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» Why Golfing in India
Why Golfing in India
 In
India you can play golf almost anywhere, for golf is widely
played by a cross-section of people in the country's often dramatic
background. In the hills and high Himalayan vastness, 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 flavour of India is visible everywhere that golf in the
country is played. You can stroll off the course to share a
cup of piping hot tea at a 'dhaba', tee off from the highest
18 hole course in the world, watch a peacock dance on a green
or play on a course that is enriched by monuments and beautiful
buildings. In India anything is possible, and playing golf here
will enable you to experience the country in a unique manner.
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 now defunct 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, 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 lndia's courses are well connected by road, rail, and air,
and have excellent accommodation facilities. Unfortunately,
India still has to rely on the West for golfing equipment, and
visitors are advised to carry their own sets, with an ample
supply of golf balls.
Until the 1950's, 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.
Royal Calcutta G.C. Clubhouse The year 1958 is a landmark in
the history of Indian golf. For the first time, the amateur
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 0pen 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. |
