The first nine holes have opened at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort in Uganda. Located right on the shores of Lake Victoria, architect Kevin Ramsey of Golfplan says he believes the course will set a new standard for the region.

Developed by Kenyan-based contracting company Cementers, the new resort has been under construction since 2009. “It has been a slow burn,” Ramsey told GCA. “The marina, which is a key part of the development, is already operational, and in fact fits in between the ninth and eighteenth holes of the golf course.”

Ramsey said construction of the course was something of a challenge. “70 per cent of the site is reclaimed,” he explained. “Much of it was covered in thick papyrus, and when that was cleared, we realised it had been growing in a marsh that was between two and six metres deep. All that had to be filled before we could shape the golf holes – that process is in fact still ongoing on the back nine.”

The resort already has a hotel, and additional villas will be built in an area behind the seventeenth hole. Grassing is SeaSpray paspalum everywhere except greens, which are A-4 creeping bent. It is believed to be the first course in Uganda with bentgrass greens.

“The place is one of a kind,” said Ramsey. “Lake Victoria is incredibly beautiful, and the weather is fantastic. I have really enjoyed visiting, and I hope people from all over will get chance to see the place, though it is primarily aimed at a Ugandan audience.”