Posted by By Richard Animam on
Ikeja Golf Club is no doubt one of the unique golf clubs in the country today. Its location in the highbrow area of Ikeja, where it is embedded in the centre of the business community, stands it out.
Ikeja Golf Club is no doubt one of the unique golf clubs in the country today. Its location in the highbrow area of Ikeja, where it is embedded in the centre of the business community, stands it out. Another unique feature of the club is that it is the only Golf Club in the country unlike other clubs which have other sections like tennis, swimming etc.
Captain of the club Las Alli- Shobande led his new executive committee members which included the Baale of Akinale in Owu, Abeokuta Femi Ogunleye, Remi Adegboyega, scribe of the Ikeja Golf Club, Competition Secretary Tunji Adeyemo and Sam Emehelu a journalist to Vanguard premises yesterday to tee off the club's drive towards reaching out to corporate bodies, as it plans for a new look Ikeja Golf Club.
According to Shobande, one of the major highlights that would usher in the new executive committee is the return of the annual Ikeja Golf Open tournament which had in the past attracted the best of Nigerian golfers to the 10 hole Golf course. The competition which was last held in 1997, is set to make a comeback alongside other events that the club executives are keeping close to their chests.
"We have a lot of things up our sleeves and would not want to let the cat out of the bag now, till we get some commitment. We do not want those who we want to partner with to read it first from the pages of the newspapers. But one of such plans is the return of the Ikeja Open which was last held in 1997. I can tell you this because I have the permission of my committee members. Another major event in our club is the on-going conversion of the browns to greens. We expect that the course would be all green in two months time, as we have few of the holes remaining, although work have begun on these holes and I am sure they would be ready in two months time", Shobande said.
On the conversion of the browns to greens, Shobande, Tunji Adeyemo and Remi Adegboye argue that Ikeja Golf Club is not late in converting its browns to greens, especially when taken into consideration that the technology behind the greens was only perfected few years ago. "I would not say Ikeja Golf Club's going green is late. The technology behind the greens was recently perfected. Few clubs even in Europe that tried going green had to stop becuase of the problem of pest, which made it difficult to go completely green. Today, we now have the pest control chemicals but at a very expensive prize. As rich as Ikoyi Golf Club was, they had to stop their green project twice due to financial problems. It is one thing to convert your browns to greens but it is another thing to maintain the greens", Adeyemo said.
"IBB Golf and Country Club were lucky to have Julius Berger take up the maintenance of its greens", Femi Ogunleye chipped in. "We have lots of plans to ensure that we have a new look Ikeja Golf Club and we are discussing and involved in sponsorship drive to hit our target", Shobande summed up.