Golf in India is old. too old. Older than India itself if 15 August 1947 is taken as the country's date of birth. It even predates the First World War and, in sporting history, the World Cup, the Wimbledon tennis titles and the first Present day Olympic Games.
One of the earliest colonial imports, the British introduce golf to the subcontinent in 1829 when they establish the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. (It is the oldest golf club in the world outside of Britain.) Other clubs soon sprung up in different directions: 1842 the Royal Bombay Golf Club, 1876 the Bangalore Golf Club and 1877 the Madras Gymkhana Golf Club as a leading nation that did not yet exist. in Sport Europe it was presented. Meanwhile, by the early 20th century, India had almost half of out of a dozen fully functioning clubs.
Golf, however, has remained largely a game of the wealthy since its inception. The high cost of memberships, course fees, equipment, and supplies made the sport exclusive to the upper class. This is particularly true in India, where the gap between rich and poor is wider than in the main Gulf countries. Most of the courses here are difficult to access as they are owned by private clubs that charge a high membership fee or by the Indian Army. A golf set consisting of a driver, a wood, a hybrid, seven sets of irons and a putter. Indian golf still has a long way to go. However, the signs are encouraging. Players, golf entrepreneurs and administrators believe it's never been better.
The sports industry in India is thriving and some sports that have not been in the limelight will see significant growth. Golf, already known from big corporations, will no doubt be one of those sports. Hopefully more will be invested in the development of the game's youth circles, so planting the seeds for future prosperous generations. India has a rich golfing culture, but we must harness our rapidly growing resources if the nation is to make its name in the history books of the sport.
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