Golf arrived in Assam with the British tea planters of the 19th century. As the industry grew and estates spread across the Brahmaputra valley, planters built courses on their land - the only real recreation available in remote jungle postings. These became integral to plantation culture: the clubhouse, the round, the post-game gathering.
The Jorhat Gymkhana Club, established in 1876, stands as one of the oldest golf clubs in Asia - third oldest in India after Royal Calcutta Golf Club (1829) and Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club (1850). The Digboi Golf Club, founded in 1888 by the Assam Oil Company, was later expanded to 18 holes by American engineers during World War II and remains one of the most storied layouts in the country.
Today, Assam's ~25 golf courses span tea estates, army cantonments, heritage clubs, and modern resorts. Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts alone boast eight 9-hole courses. The sport has become inseparable from Assam's identity - and its future.
