Growth of golf
Great Moments
March of Indian Golf
Indian open - Down the Years
Indian open champions
No longer an Elitist Sport
India - A Golfer's Paradise
Little Known Facts
International Wins
Indians at the Majors
Little Known Facts
India is one of the most interesting places in the world to play golf. While it may not really be big in terms of the world of professional golf, it does have some very interesting historical facts and a good number of landmarks.
- The Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkata is reckoned to be the oldest golf course in the world outside of the British Isles. It was established in 1829.
- The All-India Amateur Championship, first held in 1892, is said to be the second oldest running tournament in the world after the British Open.
- The Madras Gymkhana Club in Chennai and Air Force Golf Club in New Delhi, are among the handful of courses, which are situated inside a horse racing track.
- The Digboi Golf Links in Assam, the only 18-hole facility in the state, has both an abandoned airstrip, which was used in World War II and an oil well, which is more than a 100 years old.
- The Delhi Golf Club, situated in the heart of the National Capital has ancient Lodhi Dynasty tombs and these monuments are protected and looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Delhi Golf Club.
- The only public golf course in India, the Qutub Golf Course in Lado Sarai, New Delhi, has the famous Qutub Minar as the back drop and is hence known by that name.
- On September 11, 1803, the Maratha army, led by M Louis Bourquien, was stopped by the British forces just before they were about to enter Delhi. This is where the NOIDA Golf Course is situated and a monument has been erected on the 16th tee to mark this Battle of Delhi.
- At the Patna Golf Club, in Bihar, the golf course is built right next to a zoo and the first fairway is next to the tiger’s enclosure.
- The Bhatinda Golf Course in Punjab features a protected deer enclosure inside the golf course.
- The Gulmarg Golf Club course in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir, is generally said to be the highest golf course in the world.