Salif Samaké, president of Ouagadougou's Golf Club, plays golf, in Ouagadougou on February 21, 2023. - When Burkina Faso makes the headlines these days, it's usually because of turmoil or suffering -- its jihadist insurgency, repeated military coups or grinding poverty.
But in one intriguing aspect, the landlocked Sahel country is a world leader: its sole golf club is a pioneer in bringing water conservation to this thirstiest of sports.
Founded in 1975, the Ouagadougou Golf Club boasts an 18-hole and two nine-hole courses -- all of which been certified by the French golf federation.
Visitors to the club, lying amid buildings on the outskirts of the Burkinabe capital, are often stunned by the courses' tawny colour, which is the natural tint of the Sahel.
Here there are no greens, but "browns," and the fairways comprise earth and stones and sinewy shrubs rather than manicured lawns. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP)