After a successful first leg of the Safaricom Golf Tour in Nanyuki last month, the tour is now headed to Limuru on February 26th for the corporate tournament and 27th for the junior tournament.
The lush Limuru Country club which is just 25km away from Nairobi has been in existence since 1926. Apart from golf which is the dominant sport, there are other facilities like squash courts, tennis courts, lawn bowling, and a cricket pitch.
The Safaricom Golf Tour is a seven-month series that will see golfers visit different courses in the country to join other enthusiasts of the game. Among activities that will go a long way in demystifying the golf and ensuring its future are golf clinics for students between 6 and 18 years, to spot and nurture young talent.
The possible results of this series are already evident from leg one. This is captured in the story of 8-year-old Hilda Wangari who swung her first club at a makeshift golf pitch in Nanyuki town on the evening of Saturday 29th, and the next day she was on the actual golf course at the sports club. Her story paints what could very well be the beginnings of a great golfer.
With the Safaricom Golf Series, this scenario will be replicated among other children in and around participating golf courses, as well as across schools. Just like that the game of golf which has always been considered elite will lose the tag and attract more people. By attracting junior golfers, its future longevity is also assured, and this is exactly what Safaricom aims to achieve.
The series is also featuring caddies whose role as assistants to golfers is priceless. As part of the tournaments, there is a Caddies Golf Day and all members of the National Caddies Association are free to participate.
After Limuru, the seven-month tour will go ahead and cover the golf courses in Muthaiga, Nyanza, Nyali, Eldoret, Karen, Machakos, Kericho, Kitale, Royal Nairobi, Nakuru, Kenya Airforce, Vet labs, and end with a grand finale at Vipingo Ridge. With the benefits of the Nanyuki leg evident, it is easy to see that the complete tour will have a big positive ripple effect not just in the game itself, but to local economies.