Golfing Safari In Kenya
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Playing Golf In Kenya
Kenya is famous the world over for thrilling wildlife and breathtaking scenery in vast national parks that carry visitors right to the heart of Africa. What is less well known is that Kenya embraced the world’s favourite game many decades ago, with a rich variety of convivial clubs and challenging courses dating back to 1906. Playing golf in Kenya is a wonderfully evocative experience that every golf traveller will cherish. There is such variety, not only between the city and the coast, but between individual courses, allowing the golfer to enjoy the wonders of nature in the company of highly experienced caddies. For a memorable golf vacation that always delivers much more than it promises, Kenya is the natural choice!
Golf Holiday Tours In Kenya
Golfing in Kenya is a relatively gentle affair. So while you will find a healthy respect for the traditions of the game, expect a somewhat more relaxed attitude to formality on the course.
Availability – Most clubs have a weekly ‘club night’, when members enjoy exclusive use of the course for the afternoon, or in some cases for the whole day. Competition days are usually held during the weekends. At all other times, visiting golfers can usually just show up and play – although, again, prior bookings are recommended.
Best Kenya Golf Safaris & What to Expect
Experience the best of both worlds: pristine golf courses set against majestic wildlife. A Kenyan golf safari combines championship rounds with unforgettable wildlife safari drives, extended beach holiday exposure, Kenya luxury lodge stays and much more—an adventure designed for the golfer with a love of nature.
Where to go on a Golf Trip
The majority of international travelers who visit Kenya for safari want to experience the wildlife, mountains and, with the world’s most famous game reserve on hand, there is nowhere better to see the wildebeest migration than the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Wait until you visit the Kenyan beaches, fringed with shiny white sandy beaches and the Indian Ocean provides for some of the best diving and water sport activities in the world. But again, that’s not what Kenya has to offer. The Kenya Open Golf is one of Africa’s most prestigious golf tournaments, drawing top professionals and golf enthusiasts from around the world. If watching the action unfold has sparked your passion for the sport, why not step onto the green yourself? Kenya boasts some of the most stunning golf courses, blending world-class fairways with breathtaking scenery and wildlife encounters. In this golf guide, we’ll explore the best golf courses in Kenya where you can test your skills, enjoy lush landscapes, and experience the magic of golfing in this East African paradise.
Top 10 Best Golf Course Destinations In Kenya
One of Kenya’s best-kept secrets is its numerous golf courses nestled in some unusual settings. Kenya’s golf courses are a delightful mix, whereby at each of its golfing regions, you’ll find a different a distinct Kenyan golf experience. The Nairobi golf courses are scattered in and around the city, and you can stay in the city and access these courses or stay put at golf resorts for a more leisurely round. Other top Kenya golf courses are located along the Kenya Beaches, delivering excellent views of the Ocean and great all-year playing conditions. Another added advantage about Kenyan golf courses is that it quite common for some wildlife to pay visits to a gold course whilst you are busy playing a round of golf.
1. Golf Courses In Nairobi
All of Nairobi’s courses enjoy wonderful natural surroundings and a tremendous variety of landscapes, from the subtropical forests of Windsor to the higher plantations and temperate woodlands of Limuru. All the courses featured are of an international standard, with exciting and challenging designs, picturesque water hazards and fairways that often play home to diverse wildlife. Between rounds next to Nairobi city centre is Nairobi National Park – a unique ecosystem and the only protected reserve in the world that adjoins a capital city. The park has a large and diverse wildlife population and guided game drives can be arranged from any hotel. There is also an elevated ‘Safari Walk’ for a bird’s-eye view of the park. Within the city, the National Museum offers an enlightening introduction to Kenya’s rich natural and cultural heritage and there are also several superb art and craft galleries. To the South West of the city lies the suburb of Karen, named after Karen Blixen, the legendary author of Out of Africa. After playing a morning at Karen Country Club, afternoon trips can be made to Karen Blixen’s house, Giraffe Manor and Daphne Sheldrick’s world-famous elephant orphanage. For something different, white-water rafting, mountain climbing and trips to archaeological sites are all within a few hours’ drive of the city.
2. Karen Country Club Course
With its lush fairways threading through natural woodlands, this stunning course occupies a special place in the heart of historic Kenya on the site of Karen Blixen’s famous coffee estate. Karen golf club features 18holes, par 72 Altitude: 1,830 meters Tee distance (championship): 6,924 yards Tee distance (ladies): 5,707 yards Course ratings (SSS): men-72, ladies-72 Opened: 1993 Designer: Jean Remy Martin Karen Golf and Country Club smiles at the wit, but responds with one of the best – and most beautiful – walks anywhere in Africa, among lush indigenous forests and pools and wetlands bursting with birdlife, butterflies, sprays of flowers and luminescent bougainvillea. As well as the area’s rich history (Karen Blixen’s home lies just beyond the second green) golfers will marvel at the little cameos of wildlife. Being near the equator above 1,800 meters, the sunshine sparkles and your ball flies further through the cool highland air. There are no big hills to climb, but ample twists and turns and thoughtfully placed hazards to give big hitters a reality check.
3. Leisure Lodge Beach & Golf Resort
A unique and impeccably maintained course beside one of the most beautiful stretches of white sand on Earth, Leisure Lodge offers its guests the very best of both worlds: 18 holes, Par 72 Altitude: Sea level Tee distance (championship): 6,632 yards Tee distance (men’s): 6,385 yards Tee distance (ladies’): 6,123 yards Course rating: 73, 72, 69 Opened: 1998 Designer: Thomas Fjastad It has been called the most beautiful in East African construction projects ever witnessed on Kenya’s South Coast, with miles of coral overlaid with sand and topsoil, the installation of an intricate web of pop-up sprinklers, and tones of tifgreen, pennlinks and other special grasses imported from the United States. Today, Leisure Lodge is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and exacting courses on Africa’s amateur circuit, with numerous tournaments staged here. As the only true beach-and-golf resort in Kenya, Leisure Lodge can guarantee guests that ultimate holiday aspiration.
4. Mount Kenya Golf Trips
At Mount Kenya, immerse yourself in a unique golfing experience. Discover meticulously manicured 9-hole, par-3 course offers breathtaking views of Mount Kenya. Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or a beginner, our course provides a tranquil oasis for a rejuvenating round of golf. Enjoy your golf course set against Mount Kenya’s stunning backdrop, providing a relaxing experience for all skill levels, at the same time blending luxury, tranquility, and unrivaled views.
5. Aberdares Golf Excursions In Kenya
Discover a 9-hole Golf Course within the Game Sanctuary at Aberdares Park. Guests can bring their own clubs or hire them from the Club. The unique and wonderful thing about the golf course at the Club is that you can tee off amidst the wildlife that wonder on the course to forage for food. Priceless!
6. Best Golf Tours In Diani
Discover golf at Kenyan beaches. After a round on the golf course, cool off in the Indian Ocean or at your beach resorts swimming pools, or walk along the soft white sands of Kenya’s award winning Diani Beach and discover the vibrant coral reefs.
The golf clubs along the Indian Ocean offer palm trees and tropical plants on the one hand, and usually some wildlife sightings. Most clubs have a pro shop and golfers can enjoy the luxury of a caddy. The weather is ideal for year round golf.
Experience world-class golf at Kenyan beach resorts and luxury hotels which features one of the best International 18-hole golf courses in East Africa, catering for both beginners and professional golf players. The golf course has plenty of water and sand obstacles that will challenge golfing skills. First-time golfers are welcome to start playing, with the help from professional coaches.
The “Diani Beach Masters” takes place every year in October, where both professionals and amateurs meet and play golf over a two-day period. The event is one of the highlights in major events that take place in the East African Golfing calendar.
Diani Beach is ideal for golf holidays, family getaways, romantic escapes and corporate meetings and events, the resorts offers a seamless blend of relaxation and activity, with everything you need to hand.
7. Golfing at Vipingo Ridge Beach Club
The course at Vipingo Ridge is designed by former Kenya Open winner David Jones. From the iconic Clubhouse overlooking the 9th and 18th holes there is a system of connected lakes and streams running through the course.
Thousands of trees lend structure and beauty to the design, including the iconic coastal Baobabs, the native Kenyan tree from which the course takes its name.
Supported by three putting greens and the largest driving range in Kenya, the PGA Baobab Course is amongst the best courses in Africa.
Nestled between the shimmering Indian Ocean and the rolling green hills of the Kenyan heartland, a landscape of lush, expansive beauty provides the setting for Vipingo Ridge, the newest and most striking addition to Africa’s great golf courses. The Baobab Course, the first of Vipingo Ridge’s two 18-hole courses, is built to the most exacting international standards, with panoramic ocean views to the East and sunsets over the vast African interior to the West. Please enquire for short-term rentals of private residences on the estate.
8. Golfing at Muthaiga Golf Club In Nairobi
Muthaiga Golf Club, proudly called the Home of Golf by its elite membership, is in many ways the ultimate embodiment of Kenya’s unique marriage of ancient golf tradition and a modern 18-Hole Championship Golf Course.
As the club prepares to celebrate its long-awaited centenary, Muthaiga Golf Club has been reborn as one of the most prestigious and challenging courses in the region.
The force behind this renaissance is an extensive course reconstruction by the celebrated South African course designer Peter Matkovich, which in 2002 returned Muthaiga to its prominence as the finest course with the fastest greens in East Africa.
The Kenya Open, which is part of the European PGA Challenge Tour, has been hosted at Muthaiga Golf Club every year. Winding through the lush woodlands of Karura Forest, Muthaiga Golf Club offers a great ambiance, with its tree-lined fairways interspersed with numerous lakes and ponds. The water features are a breeding ground for magnificent Egyptian Geese, while monkeys frolic on the 522-yard doglegged 4th hole and the par-3 5th.
9. Nyali Golf & Country Club
The home of golf on Kenya’s coast, Nyali is a true seaside paradise; its perfectly formed greens flanked by flamboyant flame trees, its fairways alive with troops of vervet monkeys. Nyali golf club features; 18 holes, par 71 Altitude: sea level Tee distance (championship): 6,715 yards Tee distance (men’s): 6,510 yards Tee distance (ladies’): 5,431 yards Course rating (SSS):72 Opened: 1958 Designer: Monty Lowry Located in the leafy Nyali suburb of Mombasa, Nyali Golf & Country Club is a traditional coastal course, lined with flowering trees and featuring impeccably maintained fairways and some of the fastest greens in Kenya. Its central location offers easy access to Mombasa’s world-class beach resorts, water sports centres, shops and restaurants-while the evocative 15th Century landmarks of Fort Jesus and Mombasa’s Old Town are just a short drive away.
10. Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club
For two decades, Windsor Golf & Country Club has held the crown as the finest of Nairobi’s championship golf courses – an honour it is in no danger of ceding any time soon: Windsor golf club features; 18 holes, par 72 Altitude: 1,830 meters Tee distance (championship): 7,290 yards Tee distance (men’s): 6,734 yards Tee distance (ladies’): 5,695 yards Course rating (SSS): Men-72, Ladies-72 Opened: 1992 Designer: Tom Macauley Twenty years after it was heralded as Kenya’s first truly “international” 18-hole course, the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club is still widely celebrated for its captivating blend of world class championship golf with the more down-to-earth delights of Africa’s natural heritage. Built on a former coffee estate, the Windsor is testament to the enduring vision of Tom Macauley, President of the former British Association of Golf Course Architects, who designed the course with a firm commitment to preserving the exceptional stands of virgin forest. The course remains a critical sanctuary for several significant bird species, including Egyptian geese, black kites and the majestic brown eagles that soar above its fairways. Two of the greens are completely ringed by water, adding an exhilarating test for both local and visiting golfers. The Windsor prides itself as a natural “starting point” for international golfers.
Recommended Kenya Safari Tours & Excursions
Our exciting Nairobi city tour package lets you see all of the top sites in Kenya’s capital within a single day. Book now, these incredible full-day guided city tours which will allow you to explore some of the best attractions of Nairobi. Kick-start your morning city excursions throughout Nairobi’s main areas, including visits to the Museum and significant historical sites in the CBD. Experience Nairobi city through the eyes of street children on a personal storytelling walking tour in downtown which has been ranked best tour in Nairobi. Alternatively, we provide you with the combination of the best full-day Nairobi tour to Nairobi National Park, David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, and Giraffe, among other destinations.