Ongoing renovations at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
It’s likely that golf was first played on rudimentary courses on farms and near towns in East Africa in the early 1900s but whose existence went unrecorded.
Not surprising, many believe that Mombasa Golf Club, which was officially opened in 1911, was the first golf course to be established in Kenya. There are other claims to this fame that cannot be disputed or confirmed due to the mists of time.
However, history opines that in 1906, a fresh and successful attempt was made to establish a Nairobi golf club. In 1908 a committee was formed to lay out a course. In the end, a nine-hole course became operational in June of that year. With that, the modern Royal Nairobi Golf Club was born.
Three classes of membership were available then, namely, playing, non-playing and temporary. Several of the fairways crossed and re-crossed the stream. It gives some idea of the layout, the fourth “brown”- of course there were no ‘greens’ in those days before piped water - was located very near to the club entrance at Mucai Drive.
The advent of the 1914-1918 World War I meant that many of the younger members were called away for the military duties.
This led to a drop in usage of the club that in turn led to the admission of ladies as members with the provisos that they had no voting rights.
Hostilities also led to the requisitioning by the K.A.R (King’s African Rifles) of part of the golf course. This resulted in some of the existing holes and fairways being given up and replaced by new ones elsewhere.
In 1936, the club was awarded the “Royal” status following the jubilee of the reign of King George V. This elevated Nairobi Club to the league of the 64 Chartered Royal Clubs in the world.
Ongoing renovations at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
Given the membership dynamics and to be able to offer all round sporting and recreational facilities, the club through successive boards has developed various facilities namely modern gym, heated swimming pool, squash courts, football academy, among others.
For years, holes 10 and 11 bore the brunt of Kenya’s diverse weather patterns. During the rainy season, these parts of the course often transformed into mud pits, disrupting play and leaving them, more often, inaccessible.
Conversely, the scorching dry seasons rendered them arid, resembling a desert-like expanse more than a lush fairway. These seasonal transformations not only affected the gameplay experience, but also impacted the course’s visual appeal and its standing as a top golfing destination.
The Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s leadership realized that a lasting solution was necessary — one that would make holes 10 and 11 an enduring highlight of the course.
This realisation ultimately led to a bold proposal by the Board of Directors for a comprehensive revamp aimed at elevating these holes to meet PGA standards, a first for the Club.
In a pivotal step toward advancing the Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s status and creating a PGA-standard course, the club embarked on an ambitious renovation project of holes 10 and 11.
The decision was fueled by a collective vision by the 2024 board to enhance playability and resilience to Kenya’s first golf course -- “The Home Of Golf.”
At an extraordinary general meeting held on August 27, 2024, the board presented its renovation proposal to the club’s membership, with a dedicated budget of Sh25 million financed through a membership drive.
Ongoing renovations at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
The design, developed by one of the world’s best known golf course designer David Jones, a 1989 Kenya Open champion, emphasized not only practical improvements, such as better drainage and irrigation, but also an overall aesthetic upgrade that would set the stage for PGA consideration.
The proposal was met with overwhelming support from the members, who understood the importance of these renovations in aligning the club with global golfing standards.
Following approval, the groundwork for the renovation project began, with a ground-breaking ceremony on September 30 setting in motion the first steps toward a course transformation that promises a top-tier golfing experience.
The board’s work plan includes, a project oversight team led by the board chairman Charles Kariuki, a project implementation team comprising of a consortium of volunteer engineers within the membership led by past chairman David Gaitho, and a professional team lead by David Jones.
“The project barely on its fifth week has seen significant advancements. As of today, the following milestones have been achieved: De-sodding and excavation on greens 10 and 11 were completed successfully; Murram fill importation - nearly completed. This phase will provide a stable foundation resistant to the challenges posed by seasonal weather fluctuations,” said Kariuki.
Ongoing renovations at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
The board chairman also said drainage and irrigation installations have been done and sprinklers procured.
He said topsoil and red soil backfilling will create a lush, fertile base, preparing the fairways for final grassing.
The greens will also be transformed from soil-based to sand-based with more drainage capability.
“The club has meanwhile secured bent grass specifically for greens, with seeding scheduled for November 11 (last Monday) bringing us closer to a PGA-grade playing surface. When complete the project promises a new era for the club, bringing with it, not only elevated playing conditions for the much-anticipated Tannahill centenary tournament, but also the prestige of a course that can represent Kenya proudly on a global stage,” said Kariuki.
Indeed, the ongoing course project has come at the perfect time as the club prepares to celebrate the 100th edition of the Tannahill tournament.
Ongoing renovations at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
The Easter invitational tournament, also known as the “Tannahill Shield”, is the premier inter-club competition in Kenya inaugurated way back in February 1924 by the late Arthur C. Tannahill, who was the Hon Secretary of the Royal Nairobi golf Club, and who later on became the first President (Chairman) of the Kenya Golf Union (KGU).
This is an amateur golf tournament created to provide an opportunity for upcoming amateur golfers to “sharpen” their golfing skills while enjoying the company of other competing golfers.
The competition has taken place every year over Easter Holiday except in 1940 because of World War II and 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
When the upgrade is completed Royal Nairobi Golf Club will have all the qualities to host the DP World Tour Kenya Open.
