Tee offs by 14 foreign golfers come as a shot in the arm for high-end sports tourism in Kashmir
Fourteen international golfers are participating in the J&K Open in Srinagar, signaling a boost for high-end sports tourism in Kashmir. The event aims to restore confidence in the region's security following previous tourism downturns.
Why it matters
The event serves as a soft-power initiative to normalize the image of Kashmir as a safe destination for international travelers and athletes.
Mesmerised by the scenic beauty, 14 foreign players from nine different countries teed off on the Royal Spring Golf Course (RSGC) at the foothills of sub-mountain Zabarwan Range in Srinagar on Monday (August 3, 2026) and has come as a shot in the arm of high-end sports tourism in Kashmir.
As the 2025 Pahalgam attack shooed off foreign tourists, the fifth edition of the J&K Open of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India is featuring 14 foreign players, out of 130 players, from nine different countries— United States, Japan, Czech Republic, Bangladesh, Canada, Malaysia etc— “to instill a sense of security”. The tournament will culminate on August 7.
As players tee off, parallels are being drawn between the greens, fairways and roughs of Kashmir with the courses of the U..S, which has the world’s highest number of golf courses at 16.752.
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