The NCBA Golf Series 2025 started on the fairways but it has now morphed into something much bigger than just golf balls, swing perfection and dominating the leaderboard.

Over the past seven months, the NCBA Golf Series 2025 has teed off across Kenya, changing how clubs, golfers of all ages, caddies, communities, and even trees interact with the sport.

With its footprint traversing 14 golf clubs, thousands of players, and hundreds of caddies so far, the series has transmuted from a tournament to a platform for inclusion, customer engagement, climate action, and regional economic impact.

Let’s break down what makes the NCBA Golf Series one of Kenya’s most strategic and high-impact corporate sporting investments and how its making waves in the corporate world.

1. Boosting Golf Clubs

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Since January 2025, the NCBA Golf Series has traversed the country and made stops at 14 different courses:

• Vetlab Sports Club

• Nandi Bears

• Malindi Golf Club

• Kiambu Golf Club

• Kenya Railways

• Nakuru Golf Club

• Golf Park

• Kisii Golf Club

• Thika Sports Club

• Machakos Golf Club

• Kitale Golf Club

• Karen Country Club

• Ruiru Sports Club

• Sigona Golf Club

Each of these unique golf clubs has benefited from more visibility, foot traffic, and renewed local economic activity breathing new life to some clubs which were hitherto termed sleepy.

For instance, in Kisii, a fairly newer golfing region, the NCBA tournament attracted visitors from surrounding counties, filling hotels and boosting local transport and hospitality sectors.

Club captains from Vetlab and Kitale have noted increased interest in junior and women’s golf, which they directly linked to the excitement generated by the NCBA golfing events.

Similarly, NCBA Bank has poured significant investment into improving the greens, tee boxes, signage among other facilities at the participating clubs leaving a lasting impact.

2. More Inclusion

More than 3,000 amateur and professional golfers have taken part in the NCBA Golf Series so far with NCBA Bank being deliberate in its effort to ensure diversity in participation:

• Juniors as young as 7 have competed.

• Dozens of female golfers have headlined tournaments at Kiambu, Malindi, and Nakuru among others.

• NCBA even has a dedicated junior development category, where top performers get equipment, training, and mentorship.

This commitment is not only about sports but about building the next generation of golf pros and leaders, especially from underserved regions in the country.

3. Elevating Caddies

Almost every swing you make in golf depends on someone special who is carrying your bag, and this year, NCBA Bank has made caddies part of the spotlight due to their critical role.

At each leg, 70 to 100 caddies are engaged directly, with some getting short-term employment, stipends, and in most cases, free meals and transport from the organisers.

But even more crucially, NCBA has partnered with clubs to run Caddy Clinics in its endeavor to improve their lives for good, with the short sessions offering:

• Financial literacy lessons

• Mental wellness support

• Golf education, to help them transition into coaching or play professionally

For example, take the inspiring story of James, a caddy from Nakuru County who was sponsored by the series to attend a course on the Rules of Golf.

He now trains junior golfers during the weekends, and says: “I feel more than just a caddy, I am now a coach.”

4. Real Investment

NCBA Group has invested more than Sh60 million into the game in 2025 alone and this includes:

• Event logistics and prize money

• Sponsorships of promising golfers

• Club upgrades (greens, tee boxes, signage)

• Branded equipment and golf kits

The bank has also financed junior golf development programs in partnership with golf clubs like Sigona and Karen in the process ensuring that talent is nurtured from the grassroots.

5. Greener Swings

At every leg of the NCBA Golf Series, there is one tradition you will notice; tree planting.

As part of NCBA “Change the Story” sustainability campaign, the bank plants at least 100 trees at each host golf club, with players, employees, and juniors taking part in the exercise.

So far, more than 1,300 indigenous trees have been planted under the 2025 NCBA Golf series alone, with support from local environmental groups.

In Kisii, caddies joined hands with NCBA Bank staff to plant fruit trees along the course boundary, which the club has promised to nurture and harvest for community benefit.

This sustainability initiative is part of NCBA’s commitment to help Kenya meet its 15 billion planted trees target by 2032, while also leaving a literal green mark on every course visited.

6. Customer Relationships

Even if golf is the headline activity, NCBA is clear about the strategic business value of the series with each tournament serving as a customer engagement forum.

In these events, invited clients, SMEs, and local business leaders get to play golf but also connect with NCBA Bank teams across retail, asset finance, insurance, and investment.

At Thika Sports Club, for example, a local car dealer sealed an auto loan deal with NCBA Bank after interacting with the Asset Finance team on the sidelines of the tournament.

These passionate and significant tournaments have become mobile banking expos, combining the pars and bogeys with business networking, and product awareness.

7. Ripple Effects

Away from golf, every NCBA Golf Series tournament has a direct and indirect impact on:

• Local transport (taxi, matatu operators)

• Hospitality (hotels, restaurants)

• Vendors (event planners, caterers, photographers)

According to feedback received from the Malindi Golf Club, for example, the golf tournament brought in an estimated Sh2.5 million in local spend within just three days.

Now that’s impact you can bank on, courtesy of NCBA.

8. NCBA Leadership

NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora summed it up at the Karen leg of the event: “This Golf Series is not just about sport. It is our way of engaging communities, building young talent, supporting local economies, and living out our purpose to inspire greatness.”

Echoing him, NCBA Group Director of Marketing and Communication Nelly Wainaina added: “Every course we play on, we plant trees. Every town we visit, we create conversations. Every golfer we meet, we build relationships. This is what transformation looks like.”

9. Next Green?

As the NCBA Golf Series heads to the next golf course, the expectations are even higher.

NCBA plans to introduce a digital scorecard system that links directly with golfer performance profiles and even offers tailored NCBA Bank products for participants.

Discussions are also underway to expand the junior circuit to rope in all other East African countries, starting with Uganda and Rwanda in 2026.

As the series moves fast towards its grand finale at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi later this year, one thing remains clear; NCBA is not just sponsoring a sport, it is investing in people, places, and a greener planet - one golf swing at a time.