Golf in Russia: almost 40 years of history

The first golf club was founded in Russia in 1988 at Dovzhenko street. It is exactly where the first practice course was opened. Two years later, the 9-hole course was opened to play. The first Champions' course for 18 holes welcomed its athletes at the Moscow Country Club in 1994 (in Nakhabino, a settlement in the vicinity of Moscow).

The year 1992 saw the launch of the Russian Golf Association that was acknowledged by the Olympic Committee of Russia, the European Golf Association and by the highest golf authority, the St. Andrew's Golf Club. That same year, Nakhabino hosted the first Russian Golf Championship. Svetlana Kiyko and Alexander Strunkin became the winners. The first golfers to turn professional in the country were Denis Zherebko and Alexander Strunkin.

September 1996: Sovereign Russian Open - the first international golf tournament in Russia, which became the stage of the PGA European Challenge Tour, was held in September 1996. Players from 24 countries fought for $100K prize money. Carl Watts from England won the tournament setting another course record - 65, while Alexander Strunkin representing Le Meridien Moscow Country Club was awarded the title of the first professional golfer in Russia. For three consecutive years the prize fund of the Russian Open has been $1mln with the tournament supported by M2M Private Bank, a title partner and organizer.

Regardless of its almost 40-year-old history, golf in Russia is a young and growing sport showing persistent progress: in 2015, two Champions' courses were opened in Saint-Petersburg and Kazan (18 holes) to host full-scale tournaments; the surplus of golfers in the handicaps system was 250 persons over a season unlike the previous years when growth total did not exceed 130. Children and youngsters golf programme will allow training 15,000 schoolchildren and 200 teachers by summer season of 2016 as well as forming a team of young and talented players who will represent our country at the international events in 2019-2020.

And of course, 2016 will become a true bounty for any golf enthusiast. For the first time since 1904 golf has become the Olympic sports at the Summer Games in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. At the games, Russia was represented by Maria Verchenova (Balikoeva) who finished at 16th place and in the final round made a hole-in-one and set an Olympic record playing a round of 62.

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