The eighteen-hole stretch Shagamu Golf Course, will again become the center of attraction in Southern-Western Nigeria as the hostilities for the 2011 World Golfers Championship get set to return among nation’s top amateur golfers.
Organisers of the event Global Golf has hinted that, Shagamu would now be the convergence point for all Southern-Western amateur golfers willing to take part in the event as the regional qualifying hub.
Rasaq Ayinde Sanni, CEO of the outfit had earlier hinted that the 2011 version of the World Golfers Championship that parades golfers in five different handicap divisions should leapfrog other editions in-terms of entrance and golfers should be ready to accommodate innovations in a bid to get the event better.
Spokesman for the group Obinna Duru added that, it would be their joy to lead a team that would win the event and hence their choices should be seen as effort to enhance the challenge to produce national finalists in the event.
“We believe the ambiance of the regional final’s venues would create the kind of atmosphere we want to sustain at the final and hence at the global final which is being moved to South Africa after a brilliant edition in Thailand last year” Duru offered.
According to Global Golf, the regional qualifiers would tee-off from Port Harcourt on June 10th and 11th; the event would be contested for over 18 holes on June 11 while the preceding day is expected to be arrival, registration and practice round for athletes competing for the event at the Port Harcourt Golf Club, Rivers State.
The train then moves to Shagamu where, all Lagos golf clubs; Ikeja, Ikoyi, Dolphin and other clubs from South-western states, Ibadan, Tiger, Ewekoro, Abeokuta, Ekiti, MicCom and Benin are expected to earn their qualifiers to the national finals of the World Golfers Championship billed for September 3rd and 4th in Uyo, Akwa Ibom at the Le Merien Hotel and Golf Resort facility.
The northern elimination round will be hosted at IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja on August 1st and 2nd, just three weeks leading to the national finals in Uyo.
Last year at the global finals, Eddy Peters led the Nigeria team in category one to Thailand. The team also included Okey Igwe, Suzan Cole-Kotas, Anthonia Maduakwu and Albert Bassey Akpan.
NTDC Henchman Hint of Own Championship for Tourism Cause
Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, the charismatic Director General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Commission has left clues that, its office may be looking to the game of golf to promote and drive tourism in the country.
Runsewe, himself amateur golfer who took part in the recently concluded World Corporate Golf Challenge that was hosted at the Le Meridien Golf Club in Ibom declared that such occasion was a super boost to the local tourism industry and said more of it can only further the industry.
He however added that, a golf event deliberately fashion out for this purpose should not be far fetched if the tourism industry was to be developed and sustained.
“Golf and Tourism go together and that is what is what the commission is about.”
He later mentioned that an NTDC Classic that would offer a hansdsome purse for the professional golfers is in the pipeline and could be staged anytime soonest.
The NTDC boss who was awed, the standard of the Ibom Golf facility that hosted the WCGC finals said the country needs more of such, which he believes will accelerate golf development and in return local and international tourism enhancement.
