Romanian Golf History

Before the Second World War, there were 6 golf courses in Romania: one in Bucharest (Bucharest Country Club as first name of Diplomatic Club), 2 golf courses on the seaside (one at Mamaia and one at Eforie Nord), one at Teleajen (designed by Americans) and one near Bucharest, at Buftea (that belonged to Stirbei Prince). Two of them were destroyed during the war; the other 4 had been in use until 1948 when the politic communist regime decided closing them.

The only 18 holes golf course that existed in Romania in communist period was “Diplomatic Club”. The English Golf Professor G.T. Baker designed plans for this golf course in 1937. As result of the communist period this Club has only 6 holes for now.

Nowadays, the Diplomatic Executive Golf Course has in its beautiful location – Herastrau Park large conference meeting rooms, reception saloons, tennis courts, swimming pool, mini-football field, bar-restaurant-terrace. 

In 1938, The London Professional Golf Association awarded the Title of Golf Professor to Mr. Paul Tomita who dedicated all his life to this sport. 

Professor Paul Tomita spend all his life playing golf in all European countries and some golf courses from USA and was the particular professor for entire king family and well fair Romanian families of that period. 

He represented our country to 7 World Championships (Italy (1968), England (1969), Singapore (1969), Czech Republic (1970), Argentina (1970), USA (1971), Australia (1972), Spain 1973), contributed to first 18 holes course building and accomplished with R&A help (45.000 pounds) the first private golf course in Romania opened in 1995 (at Pianu de Jos, his native village near Alba Iulia).

Organizational matters 

On 22nd of September 2004, Romanian Golf Federation was established, representing the only authority on the game of golf in Romania. Members of Romanian Golf Federation are clubs or sport associations as founders from the entire country that have golf as their main or second sport section: 

1. Professional Golf Sport Club ”Lac de Verde “ 

2. Professional Golf Sport Club ”Herastrau “ 

3. Golf Sport Club Suceava 

4. Vointa Targu Mures Association

5. Sport Club Steaua Breaza 

6. Sport Club Dinamic Sport Ploiesti

7. "Club Tite Golfresort" Association

8. “ Paul Tomita” Golf Club

In Romania, an estimated number of 3,000 people, mostly foreigners play golf. There are around 500 registered romanian amateur players with handicap between 6 and 54. Of course players number is constantly increasing as a result of more sportive programs provided by each golf course.  

On 25th of April 2005 Federation become member of  the Romanian Olympic Sportive Committee. One of the primary goals of Romanian Golf Federation was for golf to be recognized as an Olympic Sport again and it happen in 2009. 

Federation received financial support from the ROSC twice (in 2006 and 2007) and our golfers participated in 2006 at International Amateur Open of Hungary, Turkey, Slovenia and in 2007 continued only with Junior European important events. This relation continued but not so intensively.

The Romanian Golf Association (RGA) was established early 2015 by 33 businessmen and businesswomen passionate about golf, with the purpose of improving the popularity and interest in the game of golf in Romania as well as promoting its economic, social and environmental benefits.

Golf programs and intensive courses 

During last 27 years, demonstrative golf lessons and intensive courses were performed in order to spread the game of golf throughout Romania.

The most important 700 commercial romanian and international companies along the highest rank authorities of different domains, have organized team building activities.

Paul Tomita and Lac de Verde golf courses had provided the most, during last 27 years, free intensive golf program for romanian children and foreigner as well (such as: Greece, Italy, France, etc). 

In September 2002, CNN produced at “Lac de Verde” a video report about Romanian junior golf and was broadcast worldwide.

CNN made a presentation of intensive junior golf programs and summer programs for children from “Lac de Verde” Golf Club, that proved even from then - a good quality Romanian junior golf players and junior national level competitions.   

Kids were also given equipment, clubs and ball. Starting from 2001 Golf Clubs had many enquiries from high schools and families for junior golf camp. 

Camps lasted an entire week and children had a complete program: stretching, presentation of R&A golf rules (presented in English or translated in Romanian), computerized analyze of the swing, exams for checking the understanding of etiquette and golf regulations, as well as training on the golf course.

Romanian junior golf national championships sponsored by different companies along Courses themselves, are a tradition from early 2001.

At this moment the absence of a European golf championship is felt, as Romanian children need a motivation to go on and trust in their forces.

Through the Golf Club magazine, a constant information has been made on the game of golf, there were made more materials for a better understanding of this game, the second edition of the book “Golf Guide” was published (it contains information on golf history, structure of golf courses, presentation of golf equipment), there were also published articles on rules of golf and golf etiquette; “ABC Golf” was published  – a course of golf with pictures for children age 6 – 12; it was also published a “Golf Dictionary”.  

R&A Golf Rules book is well known as main authority concerning golf rules and practical way of playing this game.  

Between early 2008 and till 2011 a new magazine took place of the old one that finished publishing during summer 2007. Golf & Life Style was indeed a beautiful and professional informal medium for all that means the interest of golf within Romania, concerning through others strong up date on Masters level competitions winners and Romania competition calendar.  The same level of quality was taken over by Jucatorul de Golf published by National Asociation of Golf Players, from 2010 till 2014.

A glimps of the archive of Golf Championships from 2001 till 2005 = earliest stage of mass amateur competitive golf in this country.

Romanian golf competition activity was carried during 4 consecutive seasons (2001-2004) under the coordination of “Paul Tomita”, “Lac de Verde”, “Diplomatic”, “Tite Golf Resort” Golf Clubs and competitions were held in accordance with international regulations in use determined by the R&A. 

There were golf competitions on a national level, organized by those golf courses and sponsored by their partners or company members (example: BMW, Orange, Transilvania Bank, Romtelecom, Siemens, Elvila, Mercedes, Intersig, etc). 

Between 2001 and 2003, more than 25 golf competitions were organized at “Lac de Verde”, “Bucharest Diplomatic” Golf Club and “Paul Tomita” Golf Club. 

In 2004, there were 17 golf competitions organized in locations above mentioned. 

Between sponsors we must name at least a few: Mercedes, Volvo, BMW, Marriott, Toshiba, Carlsberg, Lukoil, Interbrew, Petrom, Elvila, AIG, Aviva, British American Tobacco, Omniasig, Siemens, Asirom, ING Bank, HVB Bank, National Bank, ABN Amro, Henkel, British Airways, Holcim etc. BMW sponsored the participation of the Romanian winner to represent our country at the word Amateur Golf Final BMW International for 6 years consecutively starting with 2002 until today and will continue next years.

In 2005, qualifying golf competitions have been organized under the authority of Romanian Golf Federation, there have been 27 competitions (seniors, juniors) organized in 2 locations: Breaza, Pianu. 

At each event, mass media representatives were present and all the time articles and publicity spot were published in important newspapers and magazines: Ziarul financiar, Wall Street, Volvo Magazine, Insight Tarom, Viva, Romania Libera, Evenimentul Zilei, Academia Catavencu, Pro Sport, “Golf Club” Review, Olivia, BMW Golf Magazine, Regata, Cotidianul, Romania Pitoreasca, Bucharest Business Week, Playboy, etc; television and radio programs broadcast at national level.

In the main financial daily-newspaper (Ziarul Financiar), a continuous editorial regarding golf activity with all necessary details appeared for more than a year (spring 2003- end of 2004 period). 

Romanian Golf Federation’s International relations 

In December 2004, Dr. Asanache President of Romanian Golf Federation together with Marius Popescu – general secretary of Romanian Golf Federation, participated in Spain at Annual General Meeting of Professional Golf Association of Europe Congress. By this were established contacts that proved very useful for future plans of the Romanian golf development, reffering to later on 2006 membership for Romanian Federation at all 5 most important international golf authorities. 

Already from autumn of 2005 Romanian Golf Federation become member at EGA.

In the last months of 2005, the necessary steps for the affiliation to R&A, IGF, USGA were made through correspondence, and resolved from early 2006 summer when our Federation was recognized as a full member to all this international associations and authorities in golf.

Romanian Golf Federation also paid the expenses of an official trip in Austria of 5 golf instructors in order to be legitimated at European Golf Teachers Federation. The intensive course took 1-week In Austria (2004 autumn) and the Vice President from EGTF – Mr. Bill Abbott conducted it. Names of the team that received the EGTF membership diploma: Marius Popescu, Ciprian Serbanoiu, Andrei Toma, Adrian Bondoc, Gabriel Iusan.

In February 2007 a group of 3 instructors graduated an intensive 2 years college course trough Romanian Sport Agency (Sportive Trainers National School) that provided the title of golf sportive trainers in accordance with Romanian law. Names of those three are: Marius Popescu, Adrian Bondoc, Ovidiu Brebene.

Marius Popescu, at that time general secretary of the federation, and Ovidiu Brebene Golf Instructor from Lac de Verde, participated at the R&A International Referee Exam held in February 2006 at St. Andrews.

Something that could also be seen as a success is Marius Popescu presence as general secretary of Romanian Golf Federation at 2005 Golf Business Congress from St. Andrews. The reason for this is that by discussing with Development Director of the R&A Mr. Duncan Weir, Romania immediately received an important donation of 40 new Taylor Made golf bags for junior’s development (many thousands of pounds goods worth).

A Swiss PGA Coach Mr. Stephane Barras held a week of seminars in Romania for golf instructors and another one for golf players – in July 2006.

PGA Coach Jan Jorgen de Vries from Holland held another seminar, more practical than first, with golf instructors and players in August 2006.

The idea was to have some options in order to choose a national coach involved in future plans of Romanian golf development.

Considerably is also the interest shown in 2006 by IMG International to be involved in the future of Romanian golf that is very promising. Remains to be seen, in what way will be practical proved by near future.

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For sure, the most important point from golf history until December 2008 in Romania, consumed when PGAsE and R&A official representatives came to know for themselves which are the problems faced by the emerging golf industry from Romania. Those officials confirmed their presence early 2007, at Marius Popescu (than general secretary of the Federation) invitation.

Kevin Barker, the assistant of the Directors of Rules from the R&A organized a rules seminar at the Federation office and the final exam of this event proved successful for almost all participants.  Also he had discussions with federation officials.

PGAsE delegation consisted in 2 key persons: Mr. Leif Ohlsson the Chairman of the Educational Committee and Mr. Tony Bennett the Director of the same Committee.

They wanted a complete report on the actual stage of development in romanian golf, to identify which are the difficulties, in what way they might help and more important if plans for future are well understood/constructed by the federation along all key individuals of the sector.      

All international Golf Authorities knows, in detailed matter, what means golf in Romania today. They also are up dated on what should happen in medium and long time future. For example, even if it was aproved by the Federation in 2006 as national coach, Mr. Pascal Simard could not put in place strongest development program because of reasons well known by some... 

Still, romanian golf activity has developed pretty fast. One example is: in 2022, there is a 18 holes golf resort in construction near Bucharest. During last 11 years, golf from romania, has been present in world wide attention, more strong than ever before. 

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Our conviction is that Romania will qualify as highly tempting tourist luxury golf destination, by 2030.

This way is also assured the golden opportunity for Romanian future players to ascend at competitive PGA level golf Tours and why not even Masters. 

If you have any question or you need any help regarding golf in Romania please don’t hesitate to contact us.

All the best regards and whishes from Romania, one of the next best golf destination within Europe!