Unusually, a round at Achimota Golf Club now starts and finishes with a par three hole and there are back-to-back par fives on both the front and back nines...
Overall rating
Unusually, a round at Achimota Golf Club now starts and finishes with a par three hole and there are back-to-back par fives on both the front and back nines...
The government of the Gold Coast – as it was known until 1957 – established the elite Achimota School (originally called the Prince of Wales College) in 1927. Before long, the Scottish Principal, Alexander Fraser, and several of his teachers had created a staff golf section, playing on local 9-hole courses.
By 1934, the golfers had convinced the local anti-malarial authorities that long grass and scrub should be removed from part of the school grounds, enabling a 7-hole course to be laid out for their own use. A further two holes were added before the first Ghana Open was held at Achimota in 1940.
It would take another 30 years before the course was extended to a full 18 holes and these were subsequently re-sequenced in 1984, allowing the final two holes to be played in front of the clubhouse. Unusually, a round at Achimota Golf Club now starts and finishes with a par three hole and there are back-to-back par fives on both the front nine (holes 4 and 5) and back nine (holes 14 and 15).
Peter contacted us on 23rd October 2014 and provided us with the following update on Achimota:
"Paul McGinley redesigned the Achimota course, which re-opened fully in October 2014. This is not a course that will disappoint, with the character you would expect from an 80-year-old course. For an average high teens handicap player the course feels long at 6,400 yards, with a short par four to start followed by two long par fours, two par fives and an uphill par four. The first par three is the 9th. Every hole has a different character, with good shots being rewarded and bad shots sometimes being forgiven but often being punished.
Well-maintained fairways and greens, particularly for West Africa – welcoming and relaxed but with standards expected to be maintained. Good caddies always available and a nice new clubhouse. Closed Mondays and Fridays but can almost always get a tee time with a couple of day’s notice. Good driving range / academy with inexpensive pros on hand for tuition. The course is within greater Accra City so a distinctive atmosphere, particularly on weekends with the music from the many churches surrounding the course."
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
California, United States
New Jersey, United States
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
New York, United States
New York, United States
