Vipingo Ridge lies in the centre of a 2,500 acre former sisal estate. The property rises from just above sea level to a 140 metre high ridge, before falling off again to the scenic lake and game conservation area to the west of the site. The development lies approximately 30 kilometres north of the historic coastal town of Mombasa and south of Lamu, a World Heritage site.
Vipingo Ridge brings an unparalleled dimension to golf in East Africa.
Charmian Robinson quizzes course architect David Jones
Kenya T
he two golf courses under construction at Vipingo Ridge are the first in East Africa to be built to a truly international standard, with USGA specification being used for all aspects of the course.
The large and undulating greens are cultivated with fine Bermuda grasses to guarantee fast and true putting surfaces. A fully automated irrigation system and a large inventory of new greenkeeping equipment ensure that the playing surfaces are maintained in pristine condition all year round.
A meandering system of waterfalls, lakes and streams runs through both courses, giving a real risk-reward quality to many holes, and also creating new natural habitats for birds and wildlife. Extensive fairway modelling and the planting of thousands of new trees ensure that every hole has strategic elements to bring interest and enjoyment.
We talked to the architect, David Jones, Master Pro of the PGA and a European Tour Director.
David has a long association with Kenya, 36
dating back to 1970, when he first visited to play in the Kenya Open golf tournament, which he won in 1989. He has designed many golf courses, not only in his home country of Ireland, but also in Finland and Turkey, where his PGA Sultan course has just been awarded the honour of hosting the Eisenhower Trophy (World amateur championship), in 2012. Vipingo Ridge is his biggest design venture to date.
Is there a golfing history in Kenya - When was the first Golf Course constructed and how many are there now?
Golf has a long history in Kenya and is a very popular sport. It started in the colonial era when the British just about peppered anywhere they colonised with golf courses. Kenya fell into this bracket, and so has about forty courses, most of which were built between 1900 and 1970. There have only been three built in the ‘modern’ era; Windsor GC in Nairobi, Leisure Lodge GC on the South Coast, and Great Rift Valley CC near Naivasha.
Some of the older ones are quite famous, Karenm, Muthaiga, Royal Nairobi,
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