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THE R&A IN AFRICA
A GAME FOR ALL
The R&A's commitment to growing golf
in Africa is bearing fruit.
Johann Naudé
Ask the average golfer what The R&A does, and chances are you’ll hear something like, “They make the rules and, uh, run The Open, right?”
While correct, their role goes far beyond devising a sensible rule book and staging one tournament for the best professionals in the world. As one of golf’s two governing bodies, the other being the USGA, they see themselves as custodians of the game, and consider it their duty to grow and sustain it.
As Martin Slumbers, their outgoing CEO, put it, “We should be inspired to do all we can to ensure golf continues to thrive in 50 years’ time.”
Outside the US and Mexico, The R&A governs the sport on behalf of more than 61-million golfers in 146 countries, with the consent of 165 amateur and professional golf organisations. They stage over 30 championships, including some of the most prestigious amateur events in the world.
They also pledged £200-million over a decade, from 2017 to 2026, to develop golf and support its growth internationally. By the end of 2023, they had invested £138.8-million, staying on track with their commitment.
Most recently, they stepped up their efforts to grow golf in Africa with the launch of the Africa Amateur Championship and Amateur Women’s Invitational in February. This built on the launch of the Africa High Performance Programme in 2022. The overarching message, and their official slogan: “Golf is open to all.”
“I think you could argue that Africa presents not only challenges, but also opportunities, and that’s how we should see it” – Kevin Barker
While this increased focus on Africa is encouraging, it has led some in the industry to wonder: why only now? After all, other developing areas such as Asia-Pacific and Latin America already received major amateur events in 2009 and 2015, respectively.
The R&A's director of golf development, Kevin Barker, offers a candid perspective: “I think it would be fair to say that for many years, we perhaps didn’t put the funding into Africa that some would argue we should have.
“We all know the stereotypes of Africa being difficult, war-torn, full of corruption, etc, and I think there was perhaps just some nervousness around that.
“We don’t have as much money and resources as some people believe us to have, and therefore, it seemed as if we could perhaps be more effective in other areas of the world.
“However, the feeling over the past few years has been that if you want to be a global authority, which the R&A says it is, you have to be active in every area of the world.
“There are challenges in Great Britain and Ireland. There are challenges in Latin America and Asia. There are challenges all around the world. It doesn’t matter. The challenges in Africa may be a bit different, but I think you could argue that Africa presents not only challenges, but also opportunities, and that’s how we should see it.”
Asia-Pacific and Latin America were also prioritised due to the depth and breadth of their golfing talent. These regions boasted many top-level amateurs across a range of countries, which wasn’t the case in Africa. The R&A feared that a tournament intended to showcase the continent’s best players would be dominated by South Africans, who already had their own national championships.
To help address this disparity, they formed the African High Performance Programme in 2022. It aimed to train and support talented players from across the continent who lacked access to the coaching, equipment and facilities available to their South African counterparts.
The programme has already shown promise, with Zambia winning the Africa Region 5 Golf Tournament in May (above), led by two programme members. Barker emphasises the need for patience: “Give it time, and you’ll start seeing results.”
Even so, The R&A is under no illusions that the high performance programme alone can bridge the gap between South Africa and other African nations.
“Among other things,” says Eden Thompson, The R&A’s development manager for Africa, “we need to get more players into the game to fill the pyramid from the bottom.”
GOLF’S GAME-CHANGER
Through the support of the R&A, GolfRSA is introducing young beginners to the game through the introduction of GolfSixes.
After the hugely popular activation days, the GolfRSA GolfSixes League has taken off, with the shorter, fun and fast-paced version aimed at drawing beginners to the game drawing a huge fan club.
Since most of the players in each GolfSixes league are beginners with little on-course experience, the Texas Scramble format has positively impacted the speed of play and has allowed the kids to play with a partner.
The GolfSixes League event at Ruimsig Country Club in late June catered specifically to junior beginner players, who enjoyed a lively and inclusive atmosphere. Hosted by Debbie Swanepoel and Graham Smith from Ruimsig Country Club, the event unfolded over six short holes.
After a fun-filled day, which began with music playing at the 1st tee, participants received a variety of prizes including water guns, chocolates, face paint, and high-quality Titleist golf balls generously provided by sponsor Acushnet. Parents contributed to the supportive atmosphere by cheering on their children and assisting with scorekeeping throughout the event.
Overall, the GolfSixes League event at Ruimsig Country Club was a resounding success, showcasing the joy and camaraderie of golf in a format designed to engage and inspire young players in a fun and competitive setting.
Gallery below
MIZUNO MAKES GOOD
The R&A’s Africa High Performance Programme is being boosted with the provision of golf clubs from Mizuno to help develop talent across the continent.
A key strategy for The R&A to further establish the sport across the continent is to increase the number of elite players in the region, to act as an inspiration for aspiring young golfers.
Japanese equipment manufacturer Mizuno has come on board to assist in that objective, donating golf equipment to The R&A Foundation which will be used by players in the High Performance Programme.
One of the more significant challenges in establishing the programme has been the provision of equipment. It became evident that there were talented young players lacking access to the right equipment to aid their development. That is where Mizuno and The R&A Foundation have stepped in.
Mizuno has provided enough equipment to The R&A Foundation to initially support 15 players, with plans to extend this support to a total of 60 players in 2024.
Seventeen-year-old Tanaka Chatora of Zimbabwe (above) is one of the players to have benefited from Mizuno’s involvement in the programme. He is one of the most talented junior golfers in Africa with a number of strong performances already under his belt.
“I recently received the clubs from Mizuno and I want to express my gratitude to The R&A Foundation and Mizuno,” he said. “They have really helped my game and allowed me to play with more confidence. The High Performance Programme is inspiring young people to get into golf and to work on their games to get the same opportunities I have enjoyed.”
To this end, Thompson and Vincent Wangombe from Kenya have launched Unleash Your Drive, a school-based programme introduced in seven African federations, including Tanzania.
Explaining the initiative’s dual purpose, Thompson notes, “This six-week programme delivers not only a fun, games-led introduction to the game, but it also teaches kids resilience, self-confidence, self-reflection and other valuable life skills which will serve them well down the line.”
Rather than flying coaches to schools, they train locals to conduct clinics. Moreover, they teach these locals how to train others to run the clinics. This is all done virtually to reduce costs. By collaborating with organisations like the PGA of South Africa and the International Golf Federation, they’re also upskilling some coaches to work with more advanced players.
As part of a larger strategy to attract – and retain – more players, The R&A is also driving the Women in Golf Charter, which aims to identify and eradicate barriers to entry for women and girls, and GolfSixes, a popular new format to help ease children and beginners into the game.
Reflecting on The R&A’s efforts in Africa, Barker says, “African players are no less talented than those in any other part of the world. What’s lacking in many places are opportunities. If we can give these players the opportunities in terms of competitions, coaching and better national federations, we’ll have done our job.”
ON THE UP
WATCH NOW
African Golf Federation president, Johnson Omolo, talks about the plans and structures to keep growing golf in Africa.
IMAGES: OCTAVIO PASSOS/R&A/R&A VIA GETTY IMAGES/GOLFRSA/SUPPLIED