Golf in India

Having run a successful online golf equipment business years ago, I do still follow the game from the sidelines. But it wasn’t until I ran across an article, in the Wall Street Journal highlighting Callaway Golf’s entry into the Indian market, that I thought twice about the sport in India. The background is notably fascinating even if you aren’t interested in golf.

History of golf in India

India was the first country outside 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. By the end of the 19th century, India had a dozen golf clubs. Golf is as much a part of the British legacy as parliamentary institutions, electric trams or the game of cricket. Because of British rule, the nineteenth century saw the rapid growth of new golf clubs across India. The founding of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in 1829 was followed by that of the now-defunct Royal Bombay Golf Club in 1842 and the Bangalore Golf Club in 1876. Golf had already been played in India for twenty-seven years before the first major course was opened in Europe and fifty-five years before the first course was opened in the United States.

Today there are nearly 200 golf courses, many backed with clubhouse facilities, pro-shops and other amenities. From the Himalayas to the crowded cities, from lakes to forests and tea estates, there is a different flavor to each of India’s golf courses. The visiting golfer can look forward to much more besides a challenging test of his skill. Most Indian courses combine a sense of history, scenic surroundings and a variety of other leisure activities with great game possibilities.

•The Indian Golf Company offers tourists golf packages which cover many of India’s most popular destinations.

•PGTI, Professional Golf Tour of India, has been working on the promotion of professional golf in India since it’s inception in 2006. Along with it’s tour partners, the organization is responsible for several major tournaments annually around the country. Complete 2010 Schedule of Events.

•Golf courses in India is a well laid out site for what it deems the “best” courses in India.

Pack up the clubs and try your game in India.

UPDATE: Just a few days after posting this entry, India Today carried an article about the only female greens superintendent in India.

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