By Nazrul Hosen Ayon
Jalalabad Golf Club (JBGC) in Sylhet is quietly positioning itself as one of the country’s most promising new golf destinations. Located at Boteshor inside Jalalabad Cantonment, the nine-hole course is surrounded by rolling tea gardens, low hillocks and forest belts terrain that immediately separates it from the flat, regimented layouts that dominate most cantonment courses in Bangladesh.
The moment golfers step inside the course, the atmosphere changes. The sound of the city fades, replaced by open green corridors framed by tea bushes and natural slopes. It is a setting that feels less constructed and more discovered.
The nine-hole course is surrounded by rolling tea gardens, low hillocks and forest belts—terrain that immediately separates it from the flat, regimented layouts that dominate most cantonment courses in Bangladesh.
The roots of JBGC go back to 28 January 2003, when it began life as Practice Golf Course Jalalabad with only a driving range and a three-hole practice layout. Over the years, interest from local golfers and military personnel pushed the course forward. By 2009–10 it had evolved into a nine-hole course, and on 19 May 2011 it was formally renamed Jalalabad Golf Club.
Today, the club spans approximately 86.11 acres, including ponds and internal tracks. Part of this land has been taken on lease from the Forest Department and Habib Nagar Tea Garden, while the overall operations are managed by the School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T). The playing yardage stands at 2,569 yards for regular golfers and 2,212 yards for lady golfers, creating a layout that welcomes beginners while still challenging seasoned players.
JBGC does not rely on decorative features. The course is defined by its natural environment. Tea estates shape fairway corridors, hillocks influence stance and direction, and narrow chora canals guard approach shots. Seasonal fruit gardens—shatkora, pineapple and mango—line parts of the course, adding colour and identity that are rare on Bangladeshi fairways.
From the elevated opening hole to the signature fourth, where the green is surrounded by hills, the round feels like a journey through Sylhet’s geography rather than a loop around a planned estate. Hole 6’s dog-leg punishes poor direction, while the par-3 stretch from Hole 7 to Hole 9, particularly Hole 8 with its demanding carry over a chora, ensures that focus never fades.
From the lobby, players can watch tee shots climb the hill of Hole 1. Five cottages are nearing completion to support overnight stays, and a driving range is being developed beside the opening hole.
The red-roofed clubhouse is fully functional, offering locker rooms, modern washrooms, a prayer room and a pillar-less convention hall. From the lobby, players can watch tee shots climb the hill of Hole 1. Five cottages are nearing completion to support overnight stays, and a driving range is being developed beside the opening hole.
A designated sunset point near the clubhouse has already become a favourite spot for members, quietly turning JBGC into more than just a place to play.
The club sits along the Jaflong–Lalakhal–Tamabil corridor, with Jaflong, Ratargul, Lalakhal and Padma Beel Haor all within easy reach. The Dhaka–Sylhet–Tamabil highway is currently being upgraded into a six-lane route, a development that will soon reduce travel time from Dhaka and place JBGC firmly on the national weekend circuit.
Civil memberships were initially offered at BDT 2 lakh for the first 100 applicants. That window is almost closed, with around 120 civil and military members enrolled, and a revision expected soon. The response signals that Sylhet’s golfers are ready to invest in a course that reflects their landscape.
The Dhaka–Sylhet–Tamabil highway is currently being upgraded into a six-lane route, a development that will soon reduce travel time from Dhaka and place JBGC firmly on the national weekend circuit.
After Bhatiary Golf & Country Club, Jalalabad Golf Club is emerging as Bangladesh’s next scenic golf attraction. It is not built on spectacle or noise. It is built on land, patience and steady growth—letting tea hills, forest edges and open skies define the experience.
And Jalalabad Golf Club’s rise also gains perspective when read alongside Sylhet’s earlier golf landmarks. The historic Lakkatura Golf Club, located near Airport Road and framed by tea gardens, has long been recognised as a green recreational area linked with golf leisure in the city’s cultural memory. It continues to be referenced in travel and place guides for its scenic value. While Lakkatura today functions more as an open green zone than as a structured competitive course, its enduring identity reinforces Sylhet’s deep-rooted association with the game. Against this backdrop, JBGC is not beginning from scratch; it is translating a nostalgic legacy into a modern, playable and administratively disciplined golf facility, positioning itself as the next chapter in Sylhet’s golfing evolution.
For membership and further queries, interested golfers may contact the club’s concerned person, Lt Col Galib at 01769-183642.
In Sylhet, golf is no longer just arriving. It is taking root.
**The writer is a golfer and Editor of TheGolfHouse magazine–the only monthly golf magazine in Bangladesh that has been involved in promoting golf in the country and working to make it accessible to all since 2015.
