The President, Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, says the world class facility of the Golf and Health Signature (GHS) in Abuja would groom Nigerian professionals who would become “Tiger Woods” in future.
Runsewe stated this on the sidelines of a retreat organised by the IBB Ladies Golf Section (LGS) at the GHS in Abuja on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the GHS boasts of one of the best golf training and health facilities in the world.
The NGF boss said the GHS was a unique golfing facility and the first of its kind in the country, adding that it was the only place one could learn how to play golf in less than two weeks.
He said that the facility was a unique one that will change that history line, adding that it boasts of a world class training environment, equipment and provisions required for proper golfing.
“Golf is no more manual. It is an IT based sports and this is the major reason why most of us don’t play good golf in the country.
“This is because, it is all about your body adapting to the tenants and techniques of the game, and once you get that right, it sticks forever.
“Most of us started playing golf between the ages 45 and 50 years when the body is already stiff.
“You can imagine that there is no single Nigerian playing golf in any circuit anywhere in the world
“So, what I want to achieve right here in this facility is to start grooming Nigerian professionals that will go on to become the Tiger Woods of the future,” he said.
He said that the retreat by the 2024/2025 LGS Executive Committee members was a welcome development and an Initiative that should be sustained.
“I’ll like to commend the IBB LGS for being unique, taking the initiative and bringing innovation into the golfing community.
“The retreat is unique and I commend them. That’s why I am giving them all the support for this to be successful.
“Only when Nigerians go abroad do they have this kind of opportunity to organise a retreat for playing golf, but today I am excited it’s happening right in Abuja.
“So for me, it’s a new beginning for us and I commend the organisers and I hope this won’t be the end as we continue to build from strength to strength,” he said.
Dame Julie Donli, the Lady Captain of IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja said the retreat was to equip the 2024/2025 LGS executive committee team for the job ahead.
“We are already four months gone into our one year tenure.This retreat is therefore to equip us and to get us ready for the job.
“We are having different presentations by various experts and resource persons on different topics.
“Some of the topics include, leadership, emotional intelligence, how to deal with and speak to your team members as well as members of the Golf club generally.
“These are skills that are very difficult to imbibe as human beings, but with constant continuous learning, we hope to improve in these areas.
“So, this is indeed a very important segment of our one year tenure and we are here to learn to be better versions of ourselves,” she said.
Donli expressed her gratitude to the NGF president for choosing to host the IBB LGS executive members at his facility.
She said that the facility was a unique one that was equipped with a lot of rich history and artefacts as well as world class training and health equipment.
“Our host today, Otunba Runsewe has been so gracious and he has done so well by inviting us to his facility for free.
“Everything we are doing here is on pro bono basis, he hasn’t charged us for anything and he’s got one of the best facilities I have ever come across.
“It’s not so huge but I tell you it has a lot. We’ve been to the indoor golf gallery, the museum, and we’ve seen what a lot of people cannot imagine that we have in this country.
” I didn’t even know that we had what I saw and urge people to come here to see for themselves, so as to understand what I am talking about,” she said