Looking for a golf party? Jet to Vipingo and watch Safaricom’s VIP extravaganza

When it comes to golf parties, no one throws a golf party quite like Safaricom! After a year away from the amateur golf circuit, Safaricom introduced the Safaricom Business Golf Challenge in the 2011/2012 season.

With 19 different venues on the calendar and an expected total of over 3,000 golfers from 38 golf clubs across the country, the re-entry of Safaricom into the golf scene was loud!

This weekend, the Safaricom Business Golf Challenge concludes in style the Baobab Course, Vipingo Ridge, Kenya’s top golf course and resort.

When Safaricom first entered the corporate golf scene, some five years ago, their events quickly became the talk of town.

From the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, to the Muthaiga Golf Club and to the extravaganzas at the Leisure Golf Club, these events were the top billings on the amateur golf calendar, graced by the most influential Kenyans, the Captains of Industry.

The 2011/2012 season has not been any different; from the launch of the Challenge at the Golf Park in July 2011, to the first weekend at the majestic Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, the Safaricom have not disappointed.

The Challenge moved to the Nyanza Club on the shores of Lake Victoria, to the Kakamega Golf Club, to the pineapple fields at the Thika Sports Club, it wowed the flamingoes at the Nakuru Golf Club, visited the newly re-designed Vet Lab Sports Club, headed north to the beautiful 18-hole layout at the Kitale Sports Club before moving to the tea fields at the Kericho Golf Club.

The Challenge also visited one of Kenya’s best-kept golf courses and home Kenya’s best junior golf programme, the Nyali Golf and Country Club before moving to the only golf course in the Eastern Province, the Machakos Golf Club.

The Challenge then moved to the Muthaiga Golf Club, the Karen Country Club, the Railway Golf Club, the ever vibrant Limuru Country Club, the Nanyuki Sports Club on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, the Sigona Golf Club, the Kiambu Golf Club and finally to Kenya’s oldest golf club, the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.

This weekend, the Safaricom Business Golf Challenge concludes at Vipingo and in true Safaricom fashion, this will be a lavish affair. According to the Safaricom Enterprise Business Unit GM, Sylvia Mulinge, the Safaricom Business Golf Challenge has lived up to its billing. “At each of the 19 venues we have visited the reception has been fantastic and we have managed to interact with our clients and partners in these great informal setting that golf clubs offer,” Mulinge said. “The top two winners from each venue will be flown and hosted in Mombasa for what will be a VIP golf weekend. We have also invited our top clients and partners to join us at Vipingo in what is going to be the top golf event this year.”

The lavish finale will include the qualifiers, drawn from around the country and an A-List of Safaricom guests.

“Our qualifiers will be flown into Mombasa and hosted at the Serena Beach Hotel from where they will be transported to the Vipingo Ridge for golf on Saturday,” Mulinge added. “We will have a welcome cocktail on Friday and a gala dinner on Saturday where the winners will be rewarded.”

Shine

Top golfers expected to shine at Vipingo include, Kitale Club’s scratch golfer Philip Shiharsy, Railway’s Rufus Njoroge, a handicap-11 golfer who qualified for the Grand Finale with an impressive 44 points, Karen’s Paul Kaguamba and Royals’ Jay Sandhu a former Kenya international.

John Tarus will make the long trip from Nandi Bears to Vipingo to compete whilst Ernest Mwanza, handicap-3 golfer will represent the Machakos Golf Club.