Kabonero prides in new relationships, UGC revamp

Grace Kabonero will leave the busy end and limelight of the Uganda Golf Club (UGC) and return to her quiet seat at the club house after she hands over the lady captain’s office on Saturday.

She has spent the past two years trying to glue the prestigious UGC from the ruins of the Covid-19 pandemic back to normalcy. It was a challenge to stage events and run the ladies’ section.

“At first, I was scared about it, I thought I wouldn’t be able to manage because it was the end of Covid,” she said of the time when she took over from Anne Abeja in 2021.

“We didn’t know about the future because there were different types of Covid. The club was half open, keeping SOPs, life wasn’t nice. Later, God helped us and everything started moving smoothly.

“Our tournaments depend on banks, members who work for organizations and the government. The economy was bad, we would even fear going to someone’s office for sponsorship money.” 

A field of 230 players will take to the par-72 course to celebrate Kabonero’s reign and she feels she duly deserves the fitting send-off at Kitante presented by Standard Chartered Bank.

“We also created relationships with many sponsors like Pepsi, Case Hospital, now Standard Chartered Bank, telecoms, they are countless,” she stated.

“We managed to encourage ladies to come and play golf. Most of them sit for a long time in the office. We’ve been training young people to come for the game with professionals helping us coaches, some of them are going to play at the All Africa Championships at Serena Kigo,” she added.

At the time she became lady captain, Kabonero handicap was at 14 but it has since dropped to 16. She hopes that, by getting freer after office, her game will improve too.

“I hope I will be at peace and play my game, maybe move it to handicap 12 or 10 or single,” with a smile, added the lady who first played the game 20 years ago.

TOURNAMENT DETAILS 

Date: March 18

Venue: Uganda Golf Club (Par-72 Course)

Format: Medal

Outgoing Lady Captain: Grace Kabonero

Sponsor: Standard Chartered Bank (Shs20m)

Expected field: 230

CAST OF UGC LADY CAPTAINS

2021-22: Grace Kabonero

2018-20: Anne Abeja

2016-17: Dr Mary Ochieng

2014-15: Katy Kabenge

2012-13: Agnes Konde

2010-11: Eva Magala

2008-09: Fancy Ogweng

2007: Cecilia Lwanga

2005-06: Jennifer Opio

2003-04: Jolly Karemera

2001-02: Grace Obua