St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square

C ommunism, along with its enforcement, has been found not conducive to the spread of golf in Russia over the years. This could have been because the bourgeoisie had more time to practise and lower their handicaps as opposed to a member of the proletariat who was too busy working and never managed to get down to single figures. But whatever, golf courses were one step down from thin on the ground. This started to change after Stalin was called to pastures new and slowly democracy crept into the lives of Russians.

The 9-hole layout at Moscow City Golf Club

Teeing off at Moscow City Golf Club

It wasn’t too long after the end of the ‘cold war’ that it emerged that the various embassies were not only riddled with spies, but had an even stronger force of golfers chafing at the bit wanting to practise their belief in golf as the only worthwhile occupation to fill in the gaps that had appeared in their daily work routine as there was less spying to keep them occupied.

The 18-hole Pestovo Golf & Yacht Club, 28km from Moscow

Ouliana Rotmistrova

Still, considering the number of Russians there hasn’t been a rapid run of eighteen-hole layouts, although a few nine-holers have sprouted which will no doubt be extended to eighteen if their greens committees have their way. 

One young lady who is trying to make a name for herself on the Women's European Tour circuit, as her Russian counterparts on the tennis circuit are doing, is Ouliana Rotmistrova. She has some excellent credentials already, which could help promote Russian women’s golf. Rotmistrova, tall, powerful, glamorous and possessing a technically sound swing, started playing golf at the age of eleven when both she and her younger sister, Galina, attended Russia’s first golf academy in Moscow. She represents Moscow City Golf Club.

The 18-hole Le Meridien Golf Club, Moscow

Le Meridien, Moscow

So far there are two eighteen hole golf courses in Moscow and a few nine-holers here and there, but it’s a start and it could catch on. Thirty-eight kilometres from St. Petersburg there is a golf park, Dunes, consisting of a 6 hole executive course, a mini golf course, putting green and driving range. Maybe it is not much, but it's a foot in the door.

Dunes golf park near St. Petersburg

Golf became more acceptable as rays of democratic sunshine lit up the fairways, greens and out of bounds of the first eighteen-hole golf course in Moscow. Even so, as a sport golf rates a poor second to vodka drinking, but it does look like its popularity will spread further. We sincerely hope this will be the case and we will be the first to let you know of its progress.

Stunning Russian architecture

A street stall selling Matryoshka dolls