Golf Travel expert Mary McDowall heads to Kenya for the first time and shares her experiences of combining golf and safari on a winter golf break
A holiday to Kenya conjures up images of magnificent wildlife in the country’s stunning national parks. Or relaxing on its impossibly white-sand beaches along the Indian Ocean. But not necessarily golf.
Well guess what, Kenya has a rich heritage of golf dating back over 100 years, and boasts a number of excellent courses. So actually, you can golf, sunbathe and safari all in one trip.
My recent trip to find out more was a revelation – it proved unique….where else could you see giraffes in a city, on safari and improving your lie in a bunker!
First Stop – Nairobi
Jambo jambo Kenya!
The first plus of this trip was the flight time – only 8 hours to Nairobi. For me, anything under 10 hours is bearable. The second plus was the time difference - only 3 hours - so no real jetlag problems to contend with.
Having quickly cleared Customs at Nairobi Airport we took the short transfer to our hotel, The Trademark. It’s a modern, comfortable hotel close to the golf courses, with the added bonus of a lovely roof-top pool/sunbathing area to chill out in and a cracking Japanese-themed restaurant, Hero, for evening drinks and small-plate sharing.
The Golf
Kenya has more golf courses than any other African country, except South Africa. Couple this with a great climate and there is potential for it to become a serious winter golf destination.
Its golfing history originates in the 1900’s. Early European pioneers decided that each community needed to have a church, a club and a golf course, though not necessarily in that order. The legacy of this tradition has left 40 very attractive and challenging golf courses scattered around the most beautiful regions of the country.
A good number are situated in Nairobi and we were lucky enough to play two of the city’s oldest and top courses, Muthaiga Golf (host of the 2025 Kenyan Open) and Karen Golf. Both are beautiful parkland courses and were in immaculate condition.
*Top Tips*
- Temperatures are cooler in Nairobi as it’s 2000 metres above sea level so it was perfect mid-70s skort-wearing conditions in November.
- The courses are relatively flat, and buggies are hard to come by, so I would recommend walking with a local caddy. The ones we encountered here were excellent.
Stand Tall with Giraffes
We also paid a visit to Nairobi’s wonderful Giraffe Centre. Run by the African Fund for Endangered Species – it was set up in the 1970s to protect the Rothschild Giraffe. The centre has since ensured the future of these magnificent and beautiful creatures. You can look them in the eye via the centre’s viewing platforms, and feed them – it really is a magical experience.
Second Stop – Amboseli National Park
The next leg of our journey, a quick hour’s hop away on a plane, was Amboseli National Park. Most people head to the Maasai Mara to safari in Kenya, but those in the know often head to Amboseli, where there are less crowds, but just as many animals.
Being honest, a safari has never been at the top of my bucket list. There are so many amazing images online nowadays that it’s difficult to imagine that reality could be better. Well... guess what?! It was... I felt like a child in a sweet-shop!
Life is too short not to go on a Safari
The mind-blowing experience of being up close and personal to so many beautiful, wild creatures in their natural habitat will stay with me forever. There were elephants (the park is famous for them), zebra and giraffes everywhere – they cross the road right in front of you. A couple of lions also meandered past, completely ignoring us. Gazelles, rhinos, warthogs, buffalo, ostriches, flamingos – we saw them all on a dizzyingly glorious two days in the park.
Third Stop – Mombasa
Was two days on safari enough? I’ll never know… but I left Amboseli feeling exhilarated and satisfied. Really the only disappointment was not spotting a leopard. But the lure of the beach was strong, and a return to the golf course stronger.
Life’s a Beach
Another quick flight took us down to Mombasa and our base for the final six nights of the trip, the Sarova Whitesands Hotel. The giveaway is in the name, it’s set on a gorgeous white-sand beach, just outside Mombasa. After a busy itinerary, it was time to relax, and this was the perfect spot.
Our six night stay here included three more rounds of golf:
Baobab Course, Vipingo Ridge
Host of the LET Magical Kenya Open, this beautiful course has a number of lakes and streams meandering across the fairways to add interest, and anxiety, to your round. Its setting is gorgeous, lying within the natural bush landscape of iconic Kenyan coastal baobab trees.
It’s also home to zebra, impala, eland, oryx and waterbuck - as well as the resort’s three rescue baby giraffes, Valentine, Kampoe and Chaa. These wonderful creatures are regularly spotted happily wandering around the course, either curiously watching you play a bunker shot, or taking a drink in the resort pool!
Nyali Golf Course
Nyali is a private members club in the suburbs of Mombasa. It’s a relatively flat, parkland course and was in great condition when we played. Such good condition, however, meant that the fairways had hardly any roll as they were so lush. Needless to say, my score suffered as a result!
Diamonds Leisure Golf Course
Our final port of call, Diamonds proved to be another well-maintained course, with an excellent design that provides a fair challenge for all standards of golfer in my opinion. Probably the trickiest hole is the par 5 18th, which I managed to completely mess up. Annoyed, I tried again, and did the exactly the same again – doesn’t that always happen in golf?!
It was here that I was lucky enough to meet Naomi, my final and best caddie of the tour. What a lovely lady – attentive, helpful and always smiling. If you are ever lucky enough to play here – do ask for her. She plays off 26 and knows the course like the back of her hand 😊
*Top Tip*
- Temperatures are much higher on the coast. Play early or late, when the sea breezes pick up.
- We used Bolt – the Asian equivalent of Uber – to get to the courses. Very cheap and efficient but always order a larger car that can fit your clubs in.
After 14 days, three centres, and five rounds of golf we finally headed home. It was a fabulous trip. Kenya is an amazing country that offers so much. The people we met along the way were without exception polite and friendly. I would go back in a heartbeat – especially to spot that elusive leopard!
For more information on this itinerary take a look here.
About the Author - Mary McDowall
I have worked in the golf travel industry for over 20 years, previously Tour Leading golf holidays for Solos Holidays and then as a Product Manager responsible for putting the golf trips together. I have been lucky enough to travel extensively across the fairways of Europe & beyond.
I am a member of Mill Hill Golf Club in England, and Borth & Ynyslas Golf Club in Wales, currently playing off 13.1 but dreaming of returning to single figures one day!
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