GolfThis year promises a lot of things for members of the Dolphin Golf Club locatedat the Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos. Aside the many big tournaments being planned for the members and other golf players, the club is also eyeing slot at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.According to the Captain of the club, Navy Commander Emmanuel Ajenu (Rtd),whose tenure runs out later this year, the leadership has set several goals, which are expected to elevate the status of the club among its peers in the West Africa sub-region.He said: “My dream for Dolphin Golf Club is to organise good tournaments and even an international one that will see thebest golfers play on our course.“I recall that in 2013, Engr. Francis Olo sponsored a Pro/ AM tournament, which brought the best players in Nigeria, Ghanaand Cameroun together here in Navy Town. I look forward to another one in thevery near future during my tenure.I also want to improve on the course and better the drainage to make play better. It is my wish that we can play non-preferred.That is, from the Tee box, you can only touch your ball when you are on the green. I am looking for to a situation where this will become a reality.”Ajenu believes the only way to ensure the continued relevance of Dolphin Golf Club in the Nigerian calendar is to develop quality players that can challenge their peers from other clubs.“Before the Unity Cup last year, the Club organised a caddies tournament and the results they posted were amazing going by their gross. One of them just turned an amateur and is playing at handicap 4. He was in Kenya for the Young Golfers Tournament and he did well. Our Amateurs and Pros are always competingaround the country.“It is our hope that soon we would be ableto produce players that would rank among the best in the world but you can’t play top golf without a corporate sponsor.Government needs to look the way of other sports especially golf.”Ajenu, who disclosed that he took to golf because it is a game for all ages and for all weather, added that being in golf brings one in contact with people from all walks of life and helps to shape one’s character.He regrets that inadequate finance and other logistics have stopped them from achieving the dream of organising as many golf tournaments as possible. “Compared to other golf clubs in Lagos like Ikeja Golf club, Ikoyi Golf Club and many others, we don’t have the resourcesto match them.“At the moment, most of the tournamentswe have organised are courtesy of kind hearted members like Engr. Francis Olo and others like him.“We have also appealed to the Chief of Naval Staff, who is our grand patron, to stage the next Chief of Naval Staff Golf Champion at the Club. We’re capable of organising it and it will be an honour for us.“We also play the weekly kitty regularly and there’s also the La Liga, which holds every Sunday.”With a membership of over 200, Dolphin Golf Club, which serves as a recreational club for officers and men and their civilian friends, has 18-Greens which is not very common.
