#tripping: An oasis amidst the rocky Aravallis. Tarudhan Valley Golf Resort

We often have the urge to escape the humdrum of city life over a weekend in search of some peace and calm. Delhi being fairly well connected, you do get somewhere once you hit any of the four highways – the hills, the jungles or the desert. But regular touristy destinations are often too crowded and the off beat ones are just a bit too far away for an overnight trip. And some of them tend to lack basic vacation infrastructure that we spoilt city bred are so used to.

But take heart. There are still places within a short driving distance that are waiting to be explored.

Located at a convenient distance of around 50 km from Central Delhi and just 20 km ahead of Gurgaon is a hidden gem called Tarudhan Valley Golf Resort, in village Dadu, Manesar (Haryana). An oasis amidst the rocky Aravallis, it is a gated golf community spread over 65 green acres, with a lovely little resort run by Seasons and exotic golf homes sprinkled around a beautiful 9-hole Graham Cooke golf course.

It takes about an hour and a half to reach Tarudhan Valley from the city centre. While the Delhi-Gurgaon drive is a predictable déjà vu experience, things dramatically change once you cross the Manesar toll and take the turn towards village Dadu. Dominated by terra cotta reds and earthy browns with a generous sprinkling of green, it is a world in stark contrast to the grey glass and steel sky scrapers of Gurgaon and the dull factory facades along the industrial belt of Manesar.

The road to the resort is a little rustic but hardly a deterrent. Tiny villages nested amidst the mighty Aravallis transport you to another world. Stop to take pictures, meet with the locals, have a chat and then drive along. You would come across village herdsmen in oversized head gear walk wearily past with their cattle and women in bright outfits working in wheat and mustard fields. Some just sit under a shady tree through the day, watching life go by. Buffaloes splash around in ponds, and most men are usually found in a horizontal position on a charpoy under the open sky, taking a swig at their hookahs. When you see the ITC Classic Golf Resort on your left, you know you are almost there. Another five hundred yards ahead, and you are in the midst of the serene and calm environment of the resort.

Tarudhan Valley Golf Resort is the flagship project of Group Silverglades, the people behind Laburnum, Gurgaon and the ITC Classic Golf Resort. For residents, it offers the pure pleasure of country living within a self contained community with a choice of homes – one bedroom studio apartments and two and three bedroom villas overlooking the golf fairways. That apart, there is a well-appointed Clubhouse, Conferencing facilities, a Golf Driving Range and a Resort Hotel.

The Seasons Resort Hotel has 52 spacious rooms and 20 well appointed studios overlooking verdant greenery or the sparkling waters of the swimming pool. Done up in typical Balinese style, it reminds one of the many golf resorts across Java, Bali, Phuket and Koh Samui.

The 9-hole Graham Cooke golf course is not oversized, but compact and imaginative in its design, with orchard trees, water hazards, bunkers, rocky outcrops and clusters of colorful shrubs making a pretty picture. While the first three holes are planned as links-styled golf, with large rolling greens, the next four holes replicate some of the world’s best parkland courses and the last two holes recreate the Mediterranean-style. So you get a feel of three different type of courses in one. Be warned that you have to be straight and clean with your strokes here since the fairways are narrow and there are Golf Homes all along the course. You would hate to pay for broken window panes.