Ice golf was known right back in the 17th century. A painting by the Dutch painter Aert van der Neer (1603-1677) shows players with a club in their hands attempting to get a ball into a hole in the ice covering a frozen canal in Holland. At that time the game was called "kolven".
 
The World Ice Golf Championship was the brainchild of Mr. Arne Niemann, a local resident and hotel proprietor on a small island called Uummannaq, off Greenland's North West coast. In 1997 Mr. Niemann challenged architect Rolf-Henning Jensen to design the world's first ice golf course created by the ocean and huge icebergs. With support of the local community, Uummannaq Municipality and Greenland Tourism the World Ice Golf Committee was set-up to establish the ice golf championship. From the very beginning the committee signed a sponsorship with Drambuie. The Scottish Liqueur Company has been crucially involved in the development of the event and was title and main sponsor for four years.

What started as a slightly wild idea quickly grew in reputation to become a genuine and inimitable international golfing event. Everyone agrees on that. However, the weather has cheated the organisers in the last years and tournaments have been cancelled. However, that doesn't scare the organisers who are once again in full swing planning the coming World Ice Golf Championship

The Tournament is a 36 hole-stroke competition played over two. The day before the Championship the players also compete in a 'Ryder Cup' style tournament, called The Niemann Cup, as a tribute to Arne Niemann. It is a great way for participants to get used to the freezing conditions, playing on ice and the layout of the course before taking part in the World Championship tournament.

The championship is played in years with good and safe ice conditions.

The Committee is based in Uummannaq. The objective of the Committee is to develop The World Icegolf Championship, to increase winter activity in Uummannaq and to put Uummannaq - and Greenland on the international map. The committee is also aiming to keep the golf course open and accessible for several weeks for other tournaments and company incentives that include ice golf.
 
Ice golf and in fact golf altogether is a hitherto unknown phenomenon in Uummannaq town and the neighbouring districts. Therefore the committee, in conjunction with Uummannaq Municipality set up an Ice Golf School in connection with The World Ice Golf Championship. The Ice Golf School takes place the weekend before the championship. Everyone in Uummannaq is welcome to take part.