Golf in Tripura

Verified profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and scholarships on this page are compiled from federation and government sources (Wikipedia — Golf in India, Anirban Lahiri, Olympics.com — Anirban Lahiri profile, Golf Monthly — Anirban Lahiri facts, Prokerala — DP World India Championship 2026 coverage, Fox News/AP — Lahiri 2015 PGA Championship coverage).

Overview

Governing body: Indian Golf Union
Origin: 15th century Scotland
Olympic discipline: Yes
Category: Precision
Total players listed: …

Golf is one of India's most-followed disciplines. The Indian Golf Union oversees national federation activity, talent identification and Olympic qualification pathways. Major support flows in through TOPS and Khelo India for athletes who clear federation benchmarks.

Golf is a recognised Olympic discipline, which shapes the entire high-performance pipeline in India. Athletes who break into the senior national camp become eligible for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which funds international training stints, foreign coaches, sports science support, equipment and travel for ranking events. Below the senior tier, the Khelo India Youth Games, University Games and Winter Games act as the country's largest scouting net, feeding talent into the Khelo India Talent Development scheme where annual stipends, boarding and dedicated coaching are provided at SAI National Centres of Excellence and accredited academies. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports tracks every selected athlete's progress against published benchmarks, and underperformance can mean a drop from the scheme — the pathway is rigorous by design.

Golf sits in the precision-sport category, where mental skill, repetition and equipment matter as much as raw athletic ability. The Indian Golf Union runs a rigorous national calendar that doubles as an international selection trial, and Indian competitors have a strong record at Asian, Commonwealth and World level. Private clubs and ranges supply most of the entry-level infrastructure, while SAI and dedicated national academies handle elite training.

At the grassroots, the route into Golf typically starts at school under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), at the inter-university level under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or through a private academy registered with the state association. The Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games are the largest single discovery platforms — athletes who reach the podium at these events become eligible for the Khelo India Talent Development scheme, which funds boarding, coaching, kit, education and a monthly stipend at accredited centres. State sports awards and central government jobs under the sports quota remain a powerful incentive for athletes from smaller towns.

Golf originated in 15th century Scotland, and in India it has developed a distinct character shaped by the country's geography, demographics and sporting culture. Whether you want to compete, coach, sponsor, write about or simply follow Golf, the practical starting point is the same: connect with your state association under the Indian Golf Union, identify the nearest SAI centre or accredited academy, and track the Khelo India and federation calendars for the events that decide selection at every level. Golf is played and developed across India under the Indian Golf Union, with grassroots programmes, state associations and national-level competition pathways.

History

How golf evolved globally and took root in India.

Golf traces its modern origins to 15th century Scotland. Codified rules, standard equipment and international competition took shape as the sport spread beyond its birthplace, and Indian Golf Union is the body that carried it into organised Indian competition.

In India, golf grew through princely-state patronage, defence-service teams, universities and state associations. Post-independence, the discipline was formalised under Indian Golf Union, national championships were instituted, and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) later brought it into the centralised high-performance system with dedicated centres, coaching cadres and sports-science support.

Golf being on the Olympic programme reshaped its Indian pathway: Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) selection, Khelo India Talent Development stipends and international training stints became the norm for the country's leading athletes.

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for golf athletes in India.

Khelo India Talent Development Scheme (KISCE)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for identified golf talent (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports).
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for medal-prospect golf athletes; administered by the Mission Olympic Cell.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite golf athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment.
Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension (₹20,000 for Olympic/World/Asian/CWG medallists; scaled by tier) for retired golf internationals — Government of India.

Explore all government schemes →

Indian Players

Loading…

Loading roster…

Browse the full athlete directory →

Rules

Golf is played over 18 holes, each with a par (usually 3, 4 or 5), the aim being to hole the ball in as few strokes as possible. In stroke play the lowest total score across the round wins; in match play each hole is won, halved or lost. Play begins from the teeing area and the ball must be played as it lies — moving, improving the lie or grounding the club in a bunker draws penalties. One penalty stroke applies for an unplayable lie, a ball in a penalty area or a lateral relief drop; two strokes (or loss of hole) for playing a wrong ball or the wrong place. A ball hit out of bounds or lost is played again under stroke-and-distance. Players may carry a maximum of 14 clubs, and handicaps allow golfers of different standards to compete on equal terms. Slow play, advice from outside the caddie and equipment breaches are all governed by the R&A/USGA Rules of Golf.

Authoritative rulebook: Indian Golf Union. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Key roles, events or positions inside a golf squad or competition.

Rifle / pistol events
10m air, 25m and 50m disciplines shot to an electronic target.
Shotgun events
Trap and skeet — moving clay targets scored on hits.
Archery — recurve & compound
Ranking round and head-to-head elimination matches.
Team events
Three-athlete team formats contested at Asian, Commonwealth, World and Olympic level.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in golf at a federation-recognised event.

Maximum 14 clubs — driver, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, putter
Golf balls conforming to R&A/USGA specifications
Golf bag, trolley or caddie
Tees, ball markers, pitch-mark repair tool
Golf glove and spiked/soft-spike shoes
Rangefinder or yardage book (distance-measuring devices, where permitted)

Governing body

National federation

Indian Golf Union

Indian Golf Union is the recognised national body for Golf in India. It sets the domestic calendar, selection norms, coaching curriculum and anti-doping compliance, and is affiliated to the international federation for golf. State associations under Indian Golf Union run age-group competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Origin: 15th century Scotland
Olympic: Yes
Category: Precision

All federations →

Major Indian Events

Domestic championships, Khelo India events, National Games and franchise leagues that shape the golf calendar in India.

Amateur Golf Championship of India / All India Ladies, Seniors and Junior Championships
Organized by the Indian Golf Union — golf was first played in India in 1829. The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the domestic professional circuit.
Indian Golf Premier League / DP World India Championship
The Indian Golf Premier League launched in 2025 as a new club competition. The DP World India Championship (Delhi Golf Club, since 2024, USD 4 million purse) has drawn a global field including Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions where India competes in golf.

European Tour / PGA Tour
Anirban Lahiri became the first Indian to win consecutive European Tour events (the 2015 Malaysian Open and Hero Indian Open), tied fifth at the 2015 PGA Championship — the highest-ever finish by an Indian at a men's major — and became the first Indian selected for the Presidents Cup (2015, 2017). He finished runner-up at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2022, the PGA Tour's flagship event, earning the largest single paycheck (USD 2.18 million) by an Indian golfer.
Olympic Games
Lahiri represented India at both the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Shubhankar Sharma became the youngest Indian to win on the DP World Tour (Joburg Open, 2017, aged 21) and represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for golf. The national championship under Indian Golf Union remains the top domestic competition.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised golf athletes to know outside India.

Kim Woo-jin (South Korea)
Olympic and World archery champion.
Jean Quiquampoix (France)
Olympic 25m rapid-fire pistol champion.
Amber Rutter (Great Britain)
Olympic skeet medallist.
Kim Ye-ji (South Korea)
Olympic 25m pistol medallist.

Records

Where to find India's official golf record book.

Olympic medalsTracked
Individual and team Olympic medals for India in golf are logged on the official IOC and IOA archives.
Asian Games medalsTracked
India's Asian Games results in golf are compiled by the Indian Olympic Association and the Indian Golf Union.
Commonwealth medalsTracked
Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championship medals in golf are maintained by the Indian Golf Union.
World Championship medalsTracked
Senior, junior and youth World Championship medal records are held by the international federation for golf and mirrored by Indian Golf Union.
National record holdersFederation register
Indian Golf Union publishes the current senior, junior and sub-junior national records and updates them after every ratified event.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in golf — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Lahiri was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2014, the eighth Indian golfer to receive it; he trained under coach Vijay Divecha after moving from Pune to Bengaluru as a teenager
His coach and Indian golf commentators have credited his high-profile results with directly boosting junior participation and parental buy-in for golf as a career in a sporting culture historically dominated by cricket
Golf remains a genuinely expensive sport to access in India — it has 'not yet caught on' beyond wealthier classes due to cost, per Wikipedia — though the domestic PGTI circuit offers a real earning pathway, and coaching, caddying and club management are additional career routes as infrastructure grows

Explore sports careers →Coaches directory →

Related academies

0 listed

No golf academies are catalogued in the directory yet. Browse the full academy list or list your academy to appear here.

All academies →List your academy →

Government Schemes

…

Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for golf athletes and academies.

Loading schemes…

All government schemes →

FAQs

Common questions about golf in India.

Who governs Golf in India?▾

Indian Golf Union is the recognised national federation for Golf in India. State associations under Indian Golf Union run age-group and state-level competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Is Golf an Olympic sport?▾

Yes, Golf is on the Olympic programme. Selection for India runs through Indian Golf Union and the international federation's ranking events, and top athletes are typically funded through TOPS.

How do I start playing Golf in India?▾

Join a school team under SGFI, a college team under AIU, or a private academy affiliated to your state association. From there, age-group state championships and Khelo India events are the standard route into the national pipeline.

What government schemes support Golf athletes?▾

The core schemes are Khelo India (talent development stipends, scholarships and boarding at accredited centres), TOPS (funding for elite athletes preparing for the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games), and state-government cash awards, jobs and land grants for medallists. Federation-specific schemes may also apply.

Where can I train for Golf?▾

Sports Authority of India (SAI) national centres of excellence, Khelo India accredited academies, state sports institutes and private academies registered with the state association are the standard training venues. The Academies section on this page lists options.

How are Indian Golf athletes selected for international events?▾

Indian Golf Union runs selection trials — typically the senior national championship, a dedicated trial event, or ranking-based selection — and publishes the selection policy each season. Objective criteria (times, distances, ranking points, weight-class results) dominate at the elite level.

Golf in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Golf in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.

Golf