Tanzania is expected to soon start staging the PGA European Professional Golf Tours in the wilderness of Serengeti.
The Africa Golf Confederation is banking heavily on the proposed Serengeti Golf Course currently being constructed at Fort Ikoma, adjacent to Serengeti National Park, as the ultimate venue to host international Professional Golf Association (PGA) sporting tours in Tanzania.
Speaking in Arusha, the Director of Africa Golf Confederation (AGC), Chris Martin explained that, together with the Tanzania Golf Union (TGU) the AGC has always wanted to host the European Tours in Tanzania.
“The 18-hole Serengeti Golf Course, which is set in the backdrop of wilderness and wildlife, happens to fit the bill very well,” said Martin, pointing out that the neighbouring country of Kenya has been hosting the European Tours for six consecutive years.
“But the concept of hosting the international golf tours in Serengeti, will attract almost all affluent golfers from around the globe, imagine playing in real wilderness complete with wild animals, this will be the first experience of nature in the world!”
Chris Martin – Director: The Africa Golf Federation
The African Golf Federation (ACG) oversees golfing sports activities in nearly 20 countries on the continent. Kenya tops the list with Tanzania ranking at Number 4.
The Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) management is implementing the establishment of the proposed Golf Course, coming up at the Fort Ikoma section of Serengeti, adjacent to the wildlife-filled National Park.
Construction work for the Serengeti Golf Course is being undertaken by the TANAPA Investment Company Limited (TIL) has gone past 65 percent stage, towards its completion.
The TANAPA Infrastructure Development Manager, Assistant Conservation Commissioner, Engineer Richard Matolo, who supervises the project, reveals the Serengeti Golf facility will feature the longest course stretching over 7.065 kilometers.
“It already has an airstrip, we shall include a modern club house, luxurious cabins and other amenities,” said Dr Matolo.
Mapped within 450 acres of land, the Serengeti Golf Course comes with an inbuilt airstrip, a club house and luxury five-star cottages overlooking the famous National Park.
Attracting nearly 400,000 tourists per annum, Serengeti is the most visited National Park in Tanzania, with the annual wildebeest migration being its biggest selling point.
Now with the international golf course being added, Serengeti, which is Tanzania’s third largest National Park, stands to capture the attention of prestigious sports enthusiasts who may want to experience what it feels like, teeing off in the wilderness as all sorts of wild beasts look on.
The Serengeti National Park Golf Course is the brainchild of the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA)’s Board of Trustees under their chairperson, the Retired Chief of Tanzania Defence Forces, General George Waitara.
Once completed the wild golf arena will comprise the standard course of 18 holes, including front nine inbound holes (1-9) and back-nine outbound (10-18) it will also be among the world’s longest fairways.
Constructed on a real estate of virgin land measuring 450 acres, the Serengeti National Park Golf Course will have cost USD 3.7 Million or more than 9.5 billion/- Tanzanian shillings when it eventually tees off.
Despite being in the heart of wilderness, the Serengeti Golf Course is however most accessible due to the fact that the Fort Ikoma airstrip is just nearby, as well as the road linking the area to Seronera and Mugumu.
A new road measuring 5.2 kilometers is also being built to circumnavigate the new Serengeti Golf Course in the Fort Ikoma area.
Zachariah Edward who oversees the works at Fort Ikoma explained that the project includes construction of a powerhouse, for energy supply, drilling of two deep water holes, each with the capacity of producing 22 million litres, equipped with solar-powered pumps, complete with panels and batteries.
Alex Choya Conservation officer in the Tourism Department at Serengeti, he points out that sports tourism was among the added products that the National Park was working to establish.
“Golf is a popular global sport and if it gets included in the package of East Africa’s most famous National Park, the results will be splendid,” said Choya.
The Tanzania Times