Watching golf, you may have noticed assistants who often stand behind gold players, carrying golf bags on their shoulders.
In the sport associated with the wealthy, the golf bag carries are called caddies – a role that has become attractive to many, including former Lebanon house-help, Virginia Njeri.
Njeri returned to Kenya from Lebanon in 2015 as she sought to better her life after working as a house help.
While still trying to find her foot, Njeri was introduced to the high-end sport by her sister – who also recommended she joins Nairobi’s Muthiga Gold Club.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta during the European Tour on Muthaiga Golf Club on Sunday, March 6, 2022
PSCU
During an interview with BBC Sports, she detailed that she had to learn the sport to perform her caddy duties effectively.
Besides carrying golf bags, caddies keep gold clubs clean and motivate the golfer during tournaments.
However, despite facing challenges learning her new world, she fell in love with the sport and got rare opportunities to caddy for clients at the club based in Nairobi.
On the other hand, she indicated that the role was lucrative, with the income helping her support her family and pay bills.
“Caddying pays. It has helped me with a lot of things. Financially, I use it to support my family and everything I do,” she revealed.
According to various reports, caddies earn between 5 to 10 per cent of the player’s tournament winnings.
Nonetheless, Njeri indicated that finding a player was one of the huge tasks in the game. She noted that most players were often sceptical of picking new assistants in the field.
“You have to scramble for a living being a new person in a workplace. You don’t know who is playing, who is not playing,” she revealed.
Notably, the 35-year-old has been a caddie for notable players, including England’s Aaron Rai, whose net worth is over Ksh276,600,000.
A photo of the Muthiga Golf Club course in Nairobi County.
Photo
Muthiga Golf Club
