Golftripz offers a heady cocktail of golf and travel

Monday January 20, 2014 , 3 min Read

That golf can make men passionate, is a known fact, but when combined with entrepreneurship it can prove to be a double whammy, as illustrated in the case of Madhav, Ajit and Jogi, founders of Golftripz. Which other sport can bring friends and family together? When it comes to golf, there’s no limit in terms of age, a five- year-old can play with a 70-year-old. We once organised a tour for a son, father and grandfather - which other sport allows for that? Every golf course leaves you with a different experience and that’s why people travel,” says Madhav, talking about his four-year-old company, Golftripz.Madhav and Ajit were engineering classmates who first took a golf tour in 2008, and realised that there was potential to improve the experience significantly. They soon roped in Jogeswari (Jogi), an ex-Google, and set up operations in Hyderabad. None of them had a background in travel. Madhav had worked with Coca Cola and handled real estate. Ajit had a manufacturing business in Hyderabad. Till that eventful trip in 2008, none of them intended to set up a travel company around a sport. Undeterred by their lack of experience in this space, they started as soon as they could and Golftripz was born in early 2009.

Managing their first tour and getting it right proved to be their earliest achievement. Since they had to get the overall experience correct, focusing on important details such as distances from accommodation to the course and choice of vehicles, food and hotel experience, all played an important role in impressing their early clients. “A golf tour is an expensive holiday so people trust you to provide a good experience. Every time they book with you, they are placing their trust in you. When they do it again, it shows that they were happy,” says Madhav.

Jogi outlined some of the early challenges which included the fact that golf is a niche sport and golf tours and vacations are an emerging concept in India. As part of their service, the team advises golfers on the courses that they can choose based on their skill levels. They also offer golf lessons, clinics, and opportunities to connect together. Golftripz hosts an annual event bringing together the golfing community in India for a time of fun, competition, and networking. They also work with corporates to set up tours for their clients. Clearly, an eco-system contributor, Golftripz is going above and beyond to see a community grow and is dedicated to a customised experience for a golf traveler.

The team has also hosted golfers from other countries and given them a glimpse of India, including visits to the Taj Mahal or cities such as Jaipur besides playing at Delhi’s golf courses. While travel remains a huge part of the overall services offered, Madhav remains positive about exploring all possibilities of the sport beyond travel. “We want to keep reaching out to more people. The number of people who travel is small compared to other countries. Golfers should become aware of possibilities like this. We want to be able to have other events so we’re looking for corporate support. We also want to look beyond those who already play golf and engage newer entrants to the sport,” he adds.