The Inside story of golfer Milicent Melo’s rise to the peak in amateur contest

The incredible rise of Millicent Melo in the golfing arena has been a transformative journey and has seen the mother of two establish herself as a household name in Kenya. Her knack for hitting a golf ball and sheer passion have been instrumental in elevating her game from strength to strength.

At the onset, ‘Millie’ as she is referred to within the golfing cycles did not want to play the game. One day, as she was walking on a golf course with her friend Michael Matu, it did not dawn on her that seven years later, she would cement her status as one of the best golfers in the country.

Unlike many sports personalities who are influenced by other athletes to participate in different sports disciplines, interestingly, for her the rules of the game, and the networking aspect of golf prompted her to give it a try.

Anyone who has played golf knows that it is extremely difficult to lower your handicap especially when you are a greenhorn but for Milie, challenges unleash the best in her. During a past corporate golf event, she recounts how she carded an excellent score of 43 stableford points to lower her handicap from 36 to 34.

As a member of Railways Golf Club here in Nairobi, she has previously served as the Lady Captain for one year, The Vice Captain for one year and currently, she is the Club’s Treasurer. Her integrity and leadership skills grabbed the attention of the members, the committee and the leadership of the Club who bestowed the leadership authority upon her to serve in the different capacities.

Having been in the game for the past seven years, Millie believes that the country, which has 40 golf courses, has positioned itself globally as a favorite golfing destination  with a PGA accredited course – Vipingo Ridge hosting the prestigious Magical Kenya Ladies Open shining a light on Kenya’s golf prowess. But for her, Railways remain the toughest course to play at due to its fairways, making it difficult for the golfers to navigate the course.

As a Senior Relationships Manager (Corporate Banking) at KCB Bank Kenya, she plays her golf over the weekend giving her an opportunity to meet and interact with thought leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs. Being a banker for over two decades, her work demands that she interacts with customers therefore, through golf she can express her sanguine personality.

To ensure that she plays her part in fostering the golfing culture in Kenya, she has introduced her two children to the sport. The budding golfers relish accompanying their mother to the golf course to learn the ropes of the game and hone their skills. She says, teach them young, hopefully they grow to become the next Tyger Woods, representing Kenya in local, regional, and international competitions while etching their names in the history books.

Over and beyond banking, she is also a renowned writer who has made major forays in the publishing industry.

She writes for a local business blog, with a focus on the business landscape in the country, and the greater East African region.

According to her, golf is therapy. It allows someone to ease the pressures of everyday life by hitting them away on a golf course. She is a good example to break the perception that golf belongs to a certain class of people or gender. She believes we could see the rise of more pro golfers in the country if people took the courage to become members of various Clubs and hone their skills.