The Sports Media in Ghana have been encouraged to contribute positively to the development and promotion of Golf. At a one day seminar to sensitise the Sports Press on reporting on Golf, the President of the Ghana Golf Association (GGA) Dr. Felix K. Frimpong urged journalists to learn the rudiments of the sports in order to give accurate educative and entertaining reports.

Giving a historical background of the sport in Ghana, he hinted that Golf was introduced in the colonial era, 1900 and it was played among the European sailors before the country attained independence.

He said Golf is not a sport for the rich or bugouise in society as some people presume, but a sport for everybody, both sexes and also a game that creates linkages.

According to Dr. Frimpong, Golf is a game that promotes discipline and good health as partners must be honest in recording results and one swing about 200 times and bends over 32 times in a handicap.

He noted that an individual who plays Golf must abide by the rules and regulations, be registered with a club or pay to play in tournaments and be healthy.

Dr. Frimpong stressed that the aim of the G.G.A. for now is to develop Golf to be an education based profession or sport and revealed that they have developed three Academies in Achimota, Tema and Kumasi where kids and the youth who wish to play are trained. The Vice President of the G.G.A. Mr. Michael Aggrey told the 34 participants to be friendly to Golf and know that the sport is also producing international champions like Amos Kobla, the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Golf player of the year, who won the Nigerian Open and regarded as one of the best players on the African continent. He and Group Captain F.A. Gyimah-Kwakye, the General Secretary of the G.G.A.demonstrated how Golf is played with clubs and showed how and when the different clubs are used, by amateurs who should be rewarded less than $250 and professionals who earn billions of dollars, like American hero Tiger Woods.

Mr. Aggrey revealed that most of the best Golf courses are in the Western region where most expatriates working for mining companies have developed wonderful courses and blessed with good weather that preserve the grass.

Some of Ghana’s best Golf courses can be found in Achimota, Tafo, Kumasi, Bob Nam Kin and Tema.

The one – day seminar which attracted experienced and rising sports journalists from television, radio, print and internet was organized by Prime Val Consult. It was sponsored by Doscar Travel & Tours and Euro Tours.