Short History of Turkish GOLF

All of these and more are offered to the golfers of the world, now, too, because Turkey is the recent emerging golf destination of Europe. Although Turkish golf has started in the last quarter of 19th century and the first golf club was founded in 1895, in Istanbul; this sport started to gain the interest of the governments almost a hundred years later.

The first club, IGC-Istanbul Golf Club, is still active and runs its 9 hole course. However, the following clubs could not survive. Izmir Bornova Golf Club was established in 1905 and closed in 1970; Bosphorus Bebek Golf Club established in 1911 and ceased to be in 1923; and Ankara Golf Club lived from 1949 to 1980. The main reason for this was that they could not either have or maintain their courses. The golf course of IGC was first constructed in Maslak, then moved to Levent in 1922 and at last to 4. Levent in 1940, where it still serves.

In the beginning of 1990s the real attempt was started by the government and the land for the development of 7 golf courses -6 in Antalya, 1 in Izmir- was leased to the tourism investors.

Klassis Golf & Country Club was put into service in Silivri, Istanbul as the first proffessional golf course of Turkey in 1994. National Golf Club followed it in Antalya. Then Kemer Golf & Country Club in Istanbul and four more golf clubs in Antalya was established with their own courses: Tat Golf Club, Gloria Golf Club, Nobilis Golf Club and Antalya Golf Club. Besides these golf courses, three driving ranges were opened: Alkent 2000 in Istanbul, Ahlatlıbel in Ankara and Millenium in Antalya.

Today, all of the 9 golf courses of Turkey are crowded with resident and tourist golfers from Europe, USA and Japan.