Golf was brough to India by British Colonisers making it the second golf playing nation in the world. The Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) , founded in 1829, is the oldest golf club outside Britain , and was followed by Bangalore Golf Club in 1876 and Shillong Golf Club in 1886.
In 1892, the RCGC organised the country's first national level tournament, the All India Amateur Golf Championship. The second oldest tournament in the world , after the British Open (1860), it was initially dominated by British players until Mohinder Bal , and Indian won the title in 1949.
in 1958, it was decided that the Championship would be played by rotation at Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata . Soon after , in 1964, the Indian Open was inaugurated and Major Biloo Sethi was the first Indian to win it in 1965. Now called the Hero Indian Open, it is a leading tournament on the Asian Circuit. It was a matter of great pride when, in 1982, Delhi was chosen to host the first ever golf competition for the Asian Games.
Golfing in India has indeed come a long way. From about a dozen clubs at the end of the 19th century, it now has about about 160 courses across the country. Several Indian golfers have made a name for themselves on the international circuit , including Ali Sher , Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal , Jyoti Randhawa , Shiv Chowrasia , Gaurav Ghei and Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Chowrasia, Gaurav Ghei and Shiv Kapur. In 2014, the legendary Tiger Woods played his first ever game in India , an 18 hole exhibition match at the Delhi Golf Club.
With the diversityof course, each unique in its history and topography, offering fresh pleasures and challenges , India is an ideal destination for golf tourists. Besides grand old golfing institutions like the RCGC , Delhi Golf Club , or Bombay Presidency , India has the world's highest golf course, at Gulmarg ( 2700 m) in Kashmir and a host of others set against the dramatic backdrop of mountains, lakes, beaches and forests surrounded by tea estates or located in old British cantonments.
The Indian Golf Union (IGU) was founded in 1955, as an apex body to promote and manage the game in India. It took over from the RCGC , which has been following the rules of St Andrews in Scotland. The Professional Golfers Association of India ( PGAI) was founded in 1988. It has brought a flurry of golfing events to the country and made professional golfing a sought after career option.
