Madinaty, Egypt, November 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian golf course architect Aashish Vaishnava has made history by becoming the first Indian architect to win the World Golf Awards’ Golf Course Designer of the Year title. He shares the 2026 global honour with British design partner Jon Hunt under their joint banner, Aashish Vaishnava & Jon Hunt – AV IDG.
The award was announced at the 13th annual World Golf Awards gala ceremony, held at Madinaty Golf Club in Egypt on November 7. The official winners list places the partnership in the global category, rather than a national or regional award.
The distinction marks a milestone for Indian representation in international golf course design. The award’s published roll of honour, covering 2015 to 2025, includes internationally recognised names such as Ernie Els, Sir Nick Faldo, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal, Henrik Stenson, Greg Norman and Peter Matkovich, as well as IMG Golf Course Design in 2022. No individually named Indian golf course architect appeared among the previous winners.
Vaishnava described the recognition as an opportunity to bring Indian golf design into the international spotlight. He credited clients, his team and the partnership with Hunt, adding that he hoped the achievement would encourage more young Indians to consider golf as a professional field.
The partnership’s message, “Designed Together. Honoured as One,” reflects its India–UK collaboration. AV IDG brings together Vaishnava’s Indian design practice and the UK-based International Design Group (IDG), headquartered in Bristol. The team includes Bob Hunt, Jon Hunt, Andrew Craven and Vaishnava, and works across golf course design, luxury real estate masterplanning, golf resort architecture and landscape design. The relationship has developed over more than 20 years.
Hunt said the partnership combines different perspectives around a shared ambition to create golf courses with character and a strong connection to their locations. He described the award as recognition of what sustained India–UK collaboration can achieve.
The 2026 awards also recognised other golf destinations in the region. Prestige Golfshire Club was named India’s Best Golf Course, while Al Dhannah Golf Club received the Middle East’s Best 9 Hole Golf Course title.
AV IDG said its record across the World Golf Awards archive from 2014 to 2026 includes 33 wins associated with its design and project roles. These comprise 14 awards for design-credit work and the designer title, alongside 19 recognitions for projects where the firm was involved in project management, rebuilding or consultancy.
Its design-credit record includes Prestige Golfshire, which won India’s Best Golf Course title in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2026; Tobago Plantations, which received Trinidad and Tobago’s Best Golf Course award in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025; Al Dhannah Golf Club, recognised as the Middle East’s Best 9 Hole Golf Course in 2024, 2025 and 2026; and The National Azerbaijan Golf Club, named Azerbaijan’s Best Golf Course in 2025.
The firm’s stated Indian clients include Prestige Group, Adani Group, M3M, Ambuja Neotia Group, GMR, VCNR, Panchshil Group, Karamchand Group, Bakeri Group, Central Park, Krisala, Max Group, Tata Group, ATS, Rise Resort Residences, RLD Group and Arka Grand.
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