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 Neimann, a local resident and hotel proprietor on a small island called Uummannaq, off Greenland's North West coast. In 1997 Mr. Neimann challenged architect Rolf-Henning Jensen to design Greenland's first golf course, which proved remarkably easy to do. 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. The World Ice Golf Championship in Uummannaq has become a genuine and inimitable international golfing event.

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 and to increase winter activity in Uummannaq, to put the town - 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 includes icegolf.
 
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.