| Gymkhana Golf Club Course |
| About: |
| .The Gymkhana Golf Club, affectionately called “Guindy” is one of the oldest links style golf courses in the country with its sprawling 6000 yards of 18 challenging holes, all within and around the periphery of a horse racing track. Unique in that it is situated within the 2,400 metre oval of the Guindy race course, it offers a challenging game.The fairways at guindy are flat and fast and encircled by the out of bounds racetrack. The greens are lush and well maintained and also strategically located, mostly along the track. Hazards on the course include thick rough, bunders and water tanks, but also unpredictable obstructions like the racehorses on their workouts. The first hole on this course is a heavy looking PAR 04 at 415 yards. |
| Location info: |
| Address:Chennai Gymkhana Club Chennai Golf Annexe, 334, Mount Road, Nandanam, Chennai 600 035 |
| District:Chennai |
| Nearest City:Chennai |
| Best time to visit: Throughout the Year . |
| Climate/Weather: |
| The weather and climate of Chennai reflect the geographical location and relief of the Chennai city. Chennai lies near the thermal equator and the Sea that is why there is very less variation in seasonal temperature. For most parts of the year, the weather of Chennai is hot and humid. The hottest part of the year n Chennai and surrounding areas is late May and early June, with maximum temperatures around 38-42 °C. The coolest period is January, with minimum temperatures around 19-20 °C. Thus, for most parts of the year, the weather and climate of Chennai city remains moderate- neither too high nor too low. |
| History: |
| The Madras Gymkhana Golf Annexe, found its beginnings in 1877 with Col. Ross Thompson, elected as the first captain of the club. It was not less than a year after taking over the captaincy, that Col. Thompson, initiated the first ever match between Madras and Bangalore. This match between MGC and BGC, carrier on till today, and is one of the two oldest surviving club matches, the other being between Oxford and Cambridge. Back then the game was played at the Island Grounds, just south of the main club. It was around about the turn of the 20th century, that the game moved to its current location at Guindy. |
| Interesting things to Visit: |
| Flora:Major ecosystem types available are Coral reefs, mudflats, beach, island, shallow water, and mangrove .Sea grass beds dominated by family like Hydrocharitaceae and Potamogetonaceae and species Halodule uninervis, Cymodocea rotunds, C.Serulata ; Coral reefs; mangroves including Rhizophora muctonata, Avicennia alba, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Ceriops tagal, Lumnitzera racemosa are also common in the stretch. The area has all the mangrove species available in India with Pemphis acidula being endemic and all the 11 sea-grasses of india occur here with Enhalus acoroides being endemic . The area supports 147 species of sea-weeds. |
| Fauna:Abundance of sea-weeds and sea-grasses in grazing ground attract Sea cow (Dugong dugong) – the flagship species of the protected area. Other marine creatures like Dolphins, Sea-horse, Sea-cucumber, Sea-anemone are common here. 137 coral reef species form the basis of the ecosystem where 3600 species of plants and animals are associated. Peculiar animal like Balanoglosses living –fossil linking invertebrates and vertebrates is endemic here. Sandy shores of islands is feeding ground for five endangered marine turtles – Green turtle, Olive ridley turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Leatherback turtle and Loggerhead turtle and the first two breed here too.The islands form a good habitat and a stop over between Chilka lake, Point Calimore and Sri lanka for migratary birds. Nearly 180 birds are found here warders and sea-birds being most common. Lesser sand piper, Curlew sandpiper, Little stint are abundent; Rare birds like Red knot, Eastern knot, Crab plovers Bar tailed Godwit, Broad billed Sandpiper, Dunlin, Longtoed stint, Rednecked phalarope are regulars here. Little tern, Kentish plover, Stone plover, Stone curlew, Lesser crested sterna breed here. Thousands of larger flamingos winter here before returning towards Rann of Kuch.The Algal Flora of the Coral Reefs:The algal species composition on the coral reefs is different from that found in the lagoons. The following species are noticed in the reefs,Padina was observed on the shores and lagoons. Gracilaria Lichenoides was found more on the shore and lagoon than on reefs. Sargassum and Turbinaria are found on the shoreward part of the reefs.The predominant species on the coral reefs is Halimeda opuntia. Caulerpa, Sargassum, Amphiroa fragilissima, Gracilaria lichenoides are the other dominant species.The Seagrass Ecosystem The Gulf of Mannar is rich in sea grasses. The following species belonging to Hydrocharitaceae and Potamogetonaceae have been recorded. The sea grass beds provide food sources for the sea mammals, particularly Dugong dugong which feeds upon these pastures on the Gulf shoreline and surrounding islands like Krusadai. The Dugongs prefer pastures of Halodule uninervis for food.The Coral Reef FormationsIn the Gulf of Mannar fringing and patch coral reefs occur. The reef framework is complex. It forms the basis of a very elaborate and functional ecosystem. The coral reefs exert influence on the course of water current. They also provide shelter to a great diversity of algae, sponges, and fishes, just to mention three groups. With the help of calcareous algae in shallow sea, the harmatypic corals build primary reef formation with secondary detrital reefs in deeper water. Apart from the sedimentary and fixed algae, we encounter drifting and imprisoned phytoplankton. Calcification is important for the formation of the coral reefs. There is no relationship between photosynthesis and calcification. Upon coral reefs, phytoplankton and algal populations assume greater significance. The hermatypic coral harbour filamentous algae in their “skeletal framework” as well as symbiotic zooxanthellae in their soft parts. The imprisoned algae release oxygen during photosynthesis, enough to meet the entire respiratory needs of corals and even spares the surplus production of oxygen. |
| How to reach? |
| Nearest Railway Station:Chennai |
| Nearest Airport:Chennai |
| Road Transport:Chennai is very well connected to all the major cities in the Southern India.there are good number of buses to every cities. |
| Nearest Visiting places: |
| Elliots Beach (Marina beach):The Marina Beach is a beach situated along shoreline in the city of Chennai, India.It is the longest beach in India and the second longest in the world Kanchipuram:Kanchipuram,is a city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district.It was called Kachi and Kachiampathi in ancient times. Mahabalipuram:Mahabalipuram lies on the Coromandel Coast which faces the Bay of Bengal. This is an elegant place to watch which a well established sea port was during the 7th and 10th centuries of the Pallava dynasty. This was the second capital of the Pallavas who ruled Kanchipuram |
| Hotels/Lodge/Accommodation: |
| Park Lodge Park Town 33, Nainiyappan Mestri Street, Park Town, Chennai, Tamil nadu 600003- 044 25355653 Mahindra Holiday & Resorts India LtdMahindra Holiday & Resorts India Ltd 2, Lalithapuram Gaudiya Mutt Road, Chennai, Tamil nadu 600014 Chandra Park HotelChandra Park Hotel? No. 9, Gandhi Irwin Road, Egmore, Gandhi Irwin Road, Chennai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600008 – 044 28191177 Murudis Lodge 1, Luz Church Road, Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil nadu 600004Hotel Raj Palace Thanikachalam Rd, Thyagaraya Nagar, Chennai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600017- 044 24310033 |
| Tips & Suggestions: |
| Help Line/Phone Number: |
| Police Station:Kutchery Road Police Station , Mylapore, Chennai, Chennai, Tamil NaduR 7 KK Nagar Police Station Chennai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu- 044 2345630Police Station , Chennai, Chennai, Tamil NaduPolice Station , Triplicane, Chennai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Nearest Hospital:St. Isabel’s Hospital & Nursing Home No. 18, Oliver Road, Mylapore, Chennai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600004- 044 24991081Csi Kalyani Multispeciality Hospital Radha Krishnan Salai, Mylapore, Chennai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu- 044 28470642Rajan Dental – Implants, Cosmetic, Pediatric, Sedation and more 56, Dr.R.K.Salai,, Chennai, Tamilnadu 600004- 044 2847 2266Harvey Heart Hospitals Ltd No. 542, T.T.K. Road, Alwarpet, Taynampet, Teynampet, Chennai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600018- 044 24311722Roots Dental Hospitals 33, Desiga Road, Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil nadu 600004- 044 24642565 |
| Society/Community Phone NumberAddress: Guindy Golf Annexure Guindy Chennai -600032Telephone:044-22350319. |
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