Golf as not an indigenous game in India. It was introduced in the colonial times by the British East India Company in the 19^th Century, mainly to promote entertainment among the British army officials, civil servants and merchants, who were staying away from their homeland in India. The intention was to make them feel at home away from home, so that they could have familiar recreational traditions in a different country where they were living, and took root with the establishment of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) in 1829 at Calcutta (now, Kolkata). Incidentally, RCGC happens to be oldest golf club in India, and definitely, the first golf club established outside Great Britain. As the spirit of the game enhanced in the country, the initial 9-hole golf course of RCGC was transformed into a full 18-hole course in 1892.

Golf clubs were largely restricted to British officials and Europeans only during the 19^th and 20^th Centuries. Memberships in colonial golf clubs was largely discriminatory, and Indians were not allowed as full-time members till mid-20^th Century. Only after 1930s, the Indian elites, mostly royalty and prominent professionals were allowed to become full members of various golf clubs across the country. Social segregation and disparity were still common in the colonial country clubs, which changed significantly after 1947, as clubs amended and opened their membership policies for Indians.

Indians were not formally introduced to the game of golf. They did not have the scope of learning from professionals, and were only allowed to enter golf clubs as caddies, groundskeepers and club staff in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. With no formal learning, these Indian caddies, groundskeepers and club staff, used to watch the skilled British golfers with great attention and observation. That is how their interest in the game enhanced, and gradually, these caddie players made their way into professional golf. Caddying gave rise to talented players, who gradually went on to participate in club tournaments and open championships and challenged British dominance in the game of golf.

One of the earliest Indian golfers, who rose to fame during 1920s, was Mohammed Ishaque. Born in 1891, Ishaque from Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC), won prestigious tournaments including multiple All India Open titles, and competed against eminent British officials to defeat them in golf.

Another important face in the country’s rise in the golf circuit during the 1930s was Dhundiraj Govind ‘DG’ Havaldar, he earned considerable recognition in competitive golf, defeating British and European golfers in prestigious tournaments.

The royalties of India, especially the kings and princes of the princely states of India, and even feudal lords were great patrons of golf in India. For instance, the Maharaja of Patiala and other native rulers of princely states, promoted the sport in the early 1900s. This helped in significant promotion of the sport in India among one and all.

India has witnessed remarkable development and growth since then, and this craze for the sport led to the formation of Indian Golf Associsation in Kolkata, which was a major step in making Indian golf even more competitive at the global stage. Not only have several players represented the country on global stage, but also they have won prestigious titles, inspiring their future generations to take up the sport even more passionately.

1. Anirban Lahiri

Among the very popular golfers from India, Anirban Lahiri is perhaps the most prominent names in Indian golf. Born on 29 June, 1987, Lahiri went on to win multiple Asian Tour titles, and represent the country in multiple European Tour, PGA Tour and LIV Golf. He has bagged the titles of 18 professional events, and is the first Indian to earn the honour of being name to the PGA 2015 Presidents Cup. In 2022, Lahiri finished in a three-way tie for firs place at the LIV Golf Invitational Boston.

Jeev Milkha Singh

Born on 15 December, 1971, Jeev Milkha Singh happens to be the first Indian player to ever join the European Tour in 1998. Winning four events on the European Tour, Singh became the first Indian player to break into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking in October 2006, and was awarded the Padma Shri, the highest civilian award of the country, in 2007. He also received the 1999 Arjuna Award.

Arjun Atwal

Arjun Atwal is another prominent name in Indian golf. Among his many career achievements as a golfer, Atwal is the first Indian to win the 2011 Wyndham Championship, and also the first Indian to win on the PGA Tour. In 2007, Atwal was awarded the Arjuna Award by the Government of India.

Jyoti Randhawa

Eight times winner of the Asian Tour between 1998 and 2009, and ranked in the top 100 of the world ranking, Jyoti Randhawa has been the top on the Asian Tour money list in 2002. Randhawa holds many achievements in his bag, and continues to be an inspiration for many golfers even today.

Shubhankar Sharma has become a sensational golfer with his superb game technique at national and international levels at a young age. Sharma turned professional in 2013 and finished fourth in Panasonic Open India, a 2014 Asian Tour event. In September 2018, Sharma became the youngest golfer to win the Arjuna Award and has also won two European Tour titles, apart from being one of the highest ranked golfers in India.

Gaganjeet Bhullar

India’s number one amateur in 2004 and 2006 respectively, Gaganjeet Bhullar is a promising name of Indian golf. Turning professional in 2006, Bhullar’s golfing career took a slow start, and when it paced, there was no looking back. In 2011, Bhullar won the inaugural Gujarat Kensville Challenge and became the first Indian player to win a tournament on the Challenge Tour.

Indian golf has taken a truly different turn with many women actively taking part in the sport, and shaping themselves up as talented and determined players who are representing the country at the global stage. Their recognition has not only brought India more recognition, but also has inspired young girls to take up golf as a career.

Up: Aditi Ashok
L to R: Tvesa Malik and Diksha Dagar

Ladies like Aditi Ashok (Winner of multiple titles on LET, and represented India at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was held in 2021), Tvesa Malik (turned professional in 2017 and has bagged many national and international titles including European tournaments), and Diksha Dagar (turned professional in 2017, finished second in 2017 Deaflympics, and created history in 2019 by winning the South African Women’s Open on the LET, and thus went on to become the youngest Indian woman to win an international professional title), truly symbolize the rise of Indian women’s golf on global platforms. The Ladies continue to show great consistency and professionalism on national and international tours, and display their potential of being confident and strong contenders of reputed tours and championships.

The discipline, resilience, and the passion for the game of golf, that is seen in the Indian golfers is the most important reason why Indian golfers have been, and are still putting up tough competition on the world stage, and making the country proud by winning titles.