GOLF SET TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE ONCE MKTE2014 ENDS ON FRIDAY
(Posted 08th October 2014)
While the who is who of Kenya’s tourism industry will from this morning onwards showcase their properties and the country’s wide range of attractions, will Kenya’s golfing fraternity look keenly forward to Friday when the annual Kenya Golf Trophy competition goes underway at the Muthaiga Golf Club, a venue where many Africa championships have been played.
Sports tourism is a growing segment for Kenya’s tourism industry and golfing is at the forefront with many excellent 18 hole courses, from the Indian Ocean shores all the way to the shores of Lake Victoria.
Several top notch courses are found in Nairobi, which prompted one presenter at the MKTE2014 Symposium yesterday to challenge the participants to make better use of such resources and promote the country to the fast growing golfing communities from around the world.
Tobs Cohen, closely involved in the organization of the event as tournament director, yesterday said that all available 200 slots were booked up days ago already, a sign that the competition, now it its third year, has gained huge popularity, also attested to by the number of corporate sponsors.
As a novel way to ‘spice up’ the competition will 8 of the 18 holes feature food and drink sampling. William Lawson Scotch will be served at the tee of the 13th hole, either to celebrate one’s standing on the leaderboard or else drown one’s sorrows for a less than hoped for performance.
Prices worth 3 million Kenya Shillings were donated by some 30 companies and those lucky enough will no doubt count their blessings, especially the winners of air tickets and weekend trips to the national parks.
Said Tobs in closing as he passed on the information: ‘This year, thanks to new and exciting activities on and off the course, we want to ensure that all sponsors and players will look forward to the 4th Kenya Golf Trophy. As the interest by sponsors and players is growing very fast, we might make the Kenya Golf Trophy a 2 day event in 2015’.
Kenya is now a member of the ‘Global Golf Tourism Association’ and as such actively promoting, on national level through the Kenya Tourism Board and on private level through golf resorts and specialised golfing tour companies, groups of players coming to the country where courses across the country offer daily opportunities to play, from 9 hole ‘safari golf courses’ to the championship courses at the Windsor, at Muthaiga, Karen or several others which can be reached from a Nairobi city hotel within an hour’s drive.
Perhaps it is time again for Kenya to call out ‘coming through’ as the recovery marketing effort now gains some serious momentum.
For additional destination information about Kenya click on www.magicalkenya.com and for more golf related details visit www.kenya-golf-safaris.com
