Guardian

WITH a contract to administer golf at Lakowe Lakes Golf Estates, International Management Group (IMG) says it would work assiduously to contribute its quota to bringing Nigeria up to speed with golf advancement as seen in other parts of the world.

Lakowe Lakes Golf and Club, is an exclusive, secure and serene haven, spread within a 308-hectare residential estate, in Lakowe Village, in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State, is the latest golf club in the state.

The estate is located approximately 35 kilometers from Victoria Island. Lakowe Lakes is accessed via a serviced road off the expressway. It is situated approximately 400 metres from the Atlantic Coast.

This development brings to two, the number of facility managed by the IMG in the country having earlier signed a contract with the internationally renowned Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort in Akwa Ibom State.

General Manager Consultant of IMG in Nigeria, Sam Logan, in an interview with The Guardian said the firm was elated to be considered to administer golf in a second facility in the country, saying its success in the first facility it managed in the country was contributory to the feat.

According to Logan, “Lakowe Lakes Golf Estates is owned by the ARM Group. As it got close to the opening of the facility, they realised that they needed some assistance and they approached me on behalf of IMG and I got them in touch with IMG in London and the contract was signed on October 1st.

“The agreement signing shows the strong support that IMG is getting here in Nigeria. It also shows the kind of branding that IMG brings to golf in Nigeria because ARM would have sought for a different company to run the facility or do it on their own. However, everybody has seen how successful IMG has been in Nigeria in the last two and a half years particularly at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort and what we have brought to golf development in Nigeria. We feel honoured to be saddled with this responsibility and always ready to make further contributions to golf development in the country.

Logan said with a second facility within a span of about three years, “I would say that it is good to have a sister club to manage in Lagos because we will do so many club matches together.”

Commenting on the facility, the former American PGA tour professional said, “We have a fantastic facility, probably one of the best in the whole of Africa in Lakowe Golf Estates. As we advised, they are doing some light reworking of the course, which we advised them to do. These include creating some more mountains, planting some more trees and reshaping some of the bunkers with a view to making the facility much more challenging.

“To most golfers, the joy of playing at Le Meridien, apart from the tough challenge it presents, also includes the obstacles you have to navigate, the mountains you have to climb and the general undulating terrain that brings out the best in you.

So after the re-shaping of the facility, it would be greater than it is currently and a delight for anyone to test his strength there,” Logan stated.

Many have expressed concerns about membership, considering the fact that from Ikeja, it takes about four hours to get to the club. But Logan was quick to dispel any such concerns saying, “apart from being a resort course, it is also a private membership club, so I don’t see membership drive being a snag. But looking at it critically, Ikoyi and Ikeja golf clubs are well over crowded, so quite a number of people will be willing to take up membership of Lakowe.”