Nkana Golf Club

Overview: Nkana Golf Club is an 18-hole woodland layout in Kitwe, in Zambia's Copperbelt Province. The course was carved from the bush and remains defined by mature vegetation, open playing corridors and water features at the 8th, 11th, 15th and 18th holes. Its displayed scorecard setup is par 72 and 6,412 yards. The setting is not a formal park or isolated resort landscape; it is a long-established club course within a mining region, where the contrast between dense vegetation and carefully maintained fairways gives Nkana its character.

History: Nkana dates from 1930 and developed alongside Kitwe's Copperbelt community. The club's history records a long period of local importance before the course and facilities declined. In 2013, Mopani Copper Mines entered an agreement with the club and funded a major rehabilitation ahead of the 2014 Zambia Open. The work included irrigation, new tees, bunker improvements and wider clubhouse and grounds upgrades. Mark Wiltshire Golf produced the later masterplan and redesign work, and the firm was again involved in preparing the course for the Zambia Open's return in 2024 and 2025. The original architect of the 1930 course has not been established by the available club and project records.

Did You Know? Nkana's club history singles out Terry Long, who won every trophy played for at the club and captured the club championship ten times between 1944 and 1969. The course's tournament identity is more recent: Nkana first hosted the Zambia Open in 2014, then became a recurring venue on the Sunshine Tour calendar. That combination of deep local history and international competition is central to the club's place in Zambian golf.