Golf was introduced to Ceylon in 1879.
In 1876, Queen Victoria was crowned Empress of India and with it the Indian subcontinent together with Ceylon became a focal point of the British Empire in Asia in the Victorian age. It resulted in the growth of Victorian British presence in commerce, education, the arts and sports among others.
Expatriate Englishmen, Scots, Welsh and Irish working and living in South Asia began creating similar images of their social ethos, life and times as in England in these distant outposts of the empire.
And so it was that in 1879, a handful of British expatriates in Colombo decided to introduce golf in Ceylon.
The Colombo Golf Club was formed in 1879; followed in 1889 by the opening of the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club. After Independence from the British Empire, in 1999 the Troon Golf Managed Victoria Golf Resort in Digana Kandy designed by Donald Steel was opened, followed by in January 2012 of the opening of the Eagles Golf Course in Trincomalee. In 2016 was the opening of the luxurious Rodney Wright designed Shangri La Hambantota Golf Resort.
The Sri Lanka Amateur Championship was first played in 1891 on the Nuwara Eliya Golf Course. It is the second oldest National Golf Championship in the world after the British Amateur Championship. The Amateur Championship was played twice a year from 1891 till 1904. After that the Championship was played every year except in the years of the World Wars of 1915 till 1919 and 1940 till 1945. Although the Amateur Championship Control committee was set up in 1921, it was in 1946 that the Ceylon Golf Union was officially founded.
The Colombo Golf Club and the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club being the premiere golf venues in Ceylon at the time enjoyed friendly rivalry with vigor. In 1902, Sir Francis Burdett ADC to the Governor presented a Challenge Cup for annual competition between teams representing Colombo and Up-Country golfers. The Burdett trophy commenced in 1902 at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club and was won by Nuwara Eliya and in 2023 stands as the oldest golf competition in Ceylon played annually.
Golf in Colombo
Established in 1879, The Colombo Club as it was then known began golf at the Galle Face esplanade was inaugurated despite not having clubhouse nor a proper golf course. The esplanade in itself was an impressive piece of vast real estate bounded by the Beira Lake, the Indian ocean, the ramparts of the Colombo Fort and the first hotel in Ceylon, The Galle Face Hotel. However, it was not the ideal venue for golf because through the middle of the Galle Face esplanade ran a carriageway providing passage from the Fort to Cinnamon Gardens for the Governor and gentry to travel in their horse drawn carriages, and the esplanade was open to other sporting events such as Horse Riding & Polo, Rugby, Soccer and Cricket.
In 1880 on the 13th March, nine English gentlemen met at the Colombo Club and held the first Annual General Meeting. It was a historical occasion; the Golf Club was a year old and it was time to elect a committee and create a set of rules to handle the affairs of the Golf Club.
Mr. Edward Aitken was elected Chairman, Mr. R.L.M. Brown Honorary Secretary and R L Law Captain.
The inaugural committee consisted of eminent luminaries such as Edward Aitken founder of Aitken Spence & Co, W. Sommerville founder of Sommerville & Co, Major Frank A Fairlie from the famous Fairlie family of Prestwick in England, R Webster and R L M Brown founder of Lewis Browns.
Senior clerks of Lewis Browns recorded the Minutes of the inaugural and subsequent meetings. The Rules were formalized borrowing closely from the rules book published by the Royal Calcutta Golf Club which was established 50 years earlier and several new rules were added. The entrance fee was Ceylon Rupees (LKR) 10, with an annual subscription of Rs. 5. Medals were to be offered as prizes for major events, and an order was placed with a U.K. company to supply the silverware.
As time went by the numbers taking to golf in Ceylon increased. However, with Polo and Cricket crowding the Galle Face Esplanade for space and members of the general public believing they too had the inalienable right to enjoy the esplanade, the game of golf was threatened to be restricted and eventually even snuffed out.
Fortune however gave the answer to this problem in a manner that had nothing to do with golf!
Sir Charles Henry De Soysa, a Ceylonese gentleman and philanthropist who unsuccessfully was chasing his dream of creating a center of excellence for agriculture and animal husbandry, and set up a farm named Alfred Model farm which never took off. Eventually the land of the farm eroded to waste overgrown with weeds and shrub, becoming a grazing ground for stray cattle. Sir Henry gifted this piece of prime land on which was the Model Farm to the colonial government.
This also coincided with the time when Sir West Ridgeway arrived in Ceylon and took office as the British Governor of Ceylon. He was a golfer himself with a keen interest in the game, and when the rapidly growing golf community of Colombo made several requests for suitable facilities, they found a sympathetic ear with Sir West Ridgeway. And so it happened that in July 1896, Alfred Model farm was officially transferred to the Colombo Golf Club. The Executive Committee of the Golf Club authorized the release of the princely sum of LKR 500 for expenses to clearing the land and preparation work to build a golf course.
The Colombo Golf Club rapidly developed the golf course at the former Model farm land and it was felicitously named ‘The Ridgeway’ after governor Sir West Ridgeway who was invited to formally open the new facilities. The opening was held on the 9th Dember 1986 and was a glittering affair with the guest list and participating invitees comparable with the Ascot or the Derby in England.
Among the list of distinguished attendees – in addition to Sir West Ridgeway, Lady Ridgeway and Miss Ridgeway – was Maha Mudliyar S D Bandaranaike, later knighted as Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike and who was the father of S W R D Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1956 and grandfather of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, President from 1994-2005.
In 1928, His Majesty, King George V conferred upon the Club the privilege of using the prefix “Royal” and thereafter the Colombo Golf Club came to be known as the Royal Colombo Golf Club.
British skills in administration and organization were strongly established over the hugely expanded British empire and included Ceylon. The British system in Ceylon was established in most parts of the island beginning from in 1796 when they took over occupation of the island from the Dutch, and eventually expanded over the entire island after 1815 when the era of Kings of Lanka ended. With the arrival of commerce and settlements of British personnel in various areas of industry and commerce sports of England came to stay in Ceylon prominently golf, rugby, cricket, polo and soccer.
After these sports were strongly established in Colombo, they moved to the outstations particularly to plantations areas where the owners and management were almost exclusively British. Golf is recorded to have moved to Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Diyatalawa, Bandarawela, Badulla and Ratnapura, and surprisingly even to Jaffna where it was played around the Jaffna Fort.
Beauchamp de Saram and his cousin F J de Saram were the first Ceylonese to be admitted to the Colombo Golf Club when it was at the Galle Face Esplanade. The De Saram family left an indelible mark on golf in Ceylon as great exponents of the game as well as having solid administrative skills. Beauchamp and FJ de Saram were the founders of two eminent firms of lawyers in Ceylon D L & F de Saram and F J & G de Saram that still are prominent names in the legal fraternity in the country.
The climate of Ceylon was found to be more conducive to golf than the climate of India and the island being much smaller than India less time taken to travel between places was also a positive factor.
April historically is the hottest month in the island and to escape from the heat in 1889 the links golf course in Nuwara Eliya was established. It also gives even today a significant change as Nuwara Eliya is very different to Colombo, geographically and climatically. After British occupation on the island ended in 1948, more golf courses came into being; three 18-hole golf courses in Kandy, Hambantota and Trincomalee and three 9-hole golf courses in Diyatalawa, Koggala/Galle and in the ancient capital area of Anuradhapura.
Golf in Nuwara Eliya
In 1869 the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club and golf course was established.
When the British came to the island Nuwara Eliya was apparently a “wild open plain” with few inhabitants and no commerce or industry in the region. In 1818 after the British annexed the Kandyan Kingdom to the empire, Dr. John Davy, brother of Sir Humphrey Davy the famous chemist while he was on a hunting party ‘discovered’ Nuwara Eliya and it was later developed in 1828 into a health resort and sanatorium by Sir Edward Barnes the Governor of the island at the time. Sir Barnes also built a mansion ‘Barnes Hall” for himself, and today after several extensions stands as the Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya. However, the town itself did not extend beyond few amenities for the military with a few residential and other buildings.
In 1847 Sir Samuel Baker, a British explorer established a settlement in Nuwara Eliya and realizing its similarity to British summer climate, imported all the appurtenances of an English country town and Nuwara Eliya began to take shape as a British hamlet. The planting and development of tea plantations in the Nuwara Eliya regions brought trappings of the commercial world in the second half of the 19th Century transforming Nuwara Eliya from an open plain of wilderness to a British town and holiday resort. Its cool invigorating climate made it attractive to the British personnel from commerce and administration and later on by the Ceylonese to enjoy holidays in April when the sun is hottest in Colombo. That saw the building of more residences (copying “Old English” architecture styles) and the introduction of British sports and recreations to Nuwara Eliya such as golf, tennis, horse racing, cricket, croquet, hunting and trout fishing.
Nuwara Eliya is a town nestled in a valley at an elevation of 6,230 feet above sea level in the central hills of the island and is the heart of Ceylon Tea industry. On its north east border rises Pidurutalagala, the islands highest point of elevation at 8,281 feet above sea level and its climate varies from 12-22 C daytime temperatures through the year amazing a visitor that within 4 hours drive (approx. 180 km) can be experienced the climate change from the hot coastal plains of Colombo to the cool crisp climes that require change of attire from cottons to woollens and exchanging air-conditioned rooms for those with heaters or log fires.
The approach to Nuwara Eliya is beautiful and spectacular on a sunny day. Driving up winding roads through green carpets of tea clad mountain slopes and flowers, cascading waterfalls and mountain streams.
Golf in Kandy
In 1999, on the 13th January, the beautifully landscaped Victoria Golf Course was formerly opened. Designed by Donald Steel, this 18 hole golf course with a slope rating of 113 and Course rating of 73 was formally opened amidst the picturesque settings of Digana bordering the massive Victoria reservoir and mist laden hills of rural Kandy.
Kandy is a prominent and historic city and was the last capital of the island before being taken over by the British empire in 1818. Located in a mid-hills area the climate at the Victoria golf resort remains pleasant and consistent year-round with an abundance of nature around the resort offering golfers and holiday makers plenty of opportunity to experience natural environments of the countryside away from the bustling city of Kandy yet close enough to be with convenient access to it. Kandy is the home to the historic Temple of the Sacred tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya and the buzzing trade in spices, gems and jewelry all of which dates back to the era of Kandyan Kings of Lanka.
A short travel distance from the Victoria Golf Resort brings you to the quiet town of Deltota the estate and home of Scots planter James Taylor, the father of Ceylon Tea. The tea factory that was established to process tea leaves plucked from the plantation still stands including some of the olden days equipment used. Taylors seat is a special place where James Taylor is supposed to have sat and observed the growing expanse of plantation which he cultivated.
Golf in Hambantota
In 2016, Sri Lanka’s first international brand hotel and golf resort was set amid a vast coconut palm plantation, offering spectacular views over the pristine southern coast and Indian ocean.
Shangri-La Hambantota is located along the ancient Spice Route in a city steeped in rich history. Hambantota is known for its natural beauty and allows visitors to explore Asia’s fascinating nature and wildlife sanctuaries, including the Yala, Udawalawe, Lunugamvehera and Bundala National Parks. The luxury resort spans 58 hectares, making it the largest resort in Sri Lanka, and has 274 rooms, including 20 suites, all surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens.
Designed by golf architect, Rodney Wright, the 18-hole golf course spreads across a vast coconut palm plantation, a sapphire quarry, lakes and sand dunes, offering distinctive challenges for both beginners and seasoned players. Rodney Wright, is a strong believer in integrating the culture and environment of the surrounding area into a golf course. His goal was to design a course that people remember every hole.
Additional recreational activities making the resort an ideal family vacation venue include a Kids’ Club, a 7-metre-high trapeze, an outdoor water park, 3 swimming pools, and Health Club. The Chi Ayurveda Spa is a place of personal peace that offers ancient healing therapies and personalized Ayurveda consultations with a traditional Ayurveda physician. The unique Artisan Village gives you an opportunity to explore and interact with local artists and craftsmen. The Village is a space dedicated to supporting and preserving the treasures of southern Sri Lanka’s artisan communities and comes alive with regular traditional dance and music performances in the evening. On the Gastronomy Trail indulge in the finest Sri Lankan cuisine at Bojunhala, take in the Southeast Asian flavours inspired by the famous hawker stalls at Sera, enjoy international fare in a lush, green setting at Ulpatha, the resort’s Golf Club House, and enjoy delicious cap sundowners at Gimanhala Lounge offering specially crafted cocktails with magnificent views of the Indian Ocean.
The abundance of nature and wildlife, framed by lakes and the beautiful Indian Ocean, sets the scene for an incredible golfing experience.
Golf in Trincomalee
Scenic and challenging, Eagles’ Golf Links is located on the east coast of Sri Lanka, near Trincomalee Harbour. This 18-hole course offers nearly seven kilometers of challenging, enjoyable and unique rounds of golf for a par of 72, routed through picturesque, undulating Bermuda grass fairways and Tifdwarf greens, replete with magnificent trees. Views of sparkling waters, bays and coves enhance the experience, creating a stunning environment for an unforgettable game of golf.
Eagles Golf Links is blessed with warm to hot weather assuring golfers of warm sunny days much of the year, with the exception of the North-East Monsoon from November to February, when afternoon showers are common.
The course overlooks the scenic Clappenberg Bay and Malay Cove, and is a 15-minute drive from the pristine and beautiful Marble Beach, reputedly one of the world’s best beaches.
This venture is gainfully used for seamless integration of service personnel into the social fabric on their retirement. Also proceeds are utilized for the benevolence of SLAF personnel and their family members.