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The shore of the Gulf of Guinea is only a few hundred metres from the opening hole (Photo: Afrikan Production\/Stephane Brabant)<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe grove is dedicated to fish and members of the local fishing community,\u201d says Pern. \u201cMy initial routing plan had the seventh and eighth playing through the grove but following some head scratching and changing par threes into fours, and vice versa, the accommodation of the fish spirits was satisfactorily accomplished. The now out-of-bounds grove stands intact\u2026 I hope far enough back from golfers, but should a stray ball find its way into this holy of holies, there it will remain, untouched, for eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Gregori International\u2019s Xavier Gregori says: \u201cThe site offered rare potential. Its sandy soil was a major advantage for golf course development, particularly in terms of drainage, shaping and playing quality. The relatively low-lying and open topography was ideally suited to the creation of a true links-style course: understated, natural and fully integrated into its surroundings.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Targeted clearing, selection and transplantation works allowed part of the site\u2019s natural vegetation to be retained, explains Gregori, \u201copening up lines of play, circulation routes and visual readability of the course\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMy first site visit coincided with the end of the dry season,\u201d says Pern. \u201cCrops had been harvested, leaving desiccated tomato stalks and pepper bush twigs sticking up through the dried and crinkled weeds. Water supply to the irrigation system was a serious worry. My second visit came in the middle of a wet season where large parts of the site were either submerged or hovering just above the groundwater. Concerns turned from irrigation issues to drainage decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Working with Christian Pace, agronomist and technical director of Gregori International, Pern tested different grass species to see what would best suit the site. Pure Dynasty seeded paspalum, supplied by Atlas Turf International and Pure Seed, was chosen.<\/p>\n
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Most of the Ouidah site was originally less than half a metre above the wet season\u2019s maximum high-water level. \u201cWith thoughts of rising oceans in the coming decades, raising playing areas to at least 1.5 metres above the water level was the only long-term solution,\u201d says Pern. \u201cBy excavating the marshland and creating additional lakes, we moved 500,000 cubic metres of sand to raise the course out of danger. Topographically-speaking, a true links course has emerged with a height differential of only two metres, with not one square metre of flat land.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Despite the constraints, Pern always felt like he was working with \u201ca blank slate\u201d. That is rare for a golf course architect, as is designing a nation\u2019s first golf course.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMy response to the dilemma of creating the impossible Swiss Army Knife golf course that appeals to both golf\u2019s superheroes and mere mortals is to imagine a course routing that Mr Average might enjoy, superimposed onto a championship layout,\u201d says Pern. \u201cI have laid out extensive tees, dispersed not just along the length of the hole, but spread laterally as well. On one hole, the forced carry off the back tee can be avoided by playing from a tee that is 30 metres to the side.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The golf course has been created on a 100-hectare site, which had some unique features, including several voodoo shrines and a 1.2-acre sacred grove (Photo: Afrikan Production\/Stephane Brabant)<\/p>\n
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Fairways are wide, bunkers have mainly been located at landing areas for the longer hitters, and greens are expansive, although Pern says there are one or two \u201cdevilish\u201d pin positions that could be used.<\/p>\n
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\u201cA golf course is like a symphony with 18 movements to be discerned individually but judged as a whole,\u201d says Pern. \u201cRhythm of play should rise and fall in a measured fashion; the occasional quiet spell, a gradual build up, and then a crescendo and memorable finale. I have created a diverse assortment of holes, and each has its own distinct character, specifically designed to be part of a larger but coherent composition.<\/p>\n
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\u201cLike all seaside courses, wind is a big factor so club selection will present its own complexity. Whilst water is ever present, and admittedly on some holes a very direct threat, it is more often a lurking menace than an insurmountable obstacle.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The government of Benin hopes that Ouidah Golf Club will help attract international visitors while also appealing to a growing domestic middle class (Photo: Afrikan Production\/Stephane Brabant)<\/p>\n
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The 142-yard, par-three fifth, the shortest hole on the course, encapsulates the influence of wind and water, with an accurate shot needed to hit a narrow green. At the 600-yard twelfth, a very wide and windswept fairway is flanked by water and sandy waste areas. \u201cThe fourth is a cosy par four playing into wind with a long, narrow and undulating green backed on three sides by a lake, close enough to threaten but far enough away to pardon all but the most erratic approach shot,\u201d says Pern. \u201cThe finishing hole is the crescendo, with discreet but sometimes hidden surprises. The 480-yard par four \u2013 or a short par five for the less ambitious \u2013 plays into the wind, has no water but lots of bunkers surrounding an enormous green, a fitting end to the symphony.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ouidah is not exclusively aimed at tourists or high-income players, says Fomi, it has a strong commitment to develop golf at a local level. \u201cParticular attention has been given to training local players and creating opportunities for a new generation of young Beninese golfing talent to emerge,\u201d she adds. \u201cOuidah Golf Club is expected to play an important role in establishing partnerships with schools and educational institutions, thereby supporting the long-term development of golf participation in Benin.\u201d<\/p>\n
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With thoughts of rising oceans in the coming decades, the project saw playing areas raised to at least 1.5 metres above the water level (Photo: Afrikan Production\/Stephane Brabant)<\/p>\n
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Pern describes the project as \u201ca golf architect\u2019s dream\u201d, whether that be the large and ecologically rich site, the lack of interference from the client or unlimited water supply. And given the government\u2019s tourism mandate, the development also benefitted from swift processes for permitting and construction.<\/p>\n
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\u201cDuring a 50-year career in golf course design, this project stands out,\u201d says Pern. \u201cFrom my very first visit to the course being in play usually takes five, 10 or 20 years. Here, we did it all in less than two!\u201d<\/p>\n
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This article first appeared in the\u00a0July 2026 issue of Golf Course Architecture<\/a>.\u00a0For a printed subscription or free digital edition, please visit our\u00a0subscriptions page<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Jeremy Pern describes the project as \u2018a golf architect\u2019s dream\u2019 (Photo: Afrikan Production\/Stephane Brabant)<\/p>\n
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