Serengeti adds golf to tourism attractions

MARA: GOLFERS will have a new challenge in the heart of Tanzania’s wildlife tourism circuit when the 18-hole Serengeti Golf Course at Fort Ikoma is officially launched on Sunday.

The 450-acre facility, built by Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), measures 7.097 kilometres and has a par of 72, offering players a course designed around winding fairways, changing wind conditions and natural obstacles.

The Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ashatu Kijaji, is expected to officiate at the launch, following a tournament involving 81 golfers from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Malawi that began on Wednesday.

TANAPA Conservation Commissioner Massana Gibril Mwishawa said the investment was intended to diversify tourism activities and give visitors more reasons to extend their stays in the Serengeti area.

“The project is specifically intended to enable visitors to Serengeti National Park to engage in additional tourism activities during their visits, allowing them to play golf while relaxing and enjoying sports tourism,” Mwishawa said.

The course combines sporting facilities with a natural landscape, offering golfers an opportunity to test their skills while enjoying views of the surrounding environment. Its layout, with winding fairways and exposure to wind, is intended to provide a challenge beyond simply navigating the distance between holes.

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The completed infrastructure includes playing and practice areas, a players’ service building, access roads, electricity and water systems, irrigation facilities and water storage reservoirs.

About 4,000 indigenous trees have also been planted to improve vegetation and the surrounding landscape. Engineer Enock Magile, who supervised construction, said the facility had infrastructure designed to meet the requirements of golf and standards recognised by international golf associations.

He said the course’s natural setting was its main distinguishing feature, allowing players to combine the game with the experience of the Serengeti landscape and nearby wildlife.

The course is located at Fort Ikoma, outside Serengeti National Park, rather than within the protected area itself. Mwishawa said the facility was expected to attract golfers and tourists seeking different experiences while creating business opportunities in accommodation, transport, food and other services for communities around the area.