Ray Nyabola insists perception of golf is ‘not impossible’ to change

Ray Nyabola, the founder of Black British Golfers, wants to shift perceptions in golf and is adamant it’s an achievable goal.

After much deliberation, the 42-year-old started the movement in 2021, with a plan to break down barriers into the game.

Now, with a database of over 1,200 people, Nyabola wants to take golf into communities it’s never seen before and abolish traditional narratives.

“When we started it, I said to people, we want to be able to create a bigger table for the game, not a new table,” he told bunkered.

“The table exists and there are already stakeholders around the table. Allow us to pull a chair. If you can’t, then that’s fine, we can create a new table. But that shouldn’t be the case, because fragmentation does not serve the game.

“Everybody understands the top 1% of the game and most people have a perception of golf that is based on that. They think golf is elitist, golf is not for me, golf is for wealthy people.

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“But the core of the game is working class people. The narrative at the top has taken over, and it’s predominant. Why are you not given a chance to express yourself for who you are?”

It’s one of several challenges Nyabola planned to tackle when pressing play on Black British Golfers.

He was aware of them, though, and despite not pointing to an injustice he felt compelled to correct, one of his key motivations is shaping golf’s future.

“I want to know what the future of this game looks like, or what we want the future of this game to look like, and how we can become stakeholders.

“Golf needs to be better at coming out of what it knows and going into communities where it doesn’t have a background.

“We did a project at Kingsknowe Golf Club, in Edinburgh, and some of the kids live in houses that peer over the third hole. If you slice your shot, you’re in their houses.

“But to them, golf is that thing over there. They have never ventured into that space, and never thought about being in that space until we brought them in.”

In a bid to inspire generations of underrepresented communities to participate in golf, Black British Golfers has pioneered ways to put clubs in people’s hands.

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The Future Shapers Series has landed over 100 golfers tee times at prestigious venues like London Golf Club and Fox Hills, while community-based initiatives have been backed by LIV Golf and the PGA.

In total, BBG has partnered – and built relationships with – over 50 brands. That’s not achievable if the reception is “dubious”.

“Everybody that we’ve spoken to and want to work with can see the upside and potential,” Nyabola said.

“For the longevity of the game, it’s the right thing to do, and if it is, then everything else will take care of itself.”

And to change the ‘already set’ perception, Nyabola acknowledges one key step. “It’s not impossible,” he said.

“That’s what we’re going to do, by making sure that the image of the game starts to look like what society looks like, in every shape and sense of the word.”

Get the full exclusive interview with Ray Nyabola in the December edition of bunkered, on-sale now from. Alternatively, click here to subscribe and never miss an edition.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.