BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
FORMER world number one golfer Nick Price has reportedly expressed excitement over the plans by Zimbabwean property mogul Ken Sharpe and the Harare Council to revamp his former home course, Warren Hills Golf Club into a world class facility.
A 2003 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame and the winner of three major championships, Price heads the long list of some of the country’s finest golf personalities who trace their roots at Warren Hills Golf Club.
Other names that also passed through include Nick’s late brother Tim and world renowned golf instructor David Leadbetter, the late South African golf star Simon Hobday, George Harvey, Denis Watson and veteran coach Roger Baylis.
There were rumours that Price had an offer to refurbish the now dilapidated golf course turned down by the Harare City Council.
However West Properties chief executive Sharpe, whose company entered a partnership with the Harare City Council which will result in Warren Hills being converted into a golf estate dismissed the rumours.
He said Price, who is now into golf course design, was in fact thrilled at receiving the news that there are plans underway to refurbish Warren Hills Golf Club.
“I spoke to Mr Price myself personally on Saturday afternoon. He lives in Florida and he kindly explained that his position was that he hasn’t been in Zimbabwe in the last five years. He doesn’t have any interest in Zimbabwe and he never approached City of Harare. He doesn’t know actually where it was coming from,” said Sharpe during a press conference via video link from his base in the US.
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“However having spoken I told him our plans for Warren Hills and he was quite excited because he had almost written off Zimbabwe thinking that there was nothing to come back home for.
Sharpe said the Zimbabwean golf legend, who held redesign the Royal Harare Golf Club layout in 1996, had shown interest in being involved in the project.
“He was quite encouraged that if this golf course (project) goes ahead he would definitely like to get involved. So we will invite him in one way or the other even if it’s just to (officially) open the golf course and play the first game with the members but I can assure you that Mr Price has no interest in buying the golf course. I don’t know where that came from,” he said.
The Zimbabwean property mogul has already engaged the services of Zvishavane-born South Africa-based architect Peter Matkovich, who is widely regarded as the best golf course designer on the continent.
