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How Golf began in India

The Royal Calcutta Golf Club set up in 1929 in India was the first Golf Club outside United Kingdom. The impact of British Rule saw the rapid increase in Golf Clubs in India. Indianholiday.com is your one-stop search for all that you wanted to know on How Golf Began in India.

Following the establishment of Royal Calcutta Golf Club, The Royal Bombay Golf Club was established in 1842, the Bangalore Golf Club was established in 1876 and the Shillong Golf Club was established in 1886.

 How Golf began in India

The Royal Calcutta Golf Club which followed the regulations of St. Andrews in Scotland was the controlling authority of the Golf Clubs in India till 1950. The first Golf Championship at the National level started in 1892 where Royal Calcutta Golf Club hosted the All India Amateur Championship. This tournament is the second oldest tournament in the World after British Open in 1960.In the year 1955, a group of Golfers together formed the Indian Golf Union for regulation of the game in India. Till 1958, the amateur Indian Championship was held only in Calcutta. In the year 1958 for the first time in the History of Golf in India, the amateur Indian Championship began to be organized alternatively in Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta. Indian Golf Union which has done a huge task of promoting Golf in India is now affiliated to the World amateur Golf Council.

The first International Golf Tournament in India was the prestigious Indian Open Golf Championship which was held in 1964 where Peter Thomson of Australia came out victorious. The Indian Golf Open Championship in 1979 was affiliated to Asian Golf Circuit and the challenge before Indian Golf became stronger thereafter. In 1988 The Indian Golf Union in its landmark decision formed a separate body known as the Professional Golfers’ Association of India better known as PGAI which is now known as the 'Amby Valley PGAI Tour' after the acquisition of sponsorship rights by Sahara India.