest continuously operating polo club, and is home to historic tournaments like the Ezra Cup.

While Army regiments have traditionally been polo’s backbone, new private‑sector teams are investing in infrastructure and training, ensuring the sport’s revival beyond elite enclaves.

Final Takeaway

From high‑speed tracks to heritage polo fields, winter ice rinks to weekend golf resorts, leisure in India has shifted from afterthought to essential. As cities sprawl and lives accelerate, recreational infrastructure is increasingly shaping how Indians relax — and how the country imagines its future: faster, fuller, and with a place to pause.

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