October 15th 2014, New Delhi, India: The Bharat Ram Centenary celebration is a time for the golfing fraternity to remember the man, who not only was one of the founders of once again, brings together two giants intriguingly involved with the game of golf.

Bharat Ram, aside from business, was the founder member of the Delhi Golf Club who held the posts of President and Captain several times while serving on several committees. He also started the first Professional Golf tournament in India entitled the DCM Open.

Bharat Ram befriended Peter Thompson to help grow Indian golf in a meaningful way. Thompson, a five-time winner of the British Open and a three-time winner of the Indian Open, was in great demand those days, as he is still now.

Peter Thomson

Thomson, who was at the DGC on Wednesday, recalled how he Dr Bharat Ram was a towering figure in Indian golf. “He was the best man to go to if you wanted to help golf in India. I was in awe of him. He was so good and generous and loved the game so passionately and he knew everyone,” recalled Thomson.

Thomson also spoke of the times he visited India. “I helped the Indian Open get the participation of many big names of the days and that was my contribution. And I liked playing at the DGC.”

Thomson, who brought the replica he received when he won the trophy in 1976 held it aloft and said he really enjoyed the Indian Open and the DGC. “I also helped in the re-design of the DGC and it was fun working on it, though sometimes difficult to play on a course you have helped re-design.”

Thomson was generous enough then to visit India several times and even played in the Indian Open, which he won three times, to encourage golf in India. Working together with Bharat Ram, he redesigned the Delhi Golf Course and that substantive design is still played on by hundreds of players daily.

The Centenary was celebrated with Delhi Golf Club members golf event on Wednesday, October 15th 2014 which is Bharat Ram’s birthday.

Peter Thompson teed off ‘Lala Bharat Centenary Golf Event’ with a ceremonial tee off at 10.30 a.m.

The Delhi Golf Club was virtually a second home for Bharat Ram, who till his last years was a regular golfer at the course. He always had time for people who wanted to hear stories of the olden days when golf was still growing in India.