Bangalore

Bangalore Golf Club’s course is the second oldest still in use outside the British Isles (Pau GC moved to a new course in France a year earlier, in 1875) and it’s been played as an 18-hole layout for more than a hundred years now.

The following couple of edited paragraphs are from the book Golf in India: The ultimate golfing guide by Phil Ryan and Paul Reeves:

“Established in 1876, the land was previously used as a rifle range by the Pioneer Regiment stationed in Bangalore. The course has been transformed a number of times and was a 12-hole layout in 1898, recorded as an 18-hole layout in 1919 and different 18-hole layouts in 1973 and 1995.

In 1979, member Maj. Gen. Ramaswami initiated a concept to develop recycled treated effluent water so the golf course could be irrigated. In 1996, following much debate and fund raising, the Captain of the day, B.S. Patel, finally got the project going and in September 1999 the treatment plant was commissioned.

With the advantage of water for irrigation the club in 2000 engaged Pacific Coast Design to redesign the golf course and over two years (it) was completely rebuilt, constructed to international standards with sand-based greens. The reconstruction was done in two phases so golfers could still utilize 9 holes at any one time.

Visitors are greeted with the magnificent rain trees that are a hallmark of Bangalore. The layout is very testing as it has the 18 holes laid out over only 60 acres among the established trees. All the holes are tight and any shots outside the fairway leave golfers with recovery shots through or over those same beautiful trees.”