Over the last 20 years, I have been privileged and lucky to play golf and visit many golf courses across the world, from Pebble Beach in California to South Africa’s Pezula, Knysna and Fancourt Links, George.
I have played the Baobab Course in Vipingo and DLF in India and I can authoritatively make two bold statements.
The first is that the golf course at the Karen Country Club is in the best condition it has been in the last 20 years. And if that statement is even remotely true, then we can conclude that the course is in the best condition it has been in for 80 years! The second is that this course would rank at the very top of the best golf courses across Africa and across the world!
This week and through this weekend, the Karen Country Club hosts the KCB Karen Masters, a Sunshine Tour event – and the 156 players battling for a share of the Sh15 million prize money will be doing so on a playing surface immaculately presented for championship golf. According to the Karen Country Club Chairman, Louis Otieno, the conditions presented today are the result of an aggressive mid to long term green-keeping plan.
“In 2013 and 2014 we reviewed the golf course and hired a golf designer to renew our greens and from 2015 to 2016 we completely rebuilt our greens,” he said.
“Since that time we have continued to invest in our team who attend regular green keeping workshops around the world, we have continued to invest in machinery and we continue to receive agronomy consultation from both the European Tour and Sunshine Tour agronomists.”
Earlier in the year, the Karen Country Club hosted the Magical Kenya Open, which was played as part of the European Tour for the first time.
“During the Kenya Open in mid-March, the golf course was in excellent shape despite the lack of rains. The course may not have looked as colourful and lush as it does this week, but it was nevertheless in top shape and we received positive feedback from the European Tour players and officials,” Otieno added.
“As a club we are proud of the playing surface and facilities we have presented primarily for our members but also for our esteemed guests, the visiting and local professionals.”
The 2019 KCB Karen Masters teed off yesterday with a field of 152 golf professionals, mainly from the Sunshine Tour and four top Kenyan amateurs. Tickets for the tournament are available on www.ke.kcbgroup.com and on TicketSasa at only Sh500 per day.
The ticket includes entry to the main village which promises to entertain with seven different food vendors and local and international artistes lined up to perform.
Tonight, Kenya’s Nyashinski will be on stage whilst South Africa’s DJ Heavy K will be on stage tomorrow. Musicians Naiboi and Nadia Mukami will perform on Sunday evening. Public parking is available from the WaterFront Mall
See you at the KCB Karen Masters.
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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
