When NCBA Group officially unveiled the NCBA Golf Series on January 27, 2021, many golfers and golf enthusiasts perceived it as just another golf sponsorship by a corporate.

As the series marks its fifth edition in 2025, NCBA’s annual golf sponsorship has doubled and this has significantly transformed clubs and the lives of more than 20,000 golfers and caddies.

The bank hosts serial club events at various clubs with victors, from listed club members of participating clubs, competing for the overall prize in a grand finale at the end of the year.

NCBA’s more than Sh230 million investment in NCBA Golf Series in five years has elevated the quality of the sport and also fostered sustainability in communities around golf clubs.

In this article, we shall break down just how significant this hefty investment by the lender in the past five years has changed the face of the sport while nurturing new golfing talents.

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2021: The Beginning

2021 is year the NCBA Golf Series was officially unveiled at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club with NCBA Group committing Sh30 million towards transforming lives around golf across Kenya.

Thika Sports Club hosted the opening round on January 30, 2021 with the tour visiting 20 golf clubs in an effort to grow local golf while promoting Kenya as a global golf destination.

The main Series ran alongside the NCBA Junior Golf Series that tapped budding golf talents of children aged 6 - 18 years, and included a two-day golf clinic to shore up the competition.

Sharing his enthusiasm during the launch, NCBA Group MD John Gachora said the bank was keen to drive transformation using sports as a key area of focus for the financial institution.

“Our goal is to facilitate the growth of golf locally and in the process make Kenya an international golf destination,” said Gachora.

John Gachora. PHOTO/NCBA

He added: “In addition, as a business, we believe that sports sponsorships is a key avenue towards reaching out to our stakeholders and potential customers across the country.”

When the NCBA Golf Series came to a close on December 10, 2021 at Muthaiga Golf Club, close to 3,000 golfers and more than 2,000 caddies had participated across the country.

Similarly, more than 40 junior golfers qualified to play at the Rome Classic and the Big 5 Tournament in South Africa, with their strong show showing the nurturing of future stars.

2022: Maintaining Momentum

In 2022, NCBA Group also committed Sh30 million to the prestigious NCBA Golf series and expanded its sponsorship to other markets in which it operates in the East African region.

The 18-leg series expanded its schedule to cover Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for adult and junior golfers as NCBA underwired its customer relationships to better cater to their needs.

Malaika Kasio. PHOTO/NCBA

In Kenya, the tournament partnered with Kenya Golf Union (KGU) with a tee-off at Railways Golf Club on February 26, 2022 before spreading to other golf courses over 11 long months.

This Series, just like in 2021, incorporated three junior golf tournaments in partnership with the US Kids Golf with the NCBA Golf Series engaging more than 5,000 golfers and caddies.

2023: Expanding Impact

In 2023, the series sponsorship shot to Sh50 million, with Sh5 million channeled to Kenya Amateur Golf Championships Series (KAGC) and Sh7.6 million into the Junior Golf Series.

The regional lender also became the title sponsor of the NCBA Kenya Invitational - a US Kids Golf Regional Championship that attracted 110 juniors from 12 countries across the world.

KAGC series impacted 162 players, who played in more tournaments and honed their skills while others got a chance to play in the DP World Tour-sanctioned Magical Kenya Open.

A total of 17 club qualifiers were played at varied golf clubs in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, with two junior tournaments held at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort (Uganda) and Nyali Golf Club in Mombasa (Kenya).

NCBA Group fostered a partnership between Junior Golf Foundation and US Kids Golf for the junior tournaments as part of its pledge to supporting junior golf development in Kenya.

PHOTO/NCBA

Overall winners (Men’s Category, Ladies’ Category and Junior Category) at each of the 17 events got a chance to play in the Grand Finale held at Sigona Golf Club in December 2023.

The top three winners (Overall Winner, Men Winner and Lady Winner) in the grand finale of the NCBA Golf Series at the lush Sigona Golf Club in Limuru took home Sh100,000 cash each.

The enviable partnership between NCBA and Kenya Golf Union (KGU) saw more than 2,000 adult golfers engaged, and 3,266 junior golfers engaged via JGF, and 27 tournaments held.

2024: Expanding Investment

2024 saw NCBA Group’s investment in NCBA Golf Series expand yet again to a staggering Sh60 million, with its allocation for the KGU and JGF events increasing to Sh18 million.

The Sh6 million allocated to KGU enhanced cash awards for amateur golfers in the KAGC Series, while JGF’s Sh12 million facilitated junior golf events and nurtured young talents.

The NCBA Golf Series is part of the NCBA Group’s sustainability platform, Change The Story, which was officially unveiled in 2023 in the bank’s bid to drive positive change in the society.

The 23 legs of the 2024 NCBA Golf Series spread across golf clubs in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, coagulating its locus as the foremost golfing event in East Africa.

The first leg of the Series teed off at the Kenya Railway Golf Club course in Nairobi course before navigating to tens of other local and regional golf clubs.

The 2024 NCBA Golf Series impacted more than 10,316 golfers in East Africa, and in the process improved the lives of more than 2,500 caddies, their families and communities.

2025: Ambitious Growth

Come the launch of the fifth edition of the NCBA Golf Series on January 14, 2025, and the bank set aside Sh60 million for the second time to support and grow activities around golf.

David Ndungu and John Gachora. PHOTO | COURTESY

In 2025, the NCBA Golf Series set aside:

• Sh6 million for KGU to facilitate the 2025 KAGC Series from January 24, 2025, at Sigona Golf Club.

• Sh12 million for JGF to support junior golf tournaments seeking to nurture talent and enhance accessibility.

• Sh1.2 million starter kit for Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) to support professional golf programs for three months.

The 23-leg series was unveiled at the Kenya Railway Golf Club with a total of 159 events slated across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, an increase from 130 events in 2024.

The expanded 2025 NCBA Golf Series features ambitious 41 qualifier events across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, starting with the first leg at Vet-Lab Sports Club on January 25, 2025.

Here are the key highlights of the expanded schedule:

• 49 junior events in Kenya

• 22 junior events in Uganda

• 3 junior events in Tanzania

• 1 junior event and golf clinic in Rwanda

For the first time, NCBA Group has collaborated with the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) to boost golf from juniors to pros for a sustainable golf development framework.

Vet-Lab Sports Club hosted the first leg of the NCBA Golf Series on January 25, 2025, with KGU Chairman David Ndungu lauding NCBA for its continued golf support and partnership.

“As the Kenya Golf Union, we are delighted to continue our partnership with NCBA. This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to nurturing golfing talent and promoting the sport’s growth in Kenya and beyond,” intimated Ndungu.

On his part, PGK Chairman John Wangai termed the partnership between NCBA Group and the association a major step forward for the development of professional golf in Kenya.

“We are confident that this partnership will raise the standards of professional golf in Kenya, allowing players to showcase their talent and inspire the next generation of golfers,” said Wangai.

The development of golf in Kenya and the East African region sits under NCBA`s “Change The Story” platform, which targets to deliver 15 Sustainability Commitments, among them:

• Championing inclusive sports

• Supporting communities

• Enabling skills building and

• Driving environmental stewardship

Courtesy of the NCBA sponsorship of the NCBA Golf Series, thousands of young talented golfers from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda are now eking a living playing golf.

The bank’s sponsorship of KAGC and JGF tournaments across the region in the past five years has enabled more players to obtain their World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

In that period, doors have been opened to players of all ages and abilities as top golfers led tree-growing initiatives in all host clubs, fostered environmental conservation and protection of their courses as part of NCBA’s commitment to growing the sport sustainably.

Here are some of the clubs that have hosted the NCBA Golf Series over the five years:

Kenya

• VetLab Sports Club

• Nandi Bears Club

• Malindi Golf Club

• Kiambu Golf Club

• Limuru Country Club

• Karen Country Club

• Kenya Railway Golf Club

• Thika Sports Club

• Nakuru Golf Club

• Sigona Golf Club

• Machakos Golf Club

• Kisii Golf Club

• Mombasa Golf Club

• Nyanza Club

• Kitale Golf Club

• Golf Park

• Muthaiga Golf Club

• Great Rift Valley Golf Course

Uganda

• Entebbe Golf Club

• Jinja Golf Club

Tanzania

• Kilii Golf Club

• Arusha Gymkhana Club (AGC)

• Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC)

Rwanda

• Rwanda Golf Club

With over Sh230 million invested, NCBA has shown its pledge to supporting golf, developing host golf clubs and communities sustainably, while nurturing the next generation of golfers.