The Karen Country Club became an instant trending topic of discussion after declaring it was pulling down the 'exclusivity wall', erasing the class borders that had long made it only accessible to the elite in society.
Like the majority of the establishments of its kind, the Karen Country Club boasts of a rich history dating back nearly 90 years. Among the great stories of the club is that of Remi Martin, the orphan boy behind the venture.
According to his secretary, Joan Pardo, Martin was born in 1906 to French and Spanish parents in Manila.
After being orphaned while just a toddler, Martin's relatives from Madrid, Spain, took him in until a British knight, Sir Philip Wigham-Richardson, offered to help with his upbringing.
Wigham-Richardson was visiting his in-laws in the home where Martin lived and offered to adopt the 11-year-old. He moved with him to England, where he put him through school.
He went to the London University, where he studied Mining Engineering. Aged 22 years and in between jobs, the young graduate was picked by Arbuthnot Latham to represent him in Kenya, during the purchase of a vast tract of land.
The land in question was that of the Baronness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, who was selling her coffee plantation because she was no longer able to keep farming the beverage crop.
After learning the art of land trade, Martin partnered with other bankers to form the Richardson, Tyson and Martin Company and bought a huge chunk of the Blixen's plantation in 1931.
The land that was named Karen Estate was then sub-divided into plots and sold to European Landlords. However, the investment almost flopped since the area remained unpopular due to its remoteness.
During the rainy seasons, the roads became almost impassable. The firm sunk boreholes and built proper roads within the estate but the sales remained slow.
It was in 1933 that the idea of starting a club was first mooted.
"To attract potential buyers to Karen`s development, the provision of a golf course and club was considered essential. The golf course would have to offer something special," europeansineastafrica wrote.
Notably, the firm faced a number of challenges including finding an architect who would design the course. After a vain search, the Richardson, Tyson and Martin Company settled on their MD.
"Finding a golf course architect proved hugely difficult but in the end, the layout was entrusted to Remi Martin. He had shown considerable skill in surveying and, although not a great golfer, had at least an eye for country," the statement read in part.
First, a course with nine holes was set up and later expanded to 18 holes in 1934. Then the foundation stones for the clubhouse were laid in 1935.
The clubhouse was designed by architects Messrs Cobb and Archer and built by Lalji Vishram & Co, the contractors, at £4,075 worked out at Ksh9/= per square foot.
That course recently hosted the Magical Kenya Open which is part of the European tour in 2021.
Other facilities were concurrently put up before the Karen Country Club's official launch in 1937.
