The Colombo Golf Club formed in 1879 is the 2nd oldest ‘Royal’ Golf Club outside the United Kingdom. However, when it began in 1879 as Colombo Golf Club it had neither a golf course nor clubhouse at the time and shared space at the Galle Face esplanade with Polo. Cricket and other sports popular among the British gentry at the time.
On Saturday 13th March 1880, the first Annual General Meeting of the Colombo Golf Club was held and the committee formed, approved for the search for a suitable venue for a dedicated golf course. However, this only saw reality in 1896, and on the 9th December, Sir West Ridgeway, then British Governor to Ceylon and a keen golfer himself, formally declared open the Colombo Golf Club on its own premises at Model Farm Road where it stands today.
In 1928, His Majesty King George V. bestowed upon the Club the privilege of using the prefix “Royal”, and consequently the Colombo Golf Club came to be known as the Royal Colombo Golf Club and the second oldest golf club outside the United Kingdom to be bestowed with the “Royal” prefix.
Situated amidst a residential surrounding in the heart of Colombo, the RCGC as it is often referred to is an oasis of serenity, pleasant green surroundings with an enchanting collection of birds and fauna, lush greens and trees. When on the golf course it is an escape of the bustling metropolis surrounding it. The unique feature and quaint in its own sense is a working railway line running across the grounds although not on a busy schedule.
The golf course is set up in approximately 40 acres of carefully landscaped golf greens, 6544 yards, par 71, and 18-holes. The facilities at the well appointed Clubhouse includes a Guvnor’s bar, restaurant and verandah overlooking the greens, a modern Changing Room, Pro-shop, Practice range, Fitness Center and Function Venues and is conveniently accessible from many hotels and places of stay in Colombo.