Winners emerge at Management Committee Inaugural Kitty
The new captain of the Ikeja Golf Club, Segun Odunuga, has rolled out plans for the 2026/2027 golfing year with emphasis on making the course playable all year round.
Odunuga, while presenting his blueprint at his inaugural speech at the club house in Ikeja on Thursday evening, emphasised his commitment to transform the club into the most playable fairways, best putt, most hospitable and friendliest in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.
“The primary reason why we are here is to play golf. We intend to make the course playable all year round – during the wet season and dry season. Despite the fact that Dubai is an arid region, they still have lovely fairways and greens and we want to make Ikeja Golf Club like that,” he said, adding that: “My prayer is that by the time we finish our tenure, we would have been able to achieve our set targets. And that the fairways in Ikeja are the most playable fairways and best putt in Nigeria. Already, they say Ikeja Golf Club is very hospitable and friendliest in Nigeria. We intend to make it the friendliest club in the western coast of Africa, Africa and in the world. God willing.”
Speaking on the projects planned for execution during the 2026/2027 executive year, he stressed: “As I said in my address to the members of the club, we have some ongoing capital projects that we intend to complete; the range project currently ongoing and we intend to complete that, we intend to install solar panel inverters to ease the pressure and reduce the cost of power by almost 70%. We intend to light up the course for teeming golfers, for the aesthetics and security.”
Odunuga stated further that it will be a busy year for the club in terms of competitions.
“This is an inaugural tournament. We’ve had birthday kitties, we’ve hosted the ICAN 60th anniversary tournament here. We intend to play games against other clubs. We will be going to the centre of the world, Tema Golf Club in Ghana for an away matchplay. They were here last year and we will visit them in August.
“We will be going to Port Harcourt to play Python Golf Club as well. We will also invite other clubs to play with us here — Abeokuta and Ibadan Golf Clubs. We also have a lot of competitions lined up; we have the club championship slated for early next year, the annual club matchplays will start this month — single matchplays and double matchplay. It will be a busy year for us in terms of competitions.”
While appreciating members for their support, Odunuga promised that he and his executive management committee will discharge their duties with utmost commitment.
Meanwhile, winners of the Management Committee Inaugural Kitty were rewarded with trophies and gift items.
Babatunde Ojo, who was crowned the overall winner, was rewarded with a trophy plus a Hisense bedside refrigerator. Bidemi Babatunde Ojo emerged the runner-up and received a trophy plus a rechargeable/solar standing fan as a gift.
Mojeed Aberugba was declared 2nd runner-up and received a bag plus a cash voucher. Nike Saliu and Idowu Akinyemi came 4th and 5th respectively and went home with cash vouchers as well.
Also, Uche Ubakanma emerged the Ladies winner while Wale Odunlami was declared the Veteran winner.