Only golfers with a valid Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) handicaps and junior golfers ranging from ages 13 to 18 years will be allowed to take part in the 2014-2015 Barclays Golf Circuit series.
These were some of the tough rules spelled out by the Kenya Golf Union chairman Francis Okwara before the Barclays Golf Circuit which is set to tee off on August 16th at the Nakuru Country Club.
More than 2800 amateur golfers are expected to participate in the seven-month nationwide circuit in which 20 winners will secure spots in the Barclays Kenya Open (BKO) PRO AM 2015 championship next year.
But, the tough talking Union promised to host top local professional golfers to a two-leg of four days of golf in readiness for the 2015 BKO set to be hosted by the Karen Golf Club.
"To raise the impact of the sport this year, we have made deliberate investments by facilitating golf clinics at club level. We believe that the robust training programme implemented for our local and regional players will result in a pool of strong players who will represent Kenya at local and international events," Okwara stated.
The KGU chairman is optimistic that this year's even is expected to have a more competitive cadre of participating players after the Union carried out intense golf clinics.
Since the circuit was introduced in 2012, Barclays has committed Kshs. 62 million towards the competition, and Ksh 83 million towards the PGA-led Barclays Kenya Open. This year's series will be hosted in 14 golf clubs including Machakos, Nyanza, Nyali and most of the Nairobi Golf Clubs.
For the last five years, Barclays Bank has spent over Kshs. 140 million in the sport and using the circuit to raise funds for community initiatives.
Last year, the circuit raised Kshs. 2.4 million which will be channeled towards the 'Light Up Kenya' initiative; a flagship project geared at making solar energy more accessible in rural Kenya.
Dalveer Hunjan, the 2013- /2013 winner received an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa to attend the Springboks Golf Day.
