Arusha Gymkhana Golf Club

If you are a spoiled country clubber, you won't like Arusha Gymkhana Golf Club. If you are a municipal golf course rat, you will feel at home. And if you let down your expectations and just play a little golf, you'll have a great time. Don't take a cart. Hire one of the capable and ready to please caddies. In fact, take two. If you're lucky enough to hire Yassheem, ask him to help you club selection, aim, putting line, and if he'll give you a ride on his motorbike. If the club pro, Nuau Mollei, is playing, introduce yourself and follow him for a couple holes. He's on the Tanzania National Team and has game, even with his ancient set of Wilson irons. $50 to rent clubs, $35 green fees for 9 holes, $25 for Yassheem, Yeah, not cheap. But you'll pay more at other courses. And if you let yourself take in the whole experience, you'll have a blast. Also, join the caddies in the caddie shack for a game of checkers.

Wij gingen op een maandagochtend daar naartoe. We zagen toevallig dat er een golfbaan in Arusha was. Daar we wat tijd over hadden voordat we terug vlogen naar Europa gingen we daar een kijkje nemen. Er was caddy oefen ochtend op maandag. We konden 9 holes spelen en kregen golfspullen voor 50 dollar per persoon. We konden niet met een bank kaart betalen maar moesten met een chauffeur naar een pin automaat nadat we de ronde gespeeld hadden. Ik had het idee dat ons geld rechtstreeks in de zakken van de "manager"verdween. Hij wilde ook nog eens extra geld voor het terugbrengen naar ons hotel. Dat hebben we natuurlijk niet betaald.

The Arusha Gymkhana Golf Club (AGGC) is located in the heart of the city of Arusha (Tanzania), the gateway to the National Parks, like the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater. Bordering on the golf club is the Mount Meru Hotel, giving you a nice overview of the course.

AGGC is probably best described as a typical parkland course in a colonial setting, dating back to the old days. There is no spcae for a driving range, but adjacent to the clubhouse there is a warm-up area (hitting balls in a netted cage) and a chipping and putting green.

Then it is a short walk to the starters hut. The golf course has 9 holes with different teeboxes for the second nine. Placing your ball is more important then distance, making this a strategy type of course. The fairways are wide enough and if you would still shoot your ball in the rough, the chances are you would find it again pretty easy. However, there is a stream running through the course, in which loosing your ball is pretty much guaranteed. Being a parkland course, there are plenty of huge and ancient trees that might obstruct the path of your ball, Distances are in yards, so make sure you know how to convert to meters if needed.

The greens are pretty receptive and especially in top tournament mode very very fast. The sand in the greenside bunkers is loose, but sometimes hard due to irrigation.

Hole 1 / 10 is a par-4 dogleg to the right. Aiming for the left hand side of the fairway leaves the trees on the right hand out of play, giving you a chance of hitting the green in 2. Be aware of both bunkers on either side of the green.

Hole 2 / 11 is a par 4 / par 5 hole, dogleg to the left. Again there are many trees eating up balls that go astray. There is a stream, eventhough dry most of the year, right in front of the green protecting it. Again there are 2 bunkers left and right of the green.

Hole 3 / 12 par 4 arguably is the most difficult hole on the course. Your teeshot needs to be very precise in order to have a chance to hit the green in 2. There is a pond right in front of the elevated green.

Hole 4 / 13 is a tight par 3, covered by trees bordering the course on the left. Bunkers are left and right of the green. Many players find reaching the green in one shot pretty demanding. The green lies lower then the teebox, making clubchoice paramount.

Hole 5 / 14 is another dogleg left par 4. You may considder a shorter lay-up shot and then an approach shot to the green, or go for the longer teeshot, targeting the fairway over the stream. Loosing your ball in the water, means you have lost your ball very likely. Again 2 bunkers are covering the green.

Hole 6 / 15 is a wide par 5, with a fairway bunker in the landing zone of your teeshot on 6. The teeshot of the 15th might be troublesome considdering the huge trees covering entrance to the fairway, both left and right. You might get some extra cick of the teebox when your ball hits the gently downward sloping fairway. Longhitters, especially in the local summer, therefore might be able to reach the green in 2, eventhough the green is more deep then wide and is well protected by strategically placed bunkers.

Hole 7 / 16 is a par 3 with varying length. Clubchoice is important. On 16 you have to clear a tree, or go for a difficult bump-and-run.

Hole 8 / 17 is a par 5 walking you all the way back direction the neocolonial clubhouse. It has a wide fairway. In comptetions this hole is often used for the longest drive. Just aim for the Mount Meru Hotel and you will be fine. After the second shot, you will probably be left a short wedge in.

Hole 9 / 18 is respectively a dogleg left par 4 and a very long par 3. Longhitters on 9 are NOT allowed to go for the green in one, eventhough it is drivable. The danger of hitting the terras and or clubhouse are simply too large. Your teeshot on 9 must be a draw of about 140 meters, putting you in a good position to clear the pond obstructing your second shot to the green. The par 3 18th requires a pinpoint accurate shot on the green, due to the fact that this is a very long par 3.

I have been a member here for 2 years and allways fully & truly enjoyed the course, the clubhouse and the comradery of its members.

Stayed at the hotel behind the club an looked out of the window and spotted the course behind the cricket pitch. I walked around the block and up to the main building and within minutes had rented clubs, bought some balls and a glove and hired a caddie.

What a find. Yes this is not Wentworth or Augusta but it is friendly, inviting and great fun. The rough is nit to be underestimated! After a few holes I started to feel things working and played the remaining holes a few strokes over par. I only had time for 12 holes so will definitely be going back on my next trip to Dar - very memorable

Enjoyed this club playing Golf for over twelve years until 2000.Still missing great friend and Captain mr Kaku Pattni.