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» Indian Golf History
Indian Golf History
 In
India you can play golf almost anywhere, for this outdoors sport
is widely played by a cross-section of people to the country's
often-dramatic background. In the hills and high Himalayan fastness,
in metropolitan cities and in small towns, by lakes and forests,
or surrounded by tea estates, out in the desert and in old British
cantonments... the flavor of India is visible everywhere that
golf in the country is played.
India was the first country outside of Great Britain to take
up the game of golf. The Royal Calcutta Golf Club, established
in 1829, is the oldest golf club in India, and the first outside
Great Britain. With the growing influence of the British in
the Indian empire, the eighteenth century saw a mushrooming
of new golf clubs in India. Wherever land was available and
grass grew, golf found a new HOME.
The founding of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in 1829 was followed
by the nowdefunct Royal Mumbai Golf Club in 1842 and the Bangalore
Golf Club in 1876.The Shillong Golf Club incorporated a golf
course in 1886.
Golf had already been played in India for 59 years before the
first major course was opened in the USA and Europe in 1888.
By the end of the 19th century, India already had a dozen golf
clubs.
What makes golfing in India exciting is the diversity of its
courses. Not only does it have the oldest golf club in the world
outside Great Britain, but also the highest, at Gulmarg (altitude
2,700 metres) in Kashmir. There are golf courses in the mountains,
plains, and deserts and at beach resorts. The  environment
of each course is unique in its culture and history, highlighting
all that makes India a diverse destination. In fact, it would
not be wrong to say that one of the best ways to experience
India is through its golf courses. Most of India's courses are
well connected by road, rail, and air, and have excellent accommodation
facilities. Till the 50s, golf clubs in India were affiliated
to the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, which followed the rules of
St. Andrews in Scotland. In December 1955, a group of golfers
got together to form the Indian Golf Union as the controlling
body for the game.
The Indian Golf Union is now affiliated to the World Amateur
Golf Council, and has done a great deal to promote golfing in
the country. In 1957, it started its first training camp at
the Royal in Calcutta, where assistant professionals and caddies
were brought from all over the country and trained to teach
golf.
The year 1958 is a landmark in the history of Indian Championship
was moved away from the Royal Calcutta Golf Club to be played
alternately at Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta. The most important
annual event in the calendar of the Indian Golf Union is the
India Open Golf Championship, which was first played in Delhi
in 1964, and won by the Australian golfer, Peter Thompson.
Golfing in India has come a long way, and a large number of
Indian players now compete on the international circuit. Golf
enthusiasts continue to grow in numbers, and new courses are
added almost every year. And what could be a better feather
in India's golfing cap than the fact that Delhi was chosen to
host the first ever golf competition for the Asian Games in
1982. |
