Golf has long been defined by its quiet landscapes and a reputation for exclusivity, often leaving women on the periphery of its networks. In Kenya, this narrative is shifting as fairways evolve into hubs for mentorship and community. Leading this charge is entrepreneur Jackline Cherop Sirai, whose initiative, Girls Who Golf NBO, is dismantling barriers to ensure the next generation of female players finds a true sense of belonging on the green.
Ivan Vodohi, bird story agency
The morning sun is still soft when Jackline Cherop Sirai kneels beside a small hole in the ground, a young tree resting carefully in the soil. She leans forward, scooping a handful of sand and pressing it gently around the base of the seedling. She pauses for a moment, then smiles as she adds another layer of soil and covers the roots completely. Around her, members of the community move between freshly dug patches of earth. For Sirai, outdoor mornings like this sit naturally alongside another defining part of her life: golf.
Sirai is a golfer, entrepreneur, and the founder of Girls Who Golf NBO, a Nairobi-based community that encourages women and girls to take up the sport. Through the initiative, she works to open doors in a game that has long been seen as an exclusive “men’s club”.
For many women entering golfing spaces, whether out on the green or back at the clubhouse, the experience could feel daunting.
Sirai remembers arriving at a golf club and sensing that she did not quite belong. .
“You would come here and still feel lonely, like you don’t belong.” “When we started, we knew the narrative had to change,” she explained.
According to the 2024 R&A Global Golf Participation Report, female engagement in the sport is seeing a significant upward trajectory across the continent, with countries like Nigeria and Morocco reporting that women now represent approximately 30% of adult registered golfers. This growth is mirrored in Kenya, where the Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU) and the Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) have documented a steady influx of new players.
Those experiences stayed with her. In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic slowed global travel and daily routines shifted, Sirai found herself with unexpected time. Her travel company, Densey Tours & Travel, like many businesses in the tourism sector, had slowed significantly as borders closed and trips were cancelled.
Jackline Cherop Sirai, founder of Girls Who Golf, and her playing partner, Rachel Ndei, pushing their branded golf push carts on the course at Thika Greens Golf Resort on April, 17, 2026. Photo: Ivan Vodohi, bird story agency
“The work slowed down by itself,” she says. “So instead of just sitting in the house, I would go play golf.”
From those long months emerged an idea that would later become Girls Who Golf NBO.
The community started informally during the pandemic, bringing together women who shared an interest in the game. What began as a small circle of players gradually developed into a wider network focused on mentorship, skills training and connection.
Golf coach Emmanuel Wekesa has witnessed the shift first-hand. A certified coach based in Nairobi, Wekesa has been teaching golf since 2018 and works with men, women and junior players.
Since 2021, he says, more women have begun taking up the sport, many of them starting from scratch.
“I’ve taught approximately more than 400 women since 2021, right from scratch, starting golf without knowing anything,” he says. “Before, golf used to be seen as a sport for men, but what I’m seeing now is that it has really changed. Women are really playing and they love the sport.”says Wekesa.
Today the group organizes golf clinics, friendly tournaments and networking events for professional women across Nairobi. More importantly, it connects experienced golfers with younger girls who are just discovering the sport.
A key part of the initiative focuses on junior players. Sirai and her team partner with golf clubs to introduce girls to the game, often inviting them to participate in events or attend training sessions.
For Sirai, early exposure matters. When children encounter a sport early, it becomes part of their world rather than something distant or inaccessible. Through mentorship and regular interaction with clubs, the organisation hopes to see more young female golfers filling courses across Kenya in the years ahead.
“The best age to start is three years,” Sirai says. “As this child grows up, they know this is what they are supposed to do.”
Ruby Abura is among the young golfers drawn into the Girls Who Golf NBO programmes, still early in her journey but clear about what she hopes to achieve in the sport.
“I’ve just started, but I’d like to be top most,” she says. “You see those people you just walk and recognise for golfing and all the others — hopefully with the help of Girls Who Golf, I’ll reach there.”
She describes her approach to the game as one grounded in learning and openness. “Today we’re here to learn golf,” she adds. “You just have an open mind, be ready to learn and get the best from what you are given.”
The aim is long-term change, building a generation of girls who grow up seeing golf as something they can do.
On the course, Sirai moves with the quiet rhythm of a player who has spent years learning the game. Golf unfolds slowly. Players walk between holes, studying the shape of the fairway and the position of the flag. Conversations drift between shots, sometimes about strategy, sometimes about work or family.
At one green, Sirai studies the slope before setting her ball down. Her playing partner Rachel Ndei, stands a few steps away, watching carefully.
Sirai takes a breath, pulls the putter back and taps the ball forward. It rolls steadily across the green, curving slightly before dropping cleanly into the hole.
For a moment the calm of the course breaks. Rachel raises her hand and Sirai meets it with a quick high-five as they push their carts to the next point. Both women laugh, sharing the small but satisfying triumph that comes with a well-judged putt.
Moments like this are part of what drew Sirai to the game in the first place.
Rachel Ndei, who has been playing golf since 2015, is among the more experienced members of the group and often finds herself mentoring newer players within the community.
She describes how the initiative has changed the way women experience the sport. Before, she says, golf could feel individual and disconnected, but being part of Girls Who Golf NBO has created a shared purpose across different levels of experience.
The community, she explains, brings together beginners and seasoned players, creating space for mentorship to happen naturally on and off the course.
“What I love most about Jackline is her soft heart,” she says, referring to founder Jackline Cherop Sirai. “She cuts across from dealing with those of us who are experienced to those who have never even held a club.”
Rachel adds that beyond the game itself, the community has also opened up opportunities for travel and shared experiences, including recent trips where members have played together internationally.
For her, being part of the group is not just about golf. It is about belonging.
“I feel blessed,” she says.
Caddies preparing golf push carts for the players heading out onto the course at Thika Greens Golf Resort on April, 17, 2026. Photo: Ivan Vodohi, bird story agency
Despite its calm appearance, golf is intensely mental. Players must think through every movement, the stance, the swing, the angle of the club and the direction of the wind. The sport demands patience and discipline, qualities she says are often underestimated by people who have never played it.
Unlike sports that can be played almost anywhere, golf is structured around membership spaces and specialized gear. Players need clubs, regular coaching, and time to practice. These requirements have often reinforced the perception that golf is reserved for a small, privileged circle.
Golf has also intersected naturally with her career. Through golf, Sirai has met professionals from different industries, forming relationships that sometimes develop into business partnerships.
Golf is also about marketing,” she says. “The more people you meet, you’re marketing what you do. She says
Balancing entrepreneurship, mentorship and sport requires careful planning, but Sirai has learned to move between the different parts of her life with flexibility, some days spent in the office, others on the fairway.
By late afternoon the light has softened across the course. Inside the clubhouse at Thika Greens Golf Resort, Sirai sits with Rachel and another golfer around a small table. Cups of tea rest between them, steam rising in thin spirals.
The women talk over one another, replaying shots from earlier in the day. Laughter moves easily through the group. For Sirai, the scene captures something important about the community she has helped build.
Tomorrow, Sirai will return to meetings, travel bookings and the growing work of mentoring young golfers. But for now she leans back in her chair, smiling as the conversation continues around the table, another day on the course coming to a gentle close.
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