Let’s think outside the box to sell Kenya as golf destination

A fortnight ago I spoke about the potential of golf tourism and how stakeholders need to think outside of the box when it comes to luring visitors to this amazing country of ours.

Well, it appears that a lot is being done behind the scenes on the continent as South Africa is set to host the Africa Golf Summit on from September 9 to 11 at the award-winning Serengeti Golf Club that is just 10 minutes away from the OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Johannesburg.

The estate is designed by Jack Nicklaus and will host professional and amateur golfers, sports, tourism and business professionals, along with government and private delegates. The Kenyan CEO of Africa Savannah Golf Limited Moses Gichohi will be a keynote speaker, joining renowned specialists from South Africa, the USA and the UK.

Important topics to be discussed include: developing a blueprint for a sustainable golf industry across Africa; growing a sustainable golfing community in Africa; and establishing a golfing centre of excellence to develop young talent.

Others are golf tourism and hospitality; golf sports development; golf estate and property development; golf course design, construction, operations and management; hosting golf tournaments to boost job growth, tourism and economic development.

So, as I mentioned in the beginning, the golf course at the venue is designed by 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus, and this is a key marketing tool that’s missing in Kenya. Don’t get me wrong, we have some amazing courses here, it’s just that we need investments that feature the names of well known past and present golfers to add credibility to the country as a sporting and leisure destination.

Kenya will probably host the next summit if all key stakeholders in the local golf market work together towards growing the game and making it accessible to more Kenyans according to Gichohi.

The Africa Golf Summit would be a great opportunity for the Kenya Golf Union to sell Kenya as a golf destination to the continent and beyond, working mainly with the Ministry of Gender and Sports together with the Kenya Tourist Board and other key stakeholders like Brand Kenya.

Remember you can be a registered golfer in Kenya within 48 hours of typing the necessary details and get access to over 1,000 golf courses worldwide by visiting www.afgoa.com.

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I have been very critical of football in this column. However this past week has brought a refreshing twist in the performances of Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia at the Cecafa Kagame Club Cup in Dar es Salaam.

The team has defied financial difficulties to reach the quarterfinals and recruited a new set of fans at the Tanzanian coastal city.

There is speculation that President Uhuru Kenyatta will grace the final should K’Ogalo make it, and what a feel good factor that will be for football lovers, coming hot on the heels of the visit of US President Barack Obama to Kenya this weekend, as his family roots are from the same area of the country as Gor.

But first let the team get to the final of the tournament with in-demand striker Michael Olunga in red-hot form.

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Not surprisingly, Harambee Starlets coach David Ouma blamed a lack of a time in South Africa for their one nil loss to Banyana Banyana in the first leg of their Rio 2016 Olympic Games qualifier last weekend.

The blame for this must lie squarely with the Football Kenya Federation, who’s ineptitude meant that the team’s visas were processed late and they arrived barely 24 hours before the game!

When will the federation get their act together? Probably never, as the list of shameful acts of negligence grows by the week. The elections are drawing closer, and the only hope for stakeholders is that there’s a major house cleaning of the officials just like Nairobi’s makeover for Obama’s visit this weekend.

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The Kenya Simbas continued to defy critics with a stunning win over Spain last Saturday, a match that brought back a much needed morale boost to a sport that’s been dogged by negative publicity in recent months.

However the World Rugby ranking system brought much confusion to the public, with many fans and stakeholders struggling to work out if the country finally cracked the fabled “Top 25” that would guarantee automatic World Rugby funding and quality international match-ups.

Our boys face Namibia in Windhoek next weekend and a win will edge the team ever closer to the magic top 25 place in the World Rugby rankings.

We can only hope that this promising development continues into the next set of international matches in 2016 while our sevens team concentrates on qualifying for the Rio 2016.

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Apart from the Obama Sevens in Siaya County, why are there no high profile sports events this weekend to celebrate the homecoming of Kenya’s most famous son? Or does the sporting fraternity feel there is no marketing value in hosting competitions in his honour? Just a thought.