Gymkhana Club Chennai

Sometimes in the distant haze, one can almost hear the thundering hooves of the Jodhpur-clad British officers doing ‘chukkars’ as bystanders in solar topis applaud. Seated in the open-air lawns of the Madras Gymkhana Club under a moonlit sky, you wonder how many romances blossomed here on the very same Island grounds.   Here, in one of the most sought after destinations in the country, one frequently gets the sensation of the past flavouring the present. Not surprisingly, as the 125- year-old club maintains solid links to history.

The anglicised Gymkhana continues to celebrate Christmas with a Santa Claus riding into the premises (in the past he came on an elephant, in a rickshaw and an aeroplane) Derby Night, Boxing Day Dance and New Year’s Eve.  The open-air Friday movie night is a regular affair. The dress code is strict, Continental food (chocolate cake, club sandwiches and praline ice-cream) a big attraction.

Opened on a warm summer afternoon in April 1884, with “horsemanship and physical fitness the only gods the English knew”, the club had a modest start. It comprised just a tent from where the ‘members’ like British army officers, British company executives and South Indian rajahs would emerge to indulge in pig sticking (wild boar hunts), paper chasing, golf, tennis, football and rugby.   Royal patronage led to the emergence of grand stands, buildings, army bands, billiard tables, swimming pools, visits by The Prince of Wales (later to become Edward VIII), visits by Major Sammy Lee, Olympic diving champion, the club’s first cabaret by three American lady artistes, and the arrival of the ice-making plant; the club is clothed in colonial history all right. Since its inception, golf has been an abiding passion amongst the members.  

The Gymkhana, which is one of the founding members of the Indian Golf Union, (the Indian arm of the PGA) has two options – the charmingly named Tom Thumb golf area in the main club and the Madras Gymkhana Club Golf Annexe in Guindy. One of the oldest link style golf courses in the country, a game of 18 holes on the sprawling 6000 yards affords an intriguing challenge as the course meanders through a horse racing track. It was started in 1877 with Col. Ross Thompson as its first Captain, and the Princes of Vizianagaram, Pithapuram and Orissa were among the early Indian members.

The golf annexe was flagged off at the Island Grounds but was shifted to Guindy at the turn of the 20th century. Another legacy continues to be observed as the annual match between the Madras Gymkhana Club and the Bangalore Golf Club, the second oldest surviving club, is played every year. Along with smooth fairways and the best greens in the country, the club has Ishwar Achanta, India’s only international golf referee, as its Honorary Treasurer.   The Gymkhana is one of the few clubs that promotes women’s golf, dating back to the Hutton Cups in 1931, one of the first tournaments in the country for women.

From being almost the sole dominion of men, though female companionship was always welcome, the Gymkhana has opened up to women, admitting them as members in their own right. The Men’s Bar long ago gave way to the popular Mixed Bar, making it happy hours all around.  The club today is a place for the entire family: be it the sportive activities or catching a game of bridge or tombola or enjoying a delicious dinner after a Hariharan concert. Be it for social recognition or sports, over drinks or a delicious dinner, the bonhomie here is all encompassing.