The R&A has introduced its Community Golf Instructor Award to Africa for the first time, extending the established training programme across Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda in a strategic move to strengthen grassroots golf development on the continent.
With African golf in focus ahead of the Africa Amateur Championship and Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational at Royal Johannesburg this week, the initiative aims to recruit, train and develop a new generation of Community Golf Instructors within the three national federations. The programme is designed to build a sustainable grassroots workforce capable of widening access to the game.
Trained instructors will play a key role in engaging juniors, women and underserved communities, creating more inclusive and welcoming entry points into golf. Once qualified, they will be deployed nationwide through schools and community-based golf initiatives, delivering fun, beginner-friendly experiences. Schools form a central pillar of the programme, supporting long-term participation growth at the grassroots level.
A dedicated “train the trainers” component underpins the programme’s sustainability. In Nairobi, seven participants completed specialized mentoring to enable them to deliver the Community Golf Instructor Award independently in the future. This approach is expected to support wider roll-out within the participating countries and across other African federations.
The programme also establishes a paid pathway for Community Golf Instructors, allowing them to work across defined initiatives, including school-based delivery, while supporting structured community golf development.
Kevin Barker, Director – Golf Development for GB&I and Africa at The R&A, said the initiative marks a significant milestone for the sport on the continent. “By investing in people at a community level, we are creating sustainable pathways into golf and ensuring that more young people, women and communities can experience the game in a fun, accessible and inclusive way,” he said.
The Community Golf Instructor Award reflects The R&A’s broader commitment to global golf development through empowering local workforces and supporting national federations to grow participation from the grassroots upwards.
The programme has already been delivered successfully in Great Britain and Ireland, Romania, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Vietnam, Egypt, Uganda, and more recently in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Its African debut coincides with a landmark week for competitive golf, as the Africa Amateur Championship and the Africa Amateur Women’s Invitational take place at Royal Johannesburg from 4–7 February. The men’s championship will feature 72 players from across the continent, with the winner earning an exemption into The 154th Open, while the women’s event will showcase leading talent from countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania, highlighting Africa’s growing depth in amateur golf.
About The R&A
The R&A group of companies was formed in 2004 to take on The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews’ responsibilities for governing the Rules of Golf, staging The Open, golf’s original championship, and developing the sport. The R&A World Golf Museum in St Andrews is part of The R&A group.
Together The R&A and the USGA govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions with a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A, through R&A Rules Ltd, governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 108 million golfers in 149 countries and with the consent of 169 organizations from amateur and professional golf.
The R&A has responsibility for running a series of world class amateur events and international matches in women’s and girls’ as well as men’s and boys’ golf. The R&A stages the AIG Women’s Open and works with the DP World Tour to stage the ISPS HANDA Senior Open.
The R&A is committed to investing £200 million over ten years in developing golf and supports the growth of the sport internationally, including the development and management of sustainable golf facilities.
