Teeing off in Kashmir

Teeing off at the Royal Springs Golf Club in Srinagar, Kashmir, it was not hard to see what would attract Arab golf enthusiasts looking for a slightly more adventurous destination. The mountainous backdrop, the trees in autumnal reds and oranges, Dal Lake behind, and a course designed by golf architect great Robert Trent Jones, all make the club the best in India. But the problem at the club is the lack of players, and that is not due to the exceedingly low green fees ($20), club hire ($5) or caddie service ($2). It is “because of the situation” said manager Rafiq Azad, sounding not unlike a Lebanese businessman. Azad was referring to Jammu and Kashmir’s 60-year struggle for independence, and the militants — largely Pakistani-backed but now dwindling in number and popularity — that have waged a 20-year insurgency against the Indian state. The ongoing situation in Kashmir has destroyed