Uganda can proudly mark 100 years of golf
Mar 09, 2008
UGANDAN golfers have started week-long celebrations to mark 100 years of the game at the country’s leading club — Uganda Golf Club (UGC). While the game has suffered setbacks at several clubs upcountry, including pioneers Entebbe, the UGC in Kampala remains a model, with facilities, membership a
OPINION - By Louis Jadwong, Sports Editor
UGANDAN golfers have started week-long celebrations to mark 100 years of the game at the country’s leading club — Uganda Golf Club (UGC).
While the game has suffered setbacks at several clubs upcountry, including pioneers Entebbe, the UGC in Kampala remains a model, with facilities, membership and management at its best ever.
All activities at the UGC are fully sponsored throughout the year — a rarity on the Uganda sports scene. The game’s managers have also moved with the times and are fast shedding off the ‘elite only’ tag once associated with the game.
The UGC now has programmes to recruit and groom young women and children and has started a professional circuit to help raise the level of competition locally.
What has particularly worked for the golfers has been transparency in their management. It is a discipline their managers learn on the golf course, as the game has many written and unwritten rules that players are expected to observe without a referee or umpire to enforce them.
The UGC at Kitante also houses the national sport’s governing body UGU that faces the challenge of replicating this success upcountry.
Golf legends Deo Akope, Sadi Onito, Charles Yokwe and Dedan Kagonyera hailed from upcountry clubs and helped raise the level of competition nationally.
A programme to save the clubs in Jinja, Tororo, Mbale, Arua, Kabale, Mbarara and Fort Portal should be UGU’s priority. This, plus leading the fight to stop golf land being grabbed.
UGANDAN golfers have started week-long celebrations to mark 100 years of the game at the country’s leading club — Uganda Golf Club (UGC).
While the game has suffered setbacks at several clubs upcountry, including pioneers Entebbe, the UGC in Kampala remains a model, with facilities, membership and management at its best ever.
All activities at the UGC are fully sponsored throughout the year — a rarity on the Uganda sports scene. The game’s managers have also moved with the times and are fast shedding off the ‘elite only’ tag once associated with the game.
The UGC now has programmes to recruit and groom young women and children and has started a professional circuit to help raise the level of competition locally.
What has particularly worked for the golfers has been transparency in their management. It is a discipline their managers learn on the golf course, as the game has many written and unwritten rules that players are expected to observe without a referee or umpire to enforce them.
The UGC at Kitante also houses the national sport’s governing body UGU that faces the challenge of replicating this success upcountry.
Golf legends Deo Akope, Sadi Onito, Charles Yokwe and Dedan Kagonyera hailed from upcountry clubs and helped raise the level of competition nationally.
A programme to save the clubs in Jinja, Tororo, Mbale, Arua, Kabale, Mbarara and Fort Portal should be UGU’s priority. This, plus leading the fight to stop golf land being grabbed.