Nyahururu hosts Nation Classic fourth leg

The high altitude Nyahururu Sports Club course will this weekend be the venue of the ongoing Nation Classic Golf series dubbed this year as “Road to Dubai Desert Classic’’.

This weekend’s tournament which is the fourth leg in the series and comes after a successful trip to Nyali Golf and Country Club, has attracted a field of 116 players despite the fact that, Nakuru Golf Club which usually support events at Nyahururu, is hosting the Kenya Ports Authority corporate golf tournament.

This is the first time the Nation Classic makes a return visit to Nyahururu since 2018, and like the last time, the Nation Media Group which has supported the series since 1985, will be staging the event in partnership with the magnificent Panari Nyahururu Resort which has offered accommodation to NMG executives who will be participating in the tournament.

As usual, besides an array of prizes which will be on offer during the weekend, the overall winner, men and second-placed as well as lady winner and junior winner will have an opportunity to play in the 2022 Nation Classic grand finale at Ruiru Sports Club in November where the overall winner among the qualifiers will earn a fully paid for trip to Dubai to watch the 2023 Dubai Desert Classic, a DP World Tour event.

Among the members drawn include some of the club’s leading golfers such as Boniface Waikwa, Moses Koskei, Simon Ngugi, Ambrose Gatuma, X.N. Iraki, club captain Thomas Mundia and the veteran Gabriel Wanguhu, one of the long serving members of the club. The course according to captain Mundia, is in great condition and all ready for the event.

On Friday, Nation Media Group as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will visit Uasonarok Primary School in Nyahururu to donate text books, to supplement the Government’s free education programme.

Meanwhile, the long awaited battle between Kenya and Uganda which was postponed in 2020 and last year because of Covid-19 pandemic, is on this weekend with the first round set for Friday, following Thursday’s official practice round and flag-raising ceremony.

Each country will be represented by a team of 10 players and the event is being supported by ABSA Bank and the former Boston Marathon champion Moses Tanui who donated the trophy in 2016. Hosts Kenya, has since 2016 won the trophy three times while Uganda won the 2019 edition at home.

On Friday the two teams will battle it out in four ball better ball, followed by the second round foursomes on Saturday and foursomes and four ball better ball third while the event closes on Sunday with the singles.

Meanwhile, following the rationalization of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) corporate golf series in line with market segments, Nakuru County thus becomes the second county to host the second leg of the popular series this weekend at the par 73 Nakuru Golf Club course.

One of the most sort golf series in the country, unlike in the past where KPA used to host three events at Machakos, Nairobi and Mombasa, with effect from last year, the events were segmented into four circuits namely Nyanza/Western, Central Kenya/ North Rift, Nairobi and Mombasa all in a rotational basis.

This is the first time Nakuru Golf Club will be hosting a KPA tournament, and the interest has been amazing, with over 200 golfers having already listed their names to battle it out for some fabulous prizes being offered.

This is a key customer/stakeholder engagement for the Authority as management uses this as a forum to engage the business community on Port services with a view of increasing efficiency and share customer experience.

KPA Managing Director John Mwangemi says KPA has developed key milestone infrastructural projects under Vision 2030 flagship projects, thus increasing capacity ahead of demand.

"This is some of the things that we intend to explain to our clients and potential ones in the Central Rift region, things like the recently completed berth No 22 at the port of Mombasa which is a major step towards realization of the economic growth of Kenya and the transit markets and  the relocation of Kipevu Oil terminal which is going to give a big boost handling of oil at the Port of Mombasa as well as the expected development of Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zones.’’

Among the big names already listed to play includes a veteran Nyali golfer James Mureu who is also the Chairman of Micro Enterprise Authority, Yatich Kangungo former Managing Director Kenya Airports Authority, and host of golfers from KRA led by Joseph Kaguru and businessman and former Kenya Golf Union Chairman Ben Omuodo of Royal Nairobi Golf Club.

There will also be a big contingent of Coast golfers mostly from Nyali and Mombasa Golf Clubs, as well as others from, Kisii , Muthaiga, Royal, Nyanza, Njoro Country Club and Kenya Railway Golf,Clubs among many others.

At Thika Greens Golf Resort, the annual CEOs golf tournament which was initiated to appreciate and recognize the effort made by CEOs from the country’s organizations, marks its seventh year with a field of over 150 players drawn from various clubs in the country.

Thika Greens Golf Resort CEO Charles Kibiru, the vision carrier of the project chose the day (which is his birthday) as most appropriate to celebrate and appreciate his like-minded executives into the economic growth and vision of golf tourism.

Being an annual tournament, the event is marked every Last Saturday of July. TGGR also appreciates its achievement in its contribution to the tourism sector during the day.

For the last seven years, the tournament has grown to always attract over 200 golfers and host of sponsors who always partner to leverage on the networks and interactions. 

This year’s event is being sponsored by Isuzu, Thika Motor Dealers, Forthall Memorial Hospital, EABL, Muthokinju, Biofreeze, Bet Bikes, K2U and friends of the CEO.