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10 The Great White Shark aka Greg Norman was scathing with his response when asked for his opinion on the need to renovate golf courses that have fallen into neglect. “I have one word for this – sustainable. Shame on a lot of developers and golf course designers in the 80’s and 90’s who built golf courses with unlimited budgets,” was his sharp reply.
COVER STORY EQUIPMENT FOCUS 50 Singapore – A Force In Golf? Singapore has officially entered the world of golf with a home-grown product that is going to revolutionise the way people play golf. It is the perfect product with which to grab the game by the scruff of its neck and give it a mighty boost.
54 Welcome Back TaylorMade! 2014 will not be remembered as being a good year for TaylorMade adidas Golf – the undisputed kingpin of the golf equipment world. Sales have been slumped. Its charismatic boss Mark King got moved out to the parent company
adidas and with his move, the bold initiative to grow the game of golf, tagged as “Hack Golf” seems to have lost its direction. It also shut down the headquarters of its subsidiary Adams Golf in Texas and moved all the staff to Carlsbad. All told, 2014 has been a year that TaylorMade would do well to forget.
58 Flip It And Rip It! COBRA Golf has introduced its first-ever front-toback FLIPZONE adjustable weight technology. Flip the weight forward for a penetrating ball flight that generates more roll. Or, flip it back for a
towering flight path and carry those hazards that used to get in your head. Its two settings deliver the perfect distance and trajectory for your swing. It’s like having two club heads on one shaft!
64 Wilson Rolls Out The Tour Proven V4 Irons There is no better validation for a set of new golf clubs than being battle-tested in a major tournament. Wilson Golf did just that by putting its brand new FG Tour V4 irons out on tour and the irons have since recorded three wins.
SPECIAL FEATURES
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18 Glitz, Glamour And Game! When golf meets entertainment, you would expect Mission Hills Group to do it biggest and best – and this is exactly what the pioneering leisure and lifestyle conglomerate delivered with the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am.
66 Black Hat Tips-Tony Meechai: Black Hat Golf Tips
24 APGS 2014 Registers High Marks!
Lawyers have to pass the “bar” examination. Now, here’s the ‘bar’ exams I want you to pass and understand!
The 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit ended in Singapore on a high note with members of the golf industry giving the event the thumbs up for setting the tone and providing a positive outlook for the future of golf in Asia.
32 The “Big Easy” Aces It In Malaysia There’s no denying the fact that Ernie Els aka the “Big Easy” is ecstatic over the golf course he designed on the Malaysian island of Langkawi. It Is earning the golfer/designer top honours on a global scale.
36 Rose And Poulter – The Perfect Match Justin Rose and Ian Poulter want golfers to enjoy themselves when playing on their new course at Mission Hills Dongguan in China – and the two Ryder Cup stars did just that when they christened the layout with a one-off Match Play challenge.
40 Will 2015 Be Westwood’s Year To Bag A Major? Asian Golf met up with Westwood after he shot a spectacular hole in one at the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic which was played in Malaysia in late October. In the exclusive interview which covered a wide range of topics, one area that was of special interest to both Westwood and Asian Golf was his commitment to teaching the game of golf to juniors.
44 The Year In Review: What Kind Of A Year Was 2014? For most of us in the golf industry, we’d rather forget 2014. It has been a rough year and we’ll unravel it for you, warts and all.
68 Pro Tour Golf College: How to Become a World Class Golfer: Building Your Golf Success Vision Statement Imagine that you decided to become a great golfer—a world class golfer. You love playing golf so much that you want to make it your career choice, and you desperately want to be successful playing it.
48 Special Report From The USRGA: Exciting New Golf Recreational Golf Equipment on the Rise Technology in general has made life so much better than just 50 years ago. Travel is safer, terrible diseases have been eliminated, comfort abounds… the list of advances is almost endless. The evolution of golf equipment technology is no exception, having made golf easier to learn and more fun to play. The advancement in golf equipment is one of the strongest traditions of the game.
REGULARS 6 Asian Golf Editorial Team 7 Shared Thoughts From Publisher 72 Next Issue
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MIKE SEBASTIAN Chief Executive Officer/Managing Editor
ANGELA RAYMOND President
[ mike@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]
LAWRENCE YOUNG Editor (New Equipment)
[ lawrence@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]
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ALICE HO Marketing Executive
[ alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]
RAQUEL M. ARCEGA Art Director & Ezine Development
SAIFUL SUFIAN Art Director
[ raquel@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]
MYRA PARAS Accounts Executive
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Correspondents
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ISSUE 171
SHARED THOUGHTS
From The Publisher
F
or some years now, we have been hearing about and reading reports about the challenges faced by the golf industry in most of the developed world. Perhaps the most disheartening trend concerns the United States of America where statistically speaking, one golf course is said to shut down for good every 48 hours. And now, this scourge has moved closer to home. Down under in Australia, worrying new research on the state of the golf industry has found that the majority of golf clubs in that country are now in financial trouble.
Therefore it is vital that we lead initiatives to assist clubs and provide opportunities for them to improve their business and adapt in a very competitive sporting market.” New work by Golf Australia details that Australia may be the worst hit country in the world in terms of the golf industry, and that more than one in two golf clubs are suffering some form of financial stress. Golf Australia director of golf development, Cameron Wade, said: “Our research tells us that at least 50 per cent of the 1,600 golf clubs in Australia are currently under some level of financial distress. “Clubs are now facing a number of challenges where consumers are time-poor and have an increasing number of other recreational pursuit options. “Therefore it is vital that we lead initiatives to
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DECEMBER 2014
assist clubs and provide opportunities for them to improve their business and adapt in a very competitive sporting market.” Meanwhile, the blood-bath continues on the retail floor in the United States. Dick’s Sporting Goods, the largest retail outlet for golf equipment reports that “golf still appears to be a work in progress.” “Everybody’s talked about that the (golf) business needs to shrink in order to be more profitable and I think that’s what’s going to happen,” said Ed Stack, chairman and CEO of Dick’s. “I think the manufacturers are much more disciplined, the retailers are much more disciplined and I think the golf business is going to be an okay business. I don’t think it’s going to be a great business but it’s going to be an okay business and we’ll hit bottom here in the next quarter probably and we think that we’ll see increased profitability going into next year. We think that it’s going to be a more profitable year next year.” Stack told Wall Street analysts, “Our (golf) inventory is in great shape. I think the inventory at the vendors (manufacturers) is in better shape than it has been.
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COVER STORY
Norman Goes On The Attack!
Shame on the designers for putting us in this position today because their total disregard for sustainable practices have been the sole reason for these courses being in the shape they are in today.�
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COVER STORY
Norman Goes On The Attack!
T
he Great White Shark aka Greg Norman was scathing with his response when asked for his opinion on the need to renovate golf courses that have fallen into neglect. “I have one word for this – sustainable. Shame on a lot of developers and golf course designers in the 80’s and 90’s who built golf courses with unlimited budgets,” was his sharp reply. In his tongue lashing, the Australian golf legend reprimanded those responsible for the sad state of affairs with many courses in the region and said, “Shame on the designers for putting us in this position today because their total disregard for sustainable practices have been the sole reason for these courses being in the shape they are in today.” With direct reference to the excesses of the past, Norman explained that the “unlimited budgets” of the past did not make developers and designers mindful of maintenance cost which he feels has contributed immensely to the problem. He explained, “This has created a situation for both developers
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and golf course designers of today to be responsible and to build golf courses that are sustainable.” “Developers have to go back and re-invest to renovate these courses – the past has been done – we have to think of the future.” Norman has been a very stout proponent for sustainability for the past twenty-five years which pretty much spans his entire career as a golf course designer. According to him, many golf courses lose their unique character and their original strategic elements over time. “Playing conditions change and require reinvestment in sustainable solutions. For some courses, trees and other vegetation have overgrown and crowd fairways. For others, extreme green contours limit pin placements, while outdated design standards render hazards obsolete and cause safety issues.” “These once successful layouts are increasingly expensive to maintain. They consume excess water and fertilizer
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Playing conditions change and require reinvestment in sustainable solutions. For some courses, trees and other vegetation have overgrown and crowd fairways. For others, extreme green contours limit pin placements, while outdated design standards render hazards obsolete and cause safety issues.� and struggle to fight disease and weed pressure. They’ve become unsustainable with high operational costs and an inability to attract and maintain repeat play. In many cases these courses have diminished prestige and reputation,� Norman pointed out. In justifying his case for renovations conducted on a sustainable platform Norman advocates the following:
Update the course to higher design and safety standards. Improve course conditions, playability, and pace of play. Reposition and differentiate the course in the market. Improve greens speeds, surfaces and pin locations.
COVER STORY
Norman Goes On The Attack!
Referring to the construction of new courses, Norman said, “My advice to developers is not to look at the first year of operation but look for the long haul because this can help save a lot of money from an operational standpoint – make damn sure that the courses are sustainable!.” On the future of golf in Asia and especially in China, Norman predicted a huge future for golf in China after casting his eyes over the next generation of talent while attending the star-studded Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am. Norman has China’s golfing destiny on his mind as the sport
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prepares to feature in the 2016 Olympics. In his role as advisory coach to the Chinese National Golf Team Norman said, “These players are a fiercely proud group and they want to represent China, to be the first in golf to represent their nation.” said Norman. He continued, “There’s a lot of talent. It’s just a matter of getting them to believe in it.” Sharing Norman’s optimism for the growth of golf in China is Tenniel Chu, vice-chairman of the Mission Hills Group, the world’s largest golf resort. In delivering his keynote address at the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit recently in Singapore, Chu
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revealed that there are now 300 million middle class Chinese and that by 2020, this figure is expected to reach 600 million. This means 40 per cent of the population will be middle class. “These astonishing growth figures are fantastic news for the golf industry, since the expanding middle class is taking to golf in rapidly increasing numbers, both as a leisure pursuit and as a sign of status,” Chu explained Given such statistics, it is no surprise to learn that China has the world’s fastest growing golfing population – three million and counting.
DECEMBER 2014
My advice to developers is not to look at the first year of operation but look for the long haul because this can help save a lot of money from an operational standpoint – make damn sure that the courses are sustainable!.”
INNOVATION
Distinguishes leaders from followers
FAST TRACK SLIDING WEIGHT SYSTEM In 2007 Mizuno introduced a sliding weight system called Fast Track – to alter a driver’s draw/fade tendency. Over seven years we learned that Fast Track was even more useful to alter a drivers spin rate and launch angle – helping players of different swing speeds hit their maximum distance with the new JPX850 driver
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BORON GRAIN FLOW FORGED When our 1025E Pure Select mild carbon steel could take our Grain Flow Forged heads no further, our engineers spent 6 years researching how to incorporate Boron into the manufacturing process. The result is a material 30% stronger – allowing greater design freedom and dramatically increased ball speeds. All you’ll see is a different number on the sole.
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SHOCK WAVE SOLE PLATE It’s tough to make a fairway wood face that reacts like a driver – the frame is too small. After years of thinning the face with new materials, we found the greater solution lie in enabling the entire head to flex. The JPX850 fairway woods new Shock Wave sole contracts and expands on impact – allowing the entire clubhead to deliver energy to the ball.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
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Mission Hills – Growing The Game!
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When golf meets entertainment, you would expect Mission Hills Group to do it biggest and best – and this is exactly what the pioneering leisure and lifestyle conglomerate delivered with the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am. By Viv Best
S
taged at Mission Hills Haikou in Hainan – China’s only tropical island – from 24-26 October, the tournament brought together Hollywood A-listers, sporting superstars and some of the greatest players ever to swing a club for a long weekend of golf, glamour and gala events. Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman, dazzling actress Jessica Alba and “Captain America” Chris Evans showed they had golfing skills to go with their famed acting talent. Music maestro Kenny G stepped up to the tee and displayed exactly why he is acknowledged as the best golfer in show business. Here was a dedicated player who once got his handicap down to plus-0.6 and played a Nationwide Tour event on a sponsor’s exemption. Russia’s Olympic legend Evgeni Plushenko swapped his ice skates for golf shoes and ditched
his trademark triple toe loops for tee shots to the delight of the galleries. And Dutch soccer great Clarence Seedorf – the only player in history to win the UEFA Champions League with three different clubs – demonstrated he was equally at home on a fairway as a football pitch. Towering basketball icon Yao Ming led a home contingent of Chinese celebrities that included the country’s greatest film director, Feng Xiaogang, and other mainland movie icons such as He Ping, Chen Daoming and Wang Zhiwen. Joining in the fun was the cream of Asia’s entertainment talent including Taiwanese music superstar Jay Chou, Hong Kong martial arts marvel Donnie Yen and Korean music diva Jessica Jung. The line-up of professional golfers was just as mouthwatering, led by nine-time Major champion Gary Player, Ryder Cup heroes Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, and Paul McGinley, and Major
American golfing great John Daly (second left) and music superstar Kenny G (far right) capture a moment at the Red Carpet welcome for the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament at Mission Hills Haikou on the Chinese tropical island of Hainan. Also pictured are (from left): Daly’s partner Anna Cladakis, Ladies European Tour golfer Danielle Montgomery, TV host Shi Linzi and acclaimed golf course architect Brian Curley.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Mission Hills – Growing The Game!
winners John Daly, Greg Norman, Darren Clarke, Ian Woosnam and Rich Beem. World No.4 Suzann Pettersen spearheaded an elite field of female players from the LPGA Tour and European Ladies Tour. In welcoming countless household names to Haikou, Mission Hills Group Chairman and CEO Dr. Ken Chu was typically forthright about his company’s ambitions. “The aim of this Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am is to bring together all the superstars and famous personalities to promote and popularize the game of golf here in China,” he said. “This event positions China on the world map of golf and showcases Mission Hills, and the country as a whole, as a must-visit destination for travellers, whether they are golfers or not.” Besides promoting golf, charity was also a driving force in the tournament, with pro-
ceeds being donated to the World Wildlife Fund and Yao Ming Foundation. The tens of thousands of fans who flocked to Mission Hills Haikou showed their affection for the tournament and resort and, judging from the celebrities’ reaction, the feeling was mutual. The spectacular, integrated 22 sq km resort left even the Hollywood stars – accustomed as they are to luxury and splendor – wide-eyed and full of praise. “I’ve been to many, many places in the world, some really awesome places in the world, but I think what you have here at Mission Hills tops it all,” said Freeman. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I find it tremendous, and I’m very honoured to have been asked to come and to have the opportunity to walk the links with the likes of Gary Player.” Kidman, who received an exclusive Hollywood actress Jessica Alba and her playing partner, Major winner John Daly, are pictured during the first round of the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am.
Jessica Alba
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golf lesson from Norman and was coached around the course by playing partner Poulter, was equally effusive: “The theme park is beautiful, the golf courses are beautiful, everything here is beautiful. It’s a great place to come and play golf or for a holiday,” she told a packed press conference. Alba, accompanied by thousands of camera clicks everywhere she went, added: “This is incredible. I wish I had brought my kids. It’s the perfect place for families. The golf course is one of the most beautiful golf courses I’ve ever seen. It was so fun today, and then there’s the water park to experience too. It’s just phenomenal. You guys have really built something so special here.” After a practice round to get proceedings underway, the stars swapped their golf gear for eveningwear for a dazzling Red Carpet and Opening Ceremony at Mission Hills
DECEMBER 2014
The aim of this Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am is to bring together all the superstars and famous personalities to promote and popularize the game of golf here in China. This event positions China on the world map of golf and showcases Mission Hills, and the country as a whole, as a must-visit destination for travellers, whether they are golfers or not.” - Dr. Ken Chu
Basketball great Yao Ming and his playing partner, Norwegian golfer Suzann Pettersen, are pictured with Mission Hills Group Vice Chairman Mr Tenniel Chu ahead of the first round of the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am.
Dr. Ken Chu with Nicole Kidman Ian Poulter & Nicole Kidman
Golfing legend Gary Player and Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman share a joke during a practice round ahead of the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament at Mission Hills Haikou.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Mission Hills – Growing The Game!
Haikou’s giant new tourist attraction, Movie Town. The Red Carpet extended more than 400 metres through Movie Town’s vintage street settings, with the celebrities being greeted by flashing bulbs from hundreds of photographers and the cheers of thousands of excited fans lining the walkway. Kidman, bringing up the rear with Dr. Chu, showed the poise and class of a true professional as she stopped to shake hands with fans and also triggered a photograph that went around the world when she accepted a cartoon cutout of herself from a star-struck onlooker and playfully carried it the rest of the way. The serious business of the golf got underway the next day. The tournament, being held for a third time, teamed the celebrities with professionals for two rounds on Mission Hills Haikou’s signature Blackstone Course – and the format gave organisers a chance to use their imagination and put together some truly unique pairings. If it seemed natural to have Freeman, who portrayed Nelson Mandela in the movie Invictus, playing with South African great Player, then it was less obvious to put America’s sweetheart Alba with “Wild Thing” Daly, but the duo got along famously and proved hugely popular with the galleries. Scottish golfer Carly Booth – no stranger to celebrity given that her father was a Commonwealth Games wrestling silver medalist and a minder for the Beatles – practically swooned when told she was partnering Hollywood heartthrob Evans but recovered to give him some handy hints between shots. Two-time women’s Major winner Pet-
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tersen and the 7-foot-6 Yao laughed and joked their way around the course while Seedorf, a newcomer to the game, was eager to learn all he could from his playing partner, China’s rising golf star Wu Ashun. While much of the focus was on fun and entertainment, China’s golfing future was also much to the fore with two-time Open Championship winner Norman coaching young female players from China’s Olympic squad and “Mr Fitness” himself, Player – just a week before his 79th birthday – giving a gym training workshop to promising young golfers. Norman, in his role as advisory coach to the Chinese National Golf Team, said he shared Mission Hills’ support and enthusiasm for the growth of the game in China. “These players are a fiercely proud group and they want to represent China, to be the first in golf to represent their nation,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent. It’s just a matter of getting them to believe in it. Mission Hills has long supported the development of young Chinese golfers and that is a great thing for the game of golf in China.” The theme of growing the game was emphasised by Mission Hills Group Vice Chairman Tenniel Chu, who said: “We estimate that 95 per cent of the tens of thousands of fans here have never been to a golf tournament in their lives. Of course, it requires tolerance with regard to etiquette. You accept you will not have total silence when a golfer is playing a shot, you know mobile phones will be ringing and you will see fans in clothing less suited to a golf club than a night club. “But you are reaching a new audience. How many of these fans will return to Mission
Hills Haikou in March to watch our World Ladies Championship? We believe many – because they have seen golf for the first time, they have been welcomed with open arms and they have had a fantastic first experience.” Golf fans or not, spectators witnessed some scintillating action from world-class professionals. As the highest-ranked golfer in the field, 2013 US Open champion Rose was always going to take some beating and so it proved as he holed a long putt on the final hole to be crowned the Professional Individual champion, finishing one shot clear of Pettersen. In addition, Rose joined forces with film director Feng – known as the Steven Spielberg of China – to win the Pro-Celebrity Team category while the Celebrity Individual title was won by Chinese singer Sun Nan. Mission Hills also awarded Freeman, Player and Yao special “Spirit of Sport” awards for their all-round commitment both to the game and to the ethos of friendship the tournament promotes. Hollywood veteran Freeman captured the mood perfectly as he brought down the curtain on the World Celebrity Pro-Am, hailing the tournament, Mission Hills Haikou and tropical Hainan as a one-of-a-kind experience. “I really appreciate having been invited to this wonderful tournament, to this wonderful place and to spend time with you wonderful people,” he told the media. “I am amazed by the facilities here, by the people and by your country and I can’t wait to come back and spend time with you again. The resort and this island are among the most remarkable things I have seen.”
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE! BEST COURSE IN THAILAND (2nd Runner Up) TOP 3 IN ASIA: GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Stacey Walton WINNER: BEST DIRECTOR OF GOLF OPERATIONS: Stuart Daly WINNER: BEST GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Minachai Srichanya WINNER: BEST CADDIE OF THE YEAR: Kannika Namthong
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SPECIAL FEATURE
2014 APGS Wrap-Up
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taged over November 14-15 at the iconic world-class Marina Bay Sands Resort Convention Centre, APGS 2014 broke away from the doom and gloom mood that hovers over the global golf industry and instead explored solutions to the problems faced by the industry in general. In his opening address, Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner and producer of APGS 2014 called on the golf industry in Asia to become more self-reliant and to strive to seek out innovative ways to help grow the game of golf. “Let us take charge of our own destinies and let us not fall into the same traps that have resulted in the decline of golf in the Western hemisphere – we have a youthful population in Asia and we should seek out ingenuous ways to attract and engage with the youth of Asia to play the exciting game of golf.” His call for innovation and Asian leadership to grow the golf initiative in Asia was picked up by Tenniel Chu, vice-chairman of the giant Mission Hills Group who delivered the keynote address. In reference to adapting the game of golf to modern market demands, he said, “If you are flexible, if you think left-field and accept the world is a different place now compared to when you were young, then golf does not have to be hushed voices, rigid clothing
DECEMBER 2014
2014 APGS Wrap-Up
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MADAME NGUYEN THI NGA
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TUN AHMAD SARJI BIN ABDUL HAMID
MR. LE VAN KIEM
The Golf Business Coach, Britain
regulations and clubhouse exclusivity. No. Golf can be invigorating, challenging, innovative, entertaining and – above all – a lot of fun.” Chu was especially bullish of China leading the thrust to grow the game and keep it healthy in Asia. He said, “China’s booming middle class – with its desire to travel, spend and enjoy new-found leisure time – is the key factor.” There are now 300 million middle class Chinese and by 2020 this will be 600 million, a 40 per cent of the population will be middle class. “These astonishing growth figures are fantastic news for the golf industry, since the expanding middle class is taking to golf in rapidly increasing numbers, both as a leisure pursuit and as a sign of status. Given such statistics, it is no surprise to learn that China has the world’s fastest growing golfing population – three million and counting,” Chu added emphatically. Combined with the growth of Southeast Asia and India, which
MR. THONGCHAI JAIDEE
A superb, highly professional Summit. Congratulations. You keep setting that bar higher and higher each year and then you clear it with ease.Well done. All your hard work paid off and you delivered yet again.” – Bill Sanderson |
MR. MURDAYA WIDYAWIMARTA
SPECIAL FEATURE
ISSUE 171
Thongchai Jaidee
MR. MIKE KERR
MS. ANGELA RAYMOND SEBASTIAN
Top awards also went to Vietnam’s Mr. Le Van Kiem who was honoured with the Asia Pacific Golf Personality of The Year and the Asia Pacific Golf Philanthropist of The Year. Madame Nguyen Thi Nga was bestowed the title of the Asia
– Joe Thiel | PGA Master Coach, Florida, USA
MR. JOE THIEL
Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid
You and your team have made big time sacrifices and out of this could, should and will come monster strides in golf development. You and your team are the key to the machine.You did a fantastic job and won’t it be fun to watch it unfold!”
MR. ANDY STANGENBERG
collectively account for a population base of more than 1.7 billion and a rapidly growing middle class, the stage is set for the growth of golf in Asia. More than 20 world class speakers addressed over 200 delegates over the two-day event. The highlight of APGS 2014 was the induction of the following luminaries into the Asia Pacific Golf Hall Of Fame”: Mr Murdaya Widyawimarta
DECEMBER 2014
SPECIAL FEATURE
2014 APGS Wrap-Up
Pacific Woman Golf Entrepreneur of The Year. Reaction from delegates to APGS 2014 were extremely complimentary. “I would like to thank you and your team for organizing a very successful APGS 2014 in Singapore. We enjoy the conference every year and the content of the programme. The message was very clear from the event and we have a responsibility to be one of the region’s change drivers with innovation, creativity and fun for our customers and future customers,” said Stacey Walton, General Manager of the awardwinning Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand. One of the stalwarts of Asian golf Jim Prusa, Director of Sky 72 Golf Resort in Seoul, South Korea said, “You and your team were awesome! The new award categories were awesome and will build solid relations. Keep up the great work.” Perhaps the one comment that serves as a wrap up of APGS 2014 came from PGA Master Coach Joe Theil who remarked, “Many congratulations again for the successful staging of the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit. As I have said, what you are doing for Asian Golf would forever be remembered and the way we stay united to bring Asian Golf to the World is truly remarkable.” All speeches, presentations and photographs of APGS 2014 will be progressively loaded up to its website at http//:www.golfconference.org
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Congratulations on the successful staging of the Golf Summit. My colleagues who attended had very good things to say about the quality of the programme and the good line up of speakers. I made some very good contacts too.” – Yeo Khee Leng | President, NTUC “U” Live, Singapore
The quality of the people attending the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit was high. I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and the connection with so many leaders of the industry.” – Peter Morison | Jacobsen, Australia
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Asia’s Best Honoured At APGS 2014 In a historic development, the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit set out to recognize the best amongst the best in the Asian golf industry – a milestone development that serves to showcase some of the most exemplary people engaged in the business of golf in the region. A total of five new award categories were introduced this year and these include: Best Club General Manager Of The Year Best Director Of Golf Operations Of The Year Best Food & Beverage Manager Of The Year Best Golf Course Superintendent Of The Year Best Club Caddie Of The Year The award winners were recognized at the recently concluded Gala Awards Banquet of the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit held in Singapore on November 14-15. “We believe that our industry is all about people and the quality of service they offer to golfers and we feel that the time has come for us to recognize the people behind the wonderful golf experiences that we get to enjoy in Asia,” said Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner of the Asian Golf Awards programme. “This is a very special new category and the Best Caddie Of The Year Award which went to our girl Kannika Namthong was a totally overwhelming experience for her. To get on an airplane for the first time in her life and fly to a venue like Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore blew her away – a life-time experience for her,” said Stuart Daly, director of golf operations at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand. The following are the individuals recognized in the respective categories:
Best Club General Manager Of The Year 1. Harald Elisson | Black Mountain Golf Club, Thailand 2. Han Zhishan | Mission Hills Dongguan, China 3. Stacey Walton | Banyan Golf Club, Thailand
Best Club Caddie Of The Year 1. Kannika Namthong | Banyan Golf Club, Thailand 2. Abdul Najib Bin Yahya | Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Malaysia Ricky Guo Jinwei Best Food & Beverage Manager Of The Year
Harald Elisson Best Club Manager Of The Year
3. Nurhasanah | Damai Indah Golf & Country Club, Pantai Indah Kapok Course, Indonesia
Best Food & Beverage Manager Of The Year 1. Ricky Guo Jinwei | Mission Hills Haikou, China 2. John Gunn | Abu Dhabi Golf Club/Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, United Arab Emirates 3. Marten Karlsson| Black Mountain Golf Club, Thailand
Best Golf Course Superintendent Of The Year 1. Minachai Srichanya | Banyan Golf Club, Thailand 2. Ali Macfadyen | The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip Golf Course, Vietnam 3. Ong Seng Kiat | Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Malaysia
Best Director Of Golf Operations Of The Year 1. Stuart Daly | Banyan Golf Club, Thailand 2. Mohd Yusri bin Mat Isa | Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Malaysia 3. Harris Abdullah | Ria Bintan Golf Club, Indonesia
ASIAN GOLF TOURISM
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The Els Club Teluk Datai
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DECEMBER 2014
There’s no denying the fact that Ernie Els aka the “Big Easy” is ecstatic over the golf course he designed on the Malaysian island of Langkawi.
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amed The Els Club Teluk Datai, the South African HallOf-Famer and four-time Major Champion described it as follows: “This is, without doubt, the most spectacular golf course setting I have had the pleasure of working on and I am incredibly excited about the prospect of inviting the first visitors to come and enjoy The Els Club Teluk Datai.” In the presence of Malaysian royalty, the professional golfer cum golf course architect was effusive with his praise for Malaysia’s newest golf course. “The course is truly breath-taking and I am delighted with what we have achieved here. I endeavoured to make the most of this unique location and I believe that we have done just that.” Els added, “It was an honour to hit the opening tee shot alongside Her Majesty and I would personally like to thank all of those in attendance for their support in what we are confident is set to become one of the world’s most revered golf course designs.” The Els Club Teluk Datai is his first ever-golf course creation in South East Asia and it has already bagged the title as the ‘Best Golf Course’ at the 2014 Asia-Pacific Property Awards.
ASIAN GOLF TOURISM
The Els Club Teluk Datai
“This is one of the world’s most visually stunning golf courses, so the early feedback we have achieved and the tremendous reaction we have experienced is really no surprise …. over the coming months we expect to welcome golfers from all over the world, who are eager to test themselves against Ernie’s masterpiece and take advantage of the incredible experience that can be had as a tourist in Langkawi.” – Ernie Els
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DECEMBER 2014
Nestled between ancient rainforest and the Andaman Sea on the iconic island location of Langkawi, the 18-holes championship course serves as a focal point for the award-winning Datai Langkawi resort, which is a favourite amongst international travellers. The Els Club Teluk Datai will now play an integral role in realising the vision of resort owners Destination Resorts and Hotels Sdn Bhd (DRH) in developing golf and bespoke tourism experiences in Malaysia. Charged with developing strategic tourism, DRH selected The Els Club Brand for three Malaysian golf developments, two of which are currently under construction in the southernmost state of Johor and will transform the nation’s golf offering over the coming years. Commenting on the new golf course, Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin, managing director of Destination Resorts & Hotels, the owner of the property said, “Given golf’s positioning on a global stage and the demographic it attracts we have sought to redefine standards in the region’s golf offering. The Els Club Teluk Datai will certainly become a flagship asset for our business and give enjoyment for many more generations to come.” Senior Vice President of The Els Club Malaysia, David Townend, spoke of his excitement for the club and said, “This is one of the world’s most visually stunning golf courses, so the early feedback we have achieved and the tremendous reaction we have experienced is really no surprise …. over the coming months we expect to welcome golfers from all over the world, who are eager to test themselves against Ernie’s masterpiece and take advantage of the incredible experience that can be had as a tourist in Langkawi.” The course is managed and operated by Troon Golf, the global leader in upscale golf management, who oversee operations at some of world’s pre-eminent golf resorts.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Mission Hills – Match Play
Justin Rose and Ian Poulter want golfers to enjoy themselves when playing on their new course at Mission Hills Dongguan in China – and the two Ryder Cup stars did just that when they christened the layout with a one-off Match Play challenge. By Viv Best
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he showdown between two of golf’s great mates on 28 October was more about banter than bunker shots as they traded quips, compliments and good-natured barbs to the delight of thousands of fans who followed their progress. The mickey-taking started in earnest the day before when the duo looked around the luxury apartment at Mission Hills that would be awarded to the winner. In a video that has proved a YouTube hit, the scenes included one of them surveying their handiwork from the balcony and arguing whether it was the Rose-Poulter Course or vice versa. The Match Play saw the pair play the first nine holes with Mission Hills’ best junior players and members before going head-to-head on the back nine. Rose – fresh from his victory two days earlier in the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am at Mission Hills Haikou on the tropical island of Hainan – showed he was the form player by winning the first three holes. Poulter pulled a shot back on 15 but the next hole proved pivotal – and one neither player is likely to let the other forget. Surveying the short par-four 16th, Poulter stood on the tee and debated trying to carry the ditch 280 yards away guarding the green. Egged on by Rose – “You didn’t come all the way to China to lay up, did you?” – he went for it, came to grief and had to take a drop. A wounded Poulter complained to the TV cameras, “He’s supposed to
DECEMBER 2014
SPECIAL FEATURE
Mission Hills – Match Play
be my mate!” as his friend calmly birdied for a 3-and-2 success, although they still played the final two holes to get a complete overview of their new layout. Both agreed that while Rose had emerged victorious, the par-72 course – sculpted to be especially suited to match play golf – was the real winner. “It’s designed to give you a lot of options,” said Rose, the 2013 US Open champion. “You can run the ball into the greens, you can work the contours, but if you miss the contours and end up on the side, then you have a difficult recovery shot. “We want players of all abilities to have a good time, to get off the tee and feel like they have a chance, but then the course
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gets a bit more tricky around the greens. A lot of the great courses, like Augusta National for example, are generous off the tee but then the skill is in the second shot, the chipping and the putting, and I feel that is what this golf course is about.” Poulter added: “It’s all about risk and reward. There are five par-fives and five par-threes, you’re taking shots on, so it’s not easy but it’s great fun. Everyone who plays it is going to have a great time – they will make lots of birdies and they might make a few bogeys, but the course plays very well.” The Rose-Poulter Course is one of 12 at the giant Mission Hills resort – officially the world’s biggest golf club – spread across Shenzhen and Dongguan in southern
It’s all about risk and reward. There are five parfives and five parthrees, you’re taking shots on, so it’s not easy but it’s great fun. Everyone who plays it is going to have a great time – they will make lots of birdies and they might make a few bogeys, but the course plays very well.” – Ian Poulter China. The duo, who designed the layout in conjunction with renowned golf course architect Brian Curley, join a Who’s Who of golfing greats with course designs at the complex including Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Ernie Els and José María Olazábal. “I would like to congratulate Justin and Ian on a fabulous match and to thank all our members and juniors who took part,” said Mission Hills Group Vice Chairman Tenniel Chu. “Not only was it wonderful to watch two such great players in action, but to see them working with our juniors, encouraging them and sharing their experience, means so much to these promising young players and the people of China.”
Golfers d a i r s e a P Come and Discover What h Playing Golf in Paradise d Really Feels Like Long Thanh Golf Resort is a true paradise for any golfer. Two world-class golf courses – one that traverses hilly terrain while the other meanders through spectacular lakes. Both the Hill Course and the Lake Course are fascinating showcases of breath-taking landscapes
populated by a wide array of flora and fauna. Golfing in Long Thanh Golf Resort is an experience of world-class golf combined with a unique brand of service and the warmth and friendliness of Vietnam. All this delivered in a tranquil setting located in the southern economic triangle and just 40 minutes from Ho Chi Minh City’s centre.
Long Thanh Golf Resort -A Golf Paradise Like No Other! www.longthanhgolfresort.com National Highway 51, Tan Mai 2 Hamlet, Phuoc Tan Village, Dong Nai Province, Vietnam Tel: +84 61 3 512 512 Fax: +84 61 3 512 513
SPECIAL FEATURE
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An Exclusive With Lee Westwood
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DECEMBER 2014
YEAR TO BAG A MAJOR? Most people would be bothered when they are repeatedly asked a question that they are tired of hearing but this was not the case with top English golf professional Lee Westwood. >OLU HZRLK PM OL L_WLJ[Z [V ÄUHSS` ^PU a golf major, he calmly and politely responded by declaring that he hoped that his name will be called out soon. The way he handled the question demonstrated that Westwood is a pucka gentleman and a real credit to the game of golf.
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sian Golf met up with Westwood after he shot a spectacular hole in one at the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic which was played in Malaysia in late October. From 226 yards out, Westwood whipped out a hybrid club and saw his perfectly-struck tee shot land 10 feet from the pin and roll inexorably into the hole. “Well that was a pretty special day,” he later posted on Twitter. “It’s not often you see them go in from 226 yards!” If he keeps up this form, you can bet on Westwood making the grade for a major in 2015! In the exclusive interview which covered a wide range of topics, one area that was of special interest to both Westwood and Asian Golf was his commitment to teaching the game of golf to juniors. He is widely regarded as operating one of the
SPECIAL FEATURE
An Exclusive With Lee Westwood
My goals have been the same throughout my career. Simply, I just want to do the best I can every time I push a tee peg in the ground. I am still motivated, keen and hungry to win.” – Lee Westwood leading private golf academies in the world. “Students attend our golfing college on a full-time basis and work within a structured, continually assessed golf and education programme utilising the latest training methods and techniques,” Westwood explained. “With guidance and assistance from our qualified PGA coaches and educational tutors, the students are able to obtain a high quality education whilst developing their golfing skills and abilities,” he added The following are excerpts of parts of the interview Asian Golf had with Westwood:
Asian Golf: How has the move to Florida shaped up? Do you feel that you are past the adjustment period and ready to make your presence felt on the PGA Tour? LEE WESTWOOD: Hindsight’s the thing. If I’d had it, I would probably have made the move to Florida earlier. It’s been everything and more the entire family hoped for and we are all fully adjusted. The kids even went trick and treating last week. On a personal level, all I can do is prepare the best I can and see where it gets me. AG: Just curious - what is it that prompted your move to North America? WESTWOOD: There were several factors, but from a professional standpoint I just needed to be able to practice in winter without having to put on seven layers of clothing. The improvement in my short game has been considerable AG: You belong to an elite group of professional golfers who have played all over the world and you have experienced victory all over the world. This must come as a sense of great accomplishment to you. WESTWOOD: The smaller the world has become through the comparative ease of travel is heading golf towards a global tour anyway. The PGA Tour has followed the European Tour in having tournaments outside its own boundaries so many more Americans are discovering there is more to the world than just 50 States. I’ve enjoyed everywhere I’ve been and particularly Asia so I’m delighted I’ve been able to win in many different places. AG: You have always been referred to as one of the world’s best golfers without a major championship 42
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victory. Do you feel that this is set to change? WESTWOOD: Who knows, but it won’t be for the lack of trying. All I can do is what I’ve been doing, put myself in position and hope that my name will be called out soon. AG: As a man who has been at the very pinnacle of the professional game, give us your assessment of the “new breed” of players playing on the professional tour especially the European Tour and the PGA Tour? WESTWOOD: The popularity of the game is growing all the time and in many different places and it will only increase more and more after golf has been in the Olympics in 2016. The newcomers all seem to be getting younger so the competition is only going to get fiercer. The common theme among the newcomers is how dedicated they are to improving. AG: The depth in the talent pool seems to be the best that the game has seen in a long time and this is evidenced by the number of new and young players winning virtually every weekend. With this as background, do you see any one player dominating the professional ranks the way ;PNLY >VVKZ \ZLK [V KVTPUH[L& (UK ^OV KV `V\ [OPUR Ä[Z that bill? WESTWOOD: I’m not sure we will ever see another Tiger although Rory McIlroy is getting closer and closer to dominating the way he did. You just never know in golf although I believe we are heading towards an era where more and more players will be challenging for the game’s top honours on a regular basis. AG: Speaking of Tiger, given his extended lay-off and his numerous physiological challenges, do you see him coming back to regain his reign as the world’s number one player? WESTWOOD: That’s almost impossible to answer because only time will tell. Let’s just say it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tiger did get back to No.1. AG: Shifting gears, let’s look at the general health of the game. While the professional game is healthy, the same can’t be said for the club game. Golf is challenged and this year, more than any other year, seems to be one of
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the most challenging. We have heard all the reasons for the slowdown in the growth of the game. Give us your perspective on what is causing this global malaise in golf? WESTWOOD: If there is a slowdown then I am sure it is only temporary. I am convinced that the Olympic Games will provide a surge of interest in the game that will only prove a benefit. AG: Do you feel that the game has to go through a radical change to be made more relevant to a multi-generational ^VYSK [VKH` [OH[ ZLLRZ PUZ[HU[ NYH[PÄJH[PVU& WESTWOOD: Not sure it needs a radical change, but it could do with a makeover. Something has to be done about slow play because fining players doesn’t work. Docking shots will. The public have also shown just how much they like match play golf so I can see more moves in that direction, AG: Is enough being done to bring in new players especially juniors to the game? WESTWOOD: I think so especially since the advent of academies and golf schools. They are the future so we have to invest in them. AG: In this regard, give us an update on your effort to help juniors - how is your academy performing? WESTWOOD: Things are developing very nicely indeed and we are all delighted at the response we have had so hopefully it’s onward and upward. AG: You enjoy an excellent reputation in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia - do you have plans to expand your academy to this neck of the woods? WESTWOOD: Watch this space. There may be an opportunity to extend what we are already doing. AG: Finally, what can we expect from Lee Westwood in 2015? What have you set as your personal goals for the New Year especially in competitive golf? WESTWOOD: My goals have been the same throughout my career. Simply, I just want to do the best I can every time I push a tee peg in the ground. I am still motivated, keen and hungry to win. Hopefully there is plenty more of Lee Westwood to come.
DECEMBER 2014
SPECIAL FEATURE
The Industry Appraised!
It really depends where this question is posed and who it is directed at. Well, the preceding sentence in itself sounds like a cop out because it seems to come loaded with pre-qualifications. To hell with all the innuendoes – let’s get right down to brass tacks! By Mike Sebastian
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or most of us in the golf industry, we’d rather forget 2014. It has been a rough year and we’ll unravel it for you, warts and all. Let’s start with the overall state of the business. In the developed world, golf is on the decline and this is evidenced by the closure of golf courses, a drop in the
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number of new players coming to the game and a general trend which shows rounds played to be trending southwards. In a capsule, a bitter one at that, the industry is not healthy and is not really showing strong signs of any sustainable recovery. Against this backdrop of spreading red ink on profit and loss statements of golf
clubs, equipment manufacturers and related down-stream industries, is there really hope for golf to regain its glory moments of days gone past? Your guess is as good as mine but if you are a betting man, you would do well to place your wager on things getter worse before there is a turn-around. There will inevitably be a swing towards better times but that’s not going to happen any day soon. There’s still a lot of bloodletting that has to take place before we can start seeing the silver linings. For example, as this commentary is being written, news has just come in that the self-proclaimed leader in the golf equipment industry, TaylorMade adidas Golf has had a miserable third quarter.
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DECEMBER 2014
HERBERT HAINER
In an address to shareholders, its chief executive officer Herbert Hainer said, “TaylorMade-adidas Golf has clearly been our weakest performer, sales declining 29% on a currency-neutral basis and operating profit deviating by around 150 million euros compared to the prior year level.” Nine-month sales in 2014 stood at 673 million euros, down 31.4% (308 million euros) from a year ago when it boasted 981 million. Given the third quarter sales level of 138 million euros, it’s highly unlikely TMaG will surpass 800 million euros for its 2014 fiscal year. The fourth quarter is historically the lowest for equipment sales in golf, except a year ago when TMaG managed to see 304 million euros in sales volume, thanks to the inclusion of JetSpeed and SLDR drivers. However, Hainer is confident of a dramatic swing back to the black when he declared, “I am confident we will stabilize and grow sales and margins in 2015, returning the segment to profitable levels.” The feedback from other manufacturers is pretty much a variance of what Hainer has reported but the cold hard facts point towards the majority of the companies facing a tough trading year because of the soft state of the market. How about the bold initiatives to grow the game of golf? Well, what about it you may ask? There’s been quite a bit of spin-doctoring on this matter but there have been virtually no concrete
MARK KING
Without access to reliable intelligence sources and market research, no one quite knows what is the true state of affairs of golf in Asia. But we will stick our neck out and declare that it has not been too good a year for golf in Asia.”
SPECIAL FEATURE
The Industry Appraised!
Scenes of demolition work in progress in China.
facts and figures forthcoming to substantiate all of the efforts taken by the powers that be. One such effort to grow the game was spear-headed by the charismatic Mark King, the ex-President and CEO of TaylorMade adidas Golf. At the last PGA Merchandise Show, King announced an ambitious undertaking designed to give golf a much needed shot-in-the-arm. Together with Ted Bishop of the PGA of America, he springboarded “Hack Golf” to help unearth some out-of-the-box ideas from the public at large. He even committed US$5 million dollars of TaylorMade’s cash to get the project rolling. Sadly, before we could see some serious traction, King got kicked upstairs to head up adidas North America while Bishop got booted out from his job for making some innocuous sexist comment.
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So much for growing the game of golf! There are on-going efforts but nothing significant enough to generate the numbers to start the cash registers singing the profit song! Speaking about power-mongers being moved or fired, Peter Dawson, the man who has become an institution at the Royal & Ancient (R&A) has announced his retirement. A new man has already been hired and let’s see if he has the courage and the vision to change the stuffy image of the R&A and make it more relevant to the rapidly changing times in which we live in! Another guy who is stepping down is George O’Grady, the CEO of the European Tour. While O’Grady achieved a lot during his tour of duty, golf historians are already abuzz about his replacement needing to succeed where O’Grady failed. These pundits want the new CEO to find a way to get Europe’s biggest stars to play more in its traditional heartlands of Continental Europe and the United Kingdom. He is being faulted for singularly failing to provide more big money tournaments in Europe and the United Kingdom. Most of Europe’s top stars now call the PGA Tour home, and make only occasional forays home to fulfil the requirements of membership. Looks like golf is a thankless game! What about Asia? Again, what about it? Western experts claim that golf is in a growth mode in Asia and what they base this assumption upon, baffles me. Perhaps they know something about the growth of golf that we in Asia are totally oblivious about. Damn “experts” – these guys are no better than street-side soothsayers!
From what we know and what we have reported on during the course of this year, there is sporadic growth in pockets in Asia. Numbers are still down in Japan, golf’s biggest market in Asia. The once frenetic growth of golf in golfcrazy South Korea has reportedly tanked and coupled with the slowing Korean economy, at best, the state of the game will remain in a holding pattern. China, because of the Central Government’s tough measures against corruption and the blatant flaunting of wealth, legally or illegally acquired, is having a negative effect on golf clubs. Despondent golf course architects stand by helplessly as contracts dry up for new courses and some are even witnessing the actual physical destruction of their masterpieces by demolition squads acting on the command of the Chinese government. Without access to reliable intelligence sources and market research, no one quite knows what is the true state of affairs of golf in Asia. But we will stick our neck out and declare that it has not been too good a year for golf in Asia. Without solid, reliable data on the market, it looks like we are all set to fly by the seat of our pants for another year in 2015. Reckon we just have to stick our index fingers in the air to get a reading of what the business mood is like going forward. For golfers, continue to enjoy the game because after all, golf is a wonderful game and deserves better! Here’s to a Happy New Year and happy golfing! And let’s all hope for an improved 2015!
SPECIAL FEATURE
The Case For Non-Conforming Equipment
EXCITING NEW GOLF RECREATIONAL GOLF EQUIPMENT ON THE RISE If you do not agree that the primary objective of recreational golf is to have fun, then you probably don’t need to read any further.
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Technology in general has made life so much better than just 50 years ago. Travel is safer, terrible diseases have been eliminated, comfort abounds… the list of advances is almost endless. The evolution of golf equipment technology is no exception, having made golf easier to learn and more fun to play. The advancement in golf equipment is one of the strongest traditions of the game.
he first rules to govern the performance of golf equipment were introduced 105 years ago, relatively recently for a sport that is more than 500 years old. The USGA and R&A work to limit the advancement of golf technology for good reason – the governing bodies of serious competitive golf want the skills of the golfer rather than the technology of the golf equipment to be the determining factor in identifying the champion in serious competitive events like the Open or the Masters. This strategy makes sense for serious competitive golf, but is detrimental to recreational golf. There is absolutely no reason to limit the contributions equipment technology can make to the scoring performance of the recreational golfer. The advances in golf equipment technology have even made golf increasingly more affordable over the years. A golf ball once cost about a day’s wage for the average person. Now the best golf balls costs less than half the minimum hourly wage in the USA. The drivers and irons of today use exotic metals, high tech construction methods and deliver far superior distance and control that few imagined 30 years ago. In the past most whom wanted golf instruction sought out an accomplished golfer or PGA professional. Now internet site likes Youtube are full of well-prepared video lessons. Some incorporate smart phone apps that help the average golfer measure and quantify their swing performance in a way that was never before possible and now enable golfers to improve their game quite substantially while practicing in their living room or back yard, without the help of a professional instructor. 48
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Where are the great innovations and leaps in golf equipment performance happening today? If you are talking about equipment that conforms to the USGA and R&A rules, step change improvements that would benefit the recreational golfer are not possible within the current rules. In fact rules changes in the last 20 years have been working against helping the recreational golfer. Take for instance the recent decision by the ruling bodies of golf to ban the practice of anchoring a club. Apparently long putter anchoring was providing a performance advantage over the traditional putter stroke, so they ruled out anchoring starting Jan 1, 2016. Starting Jan 1, 2010 the USGA & R&A scaled back the ball spin inducing performance of irons by regulating the dimensions of the grooves on the face of irons with 24 degrees or more loft. Technology that enabled slices and hooks to be corrected by about 30% was outlawed in 1981. The overall distance that a golf ball can achieve under certain conditions of spin, launch angle and velocity was limited by the governing bodies in 1976. Today, the USGA and R&A are seriously considering implementing further distance performance restrictions on golf balls. Don’t look for the USGA to ever relax the rules for recreational golfers – this is not part of their mission. USGA or not, golf companies could immediately make golf more enjoyable for the recreational golfer if they simply revived known technology from the past. Recreational golfers could easily lower their score by 5-20 strokes per game if they took full advantage of the technology available today to hit the ball farther, hit the
ball straighter, stop the ball on the green and sink more puts. If the golf companies ignored the USGA & R&A performance limiting rules, and made physics the only limitation - golfers would score lower, play faster, save money and have more fun. Exactly what needs to be done is as follows: Hit the ball farther - Increase the driver size, moment of inertia (MOI) and coefficient of restitution (COR). Make both the club head and shaft more aerodynamic (less drag). Increase the golf ball’s COR and weight, while maintaining or lowering its spin. Decrease the ball’s drag by making the ball smaller and more aerodynamically efficient. There are drivers available today that exceed the USGA/R&A limitation, especially when it comes to size, COR and MOI, but none are made by the major golf manufacturers: Bang Golf’s Big Bang 525cc, Polara Golf’s Advantage, and Diamond Golf’s DTG Felon are just three of many that are now available through internet stores. You can even increase the COR of your current driver by sending it to away to company like World’s Hottest Drivers, which performs a processes on your driver’s face called “driver shaving”, which reduces the face thickness on drivers to create a higher COR. Hit the ball Straighter - Adjustable drivers can help a fade or draw problem, but the least expensive and most effective technology solution to correct both hooks and slices is to make the golf ball’s dimple pattern asymmetrical, creating a ball with a principle axis of inertia. This technology has been advanced, patented and made available to recreational golfers with Polara Golf’s Ultimate Straight and XD golf balls. The com-
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bination the Polara Ultimate Straight golf ball and driver of 12 degrees loft or higher, will reduce a slice by up to 80% - this cures even the worst slice problem. Stop the ball on the green - Make the grooves more aggressive on wedges; even more aggressive that they were when the USGA reduced what was allowable in 2009. Today wedges with super aggressive grooves can be easily ordered from a number of golf companies on the internet. If you combine more aggressive wedge grooves with a special high spin ball made that in general can be made with a hard core and super soft cover, then most golfers will be able to stop or at least check the ball up on the green. Why limit yourself to only playing one model ball for the entire round of golf? You wouldn’t limit yourself to playing just 1 club for the entire round, would you? It would not only immediately help golfers if they used a different ball for wedge shots, but also for drives, long iron shots and for putting. Sink more putts - Allow anchoring of long putters and make the face of the putter softer than allowed by the rules – both of these changes shift the stroke from eccentric to concentric muscle action and thus enable
DECEMBER 2014
The real opportunities for significant advances in the state of golf equipment technology will occur once golf companies remove the artificial restraints they have accepted for themselves and they start to allocate meaningful amounts of money to the research and development of new equipment designs, materials and technology that will enable recreational golfers to hit the ball farther, hit the ball straighter, stop the ball on the green and sink more puts.� the golfer to have more control over the impact and direction and distance of ball travel. Most of the equipment technology changes suggested previously could be accomplished immediately. They involve known technologies, many of which were commercially available before the USGA decided to label them nonconforming and all of these technologies are permitted by the United States Recreational Golf Association (USRGA.org). The real opportunities for significant advances in the state of golf equipment
technology will occur once golf companies remove the artificial restraints they have accepted for themselves and they start to allocate meaningful amounts of money to the research and development of new equipment designs, materials and technology that will enable recreational golfers to hit the ball farther, hit the ball straighter, stop the ball on the green and sink more puts. When this happens, it will take 2 years at most before golfers see refreshingly new and demonstrably superior products that will make golf less intimidating, more inviting, easier to learn, more fun to play and as a result the health and vitality of the golf industry will improve again.
EQUIPMENT FOCUS
Rapsodo Personal Launch Monitor
We knew that we’d get your attention with the headline. It’s intended to be an eye-ball grabber because what we are about to reveal is stunning g news – it is news that will rock both the golf world and the world of technology!
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eck, when we found out where this technology originated from, we nearly fell off our chairs! We won’t keep you in suspense any longer because the news that we are about to unravel is too good to be kept under wraps! Singapore has officially entered the world of golf with a home-grown product that is going to revolutionise the way people play golf. The product has come onto the market at the right time when golf is experiencing a general decline especially as it relates to new players coming aboard and the number of rounds played. It is the perfect product with which to grab the game by the scruff of its neck and give it a mighty boost. Meet the Rapsodo Personal Launch Monitor, a cutting edge golf simulator conceived, engineered and produced in Singapore. It uses a high speed photometric platform, and it can measure the launch of a golf ball with an astonishing degree of accuracy and precision comparable to any device on the market. So, what’s the big deal if it is only comparable? We saw that coming and get a load of this – the product is delivered to the end-user at a fraction of the price that the established big name brands charge for similar features and basically the same performance. It is the classic David versus Goliath fable re-told to a new script written in Singapore. With the Rapsodo Personal Launch Monitor, a golfer can work on his or her game all year round right in the living room. That’s how versatile this new gismo is and it’s the sort of device that no golfer can be without! The Personal Launch Monitor is truly revolutionary. It is a complete practice, play and entertainment system for golf at home. The device is only about the size of a
book and weighs less than two pounds. But let not its size fool you! It is designed to accurately capture thousands of data points from a golfer hitting balls with his own clubs into a net at home to simulate practice and play as if he were on the course or practice range. It must also be made clear that while entertaining, it is not a toy, but a serious tool that accurately reflects a golfer’s actual skill level and shot results to provide yearround practice, play and game improvement without ever leaving home. Combined with an App and iPad, the Wi-Fi enabled system captures the following vital information: Actual ball speed Launch angle Back spin Side spin Side angle It then packs all of this data to translate the ball flight over a vivid 3D practice range. “It also offers various challenges for engaging practice such as closest to the
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pin, longest drive and targets, along with shot history tables, performance by club, and helpful data screens,” according to a company spokesman. It’s easy to use, compact, totally portable with no wires required, and highly accurate, so improvements the golfer sees in his swing at home or in his office are improvements he can take to the course. “Our goal with the Personal Launch Monitor is to deliver commercial quality ball flight simulations that reflect a golfer’s actual performance for game improvement and entertainment at a very affordable price – the lowest possible to comparable alternatives,” said Batuhan Okur, chief executive officer of Rapsodo. “In essence, we have created a way for a golfer to take his or her passion past the 18th green with what we see as the X-BOX of Golf,” Okur pointed out. It’s been designed to deliver the reliability and accuracy required to help golfers play better, play more and derive more enjoyment from the game. Rapsodo was founded in Singapore in 2010 by an experienced team of entrepreneurs.
Our goal with the Personal Launch Monitor is to deliver commercial quality ball flight simulations that reflect a golfer’s actual performance for game improvement and entertainment at a very affordable price – the lowest possible to comparable alternatives.” – Batuhan Okur
LONG THANH GOLF RESORT, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
DECEMBER 6 & 7, 2014
In Celebration Of Fathers And Sons The inaugural Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament is on the cards. Fathers and sons or direct related members of a family will do battle to see who emerges as the best of the best in the region.
The tournament is open to any combination of family members – father and daughter, uncle/aunty and nephew and niece. This arrangement provides for a wider family involvement and participation.
This prestigious tournament will be staged on The winning team will walk away with the December 6 and 7, 2014 and the host venue Asia Pacific Father and Son Trophy presented is the award winning Long Thanh Golf Resort by Vietnamese philanthropist Le Van Kiem. in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Come and be part of the region’s first ever total family golf event ... The Inaugural Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament! Entry fee is set at US$450 per player and this will include: Daily two-way transfer from the Sheraton Hotel to the golf course. Lunch, refreshment and dinner on both days. Prizes and goodie bags. One practice round on December 5. The Father and Sons Tournament is designed to promote greater family involvement in golf and clubs are encouraged to enter club teams to participate in that promises to become an annual tournament.
ONLINE Registration is open at: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt2014
DOWNLOAD PDF – RULES & REGULATIONS: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt-rr2014 For enquiries, please contact Alice Ho at alice@asiapacificholfgroup.com or call +65-63232800
Organised by: Long Thanh Golf Resort
EQUIPMENT FOCUS
TaylorMade RSi Family
2014 will not be remembered as being a good year for TaylorMade adidas Golf – the undisputed kingpin of the golf equipment world. Sales have been slumped. Its charismatic boss Mark King got moved out to the parent company adidas and with his move, the bold initiative to grow the game of golf, tagged as “Hack Golf” lost its direction. It also shut down the headquarters of its subsidiary Adams Golf in Texas and moved all the staff to Carlsbad. All told, 2014 has been a year that TaylorMade would do well to forget.
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owever, TaylorMade is not the sort of company that will lie down and sob over its misfortunes. No way! Its pedigree has been weaned on a fighting spirit to win and never give up. Its DNA is hard-wired to spring right back up and get right into the thick of the action! And that’s exactly what the company has done with the launch of three hot sets of irons. Things have been relatively quiet at TaylorMade adidas Golf for most of 2014. After a short self-imposed period of exile in golf’s wilderness, the company that Mark King built has come roaring back with a vigor and vitality that holds a lot of promise for things to come. With the year coming to an end, the company has hit the road running with the launch of a brand new family of irons branded as the RSi. Not content with just one set of irons, TaylorMade has swamped the market with three models under the RSi brand – the RSi1, the RSi 2 and the RSi TP. And one trademark feature that all of the irons in the family share is a “slot”. Remember some two years back when TaylorMade
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EQUIPMENT FOCUS
TaylorMade RSi Family
introduced the “Speed Pocket”, a feature that involved slots on the soles of the irons? Well, the RSi irons all have slots too. The “Speed Pocket” if you recall led to longer, higher flying iron shots even on mishits low on the face of the club. With the RSi’s the slots have been engineered to further improve performance, especially on mishits on the heel and the toe. This is best explained by Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s director of Product Creation for Irons. According to Bystedt, “Face Slot Technology provides greater consistency across the face, giving players improved performance on mishits.” He went on to add, “No golfer is perfect not even the best players in the world hit the centre of the club every time. So with RSi, we’re giving all golfers a technology that can help their mishits perform more like pure strikes.” Now how wonderful is that - this is like taking forgiveness to the absolute limit! The slots, which are now referred to as “Face slots” are used in the 3-8 irons of each of new iron models: the RSi 1, RSi 2 and RSi TP. The polymer-filled slots, which are cut all the way through the club faces, are located just outside the score lines of the clubs. They allow the heel and toe sections of the club heads to flex more easily on mishits, which creates more ball speed on mishits than TaylorMade’s previous irons. 56
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Asian Golf received some sample sets of the RSi family and of the three models, the RSi 1 irons were by far, the largest and most forgiving of the three RSi iron models. The 3-7 irons are cast from 450 stainless steel and have TaylorMade’s ThruSlot technology, which cuts through the entirety of their soles. Our Equipment Editor Lawrence Young took out the RSi 1 and was very impressed with the irons. “The RSi 1 have the thinnest faces of any of TaylorMade’s new irons, and the company’s Inverted Cone Technology, works well together with the face slots and Speed Pockets to make the RSi 1 the longest irons in TaylorMade’s 2015 line,” Young explained. The RSi 2 is the company’s most progressive iron set, with five different constructions within the nine-club set to offer the best mix of distance, precision and feel. This set in the hands of a good golfer can be a very lethal weapon. In tests the RSi 2 generate ball speeds greater than that of the famous SLDR irons which are noted for
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generating startling ball speeds. The irons are also very forgiving and this is largely attributable to the added tungsten to the long irons (3-5). The third set in the new RSi family is the RSi TP irons. “The RSi TP irons were developed to deliver launch, consistency and feel to take performance to the next level for our Tour Professionals,” said Bystedt. “The shapes of these irons will be instantly pleasing to better players and will have the feel and workability that golfers expect in a forged product. It really is the best combination of performance, look and feel that we’ve created for the world’s best players,” he added. The 3-7 irons have forged, 1025 carbon steel hosels and faces that are plasma welded to 431 stainless steel backs. TaylorMade engineers say the construction offers the best of both worlds — the feel of a forged iron with the forgiveness of a cast iron. The 8-PW are fully forged from 1025 carbon steel. After checking out the RSi family, all that we can conclude is that TaylorMade is back with a vengeance and whoever counted them out due to the temporary set-backs, beware. The most prolific brand in golf equipment is in the hunt again and it’s hungry to gobble up market share with some cool products. Welcome back after a brief hiatus!
No golfer is perfect - not even the best players in the world hit the centre of the club every time. So with RSi, we’re giving all golfers a technology that can help their mishits perform more like pure strikes. Now how wonderful is that - this is like taking forgiveness to the absolute limit!”
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EQUIPMENT FOCUS
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Fly-Z Family
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ou’ve got to sit up and start paying attention when certain industry observers start speaking about a new product with tremendous exuberance. The product that is the subject of all the positive buzz that’s going around the golf industry (goodness, it’s about time that we had some good news) is the new Fly-Z family of drivers and metal woods introduced by COBRA Golf. The irreverent and in-your-face self-styled watchdog of the golf industry, My Golf Spy in a special review by Tony Covey heaped a bucket-load of praise on the new clubs by declaring: “Where versatility and total performance are concerned, I’m tell-
ing you right now that with Fly-Z, Cobra Golf has just announced the most compelling full line-up of metalwoods for the 2015 season. In my mind, it’s unquestionably the one to beat, and I say that without a hint of reservation”. Wow! The young team at COBRA Golf must have popped bottles of Moet & Chandon to celebrate this incredible endorsement! The guy who must have led the celebration would have been Robert Philion, “the big cheese” at Cobra Golf. In an exclusive interview with Asian Golf earlier this year, Philion did provide a peek into what was to come in 2015 when he said, “People want change and we think we offer that and it is also
EQUIPMENT FOCUS
Fly-Z Family
Where versatility and total performance are concerned, I’m telling you right now that with Fly-Z, Cobra Golf has just announced the most compelling full line-up of metalwoods for the 2015 season. In my mind, it’s unquestionably the one to beat, and I say that without a hint of reservation.” – Tony Covey good to know that our customers know that we are looking to the future and are willing to do things a little differently.” A “little differently” sounds like an understatement! The FZFly family seems to have raised the bar by not just a notch but a whole bunch of notches. According to Philion, “We are not trying to be the biggest in golf. We are trying to be the most desirable and that’s what’s important to us!” And has COBRA Golf aced it with what arguably will go down as a very desirable set of drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. At the top of the Fly-Z heap are three new drivers - Fly-Z+,
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Fly-Z and Fly-Z XL –and adjustability seems to be the focal point for these clubs. What COBRA Golf has done is to release an adjustable weight technology with the FLY-Z+ Driver featuring the FlipZone, a moveable weight system engineered to provide two different flight paths in one club. “The Fly-Z+ driver features the lowest CG of any adjustable weight driver on the market,” said Tom Olsavsky, vice president of R&D. “The new FlipZone provides golfers with two different flight paths in one head - allowing golfers to play what is best for their game. The result is one unique, performance and technology driven golf club that is truly game changing.” It’s sort of like having one driver with two heads!
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Players have the ability with the new Fly-Z+ driver to move the centre-of-gravity to the front or back position depending on their swing. The FlipZone technology holds the key to promote faster ball speeds, lower spin and optimal launch angles. The FlipZone features a 15-gram weight that can be set toward the front or back of the head located low on the sole of the driver. Performance differs in the two weight settings, according to COBRA Golf, allowing golfers to adjust to what is the longest and straightest for them. The Fly-Z+ driver also features COBRA’s new Speed Channel Technology, which is an engineered trench around the perimeter of the face that works to minimize thickness, resulting in increased ball speeds across the face for incredible distance and more forgiveness. Besides the Fly-Z+, COBRA also has the Fly-Z Driver, which is minus the FlipZone moveable weight system. The Fly-Z has a low, back CG Zone Weighting, which delivers low spin, mid-high launch and fast ball speeds across the face. “The Fly-Z Driver is positioned as one of the most forgiving drivers currently in the
DECEMBER 2014
EQUIPMENT FOCUS
Fly-Z Family
Players have the ability with the new Fly-Z+ driver to move the centre-of-gravity to the front or back position depending on their swing. The FlipZone technology holds the key to promote faster ball speeds, lower spin and optimal launch angles. marketplace, yet it doesn’t sacrifice distance,” said Olsavsky. “The 460cc Driver offers a slightly larger address profile that enabled our engineers to create the most forgiving driver that COBRA Golf has ever made.” The Fly-Z incorporates MyFly8 technology that allows golfers to choose from eight simple adjustable loft/trajectory settings (9.0*12.0*) with SmartPad that delivers a square face at address regardless of loft setting. And bringing up the rear of the new product launch is the Fly-Z XL. This is for seniors, women and new golfers since it has a slightly lower profile face combined with an offset hosel. It is engineered to help through a higher draw-biased ball flights, according to the company. Along with the new drivers, COBRA has also a new family of Fly-Z fairway woods and hybrids which feature the all-new Speed Channel technology. Speed Channel, is an engineered trench
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surrounding the face that helps to minimize face thickness and provide increased ball speeds across the face that result in incredible distance. “Performance advancements in our fairways and hybrids also come with Zone Weighting which delivered improved CG positioning both low and centered behind the center of the face area,” said Jose Miraflor, director of product marketin. ”While these internal technologies are not visible to the golfer, performance gains can be easily noticed and easily attributed to the Speed Channel face.” The metalwoods include the Fly-Z+ Fairway Woods, the Fly-Z Fairways and Hybrids, Fly-Z XL fairways and hybrids. Well, COBRA Golf you’ve given the golf world PERFORMANCE FOR ALL LEVELS! As Philion told Asian Golf earlier this year, “We are about having more fun and becoming more inclusive and this is where golf is heading, and we feel like we’re perfectly positioned.” The flood-gate to fun in golf is open – COBRA Golf, you rock!
EQUIPMENT UIPMENT FOCUS
Wilson FG Tour V4
There is no better validation for a set of new golf clubs than being battle-tested in a major tournament. Wilson Golf did just that by putting its brand new FG Tour V4 irons out on tour and the irons have since recorded three wins.
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ilson’s latest sign-on, Marcel Siem of Germany, pulled off a stunning win in a play-off at the BMW Masters on the European Tour. The FG Tour V4s were rigorously tested and are currently played by Wilson’s Advisory Staff members, including PGA Tour professionals Kevin Streelman, Ricky Barnes and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington. The V4s technological advancements are designed to enhance the Feel player’s game, and build off of the FG Tour V2 irons, which led Streelman to two PGA Tour victories. 64
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“It was important for the new FG Tour V4 irons to maintain certain visual cues and specifications that our tour staff expects, which based on their immediate positive feedback, we succeeded in,” explained Global Director of Innovation, Michael Vrska. “Our main goal however was to continue to innovate and improve upon our great forged iron heritage, especially as it relates to playability, versatility and optimal ball flight.” The 18-gram tungsten sole weight featured in the 3- through 7-irons lowers the centre of gravity and increases launch angle without increasing spin. This produces a higher peak height on long and mid-iron shots, and thus a steeper angle of descent for holding greens and attacking tough pins. In addition, Wilson is also offering a of the FG Tour V4 utility iron. Developed as a versatile alternative to hybrids and long irons for tour staff members, the FG Tour V4 utilities are forged for precision, performance and playability from the tee. What began as a tourspecific project became a reliable option for all elite Feel players. “The FG Tour V4 utility addresses the needs of our tour staff in tougher wind and turf conditions,” commented Jon Pergande, Global Manager of Hybrids and Irons. “It’s an extension of the FG Tour line, helping to hit long shots into greens and to control ball flight in the wind.”
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Our main goal however was to continue to innovate and improve upon our great forged iron heritage, especially as it relates to playability, versatility and optimal ball flight.� The extremely thin, responsive face is made from Carpenter Custom 455 maraging stainless steel – the strongest and most premium available – which creates a high CT for improved ball speeds and distance. This material freed up weight so that mass could be moved low and to the toe for an optimized center of gravity. The FG Tour V4 utilities undertake similar cosmetics as the new FG Tour V4 irons, but feature a 7-gram adjustable weight positioned in the centre of the sole, helping Feel players to finetune ball flight through custom fitting. A 9-gram tungsten weight placed in the toe eliminates any draw bias in the head and provides the ideal centre of gravity.
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GAME IMPROVEMENT
Black Hat Golf Tips
Lawyers have to pass the “bar” examination. Now, here’s the ‘bar’ exams I want you to pass and understand!
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A
fter many of my opening workshops inside a classroom, the teachings become crystal clear when I bring the students to the putting green and explain to them the Swinging Motion. Again, when golf clubs are bought, they do not come with directions on how to use them. Unfortunately, golfers who do not have good mentors or coaches will eventually begin a journey to learning how to use the club that would include so many trial and errors. In my workshops, the idea of Swinging is demonstrated with a putter. It’s so simple to change clubs using the same concept once the golfer understands the idea of swinging. And swinging a putter is a good way to get the concept solid in your mind. The common notion is to use the putter to hit, poke, push, tap or strike the ball. Tour players, when putting well, will almost always see them using the putter in a swinging motion. Let’s take a closer look at the Swinging Motion since the shaft of the putter is on an incline (as opposed to vertical). Students can observe that the club is swinging like a pendulum but the swing is on an incline. Using the putter bar, you’ll see me swinging the club allowing the shaft of the club along the bar to
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relationship to the target line. The shaft tracks the target line.
Swinging Motion Drill A simple but persuasive way to resolve confusion about “straight-back straight-through” is to use the following drill: Take your address position for putting. Slide the club from the hands and place your hands in a praying position. Note that the palms of your hands are perpendicular to the target line. Leaving the left hand’s palm in place along the centre-line, make a two-foot backswing with the right hand and then a forward swing returning the right hand flush with the left. Repeat the motion and notice the fluidity, simplicity and repeatability. Remember to always create a swinging motion with all your clubs and you’ll become a more consistent player in no time! Trust me!
It is common for players to be confused by the idea of ‘straight back, straight through.’ This idea is both correct and incorrect depending on the point of reference. If they refer to the putter head and think it should remain square to the target line on the backswing and forward swing, their putting will be very problematic.” maintain the position. As I swing the shaft of the club slides along the putting bar. This is the correct Swinging Motion. The entire club is swinging towards the target. Despite the angle of the swing’s plane (the longer the club the more acute the angle), the swinging motion is circular and still returns the club momentarily to a position where both the shaft and the clubface are square to the target line. From that position, the ball always goes straight. It is common for players to be confused by the idea of “straight back, straight through.” This idea is both correct and incorrect depending on the point of reference. If they refer to the putter head and think it should remain square to the target line on the backswing and forward swing, their putting will be very problematic. In most cases, this idea results in a swing that
travels outside the target line on the backswing and outside the target line on the forward swing. (see picture). You can see with the putter bar that the putter face does NOT remain square to the target line. However, the shaft does go straight back and straight through. In the photo, you can observe the shaft is resting on the straight bar of the putter bar. That bar is parallel to the target line. Since the shaft is resting on the straight bar of the putter bar. That bar is parallel to the target line. Since the shaft rides along that rail, the shaft is tracking the target line (if the putter is not centre shafted, the shaft will track a line parallel to the target line) and will move “straight back and straight through.” The face of the golf club has no relationship to the target line other than at the address position. However, the club shaft does have a
ABOUT TONY MEECHAI Born and brought up in the United States, Tony Meechai won his first golf tournament at the age of nine. He began working in the golf industry when aged 15 and competed in various Mini Tour and PGA Tour qualifiers after turning professional in 1994. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from New Mexico State University and a degree in Marketing and Professional Golf Management, he has made a name for himself in Asia over the past decade, during which time he has served as Director of Instruction at Thailand’s Heartland Golf Schools and Springfield Royal Country Club as well as presenting tips on numerous region-wide golf television shows. Recently, he founded the Tony Meechai Golf Academy that combines a curriculum including academics and golf education for aspiring Tour professionals. Programmes are in conjunction with international institutions throughout the world. For further information, please visit www.tmggolfeducation.com
www.tonymeechaigolf.com
GAME IMPROVEMENT
Pro Tour Golf College
HOW TO BECOME A WORLD CLASS GOLFER:
VISION STATEMENT Imagine that you decided to become a great golfer—a world class golfer. You love playing golf so much that you want to make it your career choice, and you desperately want to be successful playing it.
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ou dream of winning big professional tournaments, you want to earn lots of money, and you want to walk the beautiful green fairways of Augusta National and many of the other famous golf courses where major golf championships are played. You possibly also want to win a major or two. Does that sound much like you? Do you have a big and bold vision of what you want to achieve in golf that is similar to the one I’ve just described? Are you a golfer who is deadly serious about becoming a top ranked professional golfer sometime in your future? We hope that you do. In this article we want to help you to develop your vision of what you need to do to
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develop your game to a world class standard, and over the following weeks we will help you to build your golf success bridge from where you are to where you want to take your game to.
All Success Begins with a Bold Idea What do you want from playing the game of golf? The definition of an idea is “a thought or suggestion as a possible path to action.” I’m sure you would agree that everything “man-made” began with an idea first? Everything you can see around you was devised by a man or a woman (or a group of men and women) who thought their idea was good enough to put into action, and eventually through a lot of effort it became a reality. This is a simple statement of fact, ideas need action to exist. As such there are just two main types of ideas. 1. Ideas that stay in your head. 2. Ideas that become a reality because you act on them. There are lots of ideas that you have had that remain as ideas, and there are many ideas that you have had that you turned into reality.
Here’s a simple way to think about it.
REALITY Ideas into Action Much of your life is a product of your ideas that became reality. Learning to drive a car started with the idea that you wanted to drive a car, which led to driving lessons, then passing a driving test, and eventually earning a driver’s license to legally drive a car on the road. Learning to play golf started with the idea that playing golf was something worthwhile doing. The idea led you to go to a golf course (or driving range) to try it out. You either took some lessons formally, with an instructor, or informally, by reading a book, or possibly watching a DVD. Or maybe a family member gave you some tips to start you off. Either way what started out as an idea became a reality.
GAME IMPROVEMENT
Pro Tour Golf College golf to support my family and provide them with a better life...
3. Describe What Your Game Will Look Like 5 Years From Today (The When and Where) E.g. 5 years from today I will be playing full time on the European Tour and my world ranking will be inside 300.
The Golf Success Vision Statement Now there are ideas, and then there are big and bold ideas that you can develop a golf success vision statement around. You see the effort that moves you towards your vision should come after you develop enough clarity around your vision. And only a vision that is truly inspiring can influence you to become motivated enough to sustain the long-term effort required to achieve your vision. You must be truly inspired by a bold vision of what you believe is possible so you can develop the motivation you need to fuel the daily physical effort required to make it come true for you. You cannot be vague and general about your vision, you must be very specific about it, so you will need to continually render your vision with as much detail as you can imagine. The clearer you are about what you want from the game of golf, the easier it will be to build a plan for turning it into reality. A golf success vision statement is a simple declaration about what you want your golf game to look like in the future (usually around 5 to 10 years but can be longer). It is your long-term vision of where you will take your golf game to. The following questions will help you to start formulating your own golf success vision statement.
1. Describe Your Core Ideology (The What) E.g. I want to become a top 100 golfer in the world (we consider a golfer ranked inside the top 100 as a world class golfer).
2. Describe Your Core Value/s Behind this Ideology (The Why) E.g. I want to become a world class golfer because I want to play on a major professional golf tour where I can play for large purses every week so I have more opportunity to become a financially independent professional golfer by the time I am 40. I want to earn enough income from playing professional 70
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4. Describe What Your Game Will Look Like 10 Years from Today (The When and Where) E.g. 10 years from today I will have won at least 3 times on the European Tour and my world ranking will be inside the top 100. Never forget that everyone at the top of world golf was once at the bottom. All world class golfers started out as ordinary golfers with a vision that they could be a lot more. Developing your vision helps you to formulate your plan for getting yourself from where you are currently, to where you wish to go.
Rory McIlroy’s Grand Vision Think about it, how do you think Rory McIlroy developed into a great golfer? It wasn’t just hard work was it? He must have originally started with a bold idea that he could become a great golfer from Northern Ireland. He would have thought about this idea everyday as he went to work on it. Because he was continually inspired by his bold vision, he was motivated to apply himself diligently to it. The result of this constant mental and physical attention to the vision was that it moved him closer and closer to it.
WARNING: Where There is No Vision... Here’s the rub though, and it’s important. The biggest challenge we continually face working with elite golfers struggling
to make progress in their game is that very often their vision is anything but clear. In fact, in most cases it isn’t written down anywhere. You cannot achieve unprecedented golf success by just “winging it.” Winging it can and does lead golfers to try a bit of this, and try a bit of that. In other words they approach golf improvement as a fragmented and jumbled process that guarantees one thing; they are likely to give up well before they reach their vision. Why? If you have an impoverished vision of what’s possible in your golfing future then you are likely to find it difficult to bring it into reality. You will get a reality, but it won’t be the one you really want. Why would any golfer have the motivation to work really hard on their game if they don’t have an inspiring vision of what they want to achieve from playing golf? Think about it like this.
MOTIVATION = MOTIVE (VISION) X ACTION (EFFORT) Therefore a fundamental requirement of long-term golf success is consistent action towards worthy goals. Research backs this up by suggesting that persistence of effort and grit is directly related to a golfer’s passion for achieving their long-term goals. We find that a lack of vision is probably the biggest stumbling block to elite golf success. In summary, the path to golf success begins with a well thought out vision of what you want to achieve from golf. The clearer you can be about the level of success you wish to achieve playing golf, the easier it will be to develop a relevant and purposeful plan of action. Go to work today on your golf success vision statement. Imagine what your life would be like as a top 100 golfer and everything associated with that vision. Lawrie Montague and David Milne - Pro Tour Golf College
www.asiapacificgolfgroup.com
No Wonder Golf’s Industry Captains Talk To Us!
Look Who Is Talking To Us!
John Solheim
Bob Bettinardi
Tim Clarke
Only The Captains Of The Golf Industry – That’s Who! It’s quite an achievement to have
Solheim Sr.; Bob Philion, President
state of golf today. These are the
landed exclusive interviews with
of Cobra Puma Golf; Cindy
people who are moulding the
the men and women who are at
Davis, President of Nike Golf; Bob
future of golf and no one can read
the pinnacle of the golf industry
Bettinardi President of Bettinardi
the pulse of the industry better
today.
Putters and Tim Clarke, President of
than these industry captains.
Wilson Golf. Only Asian Golf has been able to
The movers and shakers of golf who have spoken to Asian Golf
Powerful men and women who
bring you this treat – yet another
include Callaway Golf’s CEO Chip
have shared with us their thoughts,
measure of our standing in the
Brewer, PING’s Chairman, John
views and perspectives of the
global golf industry.
ASIAN GOLF – A PRODUCT OF DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION Pushing The Boundaries Of Change Beyond The Limit! A member of the Asia Pacific Golf Group Print Digital On-line Apps Video Streaming Conferences Education
2015 – Good For Golf Or More Blood-Letting? 2014 was arguably a tough year for golf and it’s time to move on. Moving on, what is in store for 2015? More of the same or are there some signs of hope and promise. It’s really a mixed bag – there are some in the industry who reckon that 2015 is going to be a great year while there are others who beg to differ. We will bring you a full assessment of what is in store for the New Year!
JANUARY ASIAN GOLF ISSUE 172
A Game-Changing Driver?
New From The Titleist
KZG, a name synonymous with club-fitting has just released a driver that is reported to be a game-improvement club. We will bring you the low-down on this new product that is said to be put back the fun in golf.
Asian Golf will bring you all you need to know about the new Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x which made an impressive appearance at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
The year is coming to an end and the management and staff of the Asia Pacific Golf Group would like to thank all our readers for their continued support and to also wish everyone a productive and successful 2015. 72
ASIAN GOLF
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www.asiapacificgolfgroup.com
CONSISTENTLY VOTED AS THE BEST COURSE IN THAILAND
Owned and managed by The Peninsula Hotels and often voted as possessing the “Best Clubhouse in Asia” and “Best Course in Thailand”, Thai Country Club is less than 45 minutes from downtown Bangkok and is renowned for having the friendliest staff of professionals in the Kingdom committed to providing the Ultimate Golfing Experience. For registered guests of The Peninsula Bangkok, We are happy to arrange a tee-time at a substantial reduction from our normal visitor’s rate. Extend your business trip in Bangkok, or book a get-away golfing package. When it comes to exclusive golfing with impeccable hospitality – we play off scratch.
1997 Winner: Tiger Woods
VOLVO MASTERS
VOLVO MASTERS
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ASIA
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ASIA
2005 Winner: Shiv Kapur
2006 Winner: Thongchai Jaidee
2007 Winner: Prayad Marksaeng
2008 Winner: Lam Chih Bing
1998 Winner: Vijay Singh
Thai Country Club www.thaicountryclub.com Tel: +66 (38) 570-234 inquiry@thaicountryclub.com The Peninsula Bangkok www.peninsula.com Tel: +66 (2) 861-2888 pbk@peninsula.com
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