Frank Mustaff does not usually play golf on weekdays, and all on account of his busy work schedule. This leaves him with the option of weekends, and public holidays to indulge in his favorite sport.

And when an opportunity presented itself on Friday (National Heroes’ Day), it was one he and his wife Theresa could not pass up.

It was the Heroes’ Day Golf Tournament at the Kigali Golf Course, which drew 79 golfers affiliated to the Kigali Golf Club. The tournament was organized in four competition categories; I, 2 and3, and the most prestigious –the Seniors category.

In the end, the Mustaffs emerged the day’s biggest winners, after each came on top in their respective categories.

Frank Mustaff won the Seniors category for men, while his wife Theresa took the Seniors category for ladies.

After receiving their winner’s plaques, an elated Frank Mustaff exclaimed:

"The feeling is super! There’s no jealousy, because we’re both winners.”

Golfers pose for a group photo at the par 72 Kigali golf course. / Emmanuel Kwizera

The German national is the Managing Director of Horwath HTL, an international hotel and tourism consultancy he founded in Kigali in 2015.

In coming to the Heroes Day Golf Tournament, he was bringing over 30 years of golfing experience to the Kigali Golf Course.

"I started playing golf in 1987. We were a golfer’s family, and when I met my wife, I found she also loved the game. Later on she got even better than myself. She has been playing golf more than 20 years.

We decided to make use of this opportunity because it’s not only for the golf, it’s also for socializing with friends and meeting new people and it’s a really nice club with very familiar atmosphere so we really enjoyed the tournament,” he remarked.

This year’s Heroes Day Golf Tournament was made possible through a partnership between the Kigali Golf Club, and Iwawe Hotel, who generously sponsored the event.

The Heroes day  golf tournament was sponsered by Iwawe Hotel. / Emmanuel Kwizera

The daylong event culminated in a barbecue and networking session at which prizes were awarded to the day’s winners.

If anything, the success of the event was yet another step in the right direction in the Kigali Golf Club’s quest to position itself into a high end golf tourism hub.

The new club house was officially unveiled in May last year, and quickly captured the imagination of the golfing fraternity, with many describing it as one of the finest golf course club houses in the region.

The $3 million open plan facility boasts extensive facilities that range from a 9-hole golf course, swimming pool, restaurant, a fully fledged health and fitness club, office space and meeting rooms, a terrace bar, and five apartment suites, a squash room, and kids play area, among others.

At the launch of the facility in May last year, Dr. David Kashaka Karegeya, the Captain of Kigali Golf Club outlined a list of targets the club sought to achieve over the next two years. But the ultimate task, he explained, would be to turn the facility into a golf tourism gem.

Frank Mustaff (left), and his wife Teresa Fuchs-Mustaff won the Seniors category for men and women respectively. / Frederic Byumvuhore

About the tournament he said:

"We are honoring the country’s heroes for what they did for everybody to enjoy what is currently available in the country –peace, stability, development, all of which are a result of their heroism.

At the award-giving ceremony, Kashaka lauded the golfers for turning out in large numbers for the tournament.

"We had a total of 79 golfers today. This is not something we should take for granted. 79 members playing in a young club like this one, and consistently is something that will help the club to grow.”

Kashaka further encouraged the golfers to feel free to invite friends and family to the golf course whenever they have a game, pointing to the abundance of recreational options on offer for golfers and non golfers alike.

He encouraged corporate companies to take a leaf from the partnership between the Kigali Golf Club and Iwawe Hotel that made this year’s tournament a colorful success.

"This is an open tournament, but it’s the first time Iwawe Hotel is sponsoring. We had a very good discussion with them, and they said every Heroes’ Day, if Kigali Golf Course is willing, they would like to be the official partners.

Kigali Golf Course is very happy for having partnered with Iwawe and we also welcome any other sponsor that’s willing to sponsor an event like this. We have a lot of public holidays, and if you know you want to be part of any, please contact us.”

Bureshyo Tonny, Sales and Marketing manager at Iwawe Hotel described the evening barbecue as "a taste of what is on offer at Iwawe Hotel”.

Mose Evans (right), the winner in the second competition category receives his prize from Susan Kiragu, the General Manager of Iwawe Hotel. / Frederic Byumvuhore

"It’s very clear that Heroes’ Day is one of the most important days in the whole history of Rwanda, and so it was our honor to sponsor it.”

The hotel dished out vouchers for food and accommodation to the winners.

At the self service barbecue, guests had skewers of goat meat, fish, and marinated chicken to choose from.

At the same event, new international rules governing the game of golf, and the golf calendar for the year 2019 were unveiled. For the first time, a Ladies’ Open golf tournament will be staged at the golf course in November. The new game rules, Kashaka revealed, were mostly aimed at speeding the pace of play.

"My only wish is that more women can play golf.”

Her husband and fellow winner, Frank Mustaff concluded thus:

"There are not so many lady golfers and also not so many children, but we think that golf is a perfect sport for families, which may be difficult for another sport like tennis. That makes it a very special sport, and the other point is you can play it up to a very old age

editorial@newtimes.co.rw