Indian Golf Union

Established in 1955 by a group of professional golfers, the Indian Golf Union (IGU) is the central administrative body for promotion and management of golf in India. It is affiliated to the World Amateur Golf Council, the world body for golf. IGU is working in collaboration with the state golf associations of the country, including Karnataka Golf Association (KGA), Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA) and Punjab Golf Association (PGA), to promote and uplift the standard of the game in the country. Golf clubs including The Royal Calcutta Golf Club, The Tollygunge Club, The Bombay Presidency Golf Club, The Delhi Golf Club, The Willingdon Sports Club and the Madras Gymkhana have also been extending their support to IGU, to promote the game. It has hosted a number of international tournaments.

History
Before IGU came into being, the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) was regarded as the unofficial governing body of golf in India. The rest of the Indian golf clubs during the time were affiliated to RCGC. After the establishment of IGU, a constitution was formulated for the same, according to which, it can offer membership to other clubs, associations and societies of the game in India, as per the recommendations of the Council. It also provided for memberships for individual golf enthusiasts.

Role
Being the apex body for golf in India IGU is bestowed with the responsibility of all kinds of activities related to the game in India. Apart from conducting various promotional activities, such as hosting international golf tournaments, IGU organizes a number of training programs to sharpen the skills of budding golf players in India. One of the recognized contributions of IGU to the sport is the commencement of the prestigious Indian Open, which is being organized by the body. The Indian Open has now become a part of the Asian PGA since 1998.

The IGU is bestowed with the responsibility of selecting the Indian national golf team to represent India, at various international events. The team, which went to take part in the Asian Amateur Golf Team championship in Taiwan in 1967, was selected by the IGU. The team performed well at the tournament. Therefore, it was reselected to participate in the 17th World Cup Championship in October 1969. Due to the good organizing qualities of IGU, India was chosen as the host country to organize the fifth Asian Amateur Golf Team Championship.

Contribution to Golf
Right from its establishment, IGU has been playing a pivotal role in promoting the game in India. It has taken steps to ensure that the game is played by both men and women of all ages in India, with equal zest. To serve the purpose, the IGU has been urging the younger generation to take up golf as their profession. Moreover, it has been providing good golfing facilities, which have now proved to be important adjunct to tourism. IGU has been constantly in dialogue with the Ministry of Tourism for the development of the game in the country.