Eighteen holes in the desert

According to him, the sports’ increasing popularity is a result of its accessibility to beginners of all ages and the fact that each course offers its own challenges to novices.

Tourists from South Africa, Germany, England and France also confirm this worldwide trend. Interest in the sport has increased rapidly over the past couple of years, after the old stigma of being an elitist sport was shaken off. Gerd Vogel, speaker of the Swakopmund Senior Golfers, agrees: “Those days are long gone”.

Rossmund Golf Course, situated 7 kilometres outside Swakopmund, is hailed as one of the most beautiful desert courses in the world. The 18-hole, 72-par course runs along the Swakop riverbed, north of the coastal dune belt, and a lot of time and money has been invested in recent years to upgrade the 6 kilometre long course to international standards. New sand bunkers were laid, existing ones were improved and the fairways and greens are maintained lovingly and meticulously. Palm trees decorate the area and golfers enjoy watching the small herds of Springbok grazing lazily next to the fairways. A fully equipped Pro Shop caters for every need imaginable and golf carts as well as clubs can be rented for the day.

Visitors who aren’t hell-bent on spending hours chasing a ball around the fairways are also welcome, with several bungalows offering a splendid view of the course. A breakfast room inside the reception area caters for overnight guests and early-birds and the clubhouse bar provides for well-earned relaxation after a long day at the greens.

Another internationally compliant 18-hole course can be found at the Windhoek Country Club close to the capital. Henties Bay and Walfish Bay offer 9-hole courses and further inland, golfing enthusiasts can look up courses in Tsumeb, Otjiwarongo and Grootfontein. These facilities are not up to international requirements at the moment, but they do offer some thrilling sporting adventures while travelling through Namibia.