Prague and Czech Golf History

Origins of Czech Golf continued...

1939 – 1945 - The Czechoslovak Republic ceased to exist, war broke out and began to threaten the country and the sport. Despite this golf competitions persevered and The Golf Association of Czechoslovakia was renamed the Golf Association of Bohemia and Moravia. Courses were lost or partially destroyed. Many players lost their lives, were imprisoned and repression led to many players and club officials being executed.

1945 – 1948 – The years after the war golf began to resurge and course were rapidly renovated including the golf course at Mariánské Lázně which was kindly restored by the American Army after the war.

1948 – The Communists took grip of the country, all sports clubs were either disbanded or incorporated into the national totalitarian organisations and became affiliated with production plants.

1952 - 1959 The national sports authorities ruled to discard golf from the list of approved sports and the course at the Klánovice was ploughed up. Threats were also made to destroy golf in Líšnice then Mariánské Lázně but thankfully never came to fruition. Whilst the communists tried to disband golf, some say that this actually made the sport stronger and made people even more determined to play it. Golf was treated as a bourgeois sport and if it was not for the Bohemian spa towns who still held on to their golfing structures the sport may not be as popular as it is today. Indeed, quasi-national tournaments were still held under the guise of “The Mariánské Lázně Cup" and women’s golf remained as popular during these years as the men’s did.

1960 – Golf began to make a welcomed resurgence with the slackening grip of the communists and a national league for teams was established.

1963 - Golf was allowed back into the national sports association

1966 – Golf was once again recognised as a fully approved sport and players were allowed to play in international competitions.

1968 – The CGA was accepted back into the European Golf Association which it ironically had played a large part in founding some two decades earlier.

1969 - Totalitarian control over all the association's activities was once again enforced.

1970- Existing golf centres of Prague, Mariánské Lázně and Karlovy Vary were joined by the new centres of Poděbrady, Ostrava and Semily which included an eighteen-hole course in Šilheřovice.

1979 - the European Junior Championship was held in Mariánské Lázně and was won by Ireland and included Ronan Rafferty in the team.

1990 - the Czech Association of Golf changed its name to the Czechoslovak Golf Federation.

1993 – On 1st January Czechoslovakia split into two independent states and the Association of Bohemia and Moravia eventually merged with the Czech Golf Federation (CGF). In the same year the men's European Team Championship was held in Mariánské Lázně

The last fifteen years has seen an incredible increase of golf courses and golfing in the Czech Republic the sport is thriving and looks to continue to increase will into the twenty first century.

CZECH GOLF COURSES--> Mariánské Lázne | Karlovy Vary | Karlstejn |