He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the fourth First National Bank (FNB) Head of State Invitational Golf Tournament last Friday at the Achimota Golf Club in Accra.

The tournament, held under the theme “Giving Back To The Community Through Golf,” brought together 120 amateur golfers from across Ghana and beyond for a four-day competition that concluded with awards for the top performers. Organised by Northwestern Solutions in partnership with the Ghana Golf Association, and supported by sponsors including FNB, the National Petroleum Authority, Aphro, La Villa Aphro, Mundus, SAP Gp, the Danny List Foundation, Caveman Watches, The Luckiest and Nguvu Mining Limited, the event again served as a bridge between executive leadership and the private sector.

President Mahama, reflecting on childhood memories at Achimota, spoke warmly about the nostalgia of returning to the school and course where he first encountered golf as a young pupil.
“They bundled this little boy with a chop box in a trunk and came and dumped me in Achimota Primary,” he recalled, noting that he had watched golfers as a child without understanding the game. He shared humorous reflections on his attempts earlier in the day, admitting: “My first shot was an air shot. The second one was successful. It was stage fright... and then when I potted, it went past the hole, and then the third one went in. I can assure you, next time when I come, I'm going to get them all spot on.”

He also recounted regretting not taking up golf sooner after missing an opportunity to play with the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinz? Abe during a state visit. “That's when I regretted that I didn't take gold seriously,” he said, promising to take lessons ahead of future tournaments. He concluded his remarks by wishing the golfers well with the words: “May your drives belong, may your swings be steady and may your parts be precise.”

Earlier, President of the Achimota Golf Club, Frank Adu Jnr., appealed to the President to intervene in the land encroachment challenges threatening the Celebrity Golf Club, one of only three golf courses in the capital.

He emphasised the economic returns of golf, citing Malaysia’s model of promoting the sport as a tourism asset. “Mister President, humbly, humbly, I ask that you preserve, you help preserve the three golf clubs that we had in Accra,” he said. He also conferred emeritus membership privileges on President Mahama, including a waiver of green fees.

The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, highlighted the importance President Mahama places on sports development, noting that the creation of a standalone ministry for Sports and Recreation reflects the government’s commitment to giving equal attention to all disciplines.

He announced plans to establish a Sports Development Fund to support infrastructure and talent across various sports. He also urged golfers to join national efforts to protect the environment. “We are fighting the impact of galamsey. Can you imagine, if we get together and some of these sites, we could reclaim them and develop golf courses there?” he said.

The closing ceremony honoured outstanding performers in all categories of the 2025 edition.

In the Men’s Group A division, John Ayayee secured victory with 44 points ahead of Elisee Sezan with 42 and Isaac Asante with 39. Men’s Group B was won by Esukis Esukise Martin, who scored 46 points, followed by Kingsley Ayesu on 42 and John Djiedjorm Jaja on 41.

In the Ladies’ Group A category, Floria Hurtubise emerged first with 40 points, followed by Vastie Amoafo-Yeboah with 37 and Mary Prempeh with 36.

The Ladies’ Group B division saw Marlene Tonyigah finish top with 42 points ahead of Princess Nkansah-Boadu with 41 and Kous Louanges Mang with 39. Additional honours went to John Yankah and Yaba Ehomah, who won the Closest to the Pin awards for Hole 18, and to Frederick Duvor and Angela Bamford, who claimed the Longest Drive titles for Hole 17.