Tempers flared at the Celebrity Golf Club in Sakumono, near Tema, on Thursday as enraged golfers staged a passionate protest against the ongoing encroachment and demolition of a protective boundary fence around the club’s golf course and its adjoining resort.
Led by Club Captain Alex Oppong Baffoe, former Captain David Renner, and ex-Lady Captain Catherine Fabi, the demonstrators accused private developers of illegally taking over portions of the club’s legally leased land, posing a direct threat to one of Ghana’s premier 18-hole golf courses.
The protest follows a formal petition submitted to the Inspector General of Police on June 18, 2025, after suspicious construction activity was observed near the course.
According to Mr. Baffoe, the crisis began on June 7 when a heavy-duty grader bulldozed a section of the fairway. In response, the club secured approval from the Forestry Commission to construct a fence along the northern boundary, identified as the most vulnerable stretch.
However, the newly constructed fence had been torn down, and several new buildings were already under development.
“We reported the matter to the CID Director-General and obtained all necessary permits to erect a boundary wall, but the encroachment has only intensified,” Mr. Baffoe lamented.
The club had previously received a high-profile visit from the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, who pledged to intervene. Yet, no tangible action has followed, leaving the club increasingly frustrated.
Adding legal backing to their cause, Mr. Baffoe referenced a court ruling issued on June 21, 2024, which reaffirmed that the disputed northern boundary falls within a Ramsar Site—protected wetlands governed by Ghana’s Wetland Management (Ramsar Sites) Regulations, 1999 (L.I. 1659)
With the club’s future in jeopardy, its leadership is now making a direct appeal to President John Dramani Mahama and the Sports Minister to take urgent steps to halt the illegal development.
“This is one of only four standard 18-hole golf courses in the entire country. We cannot allow it to be destroyed,” Mr. Baffoe declared.
The situation raises serious concerns not only about the fate of the Celebrity Golf Club but also about the broader impact on sports infrastructure and environmental protection in Ghana.
