World's Highest Golf Course at Kupup, East Sikkim

I had been wanting to visit this place for a very long time but it never happened until last month and yes I was there at the world's highest golf course. Situated at the height of 13,025 from the sea level this Yak Golf Course in Kupup in East Sikkim do features in the Guinness Book of World Records on 10 October 2006. I found more information about the Golf Course from armyzonegolf.com which I would like to share:

YAK GOLF COURSE

Brief History The ‘Yak Golf Course’ was started on 19 Sep 1972 at Kupup. The course was re-designed in 1979 by Brig JM Singh, Cdr 164 Mtn Bde and since then it has been developed into one of the finest by Avid Golf Lovers. As of date under the guidance of Brig Ranbir Singh, Cdr 63 Mtn Bde and Col T K Murali, Dy Cdr 63 Mtn Bde the course is been redesigned and expanded to 18 holes.

Kupup, located at an altitude of 13,054 feet above mean sea level in East Sikkim boasts of an eighteen-hole golf course ‘The Yak Golf Course’ which is the highest in the world. It rivals the very best for its beauty and picturesque surroundings.

The Yak Golf Course managed by the Indian Army is Affiliated with the Indian Golfers Union since 1992. Our IGU Membership No is 0245 (E). The course is open to golfers round the year subject to snow conditions. However, it is generally playable from May to Dec. The course has challenging fairways meandering across mountain streams in their full flow and teasing browns which test the golfing skills of one and all.

Getting There

The nearest Airport is Bagdogra (WB) and the Nearest Railway Station is New Jalpaiguri (WB). From Bagdogra/New Jalpaiguri/Siliguri it is a three-hour drive by road to Gangtok, from where it takes about two hours by road to reach Kupup.

Facilities

The club is open seven days a week. During winter, the golf course remains active with ‘Ice Hockey’, ‘Ice Skating’ and ‘Skiing’ being the main attractions. Besides these, there is a Croquet Course and facility to play Baseball within the club. Course

The World’s Highest playing 18 Hole course, with meandering streams traversing the course, and the mighty Himalayas in the background.

Yards/Holes/Bunkers

The Golf Course is spread over 4,978 yards with 18 holes on 18 browns and numerous bunkers.

Fairways/No of Hazards/Local Rules

The fairways are lush green with natural streams and ponds as hazards, which makes the game interesting and challenging. Due to the natural lay of the ground, preferred lie is permitted to avoid damage to the clubs as well as to complete the course within the given score of 72.

JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT

This was a national song of Sikkim sung in the Nepali language during the monarchy system. During the merger with India, the song got banned and later re-released. Two words on the 8th para, which earlier said 'Rajah rah Rani,' were replaced with "Janmah bhumi." This song was dedicated to the King and Queen of Sikkim. The song lyrics were penned by Sanu Lama, and the music was composed by Dushyant Lama. The song was first sung on the birth anniversary of Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal on April 4, 1970, at Gangtok by Aruna Lama, Dawa Lama, and Manikamal Chettri. JANHA BAGCHA TEESTA RANGIT, JAHAN KANCHENDZONGA SEER YEHI HO HAMRO DHANA KO DESH, TAPAWAN HO PYARO SIKKIM INTERLUDE PHULCHAN YEHA AANGANAI MAA, CHAAP , GURAS, SUNAKHARI SWARGASARI SUNDAR DESH KO HAMRO PYARO PYARO JANMAHBHUMI JANHA BAGCHA…… BATASHLE BOKCHAA YAHA, TATHAGAT KO AAMAR WAANI ...

Royal flags of Kingdom of Sikkim (1877-1975)

Sikkim (India) Image by Mario Fabretto Description of the flag Historical flags 1877 - c. 1914 c. 1914 - 1962 1962 - 1967 Description of the flag From Barraclough (1971): "Sikkim, formerly a protectorate of India, was incorporated as the twenty-second state of the union in May 1975, and the office of the hereditary ruler, the Chogyal , was abolished. Sikkim has, or had, a flag of white with a red border all round, and a yellow Chakra (fimbriated in red) in the centre." "...the Chakra [is] a Buddhist symbol representing the Law of Dharma , or eternal change." The Chakra on the flag of Sikkim is different then the one on India's flag. It has eight spokes rather than the many spokes on India's, and has an ornate "nub" on the wheel at the head of each spoke. Don Hagemann, 28 November 1995 [editor's note: The source of this quote is not Barraclough (1971), but probably a later edition of the ...

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By Shital Pradhan It is more or less a forgotten part of the development process of the then-small Himalayan kingdom, Sikkim. The introduction of the coinage system in Sikkim ceased the way it had started. A study of the coinage system of Sikkim sheds light on the socio-economic and political history of the then-small state. The coins of Sikkim ended the way they appeared; they came from nowhere, and finally, they got lost out in the darkness. A handful of people around Sikkim and in the districts of Darjeeling now have these rare items in their collections. The coin of Sikkim is much sought after by numismatists interested in countries that no longer exist today. Before the British invasion of the land of Sikkim, Money revenue was never heard. Sikkim, being an agricultural foreground, gave some parts of food grains to the king as tax. Trade was carried out where things were exchanged between individuals. This system was prevalent even in the mid-19 th century; oranges ...

Proud to be a Sikkimese: Sikkim Travel, Culture & Local Heritage

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