In October 2024, top-notch international golfers, boasting illustrious careers with notable achievements such as victories in the Ryder Cup and Major tournaments, coupled with extensive global playing experience, will descend on the Achimota course to compete with top Ghanaian golfers at the Legends Tour Ghana competition. It marks a significant milestone as the prestigious competition makes its inaugural stop in Africa.

Already officials of the club, Ghana Golf Association (GGA) and the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Ghana are confident the competition would be pivotal to the development of the sport in Ghana and also positioning the country and the Achimota club, in particular, as a golfing destination.

Sports meets business, tourism

With collaboration from institutions such as the Ghana Investment Promotions Council (GIPC), and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), the Legends Tour promised to be more than just a sporting spectacle; it aligns with a broader mission to establish and provide a platform for business and sports tourism.

Last Wednesday, officials of the Achimota club, GIPC and GTA held a media launch of the event during which officials of the two state agencies and leading officials of the golf fraternity highlighted the immense sporting and business benefits of hosting the Legends Tour in Ghana, as it would bring to Ghana over 50 globally renowned golfers and highly influential celebrities, as well as showcase the country to a global television audience.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Legends Tour, Mark Aspland, articulated via video conference the long-term vision of making the tournament a fixture on Ghana's sporting calendar. Beyond contributing to golf development, the event aims to promote Ghanaian tourism, attract sports investments and foster the growth of young talents.

"We are bringing along top professional golfers and football celebrities who also play golf, so it will provide a platform for corporate networking, community engagement, tourism and other benefits. The project will put Achimota on the international map as a golfing destination and help Ghana to develop the golf industry," Mr Aspland said.

For Kweku Okyere, the Chairman of GGA, the tournament would provide a fine opportunity to showcase golf in Ghana and West Africa to the global audience the Legends Tour would attract.

Learning experience

He said it would provide an incredible opportunity for Ghanaian golfers to play alongside world-renowned golfers and create exciting memories and learning experiences.

Mark Cofie, Chairman of PGA Ghana, said the tournament would be used to extend the reach of golf in Ghana

PGA Ghana chairman, Mark Cofie, said the Legends Tour would provide Ghana with an opportunity to improve the sport and "take golf from Ghana to the world". He spoke of plans to introduce more youth to the sport and create greater awareness of the sporting and other benefits of golf.

The Captain of the Achimota Golf Club, Sjoerd Grueter, officially launched the Legends Tour Ghana and said the country's premier club and other partners would put in an elaborate plan to bring out the best of the country and mark a major turnaround for the sport.

He indicated that officials of the Legends Tour had already visited the club and were satisfied with the quality of the course and would work closely with their Ghanaian counterparts to host a memorable competition.

Edward Ashong-Lartey said the Ghana Investment Promotions Centre was committed to promoting Ghana as a business and sports destination

The Head of Investor Services of GIPC, Edward Ashong-Lartey, said his council aimed to use the competition to promote Ghana as a business destination, highlighting the important role of sports in economic development and how it had helped place Ghana on the world map.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GTA, Ben Anane-Nsiah, pledged his organisation's support for the project to promote the country as a great destination for investment, golf and tourism.