DATES FOR NEXT ‘KENYA GOLF TROPHY’ ANNOUNCED
(Posted 06th March 2015 and reporting from the Vipingo Ridge)
Hot on the heels of the Kenya Tourism Board hosting 10 of the most influential golf publications from around the world on a familiarization trip across the country’s best golf courses – and safari parks – did Tob Cohen of Kenya Golf Safaris announce the date of the 2015 edition of the Kenya Golf Trophy.
In a communication sent yesterday to this correspondent did Tob say:
Muthaiga Golf Club will again be the host for Africa biggest corporate amateur Tournament: The Kenya Golf Trophy. This tournament, held last October for the 3rd time, attracted 200 golfers, 30 sponsors and US $ 35.000 worth of prizes.
This year will the Kenya Golf Trophy be held on Friday the 13th of November 2015 at the Home of Golf in Kenya, the Muthaiga Golf Club and now in its fourth year is growing bigger and better every time.
Etihad Airways will be the main prize sponsor for the 4th time and has confirmed its sponsorship by generously donating 4 tickets to any of its 63 destinations worldwide, namely 2 business class tickets for the winner and 2 economy tickets for the runner-up.
Last year there were 30 travel related prizes, generously donated by hotels, restaurants and airlines and it seems that this year even more prizes will be up for grabs for the golfers.
The Junior Golf Foundation will be supported by inviting the 4 best juniors in the order of merit, a charity hole-in-one shoot out over the lake at hole number 13, as well as an auction.
All proceeds will go to the JGF, which purpose is to promote junior golf participation and competition for boys and girls from the ages of five to eighteen.
The tournament is open to any golfer with valid handicaps:
Handicap 28 and below for men and 36 and below for ladies.
Kenya’s image as a Golf Destination will be propelled further as this international golf tournament is promoted to golfers to all 2296 IAGTO’s (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) members worldwide.
Visiting golfers from abroad will get the opportunity to play the week before the tournament at 4 different championship golf courses in Nairobi, of which the final day will be at Muthaiga Golf Club. The visiting golfers will get a chance to sample some of the very best of Kenya’s golf circuit.
Golf Tourism is a huge market with an estimated 80 million golfers worldwide, who play on some 40,000 courses across the globe. Golf events are said to be worth around $2 billion a year and the golf tourism market more than $1 billion. Kenya won IAGTO’s prestigious Best Undiscovered Golf Destination for the year 2009 Award and has all the ingredients to become a major player in this huge market. ‘With over 40 golf courses, Kenya has some of the best golf facilities in Africa and we should all work together promoting Kenya as Golf Destination and get a sizeable market share in this gargantuan market’ said Tob Cohen, the organizer of the Kenya Golf Trophy.
The Kenya Tourism Board could probably not agree more with this and initial feedback from the 10 invited representatives of the world’s leading golf publications was one of sheer surprise and of an overwhelming experience.
KTB’s Corporate Communications and PR Manager Wausi Walya was with the group while they toured Kenya’s best golf courses, notably also visiting the Vipingo Ridge, which has jumped in the rankings as a result of the visit.
Jim McCann, the editor of ‘Top 100 Golf Courses’ shared his Kenyan experience already and gave Kenya a glowing endorsement as a golf destination, and as a country, when he wrote:
It surely does not come any better than this and if Jim’s glowing review does not get golfers to Kenya, to play either safari golf or else get in their 18 holes on one of the championship courses, that I truly don’t know what it will take.
One thing is certain however, that Kenya has an amazing array of top courses for golfers and then dozens more across the country where a round or two between visits to the game parks will be giving visitors dual satisfaction, seeing the Big Five and playing on the Big Five Courses.
For more details on Destination Kenya click on www.magicalkenya.com
