AG179 issuu single by Asia Pacific Golf Group

ISSUE COVER STORY

179

AUGUST 2015

The golf world is buzzing about a new entrant into what is arguably one of the toughest businesses to be in. However, this has not discouraged Parsons Xtreme Golf. As the company puts it, leveraging patented technology and sophisticated manufacturing processes that integrate high-performance ce alloys and elastomers, PXG produces the ﬁnest golf clubs in the world. You just can’t get bolder than that! Read d all about PXG – an exclusive to Asian Golf.

40 PING Goes Long And Friendly! ndly! PING has done it again – the Phoenix-based oenix-based manufacturer has blasted out of the gates gatees with two new innovative iron models that odels tha at promise significant performance gains nce gain ns made possible by the company’s mpany’s advanced engineering know-h know-how. how. Besides the new irons, ns, PING G has also expanded itss popula popular ar Glide wedge and Cadence G nce families. TR putter p

444 Want To Enjoy Yourr Golf – Then Strap On A PIQ! PIQ is the latest entrant to th the wearable golf market which incidentally is a fast growing trend. Asian Golf got wind of this product and decided to check it out.

4488 B Boom oom Boom Boom Bazooka Bazooka Is Back! Tour Edge, the little golf company from Batavia, Chicago is back in the news. Globally renowned for its high-performing drivers, woods and irons it has brought back its iconic Bazooka driver and a brand new wedge that is eengineered specifically for hitting out of greenside bunkers. green

36 TaylorMade Pushes The Limit TaylorMade has irreverently smashed hed through the record barrier and launched aunched a new trail-blazer and guess what they’re calling it? The Daddy Long Legs+ putter! The company has decided ed to keep the catchy name but instead d have cranked up its performance capability.

8 Asian Golf Editorial Team

100 Shared Thoughts From Publisher

644 Next Issue

Bangkok, Thailand

FASHION TREND 50 More Joy For Gals From FootJoy! Remember the days when women golfers had virtually no choice in golf shoes? The range available was limited (especially in most parts of Asia), and the models tended to look no different to those that guys wore. It was like the shoes models for women were gender neutral.

SPECIAL FEATURES 20 Asia’s Cream Of The Crop! Voting for the 2015 Asian Golf Awards is over and golfers have voted for their favourite clubs by the thousands. This year, the number of votes cast set a new record with well over 72,000 valid votes, which is more than the 65,000 votes cast than last year.

24 Malaysia Takes The Lead To Develop Juniors It is just not another academy but an establishment with a unique focus that is placed on providing an opportunity for youths from disadvantaged backgrounds to excel in golf. Appropriately tagged as the “Rising Stars Junior” programme, Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby is investing over US$170,000 to kick-start this ambitious programme.

28 Golf Development Set To Boom In Vietnam

Golf development is beginning to show signs of a pick-up in Vietnam. Leading the push is the Hanoi-based BRG Group which has teamed up with Nicklaus Design Group. When you have one of Vietnam’s most aggressive corporations tie up with a company that has built some 380 golf courses worldwide, you can expect some fireworks!

32 India – Golf’s Next China? Amongst those who hold out hope for India are some who even believe that on the heels of China posting its lowest GDP growth rate in almost 25 years, India’s economy will overtake China in terms of its annual growth rate by 2016 which in turn is hoped to give golf development a boost. Asian Golf examines this scenario to see if this in fact can happen.

54 Milestone Golf Research Almost Completed The soon-to-be-released Asian Golf Trends and Profiles Survey conducted by the Asia Pacific Golf Group and the Club Managers Association of Asia will be a historic milestone. The survey, conducted on-line has been in the field for three months and preliminary findings provide an excellent and revealing insight to the marketplace as it relates to both demographic and psychographic information.

GAME-IMPROVEMENT

58 The Wonders Of Duct Tape! I hope most golfers reading this can relate to the quote above. Duct tape is a miracle tape used by many around the world. It’s a wide cloth adhesive tape originally designed for sealing joints in heating or air-conditioning ducts. Growing up in a small town in the USA, I’ve witnessed my dad fixing some leaks just by using duct tape. Yes, most of the jobs would require many wraps of duct tape and the leak normally disappears!

60 Are Western Golf Instruction Methods Hurting Your Game? If So, We Have a Unique Solution for You The vast bulk of elite amateur golfers and professional golfers we talk to at Pro Tour Golf College are struggling to learn and make progress playing this great game to even a satisfactory level.

MIKE SEBASTIAN Chief Executive Officer/Managing Editor

ANGELA RAYMOND President

[ mike@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

LAWRENCE YOUNG Editor (New Equipment)

[ angela@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

JIM PRUSA International Roving Editor

[ lawrence@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

[jimprusa@hotmail.com ]

RAQUEL M. ARCEGA Art Director & Ezine Development

[ raquel@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

SAIFUL SUFIAN Art Director

[ sufian@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

MYRA PARAS Accounts Executive

[ myra@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

ALICE HO Marketing Executive

[ alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

WAYNE LWEE Video Editor/Streaming services

[ wayne@asiapacificgolfgroup.com ]

Photographers

GETTY IMAGES

Contributing Professionals

IMG ACADEMY, TONY MEECHAI, CHRIS SMEAL, DAVID MILNE & LAWRIE MONTAGUE (PRO TOUR GOLF COLLEGE), NICK RANDALL, STEVEN GIULIANO

Correspondents

ROBIN BARWICK (EUROPE), RISHI NARAIN (INDIA)

Contributing Editors

TERRY ANTON, ALAN CAMPBELL, KATHERINE ROBERTS, AAERISHNA SHAHSTHY

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SHARED THOUGHTS From The Publisher

he list of the “Most Powerful People In Golf In Asia” enters its third year with a clear vision to grow this prestigious programme. This “power list” serves as an official catalogue of the “Who’s Who” of golf’s most influential and powerful men and women in golf in the Asia Pacific region. Initially launched in 2013 by Golf Inc. the influential North American magazine on the business of golf, with effect from 2015, the list will be jointly produced and published by the Asia Pacific Golf Group (APGG) and Golf Inc. “This is a significant collaboration because it brings together two publishers who have been committed to identifying the people most important in helping to grow the game of golf on a global scale,” said Jack Crittenden, editor-in-chief of Golf Inc. Spearheading the thrust of this programme in Asia will be APGG as it is on the ground in the region and possesses the best knowledge of who the movers and shakers of the golf industry are. Commenting on the collaboration, James 10

11 ASIAN GOLF

Prusa, who will be the executive in charge of leading this programme said, “I am delighted that the programme that I worked hard on bringing to Asia has now grown to take on new dimensions and there has never been a better time to recognize and acknowledge the vision and effort of a select group of men and women who are drawing on their resources to grow the golf industry in the Asia Pacific.” According to Prusa both APGG and Golf Inc. will be looking at expanding the list in 2015 to focus the spotlight on a wider and more cross-sectional representation of industry leaders for the power list. “Unlike North America, many of the truly powerful people in golf in Asia tend to be leaders of large conglomerates where their golf business interests are not really mainstream – nonetheless what they do for golf through their investments in golf clubs and golf courses and other related golf sectors is both significant and the life-blood of what keeps the industry humming,” Prusa pointed out. Among the leaders are chief executive

officers of large Asian multi-national corporations, property developers, golf course owners and golf media owners. “The leaders will be decided upon by an independent panel of judges who will select the candidates based on their respective roles and contributions to the golf industry in the region,” Prusa explained. He went on to add that the search will cover the entire Asia Pacific region and the 2015 programme will also include Australia and New Zealand. The final list will be published both in the Asia Pacific region and North America in late September and those who make the list will be honoured during the Asian Golf Awards ceremony, which is golf’s version of the “Oscars” scheduled to be held in Singapore during the course of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit to be held on October 14-15. “We are delighted and honoured to help show-case the powerful men and women who drive the multi-billion dollar golf club industry in the Asia Pacific and we are confident that this collaboration will grow from strength to strength in the years to come,” said Angela Raymond, president of APGG.

GET DISTANCE. GET CONSISTENCY. SACRIFICE NOTHING. At PING, we want every shot to be your best. So we bring you the G30® iron. It delivers distance with control, forgiveness with feel and shots that launch high and land softly. In other words, everything you need to hit more greens, more often. Get ﬁt today or visit ping.com. You’ll be better for it.

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Since its introduction, the PING G30 has been the #1-selling driver in golf. Its performance is proven in the labs and on the course by golf’s most respected clubtesters and ﬁtters. Most importantly, it’s proven every day by golfers of all skill levels who rely on the G30 driver’s added distance, forgiveness and consistency. Get ﬁt today and see why more golfers have put a G30 driver in their bags than any other brand since last summer. You’ll be better for it.

COVER STORY Parsons Xtreme Golf

D I S R U P T I V E

INNOVATION Every once in a while, someone comes along and turns an industry on its head. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, innovation and change have been constants. In more recent times, history tells us that two college drop-outs started up Apple Computers and Microsoft and in the process changed the way people use and interact with computers. Soon, many of us will be commuting in self-driving electric cars. All this plus more has happened because of the vision and passion of men like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and organisations like Google. Their single-mindedness to not just create something new but to think totally unboxed and to bring about a sea change of paradigm shifts, ^PSS JVU[PU\L [V OH]L H SVUN HUK SHZ[PUN PTWHJ[ HUK LÉ&#x2C6;LJ[ on the industries that they have touched.

15 ASIAN GOLF

ISSUE ISS IS SS S SU UE E1 17 179 79 7 9

AUGUST A AU UG GU US ST T 2015 20 01 15

BOB PARSONS

COVER STORY Parsons Xtreme Golf

hile virtually every sector of industry has been changing, evolving and growing, the golf industry has also been changing. From the days of great inventors like PING’s Karsten Solheim, companies like TaylorMade, Callaway and Acushnet have all been evolving, changing and improving on their products. The one common goal that these companies, together with other notables in the industry, has been to help improve the playing experience of the game of golf for golfers. While there has been change, it has been somewhat muted and controlled especially in the area of golf equipment like clubs which have been forced to work within the permissible constraints set by the game’s gate-keepers. There have undoubtedly been other constraints that have held back the pace of change which most likely involve access to funds and share-holder approval that many companies have to contend with. Now, against this backdrop, what will happen if most of the constraints are removed and access to funds is readily available and inventors are unshackled? Well, for a myriad of reasons, we can’t see this happening. However, there’s one company that has decided to take on the challenge and it’s a brand new player in the golf equipment theatre of dreams. There are many differing views and opinions on this new comer and the products that it has begun rolling out but we at the Asia Pacific Golf Group view this as a highly significant development. We like to call this DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION! Why so? Well, a disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network. And by our reckoning, what Robert “Bob” Parsons the owner of Parsons Extreme Golf (PXG) is doing is precisely that! With a personal net worth in excess of US$2 billion, one wonders why Parsons opted to start up a golf equipment company especially given the rocky times that this sector is currently experiencing. “I love the game of golf – and I have always been interested in the difference the right equipment can make in the enjoyment of the game,” is how he explains himself with regards to the formation of PXG. “For a number of years, I personally hit just about every new golf club released and tested every shaft combination. I’d typically spend about a quarter of a million (U.S. dollars) a year just on equipment so I came to know what worked and what didn’t, and developed ideas about what I’d like and how I’d like to see golf clubs made.” 16

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WHO IS BOB PARSONS? Robert “Bob” Parsons is an out and out entrepreneur. The 65 year old American founded the Go Daddy group of companies, including domain name registrar GoDaddy.com. In 2011, Parsons sold approximately 70 percent of Go Daddy to a private equity consortium and resigned his position as CEO. In 2014, he stepped down from his position as Executive Chairman and currently serves on Go Daddy’s board. Parsons owns 28 percent of the company and is its largest shareholder. Parsons stepped down as executive chairman iin June of 2014 to focus on philanthropy and other b business ventures. He and his wife have donated U US$72 million to charity in the past three years and in D December 2013, they joined The Giving Pledge, an in initiative started by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warrren e Buffet that requires signators to commit at least h a of their fortunes to charity. half

We wouldn’t bring the th clubs to market if I didn’t believe that they are the absolute best.” – Bob Parsons Welcome to the world of Parsons Extreme Golf! Asian Golf’s curiosity and burning interest to get the total low-down on PXG led to it being granted interviews with Parsons and his executive team and what transpired was an absolute revelation. Parsons is given to very direct speak and does not beat around the bush and this is something one would expect from a man who fought the Vietnam War and was decorated with a Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon. He is a big numbers man having built multi-billion dollar corporations and with this track record behind him, Parsons feels that for PXG, now is actually a great time to enter the golf equipment market because the segment it serves has been starved for something new and innovative. “We cater to golfers who are not only passionate (maybe obsessed is a better word) about the sport, but who are willing to strike a check if they believe the equipment will improve their game,” he explained. Parsons is an entrepreneur with the proverbial Midas touch. After stepping down as the founder of Web-hosting giant GoDaddy, he shifted his focus in 2014 to philanthropy and other business ventures. Today, he owns nine shopping malls, three

motorcycle dealerships, an advertising agency, Scottsdale National Golf Club and PXG. A motorcycle enthusiast, he is well on his way to building the world’s largest Harley-Davidson dealership in Scottsdale, Arizona. This has a bearing on how he intends to grow PXG because it provides an insight into the man’s vision and his outlook of the future. He is undeniably a hands-on boss who believes that the buck stops at his desk! He is in charge! “We wouldn’t bring the clubs to market if I didn’t believe that they are the absolute best,” he declared with tremendous emphasis. Parsons continued, “We set out to create the finest golf equipment in the world and I believe we have done that. I told the PXG staff right from the outset that we would not go to market unless I wanted to play our clubs and felt they were better than anything else.” And guess what, he is a man of conviction: “Now, not only do I play our equipment exclusively but the difference is so noticeable I can’t stand to hit anything else!” The boss has spoken – the battle has begun! One observation of Parsons is that he is a bold man very accustomed to playing the big numbers game and is not fazed by large financial investments to back a business.

“You know, if you focus on the dollars and cents you’re never going to create something truly special. When you commit yourself to developing the best possible product without arbitrary limits, your people are more creative.” Now, for a sense of how Parsons directs PXG, this statement tells it all. “I told Brad Schweigert (PXG’s managing director) and Mike Nicolette (PXG’s Director) to focus on building golf clubs that perform better than anything else without regard to cost. They have done just that and the fanatics who have purchased PXG clubs couldn’t be happier with the results.” Not only are the fanatics going bananas over PXG’s clubs - even tour players are waxing lyrical about Parson’s equipment. PXG’s first contracted tour professional is Ryan Moore who tried out the clubs at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and the rest is history. “After having a great few months on the course and achieving notable performance gains with PXG clubs in my bag, the option of extending my relationship with Parsons Xtreme Golf felt like a natural progression,” is how Moore summed up his experience with PXG clubs. After capturing the visionary thoughts of Parsons, Asian Golf felt that it would only be fair to speak with the man who is charged with the task of launching and building a long and sustainable future for PXG. He is Brad Schweigert, PXG’s managing director. The following are excerpts drawn from an interview with Schweigert:

COVER STORY Parsons Xtreme Golf

ASIAN GOLF: You have come to PXG

SCHWEIGERT: No doubt that we are very

with an impressive track record. Just the number of patents owned by you speaks to this. Give us a sense of what the journey has been like for you at PXG?

much a start-up in every sense of the word. In some ways it makes our life a bit more challenging; however, after experiencing both types of environments I completely understand why start-ups typically produce more innovative products and services. It is very natural for large companies to get caught up in vicious product cycles that inherently reward safe and conservative behaviors - it is really difficult to inspire innovative thinking and develop real breakthrough technology in a conservative business culture. Most start-up companies understand that the only path to success is to create something truly different. Start-up cultures incentivize bigger risk taking and aggressively seek out disruptive innovations. At PXG we have already developed some incredibly innovative product technology that is unlike anything ever produced before and we are not stopping there. We are also constantly thinking of ways to deliver a better consumer fitting and buying experience and we are not afraid to take risks and try something different.

BRAD SCHWEIGERT: I’ve spent my entire professional career in the golf equipment industry. However, my journey with Bob and PXG thus far is very different than anything I’ve experienced before. The difference really starts with the culture and environment Bob created for the business. He established extremely high performance goals for our products, but also armed us with all the resources we needed, removed any arbitrary development time constraints and gave us the freedom and inspiration to make something truly unique and very special.

AG: You came from facilities that set industry standards in technology, design and production. Give us a sense of how you and your team have been able to set new standards in a start-up environment. How much of a challenge was this?

AG: We have not had the privilege to be able to see your products in [OL ¸ÅLZO¹ I\[ ^OH[ ^L OH]L ZLLU

in pictures certainly tells us that the products are not run-of-the-mill by any stretch of the imagination. It’s equipment innovation taken to a whole new level!

SCHWEIGERT: Absolutely! And the pictures don’t even begin to capture some of the best aspects of the technology. The irons feature the thinnest face ever produced. Our faces are actually so thin, that without the internal supporting TPE (thermo plastic elastomer), they would dent on impact. One of the key features of our iron technology is the fact that the TPE core material actually provides structural stability to the face. We originally added the TPE in the core to just help produce a better feel; which it happens to do incredibly well. The unexpected side benefit of the TPE material core was it also supports and reduces the stress in the face. This unique structure produces incredible performance results. The clubs deliver higher ball speeds, higher launch angles, and slightly lower spin, which produces a high boring trajectory that is extremely long. Although the design looks like a blade, it actually has an exceptionally high level of forgiveness. The thin-faced hollow core allows us to remove

After having a great few months on the course and achieving notable performance gains with PXG clubs in my bag, the option of extending my relationship with Parsons Xtreme Golf felt like a natural progression.” – Ryan Moore 18

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We are also constantly thinking of ways to deliver a better consumer fitting and buying experience and we are not afraid to take risks and try something different.” – Brad Schweigert a great deal of mass from the centre of the club and redistribute it around the perimeter in the form of high-density tungsten weighting. The high MOI design combined with the unique TPE core structure delivers very consistent distance control, even on miss hits. But my favorite part is the feel. The unique construction makes these irons feel incredible. The feel really has been one of the most immediately recognizable and distinctive features in the irons.

AG: The “screws” on all the equipment is a fascinating feature. Talk to this. What functions do these screws perform?

SCHWEIGERT: The screws are weight-

AG: In your time, you have worked

ing elements. We have incorporated very distinctive looking weights on all of our products to help give PXG clubs a signature look. While all the products have them, they actually serve some different functions on each club. On the irons, tungsten weights are strategically placed around the perimeter to help optimize the CG and increase the MOI. On the putters the weights double as alignment features and allow golfers to easily modify the head weight (PXG makes weights in both Tungsten and Titanium). On the metal woods, the weights are designed to be easily moveable to help create a more flexible head design. This gives our professional fitters the opportunity to really optimize the club head for the player to achieve the best possible performance. Along with moving weight to shape ball flight, our fitters can easily modify the head weight or swing weight by increasing or decreasing the number of the heavy platinum colored tungsten weights. The black coloured weights in the metal woods are made from a lightweight Titanium alloy.

VU ZVTL VM [OL ÄULZ[ WYVK\J[Z PU [OL business. What does this latest phase in your career mean to you in terms of work satisfaction? Do you feel that you and your team have created products that have set a whole new paradigm for golf equipment?

SCHWEIGERT: In my mind this is unquestionably the best line of golf clubs ever produced. I’m very proud of what we have accomplished thus far, but in some ways we have just scratched the surface of a whole new technology platform. The future is very bright. The future most certainly looks promising and bright and as stated earlier in this report, Parsons is a serious businessman and is a big numbers man – will this mean that PXG will throw its production line into high gear and churn out new models at a matching pace? To this Parsons shot right back: “I believe we already produce equipment that out performs anything else in the market. We will continue to explore ways to improve the game and will only release new equipment when we believe that what we have created is significantly better than what we currently offer!”

SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards

Voting for the 2015 Asian Golf Awards is over and golfers have voted for their favourite clubs by the thousands. 20

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This year, the number of votes cast set a new record with well over 72,000 valid votes, which is more than the 65,000 votes last year. “Every year has seen an increase in the number of votes registered and we are delighted to see that 2015 will go down in the record books as the best in the series to date,” observed Angela Raymond, president of the Asia Pacific Golf Group. She went on to add that the increase in votes is another measure of the importance attached to the Asian Golf Awards which is the only pan-Asian recognition programme for the golf club industry in the region. The categories in the 2015 Asian Golf awards include the following:

BEST COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST GOLF RESORT IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST CLUBHOUSE IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST NEW COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST RENOVATED COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST COURSE BY COUNTRY IN THE ASIA PACIFIC BEST GOLF DESTINATION IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST COURSE ARCHITECT IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST MAINTAINED COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST PRO-SHOP IN ASIA PACIFIC BEST VALUE FOR MONEY EXPERIENCE Commenting on the Asian Golf Awards, Asia’s top golf course architect, Brian Curley, principal of the award-winning design firm of Schmidt Curley Design said, “The Asian Golf Awards is a programme that is seen as the best barometer to measure the stature of golf clubs and it is an independent assessment that is conducted by golfers in the region.”

AUGUST 2015

The Asian Golf Awards is not dissimilar to any democratic voting process where the voting public determines the best through the means of the popular vote. This year will also see some new award categories which include:

THE ASIA PACIFIC VISION AWARD THE ASIA PACIFIC TREND-SETTING AWARD THE ASIA PACIFIC ENTERPRISE AWARD THE ASIA PACIFIC INNOVATOR AWARD THE ASIA PACIFIC GOLF WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR AWARD THE ASIA PACIFIC GOLF COACH AWARD The Asia Pacific Golf Life-Time Achievement Award will be presented to two deserving recipients this year and the winners are Iain Roberts, the renowned golf professional and the group executive director of the Mission Hills Group, China. This award is being presented in recognition of his illustrious 40-year career in the game of golf. Roberts was also recognized this year as a PGA Master Professional, a rare honour that places him amongst only 38, out of a total of 7000 members who have achieved this status. The other Asia Pacific Golf Life-Time Achievement Award will be presented to Singapore’s veteran professional golfer, Mardan Mamat who has had multiple wins on both the Asian and European tours. He is also the first player from Singapore to win a European Tour event and the first to represent his country at the Open Championship. “Each year, the Asian Golf Awards recognizes the best amongst the best in Asia and we are delighted that once again, the golfing public have voted by the thousands and have made up their minds as to the what fits the bill as being amongst the best in Asia,” declared Raymond.

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SPECIAL FEATURE Junior Golf Development

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25 ASIAN GOLF

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The objective of Rising Star tar Juniors is not only to train these youths in golf but also to develop skills and uplift their lives to become good, well-rounded and successful sful citizens contributing positively to society.” – Steven Thielke

t is just not another academy but an establishment with a unique focus m disadvanthat is placed on providing an opportunity for youths from d as the “Rising taged backgrounds to excel in golf. Appropriately tagged S$170,000 to Stars Junior” programme, Sime Darby is investing over US$170,000 kick-start this ambitious programme. The programme is targeted at Malaysian youngsterss between the ages of 12 to 17. In the first phase, eighteen youths from a pooll of 240 applicants have been selected to participate in a comprehensive golf training programme which started in May. As part of the sponsorship, the qualified fessional candidates have been provided with training equipment, professional coaching and transportation to and from KLGCC throughout the course. ch is All of the training will be conducted at KLGCC’s premises which equipped with world class facilities.

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SPECIAL FEATURE Junior Golf Development

Golf is a sport that can help develop character as it requires high standards of behaviour and sportsmanship. Honesty, integrity and self-regulation are pre-requisites of character building and we believe that the programme will greatly impact the lives of the selected youths.” – Tun Musa Hitam “The objective of Rising Star Juniors is not only to train these youths in golf but also to develop skills and uplift their lives to become good, well-rounded and successful citizens contributing positively to society,” said Steven Thielke, KLGCC’s general manager. Recalling the launch of the programme in April which involved an outreach to 30 children’s shelter homes within the Klang Valley (a district within the Malaysian state of Selangor), Thielke said, “We were pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming response from the homes. The principals were very excited with the Rising Star Juniors programme and the numerous opportunities in store for the children. Besides golf, there will also be other activities including leadership development skills, life skills and community engagement,” 26

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“Golf is often perceived as a sport for the elite in Malaysia; and the programme will extend golf training to disadvantaged youths with limited resources – an initiative we believe has never been introduced before,” he said. Unlike many junior golf development programmes, the Malaysian initiative will be different in that it will also provide a support structure for the homes by offering assistance financially, physically, morally and emotionally. According to Thielke, this is important for the individuals under the Rising Star Junior programme so they do not feel isolated from the home. In launching the Rising Star Juniors programme, Sime Darby’s chairman Tun Musa Hitam said the foundation firmly believed that all children should have equal access to developmental opportunities,

regardless of their background. A keen golfer himself, Tun Musa Hitam said, “We see the potential of the Rising Star Juniors programme to achieve exactly this. Golf is a sport that can help develop character as it requires high standards of behaviour and sportsmanship. Honesty, integrity and self-regulation are pre-requisites of character building and we believe that the programme will greatly impact the lives of the selected youths. “With the training in golf, they will be exposed to positive developmental opportunities and potentially turn this sport into their vocation someday. We also hope that this opportunity will help to narrow the gap, as golf is often perceived as an elite sport,” he added. The Rising Star Juniors programme is divided into three phases:-

With the training in golf, they will be exposed to positive developmental opportunities and potentially turn this sport into their vocation someday. We also hope that this opportunity will help to narrow the gap, as golf is often perceived as an elite sport.”

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Q Phase 1 began with the screening of 240 participants at KLGCC via a series of physical fitness tests monitored by certified instructors, from which 18 junior trainees were selected for the academy. Q Phase 2 was put into force in May where 18 junior trainees started a 40week training stint at KLGCC three times a week for two hours. During this phase, the students will first learn the fundamentals of putting, chipping, pitching, swing and bunker play. They will then proceed to learn the rules and etiquette, playing on the golf course, course management and introduction to the psychology of the game, which will help prepare them mentally for the sport. In the final stages of this phase, they will learn advanced shot-making and also be introduced into the club environment and golf industry. Q Phase 3 is a continuity programme where the 18 junior trainees will be recommended to train for an additional 40 weeks under the advanced 9-level training programme. The Rising Star Juniors programme is a perfect template for countries and clubs in the region to follow. What is most important is that it also serves as a strong example for corporations to throw their support behind giving youngsters a chance to learn how to play golf. Kudos to Sime Darby and KLGCC!

SPECIAL FEATURE Vietnam

Those who have been keen Vietnam watchers since the Americans were booted out of the country after the Vietnam War, will have to acknowledge that the Indo-China nation is a development success story. It has transformed from being a war-ravaged country and one of the poorest in the world, with a per capita income below US$100, to a lower middle income country within a quarter of a century with per capita income of over US$2,000 by the end of 2014.

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ver the last few decades, Vietnam has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty. The percentage of people living in poverty dropped from almost 60% in the 1990s to less than 3% today. Vietnam’s growth rate has averaged 6.4% per year for the last decade. In 2014, GDP growth was 6 %, projected to flatten in 2015 and start to pick up in 2016. Another indicator of Vietnam’s strong economy is its external sector which continues to be an important engine of growth. Export value in US dollar terms is estimated to have grown by 11.6% in 2014, outperforming other countries in the region. Vietnam’s traditional labour-intensive manufacturing exports such as garments, footwear and furniture, continue to grow at a rapid clip. Recent additions to the export basket such as hi-tech and high-value products (cell phones, computers, electronics, and automobile parts) have also maintained rapid growth, and have now become the largest share of export. Against this phenomenal growth, golf development is beginning to show signs of a pick-up. Leading the push is the Hanoi-based BRG Group which has teamed up with The Nicklaus Group. When you have one of Vietnam’s most aggressive corporations tie up with

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As a passionate golfer myself, I am proud to see that through this collaboration with the Nicklaus Companies, we have taken major steps to help make golf grow in Vietnam and to reach global standards in a relatively short time span.” – Madame Nga a company that has built some 380 golf courses worldwide, you can expect some fireworks! Nicklaus Design, is the global golf course design firm founded by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, and is widely regarded as the world’s leading design firm. In announcing the historic partnership, both companies declared that they will jointly strive to develop golf in Vietnam to encompass various golf and golf related businesses. The partnership is to cover the establishment of a Jack Nicklaus Golf Academy in Vietnam, the establishment of new golf courses and resorts throughout the country and the launch of an ambitious junior golf development programme. The academy is expected to be operational towards the last quarter of this year. The chairman of the BRG Group, Madame Nguyen Thi Nga is widely regarded as the wealthiest woman entrepreneur in Vietnam with interests in a wide range of businesses including golf. The BRG Group already operates two successful award-winning golf courses in Hanoi with the third that will be fully opened soon. It is a Nicklaus-designed course which is said to be the first 18-hole course in Southeast Asia which offers two holes on every green. It is the Legend Hill Golf Resort in Hanoi. Madame Nga receiving her award from Angela Raymond, president of the Asia Pacific Golf Group.

AUGUST 2015

Commenting on the partnership, Madame Nga, said, “As a passionate golfer myself, I am proud to see that through this collaboration with the Nicklaus Companies, we have taken major steps to help make golf grow in Vietnam and to reach global standards in a relatively short time span.” She is also the proud recipient of the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Woman Entrepreneur Of The Year, an award presented to her by the Asia Pacific Golf Group in recognition of her bold initiatives to grow the game of golf in Vietnam. Typical of her vision is the proposed junior golf development programme, called the BRG VietGolf U16 programme which is designed to offer free golf lessons to Vietnamese children throughout Vietnam aged between 8 years to 16 years. The thrust of the programme is to serve as a unique corporate social undertaking to offer young Vietnamese an opportunity to play golf. It is hoped that through this programme and with the support of the Jack Nicklaus Academy, the game of golf will receive a major impetus to grow and to produce potential champions who can excel at international events like the 2018 Vietnam Amateur Open, the Asian Games and professional tours like the Asian Tour, European Tour and even the PGA Tour in time to come.

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On India

With the buzz of hope reaching an almost deafening pitch as Indian prime minister Narendra Modi steers his nation towards a pathway of promise and growth, the languid golf industry in this ancient nation has begun to stir. Golf course architects, course maintenance equipment suppliers and builders have all of a sudden taken a keen interest in India and are moving to the pulsating and infectious rhythm of the Bollywood bop. 32

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PHOTO CREDIT: WWW.INCREDIBLEINDIA.ORG

mongst those who hold out hope for India are some who even believe that on the heels of China posting its lowest GDP growth rate in almost 25 years, India’s economy will overtake China in terms of its annual growth rate by 2016 which in turn is hoped to give golf development a boost. This assumption has the backing of the International Monetary Fund which puts India’s projected growth in 2016 ahead of the organization’s estimates for China (which stand at 6.8 and 6.3 percent for 2015 and 2016, respectively). Based on this scenario, India is the fastest growing major emerging economy in the world. The IMF’s projections, which normally changes like the direction of the wind, represent a substantial increase from the actual growth rates of the Indian economy in 2013 and 2014, when the economy grew by 5 and 5.8 percent respectively. We’ll leave this IMF speak aside and move on to something more in keeping with this magazine, which is the business of golf. What Asian Golf hopes to share with you has nothing to do with blue sky thinking and everything nice about golf. It gets down to basics and draws on hard facts and prevailing views of experts on the ground who know what is happening in the country. The current mood as it

AUGUST 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On India If Modi’s reforms take root and given the entrepreneurial ability of Indians, and if we can get enough education and understanding with urban developers, town planners and real estate developers, then we can see the number of new courses grow to 20 to 30 per year. – Rishi Narain

Royal Springs Golf Course

Aamby Valley Golf

Delhi Golf Club

DLF Golf & Country Club

relates to golf development in India is nothing to get into a flap about as new golf course development is completely linked to the real estate industry which is the only commercially feasible model for golf. “The last two years have seen a huge slowdown in the sector especially in the luxury segment, where golf related developments are positioned,” revealed Rishi Narain, managing director of the highly respected Rishi Narain Golf Management company. He pointed out that extremely high interest rates on home loans of 18-21 % p.a. are the norm. So, golf development in India is not something that is really associated with the love of the game – it is more about a property play involving big property developers using golf as an excuse to make money on 34

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property sales. Nothing really new here! Combined with high interest rates, the other big bugbear is land acquisition which the Modi government is trying to reform. “The land acquisitions bill is definitely seen as a key for the real estate sector as it will clear the way for large projects aimed at new industrial corridors and smart cities to acquire land more easily,” said Narain. The biggest obstacle to golf course development in India is the challenge to get agricultural land use to be changed. The passage for this bill is going to be paved with huge resistance in the Congress Party controlled Upper House of the Indian parliament which is calling the land acquisition bill anti-farmer and anti-poor. So, the land issue presents a massive

political dilemma for the growth of golf in India. And it doesn’t stop there! There is the issue of water which is the life-blood of any golf course. “Water shortage in most urban areas is a big problem but many of India’s busiest golf courses have installed sewage treatment plants to supply water to counteract this issue,” explained Narain. The country faces an enormous task to manage its rapidly dwindling water supply. According to Narain, “A few of the newest courses in Bangalore have tapped into sewage lines some kilometers away to ensure supply.” He went on to add that the challenge is further compounded by many environmental activists who oppose golf development citing the huge water guzzling elements of golf. “We need active education

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by the industry and we need rain water harvesting in large water bodies on courses to counteract this,” he added. While the outlook for golf course development looks bleak, it is all not doom and gloom in the land that is home to the oldest golf club outside of Britain, the Royal Calcutta Golf Club which was opened back in 1829. Everything is contingent on the passage of the Land Acquisition Bill. Observers feel that this could see a spurt in development but the effect is not going to be immediate. “We don’t see more than five to seven new courses per year getting started over the next five years unless GDP growth hits 9 and 10% like it did in the 2004-2008 period,”

Rhasid Khan

Anirban Lahiri

understanding with urban developers, town planners and real estate developers, then we can see the number of new courses grow to 20 to 30 per year. There are 53 cities in India with a population of one million plus which combined with rising incomes should spur demand for high quality leisure and lifestyle options.” Looks like the future of golf is in the hands of politicians in India! So, are there any silver linings for golf? Well, junior golf development seems to be in good hands. The Indian Golf Union (IGU) runs a healthy national junior and sub junior circuit with around 45 tournaments around the country. In addition there are many smaller junior tours like Albatross which

Khalin Joshi

Narain declared. According to him, 2014 saw 16 courses being built but in 2015, only six or seven were built. Most of these are 9 hole executive courses and only one 18 hole championship course was built in this period. Narain is optimistic for the long haul though. “If Modi’s reforms take root and given the entrepreneurial ability of Indians, and if we can get enough education and

impact amongst juniors in India. Young stars like Anirban Lahiri, Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chowrasia, Shiv Kapur and the even younger brigade of players like Rashid Khan and Khalin Joshi according to Narain are providing a lot of hope. “And at even a younger level, 17 year old Subhankar Sharma won the Taiwan Men’s Amateur this year which is very promising. This keeps interest in golf high in media and among parents and kids,” Narain added. We started this probe on the premise that India offers hope to be the next China in golf but it seems that the assumption is far from the truth. While golf development in China has come to a grinding halt

Gaganjeet Bhullar

India is gone - it is running out of water, less and less open land, soaring land costs and the difficulty in assembling adequate sized parcels. keep the juniors busy. “Bangalore due to its mild climate is becoming a hotbed of junior golf development and is attracting the best coaches and best talent. Every major club has a healthy junior coaching programme but still there is a lot more that can be done to grow the game further,” Narain said. The rise of the new guard of world class professional golfers is also having a major

AUGUST 2015

Shiv Kapur

because of the Chinese government’s ban on golf course development, India also has its problems which is anchored on the availability of land which is hard to come by and remains very expensive. For the last word on golf in India, we turned to a man who loves the country but holds out little hope for golf’s future there. He is the renowned golf course architect and legend, Ron Fream who had this to say: “India is gone - it is running out of water, less and less open land, soaring land costs and the difficulty in assembling adequate sized parcels. Together with these factors and the stifling Indian bureaucracy, everything points to a dead end. Do not equate India with China’s golf growth twenty years ago. It’s not comparable!

EQUIPMENT FOCUS TaylorMade Daddy Long Legs + putter

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TaylorMade has always been pretty avant-garde in selecting names for its various products. Over the years, we’ve seen this company take a leap to use names like “Burner”, “Ghost”, “Spider” and a few more imaginative and creative names that on ÄYZ[ ZPNO[ ^V\SK UV[ JVUQ\YL \W PTHNLZ VM NVSM JS\IZ 0U ^OH[ NV[ (ZPHU .VSM»Z attention was the launch of a game-changing putter that was tagged as Daddy Long Legs. This name really took the cake – a really big slice at that! History would go on to record this putter as TaylorMade’s highest MOI putter, tipping [OL TVTLU[ VM PULY[PH ZJHSLZ H[ TVYL [OHU \UP[Z OPNOLY [OHU [OL company’s previous highest-MOI putter, the Ghost Spider S.

EQUIPMENT FOCUS TaylorMade Daddy Long Legs + putter

wo years later, TaylorMade has irreverently smashed through the record barrier and launched a new trailblazer and guess what they’re calling it? The Daddy Long Legs+ putter! The company has decided to keep the catchy name but instead has cranked up its performance capability. When Asian Golf tested and reviewed its predecessor, the Daddy Long Legs in 2013, we were bowled over by its stability and found it to be a truly stable putter – one of the best we’ve ever tested. We found the first generation Daddy Long Legs to be easy to aim, easy to stroke and a putter with a terrific feel. Fast forward to 2015 and the brand new Daddy Long Legs+ putter – what makes it better than its 2013 namesake? Well, to start with, TaylorMade has declared it to be “the most technologically-advanced and stable putter it has ever created.” Here’s the drill-down on the putter - the DLL+ putter features the new SuperStroke XL 2.0 grip with 125 gram counter weight and a True Temper lightweight steel shaft for extreme counterbalancing to maximize stability during the stroke. The DLL+ puts 200% more weight above the hands to raise the balance point 2” to allow greater control of the heavier head. Combine this new balance point with the 8856 MOI of the DLL+ head and creates the most stable overall putter TaylorMade has ever created. Crafted incorporating feedback from TaylorMade Tour Professionals, the new design of the DLL+ features updated styling with a sleek matte black finish with premium accents including a new non-glare tour satin grey finish and contrasting alignment lines for enhanced alignment and confidence at address. The complex construction of the Daddy

39 ASIAN GOLF

Long Legs+ features 17 individual pieces, meticulously engineered to create the highest-performing, most stable face-balanced putter in the TaylorMade lineup. Another feature found on the Daddy Long Legs+ putter is TaylorMade’s new deep-milled 6061 13-gram aluminum insert, inspired by Tour player feedback and engineered to deliver a crisp, clean feel off the putter face and a smooth, accurate roll. The rough surface of the insert also softens the sound at impact, delivering more auditory feedback preferred by better players. “With Daddy Long Legs+, the stability and performance of our counterbalance putters have been taken to the next level,” said Clay Long, TaylorMade’s senior director of Product Creation. “We’ve taken one of our most popular putters of all time and added performance features to deliver a remarkably stable putting stroke, which golfers of all abilities can benefit from.” Well, you’ve heard it from the experts. If you need to improve the money-end of your game, now’s the time to check out the Daddy Long Legs + putter. It’s a winner!

EQUIPMENT FOCUS GMax Irons

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HIGH-MOI DESIGN

COR-EYE TECHNOLOGY

It’s that time of the year when we’ve learnt to expect something new, revolutionary and exciting from PING. This time last year, the golf world was abuzz over the launch of a product that has gone on to establish itself both as a top performing club and a best-seller and that club was the epic G30 “Turbulator”. In keeping with this tradition, PING has done it again – the Phoenix-based manufacturer has blasted out of the gates with two new innovative PYVU TVKLSZ [OH[ WYVTPZL ZPNUPÄJHU[ WLYMVYTHUJL gains made possible by the company’s advanced engineering know-how. Besides the new irons, PING has also expanded its popular Glide wedge and Cadence TR putter families.

he new GMax iron introduces COR-Eye Technology, a revolutionary design that increases flexing across the entire face for faster ball speeds that produce unprecedented distance and forgiveness. The new i-iron, PING’s first model to utilize 431 stainless steel, is a softer players-style head that offers workability and ball-flight control with the forgiveness to ensure accuracy and consistency. Both new models are available with the PING CFS Distance shaft. Golfers can also choose one of four popular after-market shafts with no upcharge. “Our commitment to engineering without sacrifice continues to produce measurable performance benefits across our entire product line,” said John A. Solheim, PING’s chairman and chief executive officer. “For example, COR-Eye Technology in the GMax iron provides the rare combination of distance with control, giving you significantly more ball speed for shots that fly farther and land softly. The i-iron is a playersstyle design that appeals to golfers of all skill levels because of its all-around performance. It

EQUIPMENT FOCUS GMax Irons The i-iron is a players-style design that appeals to golfers of all skill levels because of its allaround performance. It has a great look and provides workability, trajectory control and just the right amount of forgiveness. It’s already in the bags of several of our tour professionals.” – John A. Solheim has a great look and provides workability, trajectory control and just the right amount of forgiveness. It’s already in the bags of several of our tour professionals,” Solheim added. PING’s new Glide ES (Eye Sole) wedge combines the technology of the original Eye2 sand wedge, including the tapered hosel and scooped sole, with the high-performance features of the Glide design to add another versatile choice for improved play from bunkers and around the green. It joins the Glide standard sole (SS), thin sole (TS), and wide sole (WS), creating 16 loft and sole combinations to suit a player’s swing and most common turf conditions. Commenting on the new Glide wedges, Solheim said, “Glide wedges had immediate tour validation with a win by Bubba Watson early in the season and since then, they’ve been used to win several times. The ES sole adds even more versatility to the Glide wedge line by incorporating the proven technology of the original Eye2 sand wedge, which is still in use today and known for being one of the highest-performing sand wedges ever designed.” The Cadence TR putter series grows stronger with the addition of the Craz-e-r and Ketsch Mid. The Craz-e-r, an evolution of the highly successful Craz-E design, is a high-MOI model featuring a sightline that extends from the top to the back of the putter for improved alignment. “The two new Cadence TR models bring golfers proven designs with some exciting advancements. When we introduced the Craz-E in 2003, it quickly became a top-selling alignment-style model due to its shape and optics. In the Craz-e-r, we’ve added a new sightline that makes alignment even easier. The Ketsch Mid provides the benefits of the original Ketsch in a smaller head size, Solhiem explained. All the new PING models will be tested and reviewed in the coming issues of Asian Golf. 42

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A G O L F B at t l e F I T F O R O N LY

THE BEST! We knew that this headline

would grab your attention! STEP 1:

STEP 2:

TWO-MAN TEAM FROM EACH CLUB

STEP 3:

144 SLOTS AVAILABLE First Come First Serve Basis

Finally club managers get to play and compete in a tournament all their own.

winning 27-hole golf course in Singapore that has played host to a variety of golf tournaments including The Asia Pacific Golf Group in conjunction with the staging the Asian Tour. of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit will be organizing the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Inter-Club Challenge Tournament. There is no entry fee to participate in It will be played with two-man teams drawn from clubs this tournament. To qualify, players need to register as within the Asia Pacific footprint for the coveted Le Van delegates to attend the Summit and there are 144 slots Kiem Inter-Club Trophy. available. This tournament is all about good, clean fun and more importantly, it is about networking. The tournament will be run on October 14. The venue will be the Orchid Country Club, an award-

Entry will be on a first come first served basis and a two-man team from each club can register on-line through APGS official website at www.golfconference.org or email Alice Ho at alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or call +65 63232800 for more details.

GAME IMPROVEMENT New Technology

>LSS P[Â»Z HZ ZPTWSL HZ [OH[ ;OL NVSÃ&#x201E;UN NVKZ ^V\SK OH]L UL]LY ZLLU [OPZ JVTPUN PU H TPSSPVU `LHYZ )\[ [LJOUVSVN` [VKH` HUK [OL JYHJRPUN WHJL H[ ÔPJO P[ PZ L]VS]PUN HUK JOHUNPUN PZ THRPUN ]PY[\HSS` L]LY`[OPUN [OH[ ^L KV H [V[HSS` KPÉ&#x2C6;LYLU[ L_WLYPLUJL ,SLJ[YPJ JHYZ [OH[ KYP]L [OLTZLS]LZ Â¶ [OHURZ [V .VVNSL THWZ 3PNO[Z V\[ MHJ[VYPLZ ÔLYL YVIV[Z ^VYR )VK` WHY[Z YLWYVK\JLK [OYV\NO + WYPU[PUN HUK [PU` NHKNL[Z [OH[ `V\ ^LHY [V OLSW WSH` H IL[[LY YV\UK VM NVSM :V ÔH[Â»Z [OPZ SP[[SL WYVK\J[ VM YVJRL[ ZJPLUJL& 0[Â»Z JHSSLK H 708 HUK P[Â»Z X\P[L H MHZJPUH[PUN SP[[SL NHTL JOHUNLY

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WANT TO ENJOY YOUR GOLF – THEN STRAP ON A PIQ! PIQ is the latest entrant to the wearable golf market which incidentally is a fast growing trend. Asian Golf got wind of this product and decided to check it out. Put simply, PIQ is claimed to be the first wearable golf device. According to its developer, it provides golfers with more instant data than ever before. So how does it work? Well, in partnership with golf app developer, Mobitee, the lightweight PIQ golf device attaches to the golfer’s glove and can display yardage to the green while transmitting swing metrics, shot tracking and specific club data onto the golfer’s smartphone. The device represents a wearable range-finder, shot-tracker and swing-analyzer. Now, that’s some cool device that every golfer must have – right? Let’s check it out further.

We dropped in on the company’s chief executive officer, Cedric Mangaud, the cofounder of PIQ to find out more and this is what he had to say: “We realized it was time to inject new innovation into the game of golf, and the PIQ device makes the game more enjoyable and offers new ways of improving the golfer’s experience during and after his round, ultimately making the game more exciting.” Manguad continued, “With a partner like Mobitee, the leader in golf apps and software, we were able to develop the very best wearable sensor technology, connectivity and software that dramatically improves the golfer’s experience during and after his round, ultimately making the game more exciting.” Asian Golf discovered that the PIQ sensor provides instant, easy to read yardage to the front, centre and back of the green. Instead of having to look through a

viewfinder on a handheld device or pulling a smartphone out of one’s pocket, the yardage is shown on a LED display on the back of the golfer’s glove. Can you use this sexy device anywhere in the world? Well, according to PIQ, there is a database of over 35,000 golf courses across the globe which means to say that golfers can have accurate distances virtually anywhere on the planet! The app automatically detects the course and then displays hole-by-hole yardages based on the golfer’s GPS location. Now how cool is that! “We wanted the user to experience our Mobitee app without having to take their smartphones out of their pocket,” said Stan Chapus, Mobitee CEO. “Now they are able to quickly view precise yardages with a glance at their hand using the PIQ golf sensor.” Data is captured from every club that the golfer uses during his or her round through the use of near-field communica-

GAME IMPROVEMENT New Technology

We realized it was time to inject new innovation into the game of golf, and the PIQ device makes the game more enjoyable and offers new ways of improving the golfer’s experience during and after his round, ultimately making the game more exciting.” – Cedric Mangaud

tion (NFC) sensor tags that are inserted onto the end of each grip. Fifteen NFC sensor tags are labelled specifically for each club in a standard set and an additional three customizable sensor tags are also included for a total of 18. With a tap of the sensor tag to the golf device on the player’s glove before every shot, the shot-tracking and distance data is then recorded onto the Mobitee app. That real-time data is instantly viewable on the smartphone or can be analyzed afterwards. Mobitee and PIQ track all shots and record yardages to give the golfer the ability to analyze their distances with each club providing helpful averages over time for future club selection. PIQ 46

47 ASIAN GOLF

highlights the golfer’s best moments of the round including longest drive, best swing, top score and other highlights that can be shared via social media and text messaging. In addition to a range-finder, scorekeeper and shot-tracker, PIQ captures data of the player’s swing including swing tempo, club head speed, and the swing path. That information is then displayed in a 3-D swing analysis on the smartphone. By integrating the latest sensor technologies along with NFC tags, Bluetooth Low Energy and micro-processing technology, PIQ incorporates 13 axis points and measures performance metrics such as velocity, height, airtime, G-force, amplitude, trajectory and others. Now, what are you waiting for? Go get yourself a PIQ and pick up your game!!

LONG THANH GOLF RESORT, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

NOVEMBER 1 & 2, 2015

Come and Be Part of the Region’s Only Total Family Golf Event ... The 2015 Asia Paciﬁc Father and Son Golf Tournament! Asia Paciﬁc Father and Son Golf Tournament is back again. 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. This prestigious tournament will be staged on November 1 & 2, 2015 and the host venue is the award winning Long Thanh Golf Resort in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The tournament is open to any combination of family members – father, daughter, uncle/aunty and nephew/niece. This arrangement provides for a wider family involvement and participation. The winning team will walk away with the Asia Paciﬁc Father and Son Trophy presented by Vietnamese philanthropist Le Van Kiem.

Entry fee is set at US$450 per player and this will include Daily two-way transfer from the Sheraton Saigon Hotel to the golf course. Lunch, refreshment and dinner on both days. Prizes and goodie bags. One practice round on October 31.

DOWNLOAD PDF – RULES & REGULATIONS: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt-rr2015

For any enquiries, please contact Alice Ho: alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or call +65-63232800

ONLINE Registration is open at: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt2015

The Father and Son Tournament is designed to promote greater family involvement in golf and clubs are encouraged to enter club teams to participate in what promises to be a fun tournament!

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Bazooka 460 Black Driver

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The little golf company from Batavia, Chicago is back in the news. Tour Edge, globally renowned for its highperforming drivers, woods and irons has brought back its iconic Bazooka driver.

he latest which was just launched in late July is the Bazooka 460 Black driver. In announcing the new arrival, founder and president of Tour Edge, David Glod said, “The new Bazooka is designed to deliver highperformance at a price point missing in today’s current marketplace.” Tour Edge has built its strong reputation based on its focus to fill gaps in the equipment business, and the Bazooka Black is a driver aimed at meeting the needs of players who want new clubs that offer premium quality at an affordable price. Asian Golf which wrote about the earlier models of the Bazooka driver (GeoMax) back in 2007 recalls that back then, it was not fashionable to choose a club without a major brand presence especially on the professional tours. When we tested it, we discovered that the early generation Bazooka driver just bombed it in terms of distance and accuracy. We were sold on both the Ba-

zooka driver and Tour Edge immediately and since then, have been keeping the company well positioned on our radar. The all new Bazooka Black comes armed with a 460cc titanium-powered head that is reported to deliver distance and playability off the tee that rivals the performance of drivers over twice its price. A rear fixed sole weight creates a deep centre of gravity to help players of all abilities easily launch the ball down the fairway. The Bazooka 460 Black driver features a black PVD finish and ‘camo’ design highlights, combining style with power. Like the GeoMax driver back in 2007, the Bazooka Black is a beautifully designed

AUGUST 2015

and solid club. It is paired with premium, ultra-light shafts ranging in weight from 50 grams to 57 grams depending on flex and is available in the following specifications right hand in 9.5° (stiff ), 10.5° (senior, regular, stiff ), and 12° (ladies, senior, regular). In conjunction with the launch of the Bazooka driver, Tour Edge has also launched the Bazooka 1 Out Plus wedge, which is a must-have club to get out of trouble in the sand. This wedge is engineered specifically for hitting out of greenside bunkers, and is said to instill pro-like confidence for the “one shot and you’re out of the sand” routine. The Bazooka 1 Out Plus wedge features a very popular and effective new trend in short game equipment, which is counter-balanced grips. Usually found in longer putters, Tour Edge engineers successfully paired the counter-balance grip with the heavier head for maximum performance. The heavy sole puts weight below the ball ensuring that all players can get out of the most difficult bunkers in one swing. The super-wide, dualflange sole design features 11 degrees of bounce allowing the wedge to ‘glide’ through the sand without digging in. Tour Edge Bazooka 1 Out Plus wedge is available right hand only, loft 56, lie 64, bounce 11, shaft length 32.25”, steel wedge flex shaft and Premium Bazooka graphite Glod shaft.

The new Bazooka is designed to deliver high-performance at a price point missing in today’s current marketplace.” – David

FASHION TRENDS Footjoy emPOWER

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Remember the days when women golfers had virtually no choice in golf shoes? The range available was limited (especially in most parts of Asia), and the models tended to look no different to those that guys wore. It was like the shoe models for women were gender neutral.

‘‘O

ne of my biggest concerns since I started playing golf was obtaining shoes that looked good,” said Angela Raymond, president of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the parent of ASIAN GOLF. “The life-saver was when MyJoys was launched and this unique service at least gave me the choice to design my own shoes in terms of how they looked as far as colour was concerned,” she added. Well, for the thousands of women who golf in Asia, the days of having to worry about shoes and how to match your footwear with your gorgeous apparel have just come to a grinding halt! The world’s number one golf shoe company has busted out of the traditional mould for women’s golf shoes and with one broad sweep of the paint brush, FootJoy has introduced a new range of shoes emblazoned with a stunning array of colours! The sassy new line of progressive golf shoes for women is called emPOWER™. “When we speak with female players during our market research visits, the two most important shoe attributes they request are, almost unanimously, ‘comfort and style,’ said Mike Foley, FootJoy’s director or footwear marketing. “The emPOWER

FASHION TRENDS Footjoy emPOWER shoe was made to address those two attributes head on by combining aggressive, contemporary styling with innovative underfoot comfort features.” Designed with bold athletic styling, emPOWER provides a comfortable, eyecatching, lightweight spikeless footwear option that performs. EmPOWER’s distinctive look begins with a BreathEasy™ sports mesh upper. The colour-splashed upper delivers premium breathability, keeping the foot cool throughout the day, while still providing one-year waterproof protection. The emPOWER line is all about comfort and style that combine aggressive, contemporary styling with innovative underfoot comfort features. From a performance perspective, MaxGrip™ traction pods are integrated into the outsole and provide the additional traction to make confident swings throughout the round. “As with all women’s shoes in the FJ line, emPower was created specifically to deliver comfortable performance,” explained Timothy Yoong, FootJoy’s Southeast Asia brand manager. The new line for women has been developed on the women’s Power Last, and it offers a rounded, athletic toe character, generous fit across the forefoot with a slightly narrow heel. A new, soft underfoot foam provides EveryStep™ comfort and a massaging footbed ensures comfort throughout the round. The emPower shoes come with a host of features and benefits which include: BreathEasy sports mesh uppers for cool comfort throughout a round of golf. MaxGrip traction pods ensure a slip free round. A soft foam outsole for EveryStep comfort. The massaging footbed provides an invigorating gentle massage throughout the day. One year waterproof warranty. Now, how about colours? Would you believe that emPower comes in a spectrum of four exciting colours which include Lime Green + Light Blue, Orange + Yellow, Gray + Pink and Navy + Plum (BOA). The shoes are now available at stores region-wide. Time to look cool on the golf course ladies!

One of my biggest concerns since I started playing golf was obtaining shoes that looked good,” said Angela Raymond, president of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the parent of ASIAN GOLF. “The life-saver was when MyJoys was launched and this unique service at least gave me the choice to design my own shoes in terms of how they looked as far as colour was concerned.” – Angela Raymond 52

53 ASIAN GOLF

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SPECIAL FEATURE APGS 2015

55 ASIAN GOLF

ISSUE 179

AUGUST 2015

In any business, access to timely and reliable market research is essential. Without any market PU[LSSPNLUJL WLUL[YH[PUN H THYRL[ LÉ&#x2C6;LJ[P]LS` ^V\SK IL SPRL ^HSRPUN [OYV\NO H TPUL Ă&#x201E;LSK ;OL NVSM THYRL[ PU (ZPH OHZ ILLU VUL Z\JO THYRL[ ^OLYL SP[[SL VY UV Z`UKPJH[LK PUK\Z[Y` ^PKL YLZLHYJO OHZ ILLU \UKLY[HRLU MVY KLJHKLZ 7LYOHWZ 1HWHU HUK 2VYLH ZOV\SK IL L_JS\KLK PU [OPZ YL]PL^ ILJH\ZL IV[O [OLZL THYRL[Z LZWLJPHSS` 1HWHU OH]L [OLPY YLZWLJ[P]L THYRL[Z ^LSS TVUP[VYLK .P]LU [OPZ Z[H[L VM HÉ&#x2C6;HPYZ [OL ZVVU [V IL YLSLHZLK (ZPHU .VSM ;YLUKZ HUK 7YVĂ&#x201E;SLZ :\Y]L` JVUK\J[LK I` [OL (ZPH 7HJPĂ&#x201E;J .VSM .YV\W [OL W\ISPZOLY VM (:0(5 .63- HUK (ZPHU *S\I )\ZPULZZ HUK [OL *S\I 4HUHNLYZ (ZZVJPH[PVU VM (ZPH ^PSS IL HU OPZ[VYPJ TPSLZ[VUL ;OL Z\Y]L` JVUK\J[LK VU SPUL OHZ ILLU PU [OL Ă&#x201E;LSK MVY [OYLL TVU[OZ HUK WYLSPTPUHY` Ă&#x201E;UKPUNZ WYV]PKL HU L_JLSSLU[ HUK YL]LHSPUN PUZPNO[ [V [OL THYRL[WSHJL HZ P[ YLSH[LZ [V IV[O KLTVNYHWOPJ HUK WZ`JOVNYHWOPJ PUMVYTH[PVU

he decision to embark on the ambitious Asian Golf Trends and Profiles Survey took months in the making. What finally tipped the decision to proceed was the absolute absence of a body of reliable information relating to the Asian marketplace relating to personal information about golfers and

their life-styles. This research project has a very wide-ranging scope in terms of data collected and it is the first such survey of its kind undertaken in the region. Since the survey was launched, more than 1,000 respondents have completed the questionnaire on-line and as the weeks go by, more responses continue to flow in. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The promotion of the Asian Golf Trends

and Profiles Survey has been very extensive and it has involved a total communications package that has included advertising, web-site promotions and regular EDMs,â&#x20AC;? revealed Sufian Saiful, technical director of the project. He explained that the questionnaire was structured to ensure that anyone responding to the survey would not be required to

SPECIAL FEATURE APGS 2015

When the findings are finally analysed, it is hoped that the golf industry would be able to obtain information about golfers as it relates to age, gender, frequency of play, equipment preference and expenditure on equipment, apparel and accessories.” spend too much time completing it. “We designed the survey in a manner where each question comes with multiple response options and all that a respondent has to do is tick off the box that applies to him – it’s as easy as that,” he said. When the findings are finally analysed, it is hoped that the golf industry would be able to obtain information about golfers as it relates to age, gender, frequency of play, equipment preference and expenditure on equipment, apparel and accessories. On the psychographic level, there will be information available on personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles. Some preliminary modellings of the data already indicate very interesting trends 56

57 ASIAN GOLF

and according to Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, “Data on age groups does reveal that the most active rate of participation in golf across the geography covered by the survey falls into the 40 to 50 year old age group which falls into the Generation X category, the group that comes after the baby boomers.” However, samplings drawn from respondents who belong to the younger age brackets, namely Generation Y and the Millennials reveal that golf’s appeal is not as penetrating. This has not come as a surprise given the fact that it is in line with global trends where younger groups are showing a preference for more extreme and less time consuming

recreational and leisure activities. “While we may know this to be a trend elsewhere, it is good to have reliable statistics to now look at what younger people want and to endeavour to explore how golf club/course operators can skew their marketing positioning to attract younger demographics,” Sebastian pointed out. On the psychographic side of the survey, preliminary findings reveal and confirm that golfers have a more upscale life-style which manifests itself through home ownership, the possession of valuable items like cars and watches together with travel and entertaining habits. “Again, while it is acknowledged that golfers belong to a higher quintile of consumers, having specific research relating to their purchasing and consumption habits just helps to confirm that they make up a very valuable target group for organizations who want to reach out to them,” said Sebastian. The complete findings of the Asian Golf Trends and Profiles Survey will be published in late September and will be launched at the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit to be held in Singapore on October 14-15. The published report will be available on sale after its official launch.

GAME IMPROVEMENT

Â´,I \RX FDQÂˇW Ă&#x20AC;[ LW ZLWK GXFW WDSH WKHQ LWÂˇV QRW ZRUWK Ă&#x20AC;[LQJ Âľ I hope most golfers reading this can relate to the quote above. Duct tape is a miracle tape used by many around the world. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wide cloth adhesive tape originally designed for sealing joints in heating or air-conditioning ducts. Growing up in a small town in the <:( 0Âť]L ^P[ULZZLK T` KHK Ă&#x201E;_PUN ZVTL SLHRZ Q\Z[ I` \ZPUN K\J[ [HWL @LZ TVZ[ VM [OL QVIZ ^V\SK YLX\PYL THU` ^YHWZ VM K\J[ [HWL HUK [OL SLHR UVYTHSS` KPZHWWLHYZ 58

59 ASIAN GOLF

ISSUE 179

uess what golfers? It’s time for you to use duct tape to improve your golf swing and to understand the importance of a proper set-up. Yes, duct tape can really improve your golf swing!

Here’s a drill that you can practice. Most of the time, I’ve seen amateur golfers practicing and focusing only on hitting the ball as far as they can on the driving range. It’s always important to work on the basic fundamentals when you have time to. With that said, I suggest to students the “T” drill when practicing at the driving range so that they can improve their alignment. Here’s the drill: 1. Take duct tape and place a one-foot piece perpendicular to the target line. 2.

Take another one-foot piece of duct tape and place it on the target line creating a “T” like shape.

Now, place the ball (as seen in the picture) adjacent to the area that the duct tape forms the “T”. This gives the golfer a good reference point to be set up “square” to the target.

Now focus on making a good backswing and follow-through.

AUGUST 2015

Again, this is one of my favorite drills for players because it returns back to basics and utilises the practice time in the right way. So often, I ‘ve seen golfers mishit a shot because they were lined up incorrectly from the start. The “T” drill using duct tape can fix your alignment and improve upon other areas such as a good set-up! Invest in some duct tape – not only will it help you fix your golf swing, it will also come in handy around the house to help fix a whole load of problems!

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.tmggroupasia.com or email to tony@tmggroupasia.com

www.tmggroupasia.com

GAME IMPROVEMENT Pro Tour Golf College

In over 40 years of playing, coaching and generally being around golf there’s one thing David and I are becoming quite concerned about. .VSM PZ ILJVTPUN H TVYL JVTWSPJH[LK HUK KPɉJ\S[ game to learn and play. The vast bulk of elite amateur golfers and professional golfers we talk to at Pro Tour Golf College are struggling to learn and make progress playing this great game to even a satisfactory level. David Milne (left) and Lawrie Montague (right).

t doesn’t seem to matter how much money they have spent on equipment, or whether they’ve taken lessons from a top 100 teacher or celebrity instructor, the alarming fact is that many of these serious amateur golfers simply aren’t improving their game anywhere near the level they want. So what do we think the main reason for this is? For the most part we believe it’s how they are attempting to learn to improve at golf; actually to be more accurate, it’s how they are learning what NOT TO learn in golf. That’s right, nearly all these golfers are learning how NOT TO have lower scores; or how NOT TO enjoy the game even more; or how NOT TO keep making steady progress; or how NOT TO make it more simpler rather than complex, and I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Yes most of these fine golfers we’ve observed seem to be great at learning how NOT TO get what they want from golf. So do these golfers have a learning problem? Nope, they are all learning perfectly. Let’s take a look at the definition of learning from Wikipedia and move forward from there.

61 ASIAN GOLF

“Learning is the act of acquiring new, or modifying and reinforcing, existing knowledge, behaviours, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves. Learning is not compulsory; it is contextual. It does not happen all at once, but builds upon and is shaped by previous knowledge. To that end, learning may be viewed as a process, rather than a collection of factual and procedural knowledge. Learning produces changes in the organism and the changes produced are relatively permanent.” (Source: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning) So all these fine golfers are learning as per the definition above, but what we find too often is that they seem to be learning how NOT to get what they want from golf. The simple fact is that you ARE learning; it’s just that you are probably learning how to get what you don’t want from golf, most of the time...But don’t despair, because there is another way...

Maybe it’s time for you to try a different way of learning to make the progress you truly want, rather than continuing to follow the Western learning path you are currently on?

What You Can Learn from Eastern Martial Arts Training Marital arts teach respect, discipline, hard work, sacrifice and humility. Students are never taught about the concept of failure as in they are in the West, instead they are taught that rather than failing you have simply not learned enough as yet. (Read that again) Eastern learning is seen more as a cyclic development where the pursuit of improvement is a never ending journey along a pathway that has no limits. In contrast Western learning is seen as linear development where improvement has a goal (Or multiple goals) and development stops or stalls when a goal is reached. This is an important distinction to understand. At every level in Martial Arts students learn how to learn and acquire basic movement skills through consistent application of the same movements which are practiced until they move from the “how to mind” to the “no mind.”

ISSUE 179

As they move through their grading’s (coloured belts in most cases) they are taught humility by losing their ego which is seen as normal and natural. They also learn total acceptance of their outcomes good or bad. They are also encouraged to allow their learning to naturally evolve rather than trying to force it to happen. This is seen as the best way to learn and improve skills. These simple and humble learning values and their Chinese philosophical foundation originate mostly from Chan Buddhism, Taoism, Legalism and Confucianism.

Martial Arts has been taught throughout Asia this way successfully for many hundreds of years with literally millions of people learning, and any one following this learning path regardless of the style learned acquires their skills this way.

Sorry But the Western Way of Learning May Not Be the Best Way for You Sadly in the West where these ancient values have been shared and taught successfully

AUGUST 2015

Learning is the act of acquiring new, or modifying and reinforcing, existing knowledge, behaviours, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information.” for more than 50 years they are now under threat with the arrival of the UFC and MMA, where many fighters are in the martial arts just for personal gain (money, fame, selfpromotion, etc.) They’re not so much traditional, philosophically influenced martial artists as they are technicians bent on winning fights. Source: http://www.blackbeltmag.com/category/chinese-martial-arts/

GAME IMPROVEMENT Pro Tour Golf College students at Pro Tour Golf College to simplify their golf swing and make progress that we call the “get back to simple” strategy. If you want to learn golf more effectively with a learning strategy based more on how basic Martial Arts techniques are taught then you might want to use this strategy which essentially breaks your whole stroke down into smaller and more manageable parts or chunks.

In other words your aim is to make your complicated 7 part golf swing much simpler to learn and develop by reducing it down to just 1 part. So rather than trying to break your golf swing down into a multitude of parts and then attempt to fit them back together perfectly into a better whole (Western style), In the West (And it is starting to make its way into the East) we are starting to see a real change in the way golf is being taught where what essentially is a simple game to learn and play, is now becoming a complicated game to learn and play well. The thing to keep in mind is that if you look back over the past 100 years it shows us that many golfers learned how to play golf successfully with much simpler approaches to learning and developing all aspects of their game from the tee to the green.

Is Science and Technology Making Golf Harder to Play or Easier? Since the arrival of sports scientists onto the golf scene around 25 to 30 years ago, coupled more recently with technology such as Trackman and Flightscope, a lot of younger golf teachers and instructors are being influenced to teach golfers more by numbers and statistics generated from these machines than more traditional ways. This is apparently based around Western scientific ideology that a more accurate, rigorous and scientific approach to teaching golf is the correct way (and some would say the only way) of interpreting the basic movements of a golfers swing. And look there’s no doubt that some of the data generated from these machines can be helpful, especially if it interpreted in a useful way by golf instructors. But the question that you might need to ask yourself is does this technology make you better? And is this technology really necessary? Does it make it easier for you to learn to play better? Some would definitely say yes, whilst others would beg to differ. Ultimately you need to decide which way you will go. 62

63 ASIAN GOLF

Is Old Time Golf Instruction Still Relevant? It is no surprise that the most popular golf instruction book today (by a long way) is more than 50 years old. Ben Hogan’s Book “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf” published in 1957 gives the golfer a very clear pathway for learning the full swing from beginning to end and has helped many golfers to learn and enjoy the game. The Martial Arts students’ pathway is from one step (Basic movement) to another gathering knowledge and skill along the way, but interestingly they don’t necessarily know what the next step in the process is. And that’s OK for them. When you think of Western golf instruction style do you think the student is being taught in a similar way to the way the Martial Arts student is taught? I think you’ll agree that what’s more likely to be seen in the West quite often is golf instruction that delivers a more fragmented and disorganized amalgamation of parts that many golfers can’t make much sense of as to how the parts all fit together. At least this is what we have been advised is the experience of many elite amateur and professional golfers we have talked to and also worked with--especially over the past few years.

The Get Back to Simple Learning Strategy

you develop your swing more like they do in Martial Arts by visualizing the whole of your stroke as you want it to be and then you reduce your golf stroke down to just one or possibly two parts that you practice and continually develop with your instructor. At first this will seem difficult to do because you will feel like you need more parts in your model, so you will struggle initially to get you get your head around this new simple swing development strategy, but hang in there with it because you will quickly see the value in this simple cyclic learning strategy and how it can help you to make consistent progress with your game. And you can do the same thing for any of your golf skills from putting to the full swing. Just break it down and precisely practice your movements with the goal of achieving the “no mind” level. Make your golf stroke as simple as you can by simplifying what you do, and understand that you are never trying to perfect your golf stroke--you are simply learning and developing basic movements that make your golf swing stronger and more reliable with no end in sight for finishing the work.

We have a very simple Eastern style learning strategy that we have used to help our

Lawrie Montague and David Milne – Pro Tour Golf College (The Professional Golf Tour Training College)

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ASIA’S BEST TO BE HONOURED It’s time for the Annual Asian Golf Awards, the “Oscars” of the Asian golf industry. The results of the 2015 polls which ran for three months have been compiled, tabulated and finalized. Those who garnered the most number of popular votes in the only pan-Asian awards programme of its kind will be placed on the winners’ pedestal at the glitzy 2015 Asian Golf Awards to be held on October 15 in Singapore in conjunction with the staging of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit.

The oldest company in golf and the company with the most number of wins in golf’s majors is showing impressive growth as it enters into its second century of business. It has great products, a growing list of victories on the professional tour circuit and its bottomline is looking steady. Tim Clarke, Wilson’s general manager shares his thoughts and his visions with Asian Golf.

ASIAN GOLF ISSUE 180

Cobra-PUMA, the exciting brand showcased by young superstars like Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson is recording outstanding acceptance in the marketplace across all demographics. Added to this is the recognition being granted to its products in various industry evaluations which is an excellent independent measure of how good the company’s products are. Asian Golf sat down with Bob Philion, president of CobraPUMA to find out what makes the company tick.

Tenniel el Chu, a scion of the famous Chu family and vice-chairman of the world’s largestt golf complex, Mission Hills in China, na, is bullish about “footgolf” and feels els that this game will grow exponentially entially in the Middle Kingdom. Asian Golf spoke with him im to see if the growth h of this game will in any way have a positive ve effect on the growth h of golf. Read what he has to say in the September ptember issue of Asian Golf.

For all the latest news and views from the Asian golf scene, subscribe to Asian Golf – Asia’s most powerful golfing voice!

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