Mombasa Golf hosts Captain's Prize

Golf activities at the Coast region resumes this weekend after a short break and the nine-hole Mombasa Golf Club course, popularly known as the “Front Course’’, is where the action will be.

The par 71 course, Kenya’s second oldest golf course and the only links course in East Africa, will have the 2018 Captain’s Prize tournament where out- going captain Mark Mbua is hosting a field of over 100 golfers where the action will be this weekend.

Traditionally, the Captain’s Prize events are held on Saturday and Sunday. However Mbua said he had decided to have the event take place on Friday and Saturday to allow golfers specially those who will be travelling from up country ample time to travel back on Sunday.

Mbua said that the draw has already been done and those who are not drawn are still welcome to play. The event which winds up Mbua’s term as the captain is sponsored by Mitchell Cotts, KPA,Stanbic Bank, Jambo Jet, Regional Logistics, Power Parts among others.

Mbua said about 80 players will play on Friday, and will join a ladies subsidiary on Saturday which has attracted all the leading lady golfers at the Coast as well as from clubs like Royal Nairobi Golf Club.

The wind at the Coast at the moment has picked up making the course condition rather dry and tough. Mbua who bows out after two years at the helm says some fabulous prizes will be at stake.

Back in Nairobi, the par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course will host the inaugural Container Technology Limited (CONTECH) and JCB Ganatra Golf tournament which has attracted a huge field of over 200 players.

CONTECH which specializes in conversion of ISO marine containers into habitable spaces including site offices, accommodation units, mobile clinics, mobile classrooms, ablution units, executive offices and vacation homes, along with their partners JCB, are offering over 15 prizes during the event.

Those include special prizes for holes in one at the second and 13th holes. At stake the par three-second will be JCB BackHoe, an excavating equipment, while any player firing in one at the 13th will win an urban studio by Contech.
Contech chief executive Naeem Pasta said his company was thrilled to be partnering with JCB Ganatra Plant and Equipment Limited in the event, saying they had chosen to host the event because of the fact that golf was gaining popularity in the country.
“We are looking forward to an exciting day of golf as well as the opportunity to show-case the benefits our products can offer across almost in all sectors’’ he said.
The event which is open to both men and ladies has attracted leading golfers at Muthaiga including those who featured in the Muthaiga Open last weekend. John Gitonga, Kushil Nathwani, Daniel Kiragu and Evans Vitisia will be among the golfers competing.
Meanwhile the par 72 Vet Lab Sports Club course will today host the annual Diabetes Management Information Centre charity golf tournament.

This year the event will be raising funds for children and young people who receive insulin and other requirements at no cost. Funds raised in last year’s charity event has been supporting over 492 young people while at the same time, has enabled DMI officials to visit various educational institutions to spread the message of prevention and management.

Today’s event which has received support from various corporates such as Broadband Communications, Canopy Insurance Brokers, UAP Old Mutual. Heritage Insurance, KenGen, Ongata Worls. Kenya Pipeline and Kenya Airports Authority, KCB and Kenya Power among others, has attracted a field of 160 players.

At Ruiru Sports Club, a field of 150 was drawn for the Irrigation Golf and Ladies Medal. The par 72 course marks a major milestone with the launching of the irrigation project which is expected to eight months to complete.

Club captain Peter Mwaura says once completed, the irrigation project will significantly upgrade the profile of the course.

“This comes at a time when the club is preparing for a busy March where the course will host the Captain’s Prize, Lady Captaion’s Prize and the Chairman’s Prize with the annual general meeting in quick succession’’ said Mwaura.

At the Sigona, KCB launches its “Race to the KCB Karen Masters’’ Campaign with a huge field of 250 players where the men, lady, guest, junior and staff winners will book a place in the KCB Karen Masters Pro-Am at Karen Country Club in June.

This first event will not however feature the professionals who will be heading to Karen for the last though not counting towards the 2019 Magical Kenya Open.

The pros will however start their Karen Masters build up at Nyali Golf and Country Club next month.