Magic of the game of golf lies in introducing it to juniors at an early age

Kenyan junior Belinda Macharia play golf during junior Africa challenge at Southbrooom in South Africa on, August, 28,2017 [Courtesy]

The best-kept secret in all golf clubs is that the game is medicine for the soul. Golf courses provide great service to humanity by teaching golfers that whatever they may have achieved in other walks of life, they are after all simply human. Golf has a way of humbling all those who choose to give it a try.

If our politicians, for example, had been ousted in the first round of club Match Play championship and went on to sincerely congratulate the winner, we should have heard a lot less of their imperious rants as they party-hopped after losing nominations. In the words of Alexander Pope, the 18th-century poet: “Of all the causes which conspire to blind Man’s erring judgement, and misguide the mind, What the weak head with strongest bias rules, Is PRIDE, the never-failing vice of fools.”

The one who wins in a golf tournament, knows that strange chastening humility which is brought about by a topped shot on the next day. This is why golfers, true golfers, remain respectful even in victory.

With all the victories under his belt, Tiger Woods is always respectful and courteous to his playing partners. As he goes into the second major of the year, at the US PGA Championship at the Bethpage State Park Black Course, he will be playing hard and going for a win.

Yet, he will be treating his playing partners, the course and the officials with the respect that he has known from when he started playing.

Woods is drawn to play with Francesco Molinari and Brooks Koepka for the first two rounds of the tournament. In 2018 Molinari won The Open while Koepka won the US Open; playing together with Woods who is the current Masters Champion.

There is a video of Tiger when he was five that is doing rounds on social media. In the video, the young Tiger is seen enjoying himself playing and winning tournaments.

His father, Earl, goes on to explain how he showed the young Tiger the game from when he was still in diapers. This is what makes the game of golf second nature to him. This is why he is the favourite to win the US PGA.

This is the reason why I am so impressed with Kisii Sports Club. On a visit to the club this past Saturday with the Kenya Golf Union Chairman, Lucas Marang’a, the club had a junior competition that had attracted more than 40 children.

The club has partnered with Elimu Academy, to start a junior program for the children from the school. The children are so eager to learn that when Marang’a donated three sets of golf clubs to Kisii Sports Club, some wanted to see where the Golf Captain, Wycliffe Ayienda, was going to keep them.

“Where are you going to keep the golf clubs?” asked one child

“They’ll be very safe here at the club,” answered Ayienda, amused at the candid question from the child.

“Can we come to play with them tomorrow?” The child followed up.

This is the kind of enthusiasm that gladdens the heart. With good training and the commitment displayed by Ayienda and Andrew Kombo, the Chairman of Kisii Sports Club, we will surely see the next golfing greats in the country.

If golf clubs in the country adopt schools in their neighbourhood, they will not only see the game of golf growing, they are also likely to produce the kind of champion that Tiger has become.

There is no prize for guessing who I will be rooting for this weekend at the US PGA Championship. I am also hoping that this practice of adopting schools by golf clubs will take root and we can see the fruits of these programmes.

Wang’ombe is a Kenya Golf Union Executive