A golf course, which is part of Mount Kenya Holiday Homes project on
123-acre land in Naro Moru town. The property is expected to have 94
homes with 22 of them next to the 9-hole golf course at the foot of
Mount Kenya. FILE
By CHARLES GACHERU
Will 2014 be the year for new golf courses in
Kenya? With so many “paper” golf courses on the cards in Kenya, which
ones will open their tees to golfers in 2014?
To answer this question, I am taking a tour of the
golf courses currently at various stages of construction across the
country — and I will ruthlessly separate the wheat from the chaff and
give you insights as to which ones would be playable this year or are
Vision 2030 project.
To kick off the “tour” I had the pleasure to visit
an interesting 9-hole layout built at the foot of the iconic Mount
Kenya just off the road to Nanyuki — the Mount Kenya Holiday Homes.
I had heard about this establishment, I had even
seen some photos, complete with ducks in the water hazards, and I had
written it off as another “paper” golf course.
But I was pleasantly surprised — the layout is
simple, a balanced mix long and short holes, making it a joy for the
entire spectrum of amateur golfers.
Mount Kenya Holiday Homes is set out on a generous 123 acres a short drive from Naro Moru town.
The fairways are seeded with Kikuyu grass, a good
choice given the climate and availability of water from rainfall and
underground sources. The greens are seeded with bent grass, giving them a
clean putting surface that is very pleasing to the eye.
The golf course was developed around the existing
woodland, creating buffer zones between the holes and a great ambience
for golfers.
The property will include 94 homes and 22 of them
have golf course footprints. In my assessment, most of the houses will
be safe from stray golf balls from the amateur golfer, however, six of
these homes will occasionally take friendly fire from the every day
hacker!
The two water hazards situated on the golf course
have been populated with fish — so if golfing is not your thing, carry a
fishing rod and you will be in good company.
The property also includes a dam in the recreational woodland area, where catch and release fishing will be encouraged.
Other wildlife on the property include more than
96 bird species, including the Common Drongo (not so common when you are
looking for it) and the ring necked Pipit.
The site also houses a few zebra, gazelles,
impalas and dik-diks. The green-keepers may soon find the zebra can
cause considerable damage, by merely walking across the fairways and
greens.
My Verdict – The Mt Kenya Holiday Homes 9-hole
golf course will be ready for golfers in 2014 and it receives a four out
five star rating from me.
Will you golf course be ready in 2014? Then contact me on cgacheru@imgkenya.com
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