PGK
comply before it’s too late. PGK is
considering imposing a deadline to
hasten compliance.
“Most likely this will be end of
August or mid-September this year
for everybody to have gotten their
licenses so that they can continue
competing in our tournaments or
teaching or being club pros. It’s
not an easy thing to comply with.
It’s difficult because there’s a lot
of paperwork required. However,
I think it’s positive going forward.
It will help us going forward to
just get more structure in all our
associations. It also brings about a
certain type of membership amongst
the associations where people are
accountable,” noted Tethy.
The number of golfers turning
professional has been on the rise
over the last five years. Today PGK
boasts of a roll of 65 members. This
has seen PGK revise its admission
requirements to check on quality.
For instance, a player must now play
off handicap zero or lower to be
admitted to pro ranks. This is drastic
revision from the earlier provision
where anyone playing off handicap
five could turn professional. One
must have also represented the
country at international amateur
events besides being a consistent
top performer in the Kenya Golf
Union GOTY series.
“We’ve admitted almost 15 to 20
professionals over the last five years.
And the good thing about it is that
they’re getting younger coming out
of GOTY events and some of them
even from junior ranks. Most of them
come from the honorary membership
programs at the clubs so they have
a good understanding of what is
required of them as far as etiquette,
behaviour, attitude and so many
other things are concerned. We are
hoping in the next two years we’ll be
up to about 80 to 90 professionals.
Our goal is obviously to reach the
100 mark,” said Tethy.
PGK has also introduced a
mandatory requirement that upon
turning pro, members have to
undertake a two year course to be
certified to teach while club pros
undergo a three year training. Said
Tethy: “We have established strong
links with the South African PGA.
So far we’ve been able to do two
courses; Level one and Level two.
We are hoping in the next three to
five months we can conduct the
Level 3 course. Golf in Kenya is
growing pretty fast. New clubs are
coming up and so eventually they
will require club pros and teaching
pros. So the more qualified our
professionals become the better. “
Ngugi Njuguna