Kilimanjaro Golf Club

The course at Kilimanjaro Golf Club is a 2013 David Jones design that is the centrepiece of the stunning 1,000-acre Kilimanjaro Golf & Wildlife Estate (known locally as Kiligolf) in northern Tanzania. All 18 holes opened on the 1st of July 2015 and Northern Irishman David Jones (Kenya Open champion in 1989) believes it’s already an inspiration:

“I am familiar with many great settings where golf courses are situated, but I can truthfully say I have rarely seen anything so magnificent as this. Mount Kilimanjaro dominates the Eastern view and Mount Meru the West. As if these great mountains weren’t enough this wonderful piece of Africa has rivers, wildlife and one of the most tranquil feelings of anywhere I’ve ever worked. It is already attracting investors from around the world who see the emergence of somewhere really special to live and play.”

Set at nearly 1,400 metres above sea level, Kiligolf is Tanzania’s first golf and wildlife resort where the views are undoubtedly jaw dropping. The snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain (16,000 feet) and this dormant volcanic spectacle, with the Maasai Steppe in the foreground, cannot fail to inspire visitors.

The golf course itself is impressive too, with four sets of tees that stretch the layout from a modest 5,400 metres to a testing 6,500 metres from the tips. The Kilimanjaro Golf Club is set to become an international tournament venue of some repute.

“The first nine tees off just beside the clubhouse with the very first green bordering a lake surrounded by acacias," David commented. “The second hole runs the length of one of the largest lakes on the property of which the various levels are separated by small waterfalls and cascades. The course then loops around the highest part of the site before returning to the club at the ninth, a beautiful and demanding par five, played along the stream on the left with an option to lay up for two or go for the green across the lake.

The second nine runs round the lower part of the estate, with some dramatic natural water features along the furrow, expanding into long and strategically placed lakes at the 11th, 12th and 13th. The final hole, a real risk-versus-reward par three, requires a bold approach to a wonderful island green.”

Golfers are already describing the course at the Kilimanjaro Golf Club as challenging, engaging and fun. What more could any intrepid golfer require?