Mercara Downs Golf Course in Madikeri, Coorg

July, 2021.

Madikeri is a hill station in Coorg county in Karnataka and that is where the Mercara Downs Golf Course lies. Nothing quite prepares you for the initial sight of the course, for all along the way are small houses and narrow roads. Until, that is, you take one turn and see the vast expanse.

Rolling plains and surrounding hills would have you believe you suddenly were in some European country side. And yes, that is a heli-pad in the above picture. Just in case you want to touch down and tee off right away.

A small muddy track runs down the middle of the golf course, and that’s the one that google maps leads you to. But there is a better access road if you can find it out.

If the last round was under conditions of high temperatures and humidity, this one could not be more different - wet, wetter and wettest. Coorg is beautiful in the monsoons, but golfing during this time is a challenge.

There is a small clubhouse where you can pay your green fees (very reasonable rates) and get your caddies. They do look for a golf membership card, so do carry that. IGU membership is accepted. If the pandemic still rages on, you do need to carry your full vaccination certificate too.

This is a 18 hole course.

I played this round alternating between extreme rain and heavy mist…and only a few moments of in between the two to take a quick shot. Sometimes, I would line up seeing the green clearly and mid-air the ball would be lost in the rapidly incoming mist. Mesmerizing.

Heavy fog flowing through the fairways.

The course is mostly flat and open with no trees to obstruct your ball. Except for a few holes which are up in the hills. You tee off from the top and the green is at the bottom. Those are challenging, and fun, holes to play on. Here is on of them.

It was a very brave caddie that came along with me that day! Eventually we could only complete nine holes but what an experience even that was. It was impossible to keep score as simply everything was wet…but maybe I scored my usual 48. :)

Other things in and around the course

The fun does not need to stop at the end of the course play - there are places to go nearby to marvel at nature, and fire the imagination.

Abbey Falls

A short and pleasant walk down the stairs is Abbey falls, which looks pretty decent in the middle of the monsoons. The viewing gallery is quite small, so if there are too many people, it can get crowded. Still, there is always something satisying about falling water.

Madikeri Fort

A quite old fort where you can let your imaginations run wild as you pretend to drop hot oil on the pillaging marauders just outside the gate. I think the picture below is of arrow slits that would be used for the counter attack. Arrows would streak out through the slits.

If you have a kid or two handy, they can get into the watch tower and make sure they report anything suspicious. This one seems to be goofing on the job a bit though.

Harangi and Chikihole Dam

There are couple of dams near Madikeri, not surprising given the amount of rainfall this terrain gets. One of them even has a light and sound show where they run through a few popular songs, including this one - you can imagine how much the water pumps would have to work for that one!

Nothing like a bit of on-site homework. :)

Then there is a dam with a semi circular structure to capture the water flow and stream it down to the canals. A good lesson for kids in geometry and geography.

Fish lake near Bylakuppe

There is a lake where all the fish have been blessed by the Dalai Lama. Basically this means all the fish there have got a pass for life, and no fishing can happen. But feeding can happen. You can buy some biscuits in a shop inside the lake, and chuck them into the river. Soon, it’s total cacophony as both fish and ducks go for the biscuits. Wish the place was maintained better though and there were clean benches to sit and enjoy the lake.

The ducks making a dash for some food.

Bylakuppe, the town

A mirror maze that is surprisingly tough and at least the first few seconds is a bit scary. We could not make the exit and were sheepily let out by the owner of the place.

A wax museum that has statues of the various traditional dresses of india. It’s a good game to guess the different states of india.

Coffee, of course.

The story of coffee is a fascinating one, from it’s original discovery to being smuggled as contraband. Legend has it that Baba Budan planted the first seven coffee beans in this region. Now they are everywhere. Give Starbucks a rest and try the local beans for a change.

PS: The last time I played was exactly nine years ago, and the umbrella was out then too, and then too, I had the whole course to myself.

• Golf