(RCGC) in Kolkata, is the oldest Golf club outside the BritishThe Golf Blog |
SPRPhotos |
Golfing in India has come a long way and it is the second oldest country in the world next to Britain, where golf has been continuously played since it's beginning here. In India, the golf courses are confined to the famous hill stations where one can enjoy golfing with beautiful, picturesque green hills and tea gardens in the backdrop. There are golf grounds in metropolitan areas, towns, in country sides by the side of lakes and even in the desert areas. Just like Cricket, golf was introduced by the British to break their monotonous life in the tropical country and the courses were controlled by the clubs run by the British. Later the Indian royals and other elite joined the band wagon for fun and to discuss their business with higher-ups. The Royal Calcutta Golf Club (1829) was followed by the now defunct Royal Bombay Golf Club in 1842 and the Bangalore Golf Club in 1876. The Shillong Golf Club ran a golf course in 1886. Till recently, the golf course at Gulmarg (altitude 2,700 meters) in Kashmir, India was the highest one and the golfing activities 've come to a halt because of Pakistani terrorists movements pose a threat to tourists in that part of Kashmir.
Gulmarg (altitude 2,700 metres) in Kashmir.
he
founding of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in 1829 was followed by the
now defunct Royal Bombay Golf Club in 1842 and the Bangalore Golf Club
in 1876.The Shillong Golf Club incorporated a golf course in 1886. - See
more at:
http://www.indiagolfcourses.com/golf-in-india-history/#sthash.kT0A7h1L.dpuf
Golf course was opened in the US in the later period, before that Golf had been played for 59 years in India. As for Europe, Golf was introduced in 1888. A note-worthy fact is
RCGC (Royal Calcutta Golf club)founded in 1829; . Karam Puri.golfgaga.com |
by the end of 19th century British India had the distinction of having one dozen golf clubs catering to the British and royal elite.
he
founding of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in 1829 was followed by the
now defunct Royal Bombay Golf Club in 1842 and the Bangalore Golf Club
in 1876.The Shillong Golf Club incorporated a golf course in 1886. - See
more at:
http://www.indiagolfcourses.com/golf-in-india-history/#sthash.kT0A7h1L.dpuf
RCGC (Royal Calcutta Golf club)www.twitsnaps.com |
When King George V and Queen Mary, visited India the title ''Royal'' was conferred to commemorate their royal visit to Calcutta in 1911. It is an 18-hole and 72 Par golf course with natural flat terrain. The golf course is located in the suburb of Kolkata called Dum Dum where the city’s international airport now stands. After a series of moves, the Dum Dum Golfing Club, as the Royal Calcutta was originally called, settled finally towards the end of the century in the city’s southern suburbs. Once a vast land, the farthest part of the Golf couse was taken over by the Indian government to accommodate the influx of refugees from East Pakistan (Pakistan) following partition in August, 1947.The Golf course is moved to its current location in Tollygunge, a suburb of Kolkata.
The magnificient clubhouse at the Royal Calcutta Golf club has a story to tell.rcgcgolf.golfgaga.com |
Appearance is deceptive, the course may look simple but the 18 hole course with huge trees, innumerable ponds, drainage channels and gutter is supposedly the best in the subcontinent and is difficult to play. The natural flat terrain has small green natural hazards. Each hole requires a sold par of reasonable length length and the water hazards are slightly below the ground.
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Calcutta_Golf_Club