One misty day in June, twelve avid golfers, posing as hikers, stumbled out of a dense forest onto verdant rolling grassland, with gurgling streams and wooded hills. This, they thought, would be ideally suited for golf. Thus, in 1895, was born the Kodaikanal Golf Club. In those days there was no ghat road as such, and the only mode of transport was by “shanks pony” or the real one, for the mainly American and British missionary with the Indian Civil Servant, who formed the backbone of the club. Almost a hundred years later, with the support of these pioneering members, the club has grown from strength to strength, and now has over 600 members from all overtheworld. One of the oldest traditions of the club is still followed today, where the new Captain, always nominated by the outgoing one drives into office off the first tee. During the fifties it became a tradition for the Captaincy to rotate between an Indian, an American and a Commonwealth citizen. This tradition continued until the late 70’s, when the expatriate golfer slowly faded away.
The next landmark of the club was the addition of nine holes, hewn out of the hills and the forest, to complete an 18 hole course by the early sixties. This was closely followed by the conversion of “browns” to “greens” – a major undertaking completed in 1986. The Hon. Secretary’s favourite animal, the wild boar, till then largely unnoticed as it happily dug its way through the fairways overnight, made its presence felt when freshly laid greens were found ravaged. Even today a golfer short of eagles and birdies can be rewarded with sightings of the real thing. A brahiminy eagle circling over the 6th green or a couple of barking deer bounding across the 4th fairway, or the majestic white-stockinged bison on the 15th and 16th holes. This, then, is the Kodai Golf Club today, nestling 7000ft. above sea level in the Palani Hills with cool breezes blowing off the cliff face, which can turn a par three hole from an easy nine iron to a hard four, with descending mist that makes you listen to know where your ball lands, and where the nineteenth hole offers succour and a view over one of the prettiest courses in the world.
source: http://www.kodaigolf.com/home.htm