Golf in Tashkent

Tashkent offers great opportunities for playing golf. The weather in Uzbekistan is quite mild, with little rain and many warm days even throughout winter. Not surprisingly, the city boasts both a well-maintained 18-hole golf course and a training facility with a driving range and kids’ classes.

Since few Uzbeks play golf, the facilities are generally not crowded. You can expect good service and solid instruction. The atmosphere is nice and peaceful. We’ve had a very positive experience playing golf in Tashkent, and highly recommend it.

For most of the services (except caddy), you can pay with any major credit card. You can usually pay with your VISA or Mastercard. Cash is always accepted, of course.

ST Golf Academy

The academy is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm. This is a good place for both experienced golfers and beginners, including kids. It’s quite easy to get to. We live in the center, and it takes us about 15-20 minutes to get to the golf training facility. You will find plenty of parking near the academy.

It is a very efficient place where you don’t need to wait for more than a couple of minutes to book your spot. If you are busy, you can just hit some balls for one hour and then go on with your day. If time is not an issue, you can stay for a couple of hours, relax, and even have lunch there (the academy has a Korean restaurant).

As you walk in, you will be greeted by the receptionist. At the reception, you will have an opportunity to rent a spot at the driving range. One hour is about $10. You can also rent clubs if you don’t have them with you. You can play on either the first or the second floor.

The driving range has modern equipment, and the ball is automatically launched from a tee. You can also buy monthly and annual passes if you’d like.

If you are interested in taking a golf lesson, coaches are usually available. Unless you want a particular coach, no need to book in advance.

Since the driving range has a roof, it’s fine to play on rainy days and even on very hot days.

Overall, we are very happy with the ST Academy. However, one downside is that you can only hit off the mat at this driving range. They do not allow hitting off the grass. Also, the putting green is a bit small. If you’d like to practice putting, it’s better to go to the golf course, as it has a free practice putting green.

Tashkent Lakeside Golf Club

If you’d like to play a round of golf, the only place where you can do it in Tashkent is the Lakeside Golf Club. It takes a little bit longer to get there from the center of Tashkent, but still under 30 minutes (without major traffic). The course is very picturesque, set around the lovely Rohat Lake. It opened back in 1998, one of the first in Central Asia.

If you want to see the view of the course, check out our YouTube short:

Having played at many courses in the US and other countries around the world, I find the course in Tashkent quite nice, well-maintained, and suitable for golfers of different levels. A few holes are a little bit challenging for me (the ones where you have to hit over the water).

I recommend calling at least a day in advance to book a tee time. There are usually quite a few groups playing, especially on weekends, so it’s better to be on the safe side.

If you just want to use the driving range, you don’t need to book in advance. You just come and ask for a bucket of balls (100 balls cost about $5). The driving range is not as advanced as that at the ST Golf Academy, but it is still quite nice. There is a dedicated chipping area with some balls. It’s not very large and can get a bit crowded at times, but it’s functional. There are also two large putting greens with balls on them. Similar to the ST academy, the driving range at the course also has a roof.

If you are going to play a round of golf, keep in mind that there are very few carts, and they fill up quickly (first-come, first-served). If your tee time is later in the day, they might not be available, and you’ll have to walk the course with the caddy they provide. Based on my experience, you don’t even need a cart, because you have to take a caddy (it’s a requirement, you can’t get out of it). Since you have a caddy, it doesn’t really make sense to have a cart. Also, the course is not very flat and a bit rocky in certain spots, so I personally did not enjoy riding a cart.

The caddies are helpful: they push the cart with your clubs and hand you a club before every shot. You have to pay the caddy in cash after the round (about $10 per player for 9 holes).

In terms of golf prices, they vary slightly depending on who you are (Uzbek national, foreigner with/without accreditation) and whether you are playing on a weekend or a weekday. Regardless, prices are quite affordable.

The clubhouse has a pro shop where you can buy golf equipment. You can also watch the Golf Channel in the lobby and eat at the restaurant located inside.

From time to time, the golf club organizes tournaments for both adults and kids. Adult tournaments are usually on weekends, while kids’ tournaments take place on Thursdays and Fridays.

The Final Word

Overall, I’m very happy with the golf facilities available here in Tashkent. My daughter Elizabeth has been able to practice regularly, even in winter (in Washington, we usually closed the golf season in mid-November). While there are some cold days in Tashkent, usually they alternate with warm days. Elizabeth is hoping to participate in the Drive, Chip and Putt tournament in the US next summer, and we are trying to prepare her well.