At IGC’s 30th anniversary, Ibironke traces Ibadan golf history

Ibadan Golf Club (IGC) Captain, Ola Ibironke Dudu, has commended the efforts of founding fathers of the club for establishing what has become one of the best golf clubs in Nigeria.

Tracing the history of Ibadan Golf Club during grand finale of the weeklong 30th anniversary of the club, Ibironke praised Oyo State Governor, Oluseyi Makinde, a grand patron of the club; the patron, GOC 2 Division Nigerian Army, the Trustees of Ibadan Golf Club, past captains, past lady captains the elders, as well as the executive committee members and fellow golfers for contributing to the growth of the club.

“It has been a fantastic 30 years plus that the founders of this great club laid the first block of what we are celebrating today. I sincerely appreciate them and may the souls of the ones that have passed rest in perfect peace.

“30 years ago, we were told that a little misunderstanding between the main section of the Ibadan Recreation Club and the Golf Section resulted to the birth of Ibadan Golf Club. But sincerely, if we look at it spiritually, to me the fight was divine for the manifestation of the great Ibadan Golf Club, which we are celebrating today.”

He thanked all the recipients of the club’s ‘PEARL Award,’ describing them as ‘Golf Icons’ for singularly founding golf courses and using their time and resources to make the game popular in Nigeria.

The IGC PEARL awardees include former Senate President, David Mark, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, of Elizade Motors, who is also the founder of Smokins’ Hills Golf Course in Ilara Mokin, Tunde Ponle of MicCom Golf Course in Ada, Teju Ishola of Hassabary Golf course in Shaki.

“The success of this anniversary wouldn’t have happened without the contributions of the IGC Diamond Awardees, who sustained the club with quality competitions over the years, we all know that competition is the bedrock of any golf club.”

He thanked the anniversary’s major sponsor, Heritage Bank, for enlarging the club’s coast financially in order to make the anniversary elaborate and eventful.

“We are looking forward to Heritage Bank annual Pro-Am Golf Competition. I cannot but appreciate all the lovers of Ibadan Golf Club for supporting us generously.

‘From the heart, I am very grateful, most especially to Alhaji Awa Ibrahim, who I met for the first time having been following the Children’s Golf Competition he organises on yearly basis.

“I must also place on record the unique contributions and total support of members of this great club, the sacrifice of the past captains and their executives for their ‘sacrificial’ endurance in the last 30 years. I am not unmindful of the periods where we have improvised construction and reconstruction processes, both on and off the course, yet you bore same with admirable candour and together we all navigated the various bends to have the IGC we have today.

“Posterity will always remember every one of you including myself for our steadfastness,” he noted.