Something great is happening in golf and it is evident through the Safaricom Golf Tour whose fourth leg was in Kisumu during the weekend of 26/27 March. There is a visible increased in interest as the tour progresses, with the Kisumu outreach program at Lolwe grounds seeing an attendance of over 200 kids and youth.
The outreach programs dubbed Golf Mtaani is designed to reach kids who would probably never have thought of golf because of the unfortunate tag that the game is for the rich and elderly. This is the perception that Safaricom intends to shape differently, while at the same time putting golf in the hands of younger players to ensure longevity.
During the outreach programs which are part of every destination the tour goes to, kids learn some basics about the sport and most importantly, they learn that everyone can play.
The outreach event happens alongside the corporate, junior, and caddie tournaments with golf enthusiasts coming from the host club and surrounding clubs.
At Lolwe grounds, we met and had a few words with Alex Mwangi, a trainer who had come all the way from Nanyuki to teach kids in Kisumu. Alex is a dedicated trainer not only because this is the work that pays his bills, but also because he loves being part of the team that is shaping future golf by training junior golfers. He agrees that acceptance of the game is rising judging from the numbers that show up at every outreach, and is eternally grateful to Safaricom for making the biggest difference to golf mtaani yet.
How do trainers start with beginners?
The first two things that beginners learn are posture and how to hold a club. These are basics that they have to know before getting into how to hit the ball, and details like dress code. This was echoed by David Wakhu who was also present at Lolwe to help out in training.
One shining example of how golf can come into a child’s life and fit right in is eleven-year-old Cindy Hawi who started playing just last year and already emerged the junior winner at the Kisumu leg. Cindy was introduced to golf by her parents who are both golfers, and she describes the game as fun and full of possibilities. She looks forward to getting better at the game and moving up to international leagues where she can get to travel the world.
The young girl looks up to her mum and when asked how she feels about winning, she says that she’s happy because her mum is happy.
