Narok farmer to build Sh1.3 billion tourist golf resort
Photo/File
Windsor golf course in Nairobi. A farmer in Narok, an area better known for its wheat farms, has applied to Nema for the green light to develop a golf course in the area.
A Narok farmer is set to develop a Sh1.3 billion golf resort next to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, seeking to tap business tourists visiting the world famous wildlife sanctuary.
Olerai Ltd, a company backed by a large-scale Narok farmer, Tarquin Wood, intends to develop an 18-hole golf course, a lodge, cottages and an airstrip.
The resort will occupy more than 1,300 acres of land, currently under wheat, maize and French beans.
Details of the planned project indicate that the target clientele will be high-spending tourists seeking active holidaying rather than the traditional game viewing.
In an interview, Mr Wood said the project will offer tourists an alternative or additional attraction to the Mara.
“There is a big market for an alternative product for tourists; a golf resort will certainly raise the Mara’s profile,” said Mr Wood, adding that a new market niche of golfers is emerging out of the rapidly growing local middle income class.
“Golf tourism is a huge product in several markets like South Africa,” Mr Wood said.
Olerai Golf Resort will also have 80 cottages. Mr Wood said that the golf resort will also help to restore the land around the Mara, which has been degraded by increased human activity that is threatening the wildlife ecosystem.
The project is awaiting approval by State environmental watchdog, Nema.
“We (Olerai) are funding the project,” said Mr Wood when asked about financing of the resort construction, but added that about 30 cottages will be offered for sale.
Ownership of holiday homes within tourist resorts is a new concept in the Kenyan property market, and is picking up across top tourist destinations.
Olerai is one of several golf resorts coming up across the country, with investors positioning themselves to gain from the growing golfing population locally, and from golf as a product in the tourism industry.
Among the most notable developments include three upcoming golf resorts around Lake Naivasha, Sergoit Resort in Eldoret and the G20 Golf Resort outside the Amboseli National Park in Kajiado.
Mike Macharia, the chief executive of the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers, reckons that Kenya stands to gain from the development of such facilities since they would complement the game and beach tourism.
“Golf tourism is a huge industry which we need to tap into, with the development of such facilities,” said Mr Macharia, who estimates that the global golf tourism industry is worth over Sh1.6 trillion ($20 billion), way bigger than the safari industry.
“Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) has only started marketing the country as a golf destination and we are hopeful that this will attract golfing visitors,” he added, saying that Mauritius which is much smaller attracts over 30,000 golfing tourists every year.
KTB has for instance identified sports tourism as one of the areas to diversify into as the country seeks to grow visitor numbers.
Mwaniki Gachoka, the chairman at Kenya Golfers’ Union says there are tens of new golf resorts coming up across the country as the country positions itself to gain from the new tourism attraction.
“Kenya has never before been marketed as a golfing destination but with the shift in strategy from KTB, investors are rushing to benefit from this emerging opportunity,” he said.
Mr Gachoka is developing a golf resort in Nyeri. “We have perfect weather the whole year round meaning that golf can be played every day,” he added of the huge potential that the country has in emerging as a top golfing destination globally.
Already, the Rift Valley highlands have become an attractive destination for sports men and women who have come into the country to train ahead of the Olympic games in London in July and August.
Olerai’s approach in diversifying the product offering from just game viewing serves as an additional attraction for tourists which its proponents expect would also create additional jobs while conserving most of the land under forestry.
“It is anticipated that this (Olerai Golf Resort) will take considerable pressure off the Maasai Mara National Reserve as tourists will be offered alternative activities like golf and tennis,” added Mr Wood.
