Golfers decry state of Lira Golf Course

For a golfer to tee-off and reach the hole at Lira Golf Course, you need to hit six or more times. This is because of the poor state of the green belt at the finishing point. 

This was observed by lady golfer Grace Obua during a tournament organized by Uganda Ladies Golf Union to mark Labour Day that attracted 12 golfers from the region. 

"The green belt is so bad that you cannot put the ball in even if it's only half a meter. The dry spell has affected the grass, this had led to our poor performance otherwise we could have scored better than this," Obua said after the tournament. 

Lira Golf Course which has the longest par 5 hole in the Commonwealth has also been turned into a grazing field and a crossing point for pedestrians. 

Obua cautioned those who have turned the course to a grazing field to stop forthwith and allow the grass to grow to a length that can be maintained to a standard. 

"Every time we are playing, you find people grazing their cows on the course and people crossing. Even when I was training the young golfers, a cow almost knocked one of the pupils. I am appealing to municipal authorities to help us stop these people from grazing their cows on the course," Obua added. 

Lira district sports officer Leo Alani when contacted on phone said his office has tried in vain to stop people from crossing the field because it is not fenced.  

"The golf union should look for funds and fence the course otherwise it is very difficult to control human beings from encroaching the field. Last time we tried to fence it but people still it," Alani said.