Serena Golf Resort to open 18-hole course this weekend

An experience of a championship golf course awaits golfers who will play in the inaugural Serena Johnnie Walker Open at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort in Kigo.

Sitting on 66 hectares, the par 72 course designed by Golfplan US will be open to close to 200 invited golfers who will play in the inaugural tournament at the unique golfing paradise in one of the suburbs of Kampala from October 3-6. For sh25m, the professionals will be the first to have a feel of the 18 holes over three rounds before the main event on October 6.

Speaking to journalists at the course on Monday, the Golf Course Project Manager South African Theodor van Rooyen said golfers will not only enjoy the game and breathtaking views of the course, but also enjoy the amazing birding life in the area.

 
"With a full 18 holes people will be able to appreciate the golf course and the views around it. We have very big greens and we can play around with the pin positions in a pro tournament. All the greens are almost 600 square meters and by playing around with the pin positions you make the players think on how to approach the hole," Theodor explained.

"We want to get them off the tee but they should be able to judge which the scoring holes are; the player who will win here is the one that will exhibit good course management. The 5th hole is one of the hardest and can be tempting to use a driver but you can miss easily. It has 7 bunkers so if you want to stay out of trouble it is advisable to play safe," he noted.

Previously a nine-hole course, the Serena course designed by Golf Plan USA has since been expanded to an 18-hole experience. Initial construction started in 2009 with the first 9 holes completed in 2016.

"After completing the first nine it was well received and we embarked on construction of the second nine

The course has been built from the water level and made unique, we have several sets of tees from the professionals'' up to the ladies to cater for every handicapped player," Theodor said.

He said the course is built to the United States Golf Association (USGA) specifications to ensure all the distances, the tees and the greens can host big events such as the Sunshine and European tour events.

"We have added a lot of angulation where you can get different shots from different angles but one special thing is the proximity to the water. After every three holes Lake Victoria comes into play to and we have added additional lakes to continue with the theme of water and the surroundings,"

"For the first timer water is always intimidating but the moment you get over the fear of water and play safe it can really be fun," Theodor advised.

The paspalum grass on the fairway was imported from Spain while the greens are made of bentgrass. Ninety apartments and ninety villas await families that might want to get tranquility out of the bustle of the city.

A golf academy for children between the ages of 4-12 years is also planned and already 50 children are horning their skills at the facility with surrounding schools also set to continue benefiting in the junior development golf program.