TEE BOX Westside Golf Course in Guyana is low maintenance and aimed at beginner players Aleem Hussain, the only Guyaneseborn golf course designer and president of the Guyana Golf Association, is on a mission to develop the sport in the South American country. He has completed the first of ten planned low-maintenance starter courses. Westside Golf Course is in Vreed-en-Hoop, a village on the mouth of the Demerara River, on the opposite bank to the capital, Georgetown. What was the vision behind Westside Golf Course? The idea was to have a starter course that would introduce new players and kids to the game yet be challenging enough for an experienced player. It would be low maintenance, situated near highly populated areas and be a public facility with a low cost. Traditionally, the cost and availability of land situated close to populated areas is prohibitive and as such, membership and green fees are extremely high. The second aspect of traditional courses is that their sheer size makes it difficult and costly to light the entire facility and host night play, which would allow more Photo: Al Wilson “ These courses will allow the average person easy access to the sport” A new golf course has opened in Guyana, to become a template for nine more. Q&A with Aleem Hussain 30
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