At first glance, Dominic Musoke hardly resembles a man on the brink of a national golfing breakthrough.
Dressed in modest brown golf shorts, a white T-shirt, and a pair of eye-catching Nike golf shoes, he carries himself with a quiet shyness. It is Day Two of the 2025 Equity NARO Open, and the 28-year-old trails the leaderboard by three strokes.
Yet, even with the weight of competition pressing on him, Musoke appears unfazed. He flashes a polite smile and assures our reporter that he will spare time for an interview during the break.
It is the composure of a man who has learned to endure, and his mentor, Gerald Museeta, is not surprised. “It’s been quite a journey,” Museeta shares. “
But with his patience and resilience, he finally has all the ingredients needed to be a champion.” And champion he became. Musoke carded an impressive 2-under par 208 to win the Equity NARO Open 2025, registering 14 birdies, six bogeys, and two double bogeys across three rounds.
His steady performance saw him beat tournament favourite Joseph Chinyaai by five strokes. The soft-spoken golfer, now a rising figure in Uganda’s golf circles, also claimed his second title in Namulonge having first lifted it in 2023. To many, the name Musoke may sound unfamiliar in Ugandan golf. But his story explains why he is fast becoming one to watch.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Born on April 14, 1996 to the late Emmanuel Musoke and Flavia Nasanda, Dominic is the third of seven children. Raised in the quiet community of Namulonge, he grew up helping his family with subsistence farming.
His education was cut short at Primary Six while at Nabitalo primary school, after his parents separated, a personal turning point that pushed him to the fringes of the Namulonge golf course.
As a young boy, Musoke became part of the group of ball spotters who survived on small tips from golfers. Life was tough. To earn a living, he juggled caddying with construction and driving trucks jobs. But golf—first a curiosity, then a dream—slowly took root.
“We used to spend hours watching golf shows at the course,” he recalls with a wide smile. “The sport looked cool, elite. We wanted to be like those white men we saw on TV. And then, Tiger Woods seeing a black man dominate, the way they dressed on the course, the composure made me believe we could be like him.”
With no equipment or guidance, Musoke and his friends improvised. They carved clubs from coffee and Musambya branches, digging holes in the ground to mimic greens. They played using whatever ball they could find, usually just one they had picked from the course.
“We called it Kataaka Golf,” he laughs. Other balls they found were traded for food, snacks carried by most of the golfers or small coins. It was the beginning of a lifelong bond with the sport.
A GIFT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Musoke’s major breakthrough came when his friend and mentor Gerald Museeta gifted him his first club. Later, Museeta gave him a full second-hand set—and even handed him Shs 200,000 to enter his first tournament at Namulonge.
“That time registration was Shs 100,000, and my caddie cost Shs 30,000 a day. I remained with Shs 10,000,” he says.
“But that tournament changed everything. It boosted my confidence. I didn’t care about results; just competing on a real stage meant the world.”
From then on, Musoke entered every tournament he could. Over the years, he has played on many courses, but he ranks Lugazi as the toughest because of its challenging uphill terrain.
This year’s Equity NARO Open triumph, he insists, would not have been possible without the support of Eng. Tracy Musoke and Herbert Musinguzi, who ensured he had all he needed to prepare.
To date he has a daily routine of doing a morning run from his home in Busukuma to the course, a distance of five kilometers and hitting 300 balls.
“This culture has helped me a lot, I stay in shape, I’m healthy and makes it able to hit very hard shots.”
“Winning at Namulonge again means so much. Next year, I want to turn professional. My eyes are on the Uganda Open 2026,” he says with determined calm.
STAR IN THE MAKING
While Musoke basked in victory, the tournament also showcased remarkable performances from other top golfers. Joseph Chinyaai—who has already won eight events this year, including the Kakira Open, Kinyara Open, Uganda Open, Uganda Ladies Open, and Presidents Cup—finished second.
Charles Jjunju, also from Namulonge, took third, followed by Juma Abiti in fourth. The defending champion, Abdullah Kakooza, finished fifth, 13 strokes behind the winner. The victory became even sweater because it came on momentous achievement of Equity bank the title sponsors of the tournament who were marking making 17 years in the industry.
As such, “I will always be remembered as the man who won at Equity at 17, and that means so much to me and my profile.” Musoke’s story is one of grit, humility, and opportunity seized with both hands.
From a boy playing “Kataaka Golf” with improvised clubs to lifting a national title, his journey reflects the spirit of persistence. If all goes according to plan, Uganda’s golf scene may soon celebrate a new professional—one whose rise began not in privilege, but in the dusty corners of Namulonge’s course.
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