For decades, golf in India has lived a largely metropolitan life—tucked inside cantonments, private clubs and elite city pockets. The launch of the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) signals an attempt to redraw that map entirely, with a long-term vision that stretches far beyond metros and into the country’s smaller cities, towns and villages.

Backed by $100 million in franchise commitments across ten Indian cities, the IGPL is positioning itself less as a conventional sports league and more as a nation-building project through sport. Each franchise has committed close to $10 million over the next decade—capital the league says is intended to patiently grow the game, not chase short-term returns.

But the real story lies beyond team ownership.

Building golf where it doesn’t yet exist

Alongside franchise investments, IGPL partners have pledged $250 million toward grassroots infrastructure, focused squarely on Tier-2 and Tier-3 India. The plan: develop compact, 8–10-acre golf facilities that can fit into smaller towns and even villages—spaces designed to introduce the sport without the massive land and cost barriers that have historically kept golf exclusive.

“We’re trying to change where golf begins,” said IGPL CEO Uttam Singh Mundy. “If a child only sees golf inside gated clubs in big cities, the sport never feels like it belongs to them. Our aim is to make the first swing happen closer to home.”

This decentralized approach could fundamentally alter how golf talent is discovered in India, shifting the pipeline away from a handful of urban academies to a broader, more representative base.

A league built for the long game

The IGPL’s city franchises—spanning Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Goa, Bengaluru, Punjab and Gurugram—provide national visibility. But league officials stress that visibility is just the top layer. Beneath it sits a slower, longer process: coaching, access, repetition and belief.

To support that, the IGPL has launched the Golf Growth Initiative, partnering with the Indian Golf Union, Women’s Golf Association of India, PGA of India and The Golf Foundation. The program aims to take golf directly into schools and playgrounds in non-metro regions—often the first point of contact between young athletes and organized sport.

What makes the initiative unusual is its mentorship model. Established professionals such as Jeev Milkha Singh, Shiv Kapur, Jyoti Randhawa, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Gaurav Ghei and SSP Chawrasia are expected to play active roles in guiding young players—bringing elite experience directly into emerging markets.

Beyond India, but rooted locally

While the league has announced plans to expand into Africa and the Middle East in its inaugural year, IGPL executives insist the global footprint is meant to strengthen, not dilute, the domestic mission. International exposure, they argue, creates aspiration—while local infrastructure creates opportunity.

The idea is simple but ambitious: a child learning the basics on a small-town course today could, a decade later, be competing on an international IGPL stage.

League formats, tournament schedules and player auctions will be revealed in the coming weeks. But the IGPL’s real timeline is much longer. Its success may ultimately be measured not in television ratings or prize money, but in how many new pin flags rise in places where golf was never played before—and how many young Indians come to see the sport as their own.

Related posts:

Can Circle Kabaddi Rebound in 2026? Punjabi Diaspora Pins Hopes on Reform and Revival Indian Hockey’s Road to LA 2028: Tejinder Singh Aujla on Qualification Challenges, Transition, and Governance City of Brampton Breaks Ground on Cassie Campbell Field Hockey and Multisport Training Dome Surrey-Based Promoter Tejinder Singh Aujla Calls for Legal Framework to Rescue Circle Kabaddi from Crisis