THE NEW FACE OF GOLF IN UGANDA
(Posted 19th October 2015)
(Big investments needed to stage a play with this small ball)
Golf is a popular sport across Eastern Africa and in particular in Kenya have new high quality championship courses sprang up over the past two decades while the rest of the region lagged considerably behind. Kigali and Kampala have only one course to play, not much for capital cities. Nairobi in stark contrast offers golfers a dozen courses to play on including some of Kenya’s most acclaimed like Muthaiga, Windsor or Karen, to name but three.
Developments of new courses range from the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort to the Leisure Lodge Golf Club in Diani and of course Kenya’s latest and already highest ranked, the Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort, which meets the exacting standards of the USPGA. Several other courses are under development and have been integrated into gated estates – where golfers, from both Kenya and further abroad, will have the opportunity to enjoy their game on new facilities purpose built to attract a high spending clientele.
Zanzibar opened a new course in February this year at the Sea Cliff Resort & Spa but that literally ends the list, until that is, a new course in Uganda on the shores of Lake Victoria opened up recently.
(The layout of the present 9 holes show all the water hazards so novices need to bring a box of balls, or two)
Serena Hotels, regional market leader by some distance in terms of both quality and the sheer number of properties in the wider region, has ventured into new territory with their Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort, the first such sports oriented property the group manages but probably not the last one.
The course itself has been planned in conjunction with ‘Mark Wiltshire Golf’, a Mauritius based company specialized in developing courses and then managing them but was designed by Golf Plan with Kevin Ramsey named as principal architect. Sitting on some 83.5 hectares of prime lakeshore land will the par 72 course, when complete, have a length of 6.725 metres and comprise four par five, ten par four and four par three holes. South African Cedric Brummer has been recruited as golf pro and Golf Manager for the course and will be happy to respond to any and all enquiries about the course as well as discussing tournaments with interested parties.
The presently nine holes – with 18 tees – are being expanded to a full 18 holes and work towards that is ongoing. However, the nine already pose major challenges to golfers as the tight fairways, aligned along ponds and lake inlets, are demanding and the slightest mishit will feed the balls to the fish or frogs.
(This correspondent on the 9th / 18th hole with fellow golfers, the clubhouse and marina in the background)
(Do NOT hit the Egyptian geese as there will be penalty points)
The resort itself is also home to a small marina which adjoins the main club house, itself extensive enough to cater for the influx of guests for tournaments during the day and the prize giving functions in the evening, and then some more. Boat excursions are on offer for those who either prefer to watch the play from off shore or rather ‘hunt’ for the extensive variety of birds which make the reed grass and wetlands along many stretches of the Lake Victoria shores their habitat.
The buildings, architecture and colours alike, resemble a Mediterranean village with the master’s mansion in the centre of it, giving guests that unique feeling to be somewhere else, while of course the lake, and a few islands dotted between shore and horizon, could just as well – especially on a blue skied sunny day – be at an ocean or another lake, though of course it is Lake Victoria.
(The clubhouse and marina at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and a pair of Casqued Hornbills on a nearby tree)
Away from the hustle and bustle of the city is the resort located off the main highway from Kampala to Entebbe. From the Central Business District it is but 20 kilometres while the distance from the international airport is another 30 kilometres. The nearby Kajjansi airfield, home to the Kampala Aero Club, is as the bird flies less than two kilometres away though going there by road will add to the tally.
Set in extensive gardens, which provide a tranquil atmosphere, is the resort also home to dozens of bird species, a bonus for ornithologists who come to play golf when not watching birds of the feathered kind. Fish eagles, flocks of Ibis and Hamerkop but also Casqued Hornbills are among those more vocal, especially at dawn.
It was in fact these hornbills, fish eagle and plenty of ibis which calls’ echoed across the resort in the morning, giving notice to the guests that day had broken and for those on a 7 a.m. tee-off time it would be now or else lose the slot, as demand for play on weekends in particular has seen a stellar rise. After all, this is THE course in Uganda, notwithstanding that presently only nine holes are playable and the members’ register, corporate and individual, is filling up fast. In comparison to the Uganda Golf Union’s course in the centre of Kampala has a serious rival risen to prominence and when complete, no doubt will major national, regional and continental tournaments be held on this scenic course.
(Mediterranean villas, residences and rooms, apart from the ‘Coliseum’ make this resort the arguably best along the Lake Victoria shores)
The resort of course offers more than ‘just golf’ and guests can enjoy a game of tennis, laze around the swimming pool or else take advantage of the presence of Serena’s Maisha Spa brand in the resort, where a full range of treatments and massages is available for guests. After all it is the purpose of a resort to offer guests literally any activity and pampering option without them having to venture out in search of other locations.
With only 114 rooms, 8 Executive and 2 Presidential Suites, which includes Uganda’s most highly rated Presidential Suite, is the resort still intimate enough to find some solitude, more so as the two storied accommodation units are generously spaced to allow those who seek it the privacy they require to remain private. Ranked 5star by the Ugandan Ministry of Tourism it is a match to its sister operation in the city, the Kampala Serena Hotel.
(Dinner delights)
(The ‘regular buffet’ at the resort’s main restaurant, the ‘Citadel’ – plenty of choices prepared by friendly chefs)
Three restaurants, including the one at the club house, offer culinary delights which leave few questions asked by one’s palate unanswered. A wide range of dishes covering everything from Vegetarian over poultry to pork, beef and of course lake fish and seafood. I had dinner at the clubhouse and the service team, under the watchful eyes of Food & Beverage Manager Mike Wabulo, who moved from the Kampala Serena Hotel to the resort, did indeed pull out all the stops. Starter, soup, main course – in my case a 350 gram pepper steak – and desert were perfectly prepared, very well presented and served with a professionalism which is a hallmark for Serena Hotels wherever they are. My guests were given a full overview of the wines on offer and notably were all the choices also available by glass.
(Bedrooms at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort)
The resort, which has major outdoor function areas including a replica coliseum large enough to have a massive function tent on the inner green and still have plenty of space for large crowds to mingle outdoors, has already become a favourite for weddings and large corporate events, product launches and even a much in demand spot for TV commercials. General Manager Frankline Nyakundi, who recently took over the resort, and his entire team will be more than happy to respond to enquiries, besides looking after their guests whom they welcome as strangers and bid farewell as friends.
In (almost) closing a few words about the green credentials of the new resort. It is a core policy of Serena Hotels to be as environmentally friendly as is possible at a given location and the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort is no different. Installed inverter systems reduce the use of diesel propelled generators when the mains power is off and waste management meets modern world standards through exacting separation of items which can be recycled and re-used. Organic food waste goes to local pig farmers making it an all round win-win situation for the environment. The use of pesticides and fertilizers is kept to a bare minimum and annual audits of Serena’s green credential ensure that no corners are cut and policies are translated into real tangible action and results.
Regional airlines flying into Entebbe, like RwandAir and Kenya Airways, were among the first to check out the resort with the aim of putting package deals on the market and no doubt will the Brussels Airlines, KLM, South African Airways, Fastjet and of course Turkish and the major Gulf carriers Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad and FlyDubai sit up and take notice of the new resort. It provides their passengers with yet more reasons why they should visit Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. For sure, this new resort is a pearl in its own right and a perfect addition to Uganda’s leisure offerings.
Time to pay Uganda a visit, for golf, adventures and so much more.
