By SEAN PLUNKETT - In an industry still often shaped by imported expertise, Harshada Abhyankar Bhagavati stands out as something rarer and more valuable: a home-grown leader who has spent more than two decades mastering Indian conditions from the inside.

Currently project manager and golf course superintendent at the historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club, she represents the kind of local talent the industry needs more of — technically grounded, culturally fluent, and deeply committed to both the game and the land it is played on.

Her story is especially powerful for one simple reason: she is one of very few women to have reached senior agronomy positions in Indian golf. At a time when the industry talks about diversity, her journey offers something more useful than slogans — lived experience, hard-won respect, and clear-eyed advice.

An Accidental Beginning

Harshada did not set out to work in golf. After completing her Master’s in Agriculture in Pune, she spotted a newspaper advertisement for a turf role that was only three days from closing. She applied on impulse. An Australian superintendent interviewed her for the position at Aamby Valley Golf Course in Lonavala, and she was selected. That single decision launched a 22-year career.

She began as a turf assistant and spent eight formative years at the corporate-owned Ambi Valley, later travelling to Orlando for a certification course on managing bermudagrass in winter conditions. From there she moved to the member-run Karnataka Golf Association in Bengaluru, then returned to her hometown of Pune for a decade as project manager and superintendent during a full course renovation. Today she leads both the modernisation of Royal Calcutta’s ageing irrigation and drainage systems and the day-to-day care of one of Asia’s most historic courses.

Of all these chapters, Royal Calcutta has taught her the most. “Though I have worked in this industry for two decades… the learning of life is at Royal Kolkata,” she says.

Guarding History and Ecology

Established in 1829, Royal Calcutta is widely regarded as the oldest golf course outside the British Isles. The club is now upgrading its old hydrant and rain-gate irrigation system and introducing proper drainage on a flat landscape that was long managed more by nature than by design. Members’ expectations have risen, yet every decision must protect a remarkable living ecosystem — including firefly habitats that are increasingly rare in India.

“It’s like dancing on a rope,” Harshada explains. “This club carries a lot of history, a lot of legacy, a lot of ecosystem… We have to be very, very particular while executing any work.” A nature lover and supporter of the Isha Foundation’s soil-safe movement, she approaches the role as both technician and steward. For her, the privilege of working on such a historic property comes with a non-negotiable responsibility to the land itself.

Breaking Barriers as a Woman in Indian Turf

Harshada is frank about the obstacles she faced. “India is a male-dominant country… my struggle starts like I’m not a hefty built, I’m a fragile build body. Whenever people used to see me they used to say, ‘Ah, she’s going to maintain the golf course? Oh no way.’”

Respect was never automatic. It was earned slowly through consistent results, often while navigating unskilled ground crews, high member expectations, and language and cultural differences across regions.

Her leadership approach is practical and people-centred:

• She leads with politeness and rarely raises her voice — estimating she has done so only two or three times in more than two decades.
• Ground staff (often mixed-gender and ranging widely in age and education) generally connect with her quickly.
• On joining a new club, she spends one to two months simply observing the team before making changes.
• She identifies each person’s strengths and places them in roles that keep them in their comfort zone, then draws the best work from them and offers opportunities to develop outside of that comfort zone.
• She adapts her style to different age groups — a 24-year-old and a 57-year-old require different approaches.
• Middle management and committees typically take longer to win over than the ground team - Positive results being the easiest way to combat this.

She sees more women entering shorter-format facilities and driving ranges, but notes that many do not remain in the industry. Golf still lags behind cricket in public passion and pathways for women. Her advice to a young Indian woman considering the profession is direct and practical: understand the lifestyle first. The job is closer to 24/7 than 9-to-6. “It is just like taking care of a baby. It requires complete attention… You have to dedicate yourself.” Prospective partners need to understand that reality.

The Realities of Indian Golf

A typical day during peak periods or tournament preparation begins at 3 or 4 a.m. and often stretches past 6 p.m. Heavy rain or system failures can push the start even earlier. The work is effectively always on. From her vantage point, the biggest constraints facing Indian golf courses today are structural:

• Water — Groundwater extraction is heavily restricted; not every club has reliable access to treated water.
• Machinery — Costs have risen sharply since the pandemic. There is little culture of regular fleet replacement, so equipment is often run until it fails. A growing trend toward hiring rather than buying machines is emerging.
• Climate change — Traditional seasonal calendars and standard operating procedures are increasingly unreliable (for example, monsoon rain now arriving in October).
• Labour — Despite India’s large population, securing reliable skilled or even unskilled ground staff remains difficult.
  Sand and materials — Consistent, good-quality sand for construction and maintenance is a persistent challenge.
• Land — Urban sites are extremely expensive; outer locations reduce player accessibility. Many existing clubs sit on government leases that carry renewal uncertainty.

Yet she remains optimistic about the broader trajectory. Player interest in golf is strong and carries prestige. Courses with resources will continue to upgrade; others are already adapting through local solutions and smarter equipment strategies. The industry, she believes, will keep growing — provided it attracts and retains the right people.

What Still Drives Her

After more than two decades, the element that continues to pull Harshada out of bed is the certainty of the unexpected. “If I get up and I don’t see a challenging situation, then I feel, ‘Oh, has this started or not?’” Every day brings a new problem and, with it, the satisfaction of solving it. Routine work never appealed. The living, demanding nature of a golf course still does.

If she could leave one lasting impact on Indian golf, it would be a culture of hiring the right people and maintaining courses without damaging the ecology. “Our ancestors left us all these natural resources… we also have to carry the same thing and give our generation the same.”

In a sector that has long looked outward for expertise, Harshada Abhyankar Bhagavati offers a different and necessary model: deep local knowledge, quiet resilience, and a clear commitment to both the game and the land. For young women considering a future in turf, and for an Indian golf industry ready to develop more of its own leaders, her example is both practical and inspiring.