Primary and secondary schools stand to benefit when the Junior Golf Foundation Program is rolled out, JGF president Regina Gachora has said.
Gachora said the programme seeks to convert some of the existing playgrounds into golf courses where the popularity of the game can be amplified.
“For you to create a range, you just need a net, and kids can hit (golf balls) towards the net," said Gachora.
"The next development is chipping... you can be able to chip on a football pitch and then you mow the lawn and it becomes a putting green. These are the three critical areas of golf."
“If you are able to nature that from a very young age on football pitches, you can be able to move any of these young golfers into a golf course and they will play good golf," she added.
"95 per cent of our professionals are from caddie ranks. Where did they start playing? At football pitches and open fields. There is a lot of golf potential from the grassroots and the possibility to develop future champions is there."
Gachora said their drive for golf development has been informed by the successful hosting of the second US Kids Golf Nairobi Series at the Karen Golf Club, which attracted maximum 150 junior golfers.
She said the series will now be held on golf courses outside of Nairobi, starting with the Coast then to Mount Kenya and Central Rift regions. The program will also seek to sample school competitions, ensuring there is at least a tournament every term in every region.
“Nairobi was a 'dry-run'. We realised many children loved the programme. That's why all other regions are planning to have similar US Kids Golf programmes in their regions,” Gachora explained.
The players from the programme were volunteers at the 2023 Magical Kenya Ladies Open in Vipingo. The Foundation wants to see the four slots allocated to Kenya go to the 15 and 16 year old's in the next year or two.
