During the British colonial era, several sports were introduced to Sri Lanka, which was then known as Ceylon. Golf made an appearance in 1879. The very first game of golf, along with that of cricket, football, hockey, horse racing, and rugby, were played on Galle Face Green. The increasing popularity of golf in Sri Lanka led to the founding of the Colombo Golf Club in July 1896. This, the very first golf club in Sri Lanka, was given the prefix of ‘Royal’ by King George V in 1928. Today, it goes by the name of Royal Colombo Golf Club and is one of the oldest Royal Golf Clubs found outside the United Kingdom.
The highlights of the Sri Lankan golfing scene have since expanded to the hill country. The Royal Colombo Golf Club and the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club are most visited courses in the country. The ‘City of Light’ or Nuwara Eliya was a favoured getaway of the English and Scottish workers who resided in Ceylon during British rule. The locale was so popular it later became known as ‘Sri Lanka’s Little England’. The chilly weather and Nuwara Eliya bungalow properties that resemble country cottages are reminiscent of the English countryside; an example of such a property is the Scottish Planter Glendevon Bungalow which is nestled among lush green tea bushes and is styled on a Scottish dwelling.
The clubhouse on the Nuwara Eliya course is a quaint colonial-era building and the greens are spread over about six thousand yards. Three hours away and also in the hill country is Victoria Golf and Country Resort in Digana, near Kandy. This course is a collection of slopes, it offers a breathtaking view and the greens were listed as one of the most beautiful golf courses in Asia by Golf Digest. Trincomalee, a port city in the Eastern Province, boasts a flat course with a spectacular ocean view, while the Hambantota is home to the newest course; with eighteen holes.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+
