Coast team off to Rwanda for inter-club title defence

Mombasa Golf Club chairman Symon Wambugu leads a strong team of 21 golfers from Coast golf clubs to Rwanda this morning to defend their title against their Rwandese counterparts in an inter-club golf tournament to be played at the par 72 Nyarutarama’s Kigali Golf Club.

The Coast team under their brand “Sharks” golf team will be in the land of a thousand hills to taste the Rwandese state of the art course in a two-days tournament starting tomorrow with a four better-ball match play.

They wind up on Saturday on foursomes match play and prize-giving ceremony later in the evening.

The formation of the interclub event dubbed the “Ocean and a Thousand Hills Challenge” will be alternating annually between the two clubs.

It was formed after the visitors played in four Kenya coast courses of Mombasa, Nyali, Vipingo and Leisure last April with the Mombasa team claiming victory.

Wilfred Achila will captain the side while Gregory Koech will be the assistant. Susan Mwangi is the Lady captain and Mary Mariga the club’s Honorary Secretary Mary Mariga.

Other members of the team include the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) Coast Representative Gurbux Singh, past club Chairman Nyali Dominic Makau, Lawrence Odhiambo, Martin Ombura, Mburu Mwangi and Pauline Gichara.

Team captain Achila said the Mombasa team they were aware of the challenge awaiting them.

“This is going to be a very competitive challenge. However, we are the ‘Sharks’ the most ferocious sea creature. We are ready for the might of the Rwandese — the Silverback Gorilla,” Achila said.

“Our encounter back in April in Mombasa was such a good experience that the return match in Kigali happened naturally. We are going to Kigali under the auspices of the over century-old Mombasa Golf Club.

Kigali Club captain Davis Kashaka, who is also the President of the East Africa Golf Federations, leads the Rwandese team. He said all plans are complete and ready to welcome their Kenyan counterparts.

“My team is ready and the inter-club tourney is expected to boost domestic golf tourism between our two countries,” Kashaka said.