Lusaka

Described as “Zambia’s most prestigious sporting facility, attracting a good cross section of golfing nationalities”, Lusaka Golf Club is situated in the heart of the capital, next to State House and a short distance from all the main hotels. Lusaka City Airport, which serves the military, shares a common boundary to the north of the course.

When the course originally opened in 1935, it ran through the prestigious residential area of Sunningdale and into what is now the runway of the airport, but the layout in play to day is a Frank Pennink creation from the early 1960s.

Occupying a gently undulating property, the tree-lined course extends to 6,575 metres from the championship tees, playing to a par of 73. The back nine measures almost 500 metres longer than the outward half, thanks largely to a composition containing four par fives, including two of them played back-to-back at holes 13 and 14.

The Zambia Open was first held at Lusaka in 1973 when Craig Defoy won the tournament, who was defending his title from the inaugural event at Ndola the year before. Since then, the club has hosted many more editions of this prestigious national golfing tournament, most recently in 2013.