A total of 200 amateur golfers are competing in the 23rd IBB International Golf and Country Club ladies close golf championship marking the end of annual activities for the ladies at the prestigious club.
The vice captain of the club, Babayo Ibrahim, who teed off the annual event on behalf of the captain Banjo Obaleye yesterday, said the two day event for women is also geared toward the development of golf with a view to make Abuja a golfing destination.
“This is an annual event that we normally hold at the club for women, although the men also actively participate in it . It is a two days tournament where our mothers, daughters and sisters with their husbands experience golfing and it is part of the development of the game.
“We told you earlier that when we had an independence tournament that our ultimate aim was to partner with the FCT to make Abuja a golfing destination and this will be part of the tournament that will have from time to time at the club,” Babayo said.
According to the lady captain, Folashade Olateju, the championship will be competed among handicap one to fifty four under the World Handicap System (WHS) with the veteran ladies and men having the course on Friday while the championship people will play for two days, 36 holes to determine the new ladies champion of the IBB International Golf and Country Club.
“This is the 23rd edition of the ladies close and about 200 amateur golfers, comprising 80 ladies and 120 men will be competing.
“We are playing the WHS tournament which ranges from one to fifty four handicaps. The veteran men and ladies are playing on Friday (today) and the rest of the gentlemen will play on Saturday. The people in the championship will play for two days, 36 holes,” Olateju stated.
The significance of the event, according to Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, is to take the ladies golf further at the club.
“The take of this year’s event is majorly to take the ladies golf further from what we have been doing this year. We have had various programmes for women of the IBB International Golf and Country Club in 2023. We had programmes that have to do with children, eradication of poverty, cancer awareness and as it is called, ladies closed, is the closing of annual activities for ladies in IBB International Golf and Country Club. So, we are closing annual activities for ladies, not necessarily January to December.”