Golf in Uganda

“I would put two jelly tins together in the shape of a ball, and we would use sticks that we bent to look like an iron. We would go to a football pitch and come up with holes, and that's how I started playing.”

Nsubuga's improvised wooden club

Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa, bordered by South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are only 18 golf courses in Uganda if you are fortunate enough to have access to them. Golf is an expensive sport and, as a result, isn't widely popular in Uganda. As a child, Nsubuga started playing with makeshift clubs. He and his friends bent wooden sticks into the shape of an iron and used ball-shaped tins for golf balls.

“We had access to the course, but everything else was on us. No lessons, no balls, and just a few clubs to share. We would still have to play with the tins as balls at Mehta.”

Around this time, the head golf professional at Mehta Golf Club noticed Nsubuga and his friends playing golf with makeshift wooden clubs, tin cases as balls, and makeshift golf holes on the football pitch. He started a junior program at the local club.

It wasn’t until 2013, when Nsubuga was 13 years old, that he had access to a proper golf course. Too young to become a caddie, Nsubuga began working as a spotter at Mehta Golf Club in Lugazi, Uganda. He learned the game by observation.

Nsubuga played his first competitive golf tournament when he was 14, playing with a 5-club junior set he shared with other kids in the program. He continued playing tournament golf and joined the Ugandan Junior National Team in 2017, when he was 17.

Membership on the Junior National Team allowed Nsubuga to play with fewer concerns about the sustainability of his young playing career. He represented Uganda in the All-Africa Junior Championship and the Africa Junior Championship. The following year, he joined the Senior National Team, which allowed his game to flourish with access to more resources.

“One of the most important parts of being on the national team is that I didn’t have to worry about paying for golf balls or gloves or other expenses.”

Nsubuga earned medalist honors in his first tournament on the Ugandan National Team. His finish earned him an invite to the African Amateur, where he led the tournament after a first-round even par—the first Ugandan to do so. He finished 16th that week, a launch pad for his future.

Rising Through the Ranks

“I would ask the top players in my tournaments, ‘What does it take to play in the U.S. Amateur?’”

Nsubuga’s breakthrough in golf came last year, as he continued to find success in Africa. With qualifying for the U.S. Amateur separated into two days of local and final qualifying, it was unfeasible for Nsubuga to earn a spot through local qualifying. Instead, his supporters urged him to reach the top 600 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), which would provide an exemption into final qualifying.

Nsubuga's tin golf balls

“I played five tournaments in a row and got second in all of them. After that, I gained public sympathy from the local Kenyans. Every time, I would lose on the last hole. Everyone was like, ‘This guy is good, but when is he going to get it done?’”

It wouldn’t take long. In October 2023, Nsubuga won the Tea Fields Trophy in Kenya—his first-ranked victory—before winning the Uganda Open, Tanzania Open, and the Nyali Open in the next ten weeks. Amidst this run, Nsubuga won four tournaments in one month, including two tournaments on the same day.

“It was a two-hour drive in between rounds. One in the early morning, one in the afternoon.”

Ugandan amateur golfers in the world rankings were rare. No Ugandan had broken into the top 1000 of the WAGR, let alone into the top 600. Nsubuga reached a top rank of 191st in the world, safely exempting him from local qualifying. At the time of this writing, he is the 217th-ranked amateur in the world.

American Frontier

“My supporters back home said I was a great player in Uganda, but there is no guarantee that success translates to America. I had to show that I can compete at that level.”

Nsubuga flew to the United States with plenty of ambition, but no golf clubs. When he arrived in the United States, he ordered used clubs online, filling out his bag with Callaway irons, Taylormade wedges, a Ping putter, and Srixon fairway metals. He had never played Callaway irons—he used a Srixon set back home—but it didn’t take long for Nsubuga to adjust. In his first tournament on American soil, U.S. Amateur final qualifying, Nsubuga made five birdies and two bogeys en route to qualifying for the U.S. Amateur.

“The front nine was tough, as I was trying to catch up with the greens. The pace of the greens is way faster in the United States than back home, and the grass is much different.”

Nsubuga turned at one under par. One under through 13 holes, Nsubuga checked the leaderboard while they waited on the group ahead.

“I checked the scores only to see that the cut was at two under. I knew I needed two or three birdies on the way in, and made back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15. I messed up with a bogey on 16, but got it right back with a great birdie on 17.”

One hole to play.

“I knew it was my day when I hit my tee shot on 18 into a bush, very close to the out-of-bounds line. I hit a snooker shot from the trees onto the green and almost made my birdie putt… I tapped in for par and I just knew I was done. It was done now.”

Nsubuga had made history in his home country of Uganda and made a name for himself in the deep pool of talent in the United States.

Since qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, Nsubuga has had the opportunity to play a variety of golf courses around the country. Making friends along the way, Nsubuga has gained experience on different grasses and golf courses, from Mid Pines to Chambers Bay to Woodmont Country Club. Now, he will try his luck at Hazeltine.

At the beginning of August, Nsubuga got a lesson from Golf Digest Top 50 coach Trillium Rose.

“I told her, ‘I know my numbers in my head—I don't use a rangefinder.' I got my pitching wedge, I told her it goes 153-155. The first ball I hit goes 153 yards. This was my first time using a Trackman… I’m used to just pacing off steps from the pegs in the fairway. I always aim for the middle of the green, and I'm confident I can sink a putt from anywhere.”

Nsubuga left his lesson with Rose brimming with confidence.

Growth and Gratitude

“Most of the guys here can break a club and just get a new one later. If I break a club, I know I’ll have to collect money to get a new one. When I get frustrated on the golf course, I calm down, put my club away, and carry my bag and go.”

When Nsubuga talks about the mental side of golf, it becomes clear how he has reached such impressive heights. His approach to the game is grounded in gratitude, with a focus on making the most of every opportunity and continuing to reflect on his humble beginnings. He speaks of his appreciation to those who have supported his journey, from supporters back home to Coach Charles Penny II at Winston-Salem State University, who offered him a full-ride scholarship.

While Nsubuga excels in competition, his primary goal is to enjoy the game above all else.

“So many players have a bad attitude,” Nsubuga shared. “You can never tell when I’m upset on the golf course. Most of the time, I just play to have fun. I try not to play with pressure. When I make a bogey, I stay happy because I know I'm a good player, and I know I can make a birdie.”

After finishing 79th at the Pacific Coast Amateur in July—his second tournament in the United States—Nsubuga drew positives from the tournament, building upon his new experiences. He shared that a rules official approached him after making a frustrating double bogey while his playing opponent made par. Nsubuga showed no frustration, but his opponent looked as if he was going to snap his wedge.

“He must have thought he needed to make an eagle or birdie. Me, I just laugh it off and say it happens… The rules official says, ‘Are you comfortable with making a double bogey?’ and I respond with, ‘No, but do I get to try again if I get mad?’”

Godfrey Nsubuga’s journey to the U.S. Amateur is a testament to his steady, unflinching approach to life and the game. He’s taken everything in stride, from playing with makeshift clubs as a kid to navigating his first tournaments in the United States. Nsubuga’s focus is clear: enjoy the game, stay level-headed, and keep moving forward.

Heading into the U.S. Amateur, Nsubuga carries the support of many, including the USGA, who have gone above and beyond to ensure he feels welcomed and prepared. Grateful for their assistance, Nsubuga spoke warmly about how the USGA paid for his hotel room, provided transportation to and from the course, and even assigned him a caddie—ensuring he has everything he needs to focus on his game.

“Thanks to them, I have everything ready to go. I just need to hit balls and go study the course.”

Nsubuga tees off Monday at 1:47 p.m. local time at Hazeltine National Golf Club with Brett Podobinski and Eric Lee.