Heritage

Windsor hosts Toyota Golf Day, Pewter Bowl held at Karen grounds

golf

Photo/Courtesy 2011Toyota Kenya Golf Day winner Ndiga Kithae (centre) with Hylton Bannon of Toyota (left), and Mr Dennis Awori.

The annual Toyota Kenya Golf Day will be staged at the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club on Friday; if you have not received an invite, perhaps it is because you don’t drive the very latest Toyota Land Cruiser VX or the new Camry!

This will be the second edition of what has grown to be one of the most sought after corporate golf days in Kenya, hosting the top captains of industry in Kenya.

With over 200 golfers drawn to play at Windsor, led by Naoki Takeuchi, the recently appointed MD for Toyota Kenya, Toyota Kenya GM Ali Swalleh, Toyota Kenya chairman, ambassador Dennis Awori and other staff from the firm, the championship is expected to be a hotly contested affair.

At the Toyota Kenya Golf Day last year, the long hitting Ndiga Kithae, a former golf captain at the Thika Sports Club, proved that “long” is not always “wrong.”

Kithae managed to fire his golf ball true on the long and often narrow Windsor fairways, finishing with a massive 42 stable ford points to claim the revolving Toyota Kenya Annual Golf Tournament trophy.

His drive on the par-four ninth, a thundering 363-yard drive that was just short of the green also won him the longest drive prize.

Commenting on his exploits from last year, Kithae said he was unlikely to play as well.

“Unfortunately I have not been playing much golf, I have been rather busy at work,” Kithae said. “However, I will grace the occasion and do my best to defend this prestigious trophy.”

Muthaiga lady golfer, Joyce Gikunda will also be at Windsor to defend the ladies top prize as will the Hon. Amos Kimunya, also a winner from last year.

Over the years Windsor, one of the top golf resorts in Kenya, has continued to claim its place as a top corporate golf destination, attracting the best corporate golf days.

The unique combination of a championship golf course and a five-star resort, set in natural forest yet only a short drive from Nairobi City Centre, add to the allure of the Windsor.

The annual Pewter Bowl will be held at the Karen Country Club. This unique Four-Ball Better-Ball against Bogey competition is played off three-quarters handicap and golfers play in pairs.

The team of Guto Mogere and Anthony Gacheru, not sure which one will wear a skirt, are considered firm favourites.

They will, however, receive considerable challenge from the pair of Raymond Nyamweya and Githae Kiereini, a self confessed mix of brawn and strategy.

It is still not clear who will play alongside the stylish Kethi Kilonzi, who has sworn to play in a shocking all-pink outfit!

A word of caution to those considering to play with their spouses, this competition format can wreck marriages! You have been warned.

So, the rains are here, at last, you are well advised to include a pair of umbrellas in your golf bag and to carry rain gear to protect yourself and your golf clubs from the rain.

Perhaps it is time to invest in a new pair of water-proof shoes, a good rain cover for your golf bag — there are several models available in the market place and they don’t cost very much.

Be considerate to your caddies, especially if there has been a heavy down pour, tip the fellow, give him a little bit extra to buy a bowl of soup or a gourd of porridge.