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SUNDAY OCTOBER 25, 2015, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
Sport
golflineintl@yahoo.com 0805 618 0071
Wonders of Parkland
People
Y
with Tony Akhigbe
Most celebrated golf personalities (2) Golf is gradually approaching a grand stage in the annals of sports in Nigeria. That same stage has to respond to several queries bordering on how the game has survived over the years. This is in the face of a bitter fact that everything sport in Nigeria must have a ‘football face.’ We hereby present some brave Nigerians who fought all odds to put golf on the same corridor with football. And yes, what they contributed to make the important list. Enjoy! ANDY YAKUBU: The Kaduna Golf Club is one of the oldest courses in Nigeria. But the sad thing here is that the course is not always wearing a vibrant look that could stand it out among the numerous golf courses in the North. While serving as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,, Andy Yakubu, prevailed on some oil companies to donate generously so the Kaduna Golf Club could witness a facelift. This worked as some N100 million was gathered for the club’s total overhaul. The whole thing is paying off as the Club is gradually wearing a new look. ENGR. JOSEPH MAKOJU: While in charge at the West African Portland Cement Company, Makoju engaged his senior staffers with the game of golf. He built one in Ewekoro and another at Sagamu. The Sagamu course contains a ‘signature’ water hole especially designed by the great engineer himself. Some say now that he is at the Obajana Dangote Cement factory as the company’s Chief Operating Officer, he is contemplating building a course in Lokoja. LATE GOV. SEGUN AGAGU: The late Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu, had taken to golf when he was a lecturer at the University of Ibadan. When he became Governor, he quickly moved to start course construction work on a tourist site in Idanre. He did not particularly finish work on the course before he left office. Tale bearers say Ondo State Governor, Segun Mimiko, has abandoned this project that had gone over 90 per cent because he wants to play ‘village politics.’ LATE APAGUN OLUWOLE OLUMIDE: Nothing excited him more than the game of golf. He was always around the game. He played big roles anytime Nigeria was hosting the Nigerian Open. He was a former President of the Nigeria Golf Federation. He passed on when he was working on his pet project, turning the Abeokuta course into a tourist attraction by providing a huge manmade lake with boats right in the course. Of course, he drowned in this same lake. Some say he committed suicide. Others say he was drowned so he could not appear as a star witness in a huge fraud case involving a former Ogun State governor. OLUSEGUN OBASANJO: The former President depicted the picture of a farmer when he was teeing off the President’s Cup in Ilorin. But ever since that epic Tee-off, most Governors had imbibed the idea of hosting a yearly tourney for a Sitting President. Besides, Obasanjo brought colour and limelight to the IBB Golf Club when he made the place a retreat and resort area to visiting Commonwealth Presidents when he was hosting CHOGOM. EX-GOV. GABRIEL SUSWAM: You cannot catch him dead on the golf course but yearly and for the past four years he has been hosting a N10 million Governors Cup Pro-Am at the St Mark course in Otukpo at the tune of N10 million yearly. GEN. GEOFFREYEJIGA: As the pioneer Commandant of the Jaji Staff College, Gen. Ejiga had to contend with the eight Britons who came to design the vast College. Most
times, the Britons did not know what to do with their free time, Ejiga asked what they needed as past-time. The General was shocked when the eight picked on golf. Ejiga quickly beckoned on Sir Lucky Omoluwa to construct and build one. The course is there now with its lush Greens. Ejiga equally built the Minna Golf Course. CHIEF TUNDE PONLE: He owns MicCom cables. When it was time to turn his native home of Ada into a resort and retreat centre, he thought of golf. He built a massive 18-hole on an expansive property and got it fitted with a five-star hotel. The course has played host to several Pro-Ams, courtesy former Osun Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and Otunba Olusola Adekanola while the hotel has hosted several government retreats. GOODLUCK JONATHAN: The vast Air Force Base on Airport Road, Abuja has vast empty space areas in between blocks of houses meant mainly for use of officers of the Presidential fleet. Without doubt, the space was enough for a golf course and one was constructed, given the go-ahead from President Goodluck Jonathan. He was even on hand to commission it. The course is aptly named GEJ Golf Club. EX-GOV. GEORGE AKUME: Former Governor of Benue State, Chief George Akume, could love so many things but definitely golf is not one of those things. But with pressure from a golf enthusiast, and indeed former Senate President, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, Akume was compelled to build a multimillion naira pretty course by the side of the River Benue. The beauty of this course has to do with the enchanting view of the river while the game lasts. MICHAEL ADE-OJO: The spirit behind Toyota in Nigeria and indeed the man behind Elizade, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, broke all golf records when he put on ground a gigantic course at his home place in Ilara-Mokin, a shout from Federal Polytechnic, Akure. The course is easily the biggest and best in Nigeria and could easily compete with those postcard courses in South Africa. JAMES IBORI: James Ibori, during his tenure as Governor of Delta State, wasted no time before agreeing to the construction of the Ibori International Golf and Country Club in Asaba. To Ibori, what was good for Edo could be better for Delta. He proved this by building such a massive course that lies beside the Government House. Since the course came to life, it has never lacked quality tourneys, espeBabangida cially in the Pro
genre. HON. DAN MAYUKU: Three-time Captain of the Ibori Club. He has proved that one doesn’t have to live till eternity before proving a good point. Mayuku, a former member of the Delta State House of Assembly, had within a short time impacted on golfers and golf courses across the nation. He is always bringing tourneys to the Ibori club and anytime he visits any club, he is always donating something, be it money or Green mowers. Severally, he has sponsored selected Professionals to different tourneys across the world. EX-GOV. OLAGUNSOYE OYINLOLA: As Governor, he made Osun State, especially Ada, a Mecca of golf tourneys. There is no month you would not see at least two big tourneys at the Ada course. Having done all this, he moved ahead to establish a course at Osogbo. The course was fitted with a 100room hotel built by a Chinese firm that is expected to run the place for 25 years before handing the property back to the Osun State government. EMIR OF BIRNIN GWARI: A passionate golfer and a former Commissioner in Kaduna State. Last January, he spent N10 million on the sponsorship of the Professional Qualifying School at the Kaduna Golf Club where he plays his golf. Close to 100 golfers participated in that event. The golf-loving Emir is all set to build a nine-hole course to be fitted with a 30-room hotel and suites in his domain at Birnin Gwari, near Kaduna. OBA OJOMO: As a Military General in charge of the Cantonment at Auchi, Ojo created a solid nine-hole course that is now serving a lot of Benin golfers who desire a weekend ‘get-away’ from Benin. GEORGINA OBOH: Before she turned 12, this Nigerian British-born represented England in the World Under-8 World Girls tournament at the Pinehurst, North Carolina some four years ago. Georgina, grand daughter of a former GMD of Union Bank, GAT Oboh, is presently eyeing a career in Pro golf. •Concluded
ou wouldn’t believe this. Right inside the heart of Abuja, Garki, to be precise, lies a wonderful golf course. The course is aptly named Parkland Golf and Resort Club. It is just a Par-3 course and it happens to be the only Par-3 18 hole golf course in Nigeria. This course is great for one thing. You can practice you ‘Chip and Putt’ here. This course has consumed the best of professional golfers in Nigeria. Most of them who played here could not break Par not to make mention of Proa returning under Par here. Another thing. The course is beautifully set and it has a magnificent Clubhouse. Those who come here usually think of how many acres of land went into the course. T h e s e ones think of billions that could be made if the land space was to be sold. The owner, or Patron, as he is referred, Architect Bello, hardly think along this line. He says he loves golf and he believes his piece of contribution could help develop the game in Nigeria. Parkland has up to 200 members from all over Nigeria.
Elizade... another wonder T
he man who owns Elizade and the Smoking Hills Golf course in IlaraMokin in Ondo State, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, cannot just stop at making wonderful things happen. After making his course easily the best in West Africa, the man moved ahead to place his IlaraMokin on world map. This he did by putting on table a total one Million dollars so that popular film by Kunle Afolayan, October 1, could be shot at the village.
Quick Facts
PAR: Scoring of golf starts a ‘Par’. This is exactly the number of strokes you must make to hole out a particular hole BIRDIE: iF you score better than a PAR, then you have a birdie. For instance, if you must reach a hole in three and you make it in two, then you just scored a Birdie. EAGLE: This is one shot better than a Birdie ALBATROSS: This is one shot better than an Eagle. HOLE IN ONE: When your strike from a Tee box ends in the hole, you’ve just recorded the unbelievable, the Hole in One. DRINK: Don’t think of a bottle of beer just yet. Drink refers to streams that cut across a course. JAMMING:Like you have betting in the Premiership, so we have in golf. Betting on course is referred to Jamming. Don’t dare ‘Jam’ if your wallet is not thick enough to choke a horse.