Respect for our seniors is not a good reason to add tee boxes

Kenya Railways Golf Club Lady Captain Jane Alice Mutuota in action during the Lady Captain Prize 2019, November 30, 2019. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

When I heard of the death of our second president Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi, my mind went back to the few times I saw him in person.

Mzee Moi had an imposing presence and always had so much energy back in the day. The last time I saw him, was at function where the satellite radio company that I used to work for was making a presentation.

President Moi ran up the stairs, two at a time, holding his “fimbo-ya-nyayo” to where we were presenting with his security detail in tow. There was the distinct feeling of overwhelming presence in Mzee Moi.

After the event, my colleague Daniel Obam and I removed our ties and went for lunch at Cameo Cinema. When we got there, I ushered him to walk in ahead of me.

‘Go ahead Mzee’ I said to Obam.

‘Mzee ni wewe!’ (you are the old one) He retorted.

To me, in my twenties, Obam, who was then in his thirties and a director in the company, deserved the title Mzee. Now that I am older and hopefully wiser, I don’t refer to people as “Mzee” willy nilly.

Despite the fact that we are all advancing in age, very few of us appreciate being reminded of the fact.

Out on the golf course, I am reminded of this fact when my nine iron does not get me to the putting green from 150 yards anymore. A well-struck drive is hardly yielding the 250 yards that I was accustomed to.

I no longer chuckle when I see a fellow golfer taking a driver on the long par three as I now hold my hybrid club.

The answer to declining ability is, however, not to introduce senior tees. This may sound a bit unaccommodating especially given that as Africans, we have immense respect for our elders.

It is not my intention to pour scorn on declining abilities of our senior golfers but, in my opinion, most our courses in Kenya are not long enough to warrant senior tees.

In courses where these tees exist and are properly rated like in Sigona Golf Club and Muthaiga Golf Club, there is no problem and the senior golfers can continue using them. The problem is when some courses just introduce them as an afterthought.

They are not only messy but they also raise the problem of how to deal with scores played from a course that is not rated.

The truth is that if the tees are not rated then all the rounds played on them must not count to handicapping.

The other problem is that if you introduce senior tees for men, then you will also have to have the same for ladies, unless there are no senior ladies at the club.

The other problem that also presents itself is that an 85 year old senior will not be able to hit any where near where a 65 year old will. Should we then introduce senior-senior tees?

Instead of introducing senior tees, clubs should reduce the distance from the tee to the fairway. If the fairway is accessible to one who hits a drive of 130 yards or less, then it will not only work for the seniors, it will also encourage the young ones.

The Kenya Golf Union is planning to rate all tees for men and ladies in future. That way, we shall be able to have men playing off the red tees or even ladies competitions from the white tees.

As for Mzee Moi, we pray that God shall grant him eternal rest upon the fairways of heaven and that he may rest in peace.

Wang’ombe is the General Manager of Kenya Open Golf Limited