Vipingo Ridge, located to the north of Mombasa, is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque locations at the coast.
It is home to a five-star private residential and golfing destination.
The high-end residential estate sits on a 2,500-acre land and is surrounded by a magnificent club house with an 18-hole championship golf course.
While playing golf there, you enjoy the bravura views of the Indian Ocean on one side, and on the other, an eye-catching sunset views inland across the African bush.
The estate has a private beach club, a private airstrip, numerous man-made lakes, nature trails and state-of-the-art conference facility.
Several prominent personalities among them Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala are proud owners of homes within this expansive exclusive residence.
Last year, Vipingo was voted the best golf course in the country by an independent golfing United Kingdom website: Top 100 Golf Courses.
It took over from Muthaiga in Nairobi, which won the award the previous year.
Vipingo Ridge, also referred to as the Baobab course, has been constructed according to the United States Golfing Association specifications.
David Jones, former Northern Ireland professional and winner of the 1989 Kenyan Open is the person behind the designing of this world class golf course.
Born in 1947, the Irish says he first came to Kenya in 1970 to compete in the Kenya Open championship.
He says his golfing careers stared to blossom 1966 when his parents allowed him to forgo a place at university (studying architecture) to indulge his passion for golf.
Playing off a modest seven handicap, he took a job as a lowly assistant pro in Oxford, as the general ‘dogsbody’ to the members, working every hour just to get better and escape.
In the late 1970s he won fistful of titles including the British Club Pros, all the Irish majors and the first of his many international appearances.
Jones rejoined the European Tour and thrived through the 1980s with many fine performances, including 31 international course records.
In 1987, he was appointed as Irish golf team national coach, leaving the European Tour to work with the likes of renowned Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke in their formative years.
Speaking to the Star, Jones says the move to golf course design came slightly unexpected when he was approached by Killarney Golf Club in Ireland to toughen up the famous ‘Killeen’ course for the 1988 Irish Open.
His work was commended by many of the tour players, and helped to launch what has since become a noteworthy career in golf course design.
In 1989, he says, he participated in the Kenya Open and won the coveted title.
“Kenya has been my favourite destination during my touring professional until now as a golf course designer. I still live in Ireland, but come to Kenya eight times every year,” says Jones.
In 2005, investors of Vipingo Ridge offered Jones the job to design the two-course golf course sitting on the estate.
The project was successful, helping him find his niche as a notable designer in East Africa, with five projects either completed or under way.
“We started the Vipingo Ridge project in 2005 and it took three years to be completed,” he says.
He says much of the course was constructed by local labour and that it is something of a technological marvel, with cool streams of water gently dropping down from the elevated clubhouse.
“During construction of the course we had a huge water challenge. We had to pump water from about one mile away to be used in the construction,” Jones says.
He says he undertook the project with the help of his friend, Salim Hajj, who is also a professional golfer and was Vipingo's project manager then.
The golf course is this November from 11-20th expected to hosts its first ever international tournament, the Ladies European Tour.
On February 6, Tourism CS welcomed the chief executive officer of the prestigious Ladies European Tour golf tournament, Ivan Khodabakhsh at Vipingo, where the announcement was made.
Speaking during the brief event, Balala said Kenya will offer Ladies European Tour the support it requires.
“Kenya endorses this tournament and we will offer full support to the organisers,” said Balala.
He said his ministry is ready to chair a round-table meeting for sponsors to support the event, which will requires an estimated Sh120 million ($1.2 million ) to be hosted in Kenya.
Khodabakhsh said the event will not only expose and position Kenya in the global golf arena, but also promote domestic and international tourism in the country.
The event brings together over 312 world class players from 43 different nationalities coming to Kenya.
The event is usually broadcast live in international media, which will give Kenya an opportunity to be watched by millions of golf lovers worldwide, said Khodabakhsh.
Jones says Vipingo Ridge hosting the LET will be a remarkable achievement.
Jones has designed Migaa golf course in Kiambu County and Longonot golf course in Naivasha.
Migaa is an 18-hole golf courses completed three years ago while Longonot is a nine-hole course, whose construction started two years ago. It is yet to be launched.
He has completed a total of 17 golf courses in Kenya, Tanzania, Turkey, Finland and Ireland
He has done several redesign projects, mostly in Ireland.
