Nigeria: Abuja Course to Feature Island Hole

Olawale Ajimotokan

12 June 2011

IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja has initiated plans to imitate the famous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, Florida, by redesigning one of the holes on the course into an island green.

The 17th at TPC Sawgrass, venue of the Players Championship, is one of the most memorable holes in golf as players, with nerves overrunning them, have to tee into the par 3, 132 yard green surrounded by water.

Though there are a few holes in Nigeria that bear resemblance to the TPC, the latest effort by IBB committee to remould one of the holes on the back nine is to make the course challenging, reminiscent of the hole on the other side of the Atlantic.

We learnt that the hole in question is the par 3, No 16 which will be isolated as a semi island green where the water hazard that borders the perimeter fence will be extended and brought into play.

Upon completion, the changes will affect club selection and decisions of the players on the tee.

The past IBB Club committee headed by Prof Bola Afolabi, before it handed over to a new committee led by Dr Peter Deshi, undertook a number of initiatives to improve on the course ranked one of the best in Nigeria.

One of such is to construct a new green on the 10th to be used during professional tournaments.

The effects of the changes on the hole which will bring the pond on the right side of the fairway into play particularly, during the Memorial Tournament later this month.

Apart from that the closing hole 18 will have a new tee box located at a corner near hole 17.

The changes will enhance the defence mechanism of IBB layout, making it challenging for both the amateur and professional golfers every time they play the course.

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