AG182 november single by Asia Pacific Golf Group

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NOVEMBER 2015 COVER STORY November 1, 2015 marks Gary Player’s 80th birthday and the Asia Pacific Golf Group is paying a special tribute to a great golfer, an outstanding sportsman, an incredible businessman and a wonderful human being. To mark his reaching a milestone of eighty healthy and productive years, Player accorded ASIAN GOLF an exclusive interview and we are now proud to bring you the full interview. Happy Birthday Mr. Player!

50 FASHION TREND 50 FJ Cranks It Up Big Time! If you thought that FootJoy had hit its peak with golf glove technology, you’ve seen nothing yet! The world leader in golf gloves has just raised the ante by introducing its new GTxtreme golf glove, which is all about the “next level of feel, fit, flex and form”.

6 Asian Golf Editorial Team 8 Shared Thoughts From Publisher 64 Next Issue

ISSUE 182

NOVEMBER 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE

12 APGS 2015 – Marches On To A New Drum Beat!

44 The Shark Tank!

To keep on doing something for nine years takes a lot of determination and endurance but to break away from the norm and execute something that is bold and game-changing, takes courage and vision. In an industry that is generally regarded by many as being change averse, it is always encouraging to see an organization step out of the safety zone and challenge the unknown.

The game’s new young guns have ridden into town with their six-shooters blazing and metaphorically speaking, have run out of town those who used to be icons of the last two decades. With their polished play, totally irreverent bravado and hell-bent swagger, the fresh-faced superstars of the modern game have declared their arrival on the professional stage of golf. Who will emerge as the champion with the ability to last?

EQUIPMENT FOCUS 30 SRIXON – AMT Power Unleashed!

It’s not often that ASIAN GOLF does a review on Japanese equipment. But that’s all set to change and the first major brand to reach out to us has been Srixon who are now very well represented in the region by the giant Japanese golf conglomerate, Leonian. And the first new product from Srixon on deck is the new Z355 range of driver, fairway woods, hybrids and irons.

34 Shhhhhhhhhh - Master Craftsman At Work! Master craftsman Scotty Cameron has launched his brand new Futura X7 and X7M putters. Arguably the putter of choice for the game’s best players, Cameron’s latest line of scoring clubs utilize innovative facesole core technology with advanced perimeter weighting. This has been designed to increase stability and forgiveness throughout the stroke, while providing easy alignment and a soft, sure feel.

38 Callaway’s Power Tools For 2016! The “Big Bertha” boys have hit the road running with a whole bunch of

new irons under the “Apex” banner. The newbies are the Apex Pro Irons the and Apex Hybrids. The new clubs advance the Apex product line that Callaway regards as “establishing a new performance standard in the iron category” since it launched two years ago.

52 Wilson Staff Shows Off Its Muscle! Wilson Staff, the oldest golf equipment manufacturer around is kicking off its 2016 new product campaign with the launch of a full range of clubs that are bound to excite golfers. The first release is the new FG Tour F5™ line – a full range of clubs that offer designs geared to suit the eye of the better player while providing game improvement technology to help compliment anyone’s game.

58 The Bar Just Got Raised! The wait for the Titleist 716 irons and 816 hybrids has been worth the while. These are terrific clubs from a company that has learnt and learnt well from it past glories. Titleist has taken innovation and product performance to a whole new level and any golfer intent on playing a better game of golf, should spend some quality time checking out these new arrivals.

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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Excellence! This hi iis our credo. d It iis the h ffoundation d i off our b belief li f system and d LW LV RXU PLVVLRQ REMHFWLYH 2XU SXUVXLW RI H[FHOOHQFH LV UHŶHFWHG in everything we do and it manifests itself in: È ASIAN GOLF È ASIAN CLUB BUSINESS È ASIA PACIFIC GOLF SUMMIT È ASIAN GOLF AWARDS È ASIA’S POWER LIST È CLUB MANAGERS ASSOCIATION OF ASIA È CMA-ASIA E-UNIVERSITY

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SHARED THOUGHTS From The Publisher Every equipment manufacturer that we speak to is being guardedly cautious and there is a total avoidance of the use of superlatives to describe business trends in 2016.

im Finchem, the big boss of the PGA is waxing lyrical over the 2015 tournament calendar and is calling it the “A-Plus, 5-Star” season. The shrewd former lawyer is over the moon with the emerging crop of young golf stars who have helped make 2015 “the strongest year we have had on the PGA Tour, period”, according to the PGA strongman. Finchem was especially elated over television ratings which according to him are up by 20 per cent over the previous year. This is all fine and dandy Mr. Finchem as far as the professional game is concerned. You’ve got young guys who have become multi-millionaires overnight (we don’t grudge them for that) and you have also made journeymen wealthy overnight (and

9 ASIAN GOLF

we also don’t grudge them for that). While the professional game is minting cash big time and while television ratings are trending upwards, the golf industry as a whole is not experiencing any noticeable sustainable gains. Based on reliable tracking agencies, golf courses continue to struggle and slip into closures in America, Europe and Australia. Rounds are not showing signs of perking up. Golf equipment and accessories are not flying off the shelves and amidst all of this gloom, the industry shows very little signs of springing itself out of the present moribund state that it is in. It is very heartening indeed to see major equipment players stepping up to the 2016 launch-pad to introduce their new products. The products are terrific but the usual pomp and fanfare associated with

product launches has been very subdued (at least out here in Asia). Every equipment manufacturer that we speak to is being guardedly cautious and there is a total avoidance of the use of superlatives to describe business trends in 2016. The best that we have heard is that the market is going to remain “soft” and rather than editorialise and inject an opinion on this description, we’d leave it to you to draw your own conclusions. In conclusion, there seems to be a total disconnect between the jubilation that Finchem is rejoicing over and the reality of business conditions on the ground, especially in Asia. While the professional game seems to be in good health, the game that all of us lesser mortals play, seems to be still suffocating and in dire need of a life-line that will revive it and get it back on track. Seems like a case of wishful thinking!

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SPECIAL FEATURE APGS 2015 WRAP-UP

APGS 2015 – Marches On To A New Drum Beat! To keep on doing something for nine years takes a lot of determination and endurance but to break away from the norm and execute something that is bold and gamechanging, takes courage and vision. In an industry that is generally regarded by many as being change averse, it is always encouraging to see an organization step out of the safety zone and challenge the unknown.

;OPZ PZ WYLJPZLS` ^OH[ [OL (ZPH 7HJPÄJ .VSM :\TTP[ KPK I` LTIYHJPUN H TVYL involved and participative format that drew active participation by attending delegates. (KVW[PUN H UL^ MVYTH[ [OH[ ^HZ IPSSLK HZ [OL ^VYSK»Z ÄYZ[ ¸;V^U /HSS +LIH[L¹ VU NVSM [OL Z\TTP[ ¸Å\ZOLK¹ [OL L]LU[ JSLHU VM H SVUN SPZ[ VM KPZWHYH[L ZWLHRLYZ HUK PUZ[LHK focused on a few best-of-breed industry gurus who performed an excellent job of sharing their vision for the future of the club management industry that was mixed in ^P[O PU]HS\HISL JVU[YPI\[PVUZ MYVT WYHJ[P[PVULYZ VM [OL WYVMLZZPVU ;OL ÄUHS V\[JVTL ¶ an outstandingly successful conference and the establishment of a new benchmark for golf conferences going forward.

PGS 2015 lived up to its preevent promotions which were all hinged on helping the club management profession in Asia scaling new heights of excellence. It was designed on the premise that change is not merely necessary to life but that change is life. 12

13 ASIAN GOLF

APGS 2015 was staged at the awardwinning Orchid Country Club in Singapore on October 14-15. The new format of APGS 2015, had the delegates riveted to their seats for the full one-and-a-half-day session as they listened intently to six dynamic speakers, arguably the best in the business, deliver their presentations with great style and passion.

Commenting on the new Town Hall Debate format, John Blanch, general manager of the award winning Thai Country Club said, “Hats off to the Asia Pacific Golf Group for the staging of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit – it was undoubtedly the best Summit yet! The speakers and topics were spot on. However the “game changer” was the “Town Hall Debate” style

ISSUE 182

It was definitely the most engaging conference on golf and club management and APGS 2015 has created a brand new template for golf business conferences from hereon and it will be the gold standard for all golf conferences going forward ... the industry needs excitement and it needs speakers who are focused and relevant to changes happening around the industry which is thirsting for new knowledge and dynamic ways to stay relevant and viable in a challenging business environment,” – 4PRL :LIHZ[PHU *,6 VM (ZPH 7HJPÄJ .VSM .YV\W

NOVEMBER 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE APGS 2015 WRAP-UP Hats off to the Asia Pacific Golf Group for the staging of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit – it was undoubtedly the best Summit yet! The speakers and topics were spot on. However the “game changer” was the “Town Hall Debate” style as it brought out many new ideas and the sharing of practices from the attendees. As ever the Gala Dinner and Awards Programme were a spectacle to behold.” – John Blanch, general manager of the award winning Thai Country Club I have spoken at many conferences and events all over the world, and I must say that you guys put together a very professional show – it’s truly a class act and I am proud to have been a part of APGS 2015 ” – Andrew Wood, the world renowned guru on marketing and the founder and president of Legendary Marketing

John Blanch (centre) during a Town Hall Debate session. as it brought out many new ideas and the sharing of practices from the attendees. As ever the Gala Dinner and Awards Programme were a spectacle to behold.” “For the first time, we did not see groups of delegates huddled outside the conference hall drinking coffee and chatting – for most of the duration of the Summit, everyone stayed in the conference hall and remained fixated to the spellbinding presentations of the best of the best gurus in the trade of marketing and golf club management,” declared Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia 14

15 ASIAN GOLF

Pacific Golf Group, the owner and producer of APGS 2015. The man who blasted APGS 2015 into orbit, the world class guru on service excellence, Andy Stangenberg, founder and president of Q-Principle Inc., had this to say about the Summit: “What a fantastic event. Top to bottom and the “buzz” was amazing. I got so many positive comments from the delegates, not only about the programme but about the entire event. CONGRATULATIONS to you and your team. You did it again!” Andrew Wood, the world renowned

guru on marketing and the founder and president of Legendary Marketing delivered a master-class presentation on how the club industry should adopt and engage with social networks like FaceBook. Wood is a strong advocate of FaceBook as a powerful marketing and promotions tool and he provided an effective road-map that golf clubs can adopt to become social mediasavvy. “I have spoken at many conferences and events all over the world, and I must say that you guys put together a very professional show – it’s truly a class act and I am proud to have been a part of APGS

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Andrew Wood speaks about marketing and promoting clubs through social media.

NOVEMBER 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE APGS 2015 WRAP-UP

2015,” said Wood. The managing director of Wingolf, the distributor for PING golf equipment in Southeast Asia, Steven Hsu was ecstatic in his feedback on APGS 2015: “Kudos and kow-tows! What a great (another one) Summit! Superb organization! GREAT speakers with much needed messages and a FABULOUS awards evening!” James Cronk, president of the Cronk Group who was one of the speakers at APGS 2015 said, “Loved the new format that s, operators and managers the gave owners,

Tenniel Chu, Mission Hills Golf Club. 16

17 ASIAN GOLF

chance to ask questions and discuss best practices with their peers and the expert speakers! It added a whole new level of learning and I think this could be the new structure going forward for the Asian golf industry! Also wanted to compliment you on the first-class awards show! To see so many influential people in golf in one room was truly awe-inspiring and it’s evident that the whole community, including APGG, is doing so much for growing golf in Asia. Well done and can’t wait to see what APGG has in store for the future!”

The kudos keep pouring in, all positive and supportive of APGS 2015 and its new format. “Hats off to the Asia Pacific Golf Group for yet another successful staging of the APGS and Gala Awards 2015! As usual, the team produced a spectacular show and brought golf education and awards to a whole new level. You guys are all ‘A’ stars,” was how Ms. Kong Ai Lin of Malaysia’s award-winning Kota Permai Golf and Country Club described APGS 2015. “It was definitely the most engaging manage ma g ment ge conference on golf and club management

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NOVEMBER 2015

_ James Cronk

Loved the new format that gave owners, operators and managers the chance to ask questions and discuss best practices with their peers and the expert speakers! It added a whole new level of learning and I think this could be the new structure going forward for the Asian golf industry! Also wanted to compliment you on the first-class awards show! To see so many influential people in golf in one room was truly awe-inspiring and it’s evident that the whole community, including APGG, is doing so much for growing golf in Asia. Well W done and can’t wait to see what APGG has in store for the future!” – James Cronk, preside president of the Cronk Group

_ Bill Sanderson

SPECIAL FEATURE APGS 2015 WRAP-UP Kudos and kow-tows! What a great (another one) Summit! Superb organization! GREAT speakers with much needed messages and a FABULOUS awards evening!” – Steven Hsu, managing director of Wingolf and APGS 2015 has created a brand new template for golf business conferences from hereon and it will be the gold standard for all golf conferences going forward – a conference of this kind does not require a bus-load of diverse, mediocre speakers – the industry needs excitement and it needs speakers who are focused and relevant to changes happening around the industry which is thirsting for new knowledge and dynamic ways to stay relevant and viable in a challenging business environment,” explained Sebastian. When any undertaking is pulled off with great style and aplomb, it very rarely goes

unnoticed – this was the case with APGS 2015. Quick to comment was Stacey Walton, managing director of GLS Asia Limited who said, “I have personally attended eight chapters of the Asia Pacific Golf Conference and this year’s concept was much more engaging and rewarding because it was intimate and inspiring. I enjoyed that we could openly share our experiences as club managers, express opinions and were able to contribute towards the industry moving forward with ideas. As a delegate, I felt that I belonged at the conference and most of all I was inspired by the outstanding guest speakers, presentations which helped me to

stop, think and have a health check on my leadership and professional development. I took away a variety of new perspectives on life and our industry because the World is changing and we need to keep ahead or you will be left behind. A compelling message from the creators of this great conference that I encourage everyone to attend“. Echoing Walton’s observations was Stuart Daly, executive director of GLS Asia Limited who said, "The Asia Pacific Golf Summit changed tack this year in Singapore by introducing the Town Hall debate style of presentations. I found this to be much more

Brad Burgess `

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NOVEMBER 2015

I have personally attended eight chapters of the Asia Pacific Golf Conference and this year’s concept was much more engaging and rewarding because it was intimate and inspiring. I enjoyed that we could openly share our experiences as club managers, express opinions and were able to contribute towards the industry moving forward with ideas. As a delegate, I felt that I belonged at the conference and most of all I was inspired by the outstanding guest speakers presentations which helped me to stop, think and have a health check on my leadership and professional development. I took away a variety of new perspectives on life and our industry because the World is changing and we need to keep ahead or you will be left behind. A compelling message from the creators of this great conference that I encourage everyone to attend.” – Stacey Walton, managing director of GLS Asia Limited

_ Stacey Walton talks about Third -party management

_ Andy Stangenberg addressing the delegates about the importance of coaching.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – Alvin Toffler

SPECIAL FEATURE APGS 2015 WRAP-UP

Jonathan Tomlinson during a Town Hall Debate session.

This was my 5th Summit and probably the most rewarding thus far. The line-up of speakers was excellent and all offered unique, entertaining presentations with useable and specific content that delegates are going to be able to implement in their respective areas of discipline. Once again thank you for all your contributions to the industry over the past 9 years and beyond. To be able to pull such a diverse range of cultures together to create vocational summits and awards that have become the measure of the industry is an outstanding achievement and you know what; you’re the only one who has been able to do it! I was thinking that next year will be the Summit’s 10th anniversary and I will be sure to save the date in my diary as soon as it’s released.” – Jonathan Tomlinson, Director of Golf Operations for IMG Golf

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NOVEMBER 2015

The 2015 Asian Golf Summit was a truly memorable and inspiring experience for all of us once again.The "Town Hall Debate" format of the summit was particularly interesting as it encouraged a very lively and insightful exchange of views between the audience and the esteemed speakers. It provided a productive environment in which guests and speakers were encouraged to challenge the norms and to view everyday issues from fresh and alternative perspectives. It was a very enlightening experience, from which I am sure everyone attending gained a great deal.” – Harald Elisson, general manager of Black Mountain Golf Club informative whilst also being less formal. It was great to see the audience participation in all topics over the couple of days. The APGS has become a "must go" to event for us in the Asia Pacific Golf industry as it is a melting pot of characters, ideas and best practices from which we can all benefit. One of the Asia Pacific’s most highly respected golf club general manager is Harald Ellison of the award-winning Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand who said, “The 2015 Asian Golf

Summit was a truly memorable and inspiring experience for all of us once again. The "Town Hall Debate" format of the summit was particularly interesting as it encouraged a very lively and insightful exchange of views between the audience and the esteemed speakers. It provided a productive environment in which guests and speakers were encouraged to challenge the norms and to view everyday issues from fresh and alternative perspectives. It was a very enlightening experience, from which I

am sure everyone attending gained a great deal.” “Our new format and our focused message and the high quality of our speakers have again proved that APGS will continue to remain successful going forward and it will continue to work at improving always!” Sebastian added. Work has started on the next edition of APGS and the new venue will be in another Southeast Asian capital. Details will be forthcoming in the early weeks of 2016.

“The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn.” – George Bernard Shaw

SPECIAL FEATURE Gary Player

There is absolutely no doubt Gary Player is a legend in his own time. The most successful international golfer of all time, Player has achieved the kind of worldwide acclaim reserved for only a handful of sporting greats.

e is, quite simply, world class. Player is renowned as much for his dedication to the principles of excellence as he is for his golfing accomplishments. He is recognized worldwide as an uncompromising perfectionist who settles for nothing but the best. His impeccable set of values, stringent regimen of health and fitness, and insistence on quality, have earned him admiration the world over. November 1, 2015 marks Player’s 80th birthday and the Asia Pacific Golf Group is paying a special tribute to a great golfer, an outstanding sportsman, an incredible businessman and a wonderful human being. Any man who counts the “Holy Bible” as his favourite book and who observes a strict diet comprised of fruit, vegetables, and raw almonds has to be respected and held in the highest of esteem. To mark his reaching a milestone

25 ASIAN GOLF

of eighty healthy and productive years, Player accorded ASIAN GOLF an exclusive interview and we are now proud to bring you the full interview. Happy Birthday Mr. Player!

ASIAN GOLF: As the saying goes, you’ve certainly come a long way Gary. Would you agree that you have led a blessed life? Gary Player: Every morning when I wake up, I make sure to say thanks for everything God has given me in my life. He loaned me the talent to become a world champion. I have been blessed with an incredible family. But it was not an easy path. My mother died of cancer when I was a child and my father worked in the gold mines, so times were hard early on. I am truly thankful for everything and every person in my life. AG: Recalling your early years as a young professional golfer, times

were tough back then. But you persevered and overcame the challenges and beat the obstacles that confronted you. These must have been some lessons in life that have stood you well over the years? GP: I certainly did not have a private jet by the time I was 25. Life as a professional golfer in the 1950s was completely different than today. To travel to a tournament from South Africa to America took more than 40 hours. And eventually I was traveling with six young children, a tutor and two nannies. Can you imagine how many diapers that is per trip? And when my family did not come with me, it was difficult being away from them for long periods of time. Perhaps my biggest challenge was overcoming the scrutiny of South Africa’s Apartheid era. Unfortunately, I was guilty by association which made playing in foreign

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SPECIAL FEATURE Gary Player countries much more difficult. But I did everything in my power to make a difference to push for change in the great country of South Africa.

AG: The incredible trio of Jack, Arnie and you has sustained the test of time and it is a tremendous source of inspiration for everyone to see all three of you leading active and productive lives. What is it that you three gentlemen have in common that keeps you going like the proverbial Everyready Bunny? GP: Simple, our wives. Vivienne Player, Winnie Palmer and Barbara Nicklaus are the real Big Three of golf. Our wives are our inspiration and the main reason we were so successful. They did so many things for us, it is impossible to mention them all. AG: Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about the state of golf today. All we read about is the slow and gradual decline of golf on a global scale. This must sadden you because given your positive outlook towards everything in life, you always seek out the bright side. Is there a bright side to the decline of golf? GP: The professional game of golf has never been healthier. In a few weeks one player will win US$10 million and be set for life. Great sponsors like Rolex and SAP makes this possible and help keep fans interested. The trouble and decline of golf lies within the amateur game. It is no secret rounds are down. Your typical public golf course is becoming so long, it takes hours and hours to play a four-ball. We need to keep coming up with creative ideas that will enhance the game for younger players and make them want to go tee it up more often. Continued on page 28

27 ASIAN GOLF

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onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let his slight physique fool you. In his sockless feet, he almost clears 1.7 metres in height. But he makes up for this with the power and performance that has gone down the annals of golf as being nothing short of being legendary. I remember back in 2009 when Gary Player was an honoured guest at the Asia Pacific Golf Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he literally lifted up a lady with just one hand. Now, is this sheer strength or what! Way before athletes paid attention to staying fit all year round, Player was already committed to being physically fit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not just fit but supremely fit. His exercise regimen is as legendary as himself and this is what has enabled the octogenarian to accumulate nine major championships on the regular tour and six on the Champions Tour as well as three Senior British Open Championships on the European Senior Tour. The stylish professional who has always shown a preference for the colour black in his choice of apparel, won the 1965 U.S. Open at the age of 29. He became the only non-American to win all four majors, known as the career Grand Slam, and became only the third golfer in history to

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win it following Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. Since then, only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have won the Career Grand Slam. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six decades and was inducted into the World Golf Hall Of Fame in 1974. The Asia Pacific Golf Group inducted Player into the Asia Pacific Golf Hall Of Fame in 2011. Born in the South African city of Johannesburg, the globe-trotting Player has logged more than 25 million kilometres (15 million miles) in travel, which is more than any other athlete. The charismatic Player answers to many famous nicknames, the best known being the Black Knight, Mr. Fitness, and the International Ambassador of Golf. Player is also a renowned golf course architect with more than 325 design projects on five continents throughout the world. He has also authored or co-written 36 golf books. As a pay-back to golf, he operates The Player Foundation, which has a primary objective of promoting underprivileged education around the world. In 1983, The Player Foundation established the Blair Atholl Schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has educational facilities for more than 500 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Mike Sebastian

SPECIAL FEATURE Gary Player AG: Are the gate-keepers of the game doing enough to help arrest the decline and set the game back on track? GP: The leading organizations in golf, The R&A and the USGA, do a marvelous job but can always do more for the game. We need to put more money back in the amateur game. It’s so expensive for your average person to play on a decent course. They also see the big hitters on Tours drive the ball nearly 400 yards, and that’s all they practice. No one can do that on a consistent basis and so the game becomes more frustrating. There is too much marketing for power and distance. Not only that but they forget to practice their short game, and golf becomes much more difficult. AG: Is the industry doing enough to attract youngsters to the game of golf and is enough being done to retain those who give golf a try? GP: We need to build more short courses that can be played in an hour or two and not cost hundreds of dollars to play. More nine-hole golf courses. I have to believe there are many kids and parents out there

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that think golf is too expensive or is too time consuming to take up as a hobby. We have had great champions like Lee Trevino and Jason Day did not come from country club backgrounds. There is untapped talent all over the world. We just need to put clubs in as many hands as possible.

AG: In this regard, it is most heartening to note that you will be leading the South African Golf Team to the Rio Olympics. The team could not have asked for a better cheerSLHKLY TV[P]H[VY HUK ÄNO[LY [V SLHK it. Your thoughts? GP: It was a great honour to be appointed captain of South Africa’s first Olympic golf team. We are a small country, but continue to produce some of the best players in the world. I am proud to help represent the team next year in Brazil. AG: Do you think that the reintroduction of golf to the Olympics will deliver the much needed shot-in-thearm for golf and get it cranked up? GP: Absolutely. How can it not? Golf is becoming more of a global game every day.

Especially in countries like China and India, which is reflected in the President’s Cup this year. I know all of the players are excited to represent their countries on the biggest stage in sports.

AG: Let’s shift gears and discuss golf course design. Has this end of the industry reached a stage where the time is right for the introduction of a new genre of golf courses that are easier to play and courses that are TVYL JVZ[ LɉJPLU[ [V THPU[HPU& GP: The time is right and the time is now. First, the earth is running out of our most precious resource, water. It is far too expensive to maintain extremely long courses without significantly increasing the cost of memberships. Amateurs need to learn the game on courses that are appropriate for their skill level. Gary Player Design is already part of this movement. Currently, we are designing several short-courses around the world. AG: What are your thoughts on shorter courses; more par-three courses; more courses to take on shorter games - will this be the elixir that golf needs to get healthy again?

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Amateurs need to learn the game on courses that are appropriate for their skill level. Gary Player Design is already part of this movement. Currently, we are designing several short-courses around the world.â&#x20AC;? GP: The majority of golf shots are played from less than 100 yards. To lower your handicap and become a better player, you must practice your short game more than how far you can drive the ball. I believe that training and playing on short courses will greatly increase the amount of rounds being played today. AG: What are your thoughts on the professional game - there has been a changing of the guards and the new young guns seem to be a bunch of very level-headed and family-friendly type guys. How do you feel about this? Is the future of golf in good, young hands? GP: The professional game is so healthy right now. I have been so pleased to see players like Rory McIlory, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth show respect to the game. Rickie was out at the crack of dawn at The Masters this year to watch Jack, Arnold and I tee off even though his teetime was much later in the day. Doing little things like that makes a difference to us and to fans. So, when I think about those guys and the other young ones coming up, I will say the future of the professional game is in tremendous and capable hands. AG: Are todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professionals being paid too much? GP: They chose to be in an extremely competitive profession where they are able to make a lot of money if they are successful. It takes countless hours of training and sacrifice to get to the top level. However, I do think some of their prize money should be donated back to the development of junior golf. A small percentage from every professional on the PGA and European Tours would make a huge difference. AG: As a parting shot, what is your vision for the future of golf going forward? GP: For golf to grow as a global game so it can make a difference in the lives of every person on the planet.

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EQUIPMENT FOCUS Power Clubs From Srixon

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t pop-quiz time. Who is Srixon and how much of t’s a force is this brand in golf? Many golf consumers are not aware that Srixon, a Japanese company has a b been iin the h business of making golf balls since 1930. It is the sports arm of the giant Sumitomo Rubber Industries, the owner of Dunlop Tyres. In case you didn’t know, it is also the fourth biggest golf company in the world and has been making golf balls for over 80 years. They were the pioneers of Balata Balls and produced most of the most successful balls in this category. That’s quite an impressive pedigree and it has since emerged as the world’s leading developer of golf ball technology - with over 700 patents taken out worldwide. In its search for maximum performance Srixon developed the world’s first perimeter weighted balls and an Energetic Gradient Growth Core. Major advances were made in club technology too - particularly in optimising club-head design to deliver the longest drives. Srixon’s pioneering analysis of ball and club impact has been fundamental to the success of its club and ball development.

eck, you better believe it! It’s so good that current LPGA world number one, Inbee Park depends on Srixon to stay ahead of the pack. And it’s just not Park who relies on Srixon – the list of players who place their trust on Srixon on the world’s professional tours is supreme validation on the power of the brand - http://srixon.com/tour/ It’s not often that ASIAN GOLF does a review on Japanese equipment. It’s not because we have anything against Japanese brands – it’s just that we don’t get a chance to lay our hands on the equipment. Our policy has always been one that if we don’t get to physically try clubs, we don’t write about the products. But that’s all set to change and the first major brand to reach out to us has been Srixon who are now very well represented in the region by the giant Japanese golf conglomerate, Leonian. And the first new product from Srixon on deck is the new Z355 driver. When the driver, was delivered, the one feature that caught our attention was a label that read “Action Mass Technology”. What’s that we wondered?

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Power Clubs From Srixon Is it about game improvement because everything that relates to club technology these days is about getting golfers to improve their game. Surprisingly, we hit the nail on its head! “AMT” basically bulks up the club head which in turn helps a golfer seeking game-improvement by combining more weight in the club head and raising the balance point of the shaft. Apparently, this combination works to give greater stability to the head and transfers more kinetic energy to the ball at impact for longer and more accurate shots. That makes sense! According to Srixon, AMT is a technology that the company has researched extensively and working together with Japanese shaft maker Miyazaki, they have been able to push the limits of graphite shafts to realise the ultra-high balance point and stable mid-section for maximum efficiency and control. AMT also enhances swing speeds to ensure that the Z355 driver delivers maximum performance. Another feature that works together with AMT is something that Srixon calls the “Ti Booster Cup Face” – this feature is said to provide an enlarged sweet spot which ensures that speed is transferred across the whole club face.

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When the Z355 was put to the test, we discovered that while the club head had more mass, it really did not feel heavier. How come? Well, according to Srixon while the head-weight is heavier, the trick lies with the Miyazaki shaft. Through some brilliant engineering, the wall thickness and profile of the shaft has been transformed into a speed-obsessed, ultra-high balance point shaft that maintains its stability for maximum speed transfer and control. It would please many golfers to note that the Z355 is designed to help those with average swing speeds to produce longer and, more importantly, more consistent results. The essence of AMT is increased head weight with a lighter, ultra-high-balance point shaft. Another interesting feature about the Z355 is its “tuneability” – the driver provides 12 different adjustable options over loft, lie and face angle. How does it feel to hit the Z355 driver? Well, to start with the sound generated off its Titanium Cup face was very re-assuring. The launch angle was midhigh and this sent the ball hurtling way past some of the other big name brands that we happened to be testing at the same time. All told, the Z355 driver from Srixon is a serious contender in the game improve-

ment category and we will not hesitate to recommend it to be placed in the bag of any golfer who seeks game improvement tools. Next in line were the Z355 fairway woods and hybrids. Like the driver, these clubs also utilize the “Action Mass Technology” and have been designed with low profile shaped heads which help flight the ball from the fairway or rough with a draw to neutral bias. As game improvement clubs, they offer greater distance and more forgiveness. And speak about user friendliness – these clubs are made to fall in love with! The final clubs in the Z355 family are the irons which also feature Action Mass Technology to increase ball speed and forgiveness. The 5-7 irons in the set are of a two-piece construction that feature a stronger, thinner face material to help create a bigger trampoline effect at impact for more distance. The short irons are of one piece construction that allows for even gapping through the set. The irons are lightweight and should work well for older golfers to attain faster swing speeds. If you’ve not played with Srixon clubs, now would be the time to start. The Z355 range are winners all the way!

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Scotty Cameron Futura X7 | X7M Putters

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Master craftsman Scotty Cameron has launched his brand new Futura X7 and X7M putters. Arguably the putter of choice for the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best players, Cameronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest line of scoring clubs utilize innovative face-sole core technology with advanced perimeter weighting. This has been designed to increase stability and forgiveness throughout the stroke, while providing easy alignment and a soft, sure feel.

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Scotty Cameron Futura X7 | X7M Putters

he creative genius of the master craftsman has manifested itself once again in the brand new Scotty Cameron Futura X7 and X7M putters. Arguably the putter of choice for the game’s best players, Cameron’s latest line of scoring clubs utilize innovative face-sole core technology with advanced perimeter weighting. This has been designed to increase stability and forgiveness throughout the stroke, while providing easy alignment and a soft, sure feel. The Futura X7 and X7M deliver high-MOI performance – resistance to twisting during the stroke – through advanced perimeter weighting. “The motivation behind Futura X always has been to help golfers make a more stable, more balanced, more consistent, more confident stroke,” Cameron said. “We’ve enhanced those benefits with X7 and X7M through larger, multi-material constructions that make alignment simple. For the golfer, that translates into higher MOI for stability, a bigger sweet spot for forgiveness, easier alignment for a more confident setup, and a better, softer feel.” Futura X7 is a large, modern wingback mallet (approximately 10 percent larger than the Futura X5) with horizontal and vertical sight lines, while Futura X7M offers a unique pop-through bar-back mallet design for additional MOI and stability. (The “M” in X7M stands for “MOI.”) Futura X7M Dual Balance combines the X7M head style with tour-proven Dual Balance technology for maximum stability in a non-anchored stroke.

The motivation behind Futura X always has been to help golfers make a more stable, more balanced, more consistent, more confident stroke.”

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Each Futura X7 model features a lightweight aluminum face-sole core surrounded by a stainless steel frame. This multi-material construction delivers improved MOI for stability and forgiveness, while producing the softest sound and feel in the Futura X family.” Each Futura X7 model features a lightweight aluminum facesole core surrounded by a stainless steel frame. This multi-material construction delivers improved MOI for stability and forgiveness, while producing the softest sound and feel in the Futura X family. “The key feature is the two materials,” Cameron said. “Basically there are two constructions involved here. The feel and sound of the lightweight midsection are married together with the heavier surrounding heel, toe and back to be more forgiving, for better performance.” “With X7M I wanted a round shape with a crisp and sharp look for alignment. X7 and X7M have a lot of the same features but the X7M is manipulated and made with a back weight for more MOI”, Cameron said. “Instead of having big ears and weights in the back, which some might call cumbersome, the bar on the back with the weights streamlines the shape. A few tour players also said shadowing on the course can sometimes affect sight lines, so on the X7M I raised the alignment lines and made them even longer.”

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EQUIPMENT FOCUS Callaway’s Apex Pro Irons & Hybrids

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t open season for the golf club equipment t’s iindustry! Virtually every company with a stake in tthis sector has been a busy bunny dashing around to ramp up to get new products out into the marketplace as quickly as they can. Some have jumped the gun and announced new product lines for 2016 as early as the third quarter of this year. Others are in a dash to grab whatever first-mover advantage they can get. Most of them will get their ballyhooing out before the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show flings open its doors in Orlando. The latest to jump aboard the hurtling 2016 express train with its air-horn blazing is Callaway Golf. The company has been very active in the past few weeks during which time, the Carlsbad-based golf powerhouse had a double-barrel launch of the “Great Big Bertha and “Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond” drivers and matching fairway woods. What seemed missing were new irons but this has since been addressed with the launch of a whole slew of new irons.

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Callaway’s Apex Pro Irons & Hybrids

The “Big Bertha” boys have hit the road running with a whole bunch of new irons under the “Apex” banner. The newbies are the Apex Pro Irons the and Apex Hybrids. The new clubs advance the Apex product line that Callaway regards as “establishing a new performance standard in the iron category” since it launched two years ago.

n the new Apex Irons, Callaway for the first time has precision engineered its industry-leading face cup technology into a forged iron to promote increased distance. This set also features a multi-piece construction with more offset in the longer irons, a more compact shape with less offset in shorter irons, and advanced forging for incredibly soft feel. The new Apex Pro Irons are a forged performance set built specifically for skilled players. They incorporate Tour influenced shaping and design with a classic look, progressive flow weighting that optimizes centre of gravity (CG) for playability and control, and soft feel that better players prefer. “We’re using tungsten, stainless steel, and air in various combinations throughout the set to control centre of gravity height while staying within that shape envelope that is defined for us by something close to the X-Forged ’13,” explained Dr. Alan Hocknell, senior vice president of R&D at Callaway Golf. Callaway’s Apex family is a forged product, which better players prefer in terms of appearance and feel. Callaway’s R&D department has built into its new Apex irons its cup face technology, which has also been a mainstay in its driver business. According to the company, the significance of the marriage of forged with cup face technology represents a major breakthrough. “A regular iron featuring no face technology would have a COR of about .78,” Hocknell explained and went on to add, “Our original Apex iron had a COR of about .80 region. Using the face cup you get the COR up to about .82 and there are no other forged irons that have that kind of ball speed capability. This is the first forged cup faced irons from anybody in the world, ever!” A new trend that is rapidly emerging in the golf club industry are hybrids designed to be pretty much like scoring irons. Callaway’s Apex Hybrid fits the bill and it has a longer, more iron-like blade length with a neutral centre of gravity bias, controlled ball flight, and workability from precision shaping. The new hybrids are also said to deliver high ball speeds from a

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forged face cup, and an “Internal Standing Wave” that helps move the centre of gravity for versatility on various shots. Previous Callaway hybrids were born of what you could call fairway DNA. Shaping, weight placement…from a total performance standpoint they play like mini fairway woods. “Apex is different. From shaping to weighting, it’s a Callaway hybrid designed to perform more like an iron,” said Hocknell. While not a unique concept, for Callaway the Apex hybrid represents a deviation from what’s more of a “hit it as far as you can and hope you control the roll” design specification to something that that offers a higher climbing ball flight and a steeper angle of descent. On the course that should translate to better stopping power on the green. All told, the new Apex irons and Hybrids are very playable clubs and like all game improvement equipment, should help at the scoring end for most golfers.

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ASIA REVEALED After 186 long years, the golf industry in Asia has been measured. Just imagine, for all this time, there has been no area-wide market research done especially in the giant land mass covering Southeast Asia. That’s one helluva long time to have kept an industry in a state of “ignorance”. This is all set to change – the age of enlightenment has arrived! ASIAN GOLF PROFILES, an ambitious market research project for the golf industry in Southeast Asia is out. Conducted on-line for over three months and based on a solid sample base of 1200 respondents, ASIAN GOLF PROFILES provides highly useful and relevant market intelligence on the demographics and psychographics of golfers throughout Southeast Asia. It covers a wide data spectrum highlighting almost everything you need to know about golfers, their life-styles, the number of rounds they play, their preferred brands, their travel habits, ownership of luxury good and products – ASIAN GOLF PROFILES is a one-stop source for everything relating to golfers’ demographics and psychographics and there’s nothing on the market to match it.

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For enquiries and place of order, please contact Alice Ho, e-mail: DOLFH#DVLDSDFLŵFJROIJURXS FRP DOLFH#DVLDS S or call +65 63232800

SPECIAL FEATURE The Young Stars

Tiger was supreme during his reign as world number one and while there was a spectre of challenge around, he really did not have to burn himself out to stay on top.â&#x20AC;?

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harks have very few natural predators. As lethal hunters, the creatureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senses are highly developed and efficient. Sharks are loners and there is no other social structure than survival of the fittest. For this special report, ASIAN GOLF has elected to use sharks as a theme upon which to build a comparison between sharks and the new crop of young golfers who dominate the professional tours, especially the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest which is the PGA Tour of America.

SPECIAL FEATURE The Young Stars

BROOKS KOEPKA

HIDEKI MATSUYAMA

JASON DAY

ince that report was published the game’s new young guns have ridden into town with their six-shooters blazing and metaphorically speaking, have run out of town those who used to be icons of the last two decades. With their polished play, totally irreverent bravado and hell-bent swagger, the freshfaced superstars of the modern game have declared their arrival on the professional stage of golf. The big question on everyone’s lips is whether these youngsters are going to have the staying power of a Tiger Woods. This is the sixty-four dollar question! But before we tackle this fascinating poser, let us check out who are the young trigger-happy gunslingers who have shot their way to fame. Collectively, there are eleven players who range in age from 22 years to 31 years old who have pulled off a heist involving more than US$60 million just this year alone (as of October 6, 2015).

The guys who have held up some of the top golf tournaments in the world to ride off with this staggering booty include a bunch of fellows who by most measures would still be considered wet behind the ears and not quite ready to live on their own, let alone be marauding high stakes golf tournaments! Inside of two years, these young players have become multi-millionaires and at the rate that they are going, it would not be improbable to think that they are well on their way to setting themselves up for life! The players are Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed, Ricky Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger, Danny Lee, Robert Streb, Kevin Kisner and Dustin Johnson. As we see it, these are the youngsters who are going to dominate the game in the months ahead. Back to the earlier poser - do they all possess the stamina, endurance and staying-power to be at the top of the table as long as Tiger Woods? Without hesitation,

S 46

ROBERT STREB

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RORY MCLLROY

we will declare here and now that none of the young guns will be able to match Tiger’s dominance of the professional game. The reason we think so is because Tiger was, and perhaps still is, an exceptional athlete, maybe the greatest athlete of the last half of the 20th Century and the first half of the 21st Century. In our books, Tiger is a “hybrid” athlete who has all of the exceptional qualities of his mixed ethnicity. His African heritage has imbued upon him the power and physical strength that athletes from that Continent have been known for. His Thai heritage, has instilled in him the qualities of patience and the power of meditation and the natural ferocity of the Thai people as seen in their martial arts. When blended together with his all-American upbringing and his Stanford education, which has undoubtedly equipped him to understand the science of sports and sports psychology to the fullest and to take optimum advantage of what this can do for his performance and his game. To draw from

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PATRICK REED

DANIEL BERGER KEVIN KISNER

DANNY LEE

JORDAN SPIETH

RICKY FOWLER

DUSTIN JOHNSON

Inside of two years, these young players have become multi-millionaires and at the rate that they are going, it would not be improbable to think that they are well on their way to setting themselves up for life! The players are Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed, Ricky Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger, Danny Lee, Robert Streb, Kevin Kisner and Dustin Johnson.â&#x20AC;? genealogy, Tiger has been well bred. It is also a well-known fact that Tiger was very focused with his training regimen and stayed on top of it always. This takes a lot of sacrifice, determination and dedication and one wonders if this discipline is an attribute that the new stars possess. It must also be noted that Tiger reigned at a period in time where he was virtually

unchallenged. He was the new star. He was incredibly young. He set the pace and tone of the professional game. He brought discipline and physical fitness to a game that was not known to demand peak physical fitness from the players with the exception of perhaps golfers like Gary Player and Vijay Singh. Tiger was supreme during his reign as

world number one and while there was a spectre of challenge around, he really did not have to burn himself out to stay on top. However, with the current crop of youngsters, no one player seems to have an edge. Whatever lead that is enjoyed at the top of the world ranking is razor thin and it looks like the stage is set for frequent flip-flopping of the leadership position.

SPECIAL FEATURE The Young Stars The pace is without doubt going to be extreme and frenetic and just to stay abreast of the pack is going to require the current bunch of youngsters to dig deep, really deep to stay sharp. This makes us wonder whether they have what It takes to stay perpetually competitive and to keep the winning flame of victory constantly burning. It is going to be very similar to a shark feeding frenzy and it’s going to become a no-holds barred, free-for-all brawl. There is going to be no compassion shown. While a gentlemanly decorum may exist for the cameras, rest assured that there will be no respect for one another. It will be man-o-mano. A fight to the death! From a fans’ point of view this is going to transform into a highly exciting spectacle to watch but it’s going to be a drain on the nerves of the gladiators and the toll is going to be huge. Just look at what has happened to Rory McIlroy - he had a good stint as world number one and looked like the best pretender for the throne but he has since lost the swagger and cool confidence that he had when he first ascended to Tiger’s throne. In the past few weeks, he has looked ordinary and it is left to be seen whether he is emotionally hungry enough to put up a gallant fight to mix it with the rest of the ravenous pack. Of the new guys, Spi-

eth and Day seem to have the moxie and want to fight the good fight. The Texan, although deceptive in looks, has proven that he is game for a bloody dust-up. In contrast, Day is a street-fighter, and like a restrained pit-bull on a leash, looks like he wants to go straight for the jugular and get the job done. This augurs well for the future of the professional game and hopefully for the much needed television ratings to keep the game in the public eye the way Tiger kept golfing fans enthralled and fixated to the tube during his reign. Golf fans the world over watched Tiger for the pure spectacle of the privilege of seeing a master at work. He was a one-man act and it did not matter if he was engaged in a duel with another player. He was entertaining theatre on his own. Whereas, with the young guns who are currently soaring high, It is going to be a different theatre - it’s going to be an arena of punchups between a handful of athletes who play hard with aspirations to dominate at the top of the game. It is going to be a theatre of drama, mayhem and pain with change being a constant. It will be a shark tank with bloody battles fought out all of next year and beyond before we see the ultimate “Great White” of professional golf emerge as the dominant alpha male of the sport. Meantime, let’s just sit back, watch and be entertained!

Tiger was, and perhaps still is, an exceptional athlete, maybe the greatest athlete of the last half of the 20th Century and the first half of the 21st Century. In our books, Tiger is a “hybrid” athlete who has all of the exceptional qualities of his mixed ethnicity. His African heritage has imbued upon him the power and physical strength that athletes from that Continent have been known for.” 48

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FASHION TREND FootJoy GTxtreme Golf Glove

If you thought that FootJoy had hit its peak with golf glove technology, you’ve seen nothing yet! The world leader in golf gloves has just raised the ante by introducing its new GTxtreme golf glove, which according to Timothy Yoong, regional brand manager for Southeast (ZPH PZ HSS HIV\[ [OL ¸UL_[ SL]LS VM MLLS Ä[ ÅL_ HUK MVYT¹

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he GTxtreme represents the latest innovation in high-tech performance in golf gloves. Boasting several exclusive, performance-enhancing technologies, the new GTxtreme glove offers exceptional fit, flex, feel and form in all weather conditions. The lightweight GTxtreme glove incorporates an exclusive FiberSof MicroTAC™ palm that provides a smoother feel with advanced Taction® Grip for extremely durable and reliable performance in all playing conditions. The exclusive FiberSofTM material on the back of the hand and fingers of the glove combines with special LYCRA® FLX Zones to form a unique FJ Exoskeleton™ bonded construction for advanced comfort, breathability and contoured fit. Using specifically-designed FLX ZonesTM along the back of the hand, the GTxtreme glove also delivers a natural, flexible movement for the golfer, while

NOVEMBER 2015

With the new colours now being offered coupled with the new special bonding construction technique, the GTxtreme is now an even better product than before.” – Timothy Yoong maintaining a secure and consistent grip on the club. A moisture-wicking Wrist Elastic Cuff, plus a 3-Directional angled tab closure, also improves fit and comfort when playing. “The GTxtreme epitomizes the top performance from the #1 Glove in Golf and offers several innovative design and material technologies that will appeal to golfers playing in all types of conditions,” said Maria Bonzagni, senior director of marketing, FJ Gloves and Accessories. “Thanks also to the impressive comfort, look and durability of the glove, the GTxtreme should be a favourite with those playing regularly week

in, week out at their golf club.” “The GTXtreme has been one of our bestselling gloves for a very long time and for a very good reason. Golfers using this glove have found it to be of exceptional value with its combination of superior grip performance, extremely comfortable fit and outstanding durability. With the new colours now being offered coupled with the new special bonding construction technique, the GTxtreme is now an even better product than before” said Yoong. The gloves are now available in better golf stores throughout the region.

SPECIAL FEATURE Wilson Staff | FG Tour F5™ Line

.VSM»Z JLU[LUHYPHU >PSZVU :[HɈ PZ HSS JYHURLK \W HUK YLHK` [V YVSS V\[ ^OH[ JV\SK WVZZPIS` IL P[Z TVZ[ JVTWYLOLUZP]L WHYHKL VM UL^ WYVK\J[Z PU X\P[L ZVTL [PTL ;OL O\UKYLK `LHY VSK JVTWHU` PZ ^LSS VU P[Z ^H` ^P[O HU PTWYLZZP]L HYYH` VM NVSM JS\IZ [OH[ WSHJL ZWLJPHS LTWOHZPZ VU NHTL PTWYV]LTLU[ ^OPJO PZ [OL IPN I\aa PU [OL NVSM PUK\Z[Y`

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SPECIAL FEATURE Wilson Staff | FG Tour F5™ Line

ilson Staff is not a brand name that is particularly given to a lot of hype which is quite something in an industry that has a tendency to get up on the soap-box and do a lot of chest banging especially when bringing out new products to the marketplace. Since it has re-emerged onto the big stage of golf since it was rescued from Pepsi-Co (yes, the soda pop guys), the company has been slowly but surely regaining its feet in an industry that it once dominated. Wilson Staff has more majors wins than any other brand in the golf equipment business – to be precise, players using Wilson Staff clubs have won a total of 61 majors. It is kicking off its 2016 new product campaign with the launch of a full range of clubs that are bound to excite golfers. The first release is the new FG Tour F5™ line – a full range of clubs that offer designs geared to suit the eye of the better player while providing game improvement technology to help compliment anyone’s game. Each of the FG Tour F5 woods and hybrids embodies Fast Fit™ technology, which, according to Wilson Staff is the lightest, easiest to-use adjustable hosel system on the market while the F5 irons feature Speed Sole technology in the long and mid irons to generate added distance while still maintaining the soft feel of 8620 forged steel. “Our product design starts and ends with the player in mind and even the best players want to manage and minimize their miss-hits as much as possible” said Global Director of Innovation Michael Vrska. Let’s start the walk-through by checking out the FG Tour F5 driver – it is offered in two lofts, each featuring six loft settings and three adjustable sole weights to allow players to attain their ideal launch angle, ball speed and spin rate. Wilson Advisory Staff PGA Tour players heavily influenced and refined the deep face, 460cc head during its developmental stages. A stand-out feature is the “Green Means GO!” Fast Fit technology that allows players to make quick adjustments by eliminating the need to remove the club head from the shaft. An interchangeable weight placed low and close to the face decreases spin while maintaining an optimal launch for maximum distance. Reactive Face™ technology features variable thicknesses to maximize response and ball speeds at every spot on the face. A 54

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ISSUE 182

The new FG Tour F5™ line – a full range of clubs that offer designs geared to suit the eye of the better player while providing game improvement technology to help compliment anyone’s game.” chemically-etched crown reduces weight where it does not benefit the golfer to be repositioned elsewhere in the head to lower centre of gravity and increase moment of inertia. Next in line are the FG Tour F5 Fairway Woods. These clubs feature Carpenter Custom 455 maraging steel faces and the company’s Fast Fit technology which lead to maximum distance and optimized ball flight. The premium Carpenter Custom 455 maraging stainless steel face creates a thin, hot, high CT face for increased ball speeds and longer distances. Like the FG Tour driver, the “Green Means GO!” Fast Fit technology allows players to make quick adjustments by eliminating the need to remove the club head from the shaft. Three loft models are available, each including a 6-way adjustable hosel for precise ball trajectory. The interchangeable weight placed low and close to the face decreases spin while maintaining an optimal launch for maximum distance. Complementing the FG Tour Fairway Woods are the FG Tour F5 Hybrids which also feature a Carpenter Custom 455 maraging steel face, combined with Fast Fit technology and an improved head design. This results in maximum distance and versatility in the FG Tour F5 hybrids. Larger volume on stronger lofted heads provides forgiveness on longer shots and the hybrids also incorporate the “Green Means GO!” Fast Fit™ technology. There are three models offering 3 loft and lie settings. The final clubs from Wilson Staff in the FG Tour F5 family are the irons. The FG Tour F5 irons feature the highly successful Speed Sole™ technology which debuted in the 2015 Hot List gold medal winning D200 irons.

NOVEMBER 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE Wilson Staff | FG Tour F5™ Line All of the FG Tour F5 family of clubs are designed in accordance to Wilson Staff’s Player Profiling System to meet the technology needs of every golfer. Defining players into three categories, Feel, Crossover and Distance, this system matches club features and benefits with individual playing styles.” The new FG Tour F5 irons deliver maximum distance for the player who still desires great feel, according to Wilson Staff and the end result is a crossover blend between forged feel and pure distance. The proven Speed Sole technology creates a thin face-to-sole transition that expands the sweet spot lower in the face for faster ball speeds and distance in the long and mid irons. The stabilizing bar provides support behind a thin, responsive face to allow for greater forgiveness while still maintaining shot workability. The cavity back head forged from 8620 carbon steel provides a combination of feel, feedback and forgiveness on miss-hits. All of the FG Tour F5 family of clubs are designed in accordance to Wilson Staff’s Player Profiling System to meet the technology needs of every golfer. Defining players into three categories, Feel, Crossover and Distance, this system matches club features and benefits with individual playing styles.

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EQUIPMENT FOCUS Titleist Fire-Power

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ISSUE 182

NOVEMBER 2015

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Titleist Fire-Power

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ISSUE 182

NOVEMBER 2015

This is what any market likes to hear and the golf market for equipment is no exception. Nobody wants to see new products just for the sake of it being new. Consumers want to see change. They demand innovation. They want new technology. They want better performance. And all of this and more is delivered with a huge dose of hubris by Titleist.

he brand has always been revered for its superior technology and performance especially in the hands of “serious” players. However, with this wagon-load of new products for 2016, there is a distinct and noticeable shift in how the clubs have been designed. Put simply, the technology engaged and the designs adopted have evidently been cleverly packaged by the company’s highly respected research and development scientists to provide ease of play and enjoyment for an avid golfer. In fact any golfer who wants to improve on his game. ASIAN GOLF presents an up-close look at each of the new clubs from a consumer’s perspective. The first to come under the scope is the 716 AP1 and AP2 irons. In the words of Titleist, these irons are “the longest, most forgiving Titleist irons ever!” The AP1 is designed for golfers seeking maximum distance and maximum forgiveness while the AP2 is Titleist’s most advanced players’ iron made even better for golfers seeking a tour-proven design with distance, feel and forgiveness. Both models have been engineered to create speed and launch for distance with maximum forgiveness to help all players improve their iron play. In short, golfers will be getting a double helping of distance with the new irons without sacrificing trajectory. “Remember, when it comes to good iron play, distance is still just one part of the equation. Distance control and accuracy are just as important, and that’s where forgiveness comes into play,” explained Dan Stone, vice president, Titleist Golf Club R&D. “We are the only company in this category using high density tungsten. You can make a club more forgiving just by making the club head larger, but golfers don’t always want that. Through our technology we have the best combination of low centre of gravity and high MOI in the game improvement category. What that means to the golfer is hitting the ball far enough to reach the green and stopping it close to the pin more often, and maintaining distance consistency

ta about the same time in 2013, Titleist, the flagship brand of Acushnet unveiled the 714 series of irons which bore the tried and tested AP1, AP2, CB v a and MB labels. In keeping with its traditional two-year product life cycle, the American manufacturer, known to produce golf equipment desired by the Am avid d golfer, lf has h again rolled out the latest iteration of its famous irons. However, what was really surprising this time around was the exuberance with which the company introduced its 2016 models. It tore away from its usual understated stance by releasing an entire buffet spread of new products which spread across four different product lines. The 2016 irons have been tagged as the “716” range which includes the AP1, AP2, the CB, the MB and the T-MB. Amidst this mix, Titleist has taken a bold decision to create a whole new family which it calls the 816. Bold because it is very obvious that the 816 range, a hybrid, is being taken out of the driver and woods segment and placed in a space all itsown. This is revolutionary!

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Titleist Fire-Power

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The new 816, with the silver head and black face, is a really cool looking hybrid. It’s really clean, really crisp. When I strike it, it shoots off the face nicely. It goes a little higher than my 915 hybrid, and a little bit further. If you’re going to hit it a little higher and further, ultimately that’s enough to make a golfer really pleased. When you mishit a hybrid, you need it to stay on line, still get up in the air and to still go far enough – and that’s what 816 does.” – Jordan Spieth and trajectory even when you hit it off centre.” Zach Johnson, the 2015 British Open champion and Titleist brand ambassador summed up the 716 by declaring, “With the new AP irons, there’s something for everybody. Bottom line is, you can get fitted and find something that, regardless of your handicap, is going to work. That’s just the way the technology is in these golf clubs.” Next on deck are the 716 CB and MB irons. These have been among the most played models on the PGA Tour for years. According to Titleist, 716 CB irons are the most high-tech cavity blades in the game. The technology that the company has added to the 716 CB puts this iron in a class by itself in terms of MOI and forgiveness, and makes it clearly stand out among traditional blade forgings. “It’s still a shot-maker’s club,” explained Stone who went on to add, “It’s still a pretty small blade, but it’s now also a very forgiving club. We’ve never had a tour player complain about getting more forgiveness. Everyone can benefit from ball speed on off centre hits.” Like the 716 CB, the 716 MB is also inspired by some of the world’s best shotmakers. It is a high muscle back design with a squarer toe, thin top-line and preworn leading edge that delivers maximum shot control with pure, forged muscle back feel, according to Titleist. “There’s quite a bit of CAD and engineering work that went into the new 716 MB. This is a very well-engineered muscle back blade,” Stone said. Brand ambassador Webb Simpson had the last word on the 716 MB: “The R&D team at Titleist always has the same goal of making things better. With MBs, it’s hard to improve the technology that much, but they’ve done it. It goes through the turf better. When I first got on

TrackMan with the 716s I was able to see how much more consistent they were. My spin rates were a lot tighter. Shot shape was better. I want to be able to hit the ball higher with more spin, but not lose any distance, and the new MBs were doing that for me.” That’s some solid validation on the 716 MB! Completing the line-up of irons is the 716 T-MB which is long and forgiving and a technically innovative iron for players who need high launch and long carry distance. Titleist reports that this iron delivers the most deceptively shocking performance result that a player can get versus what you are looking at, and according to Stone, “You look down and see a muscle-back and see the shape, and then all of a sudden after you hit this thing, it’s like, ‘Oh my God!’ You say to yourself that this is not exactly what I thought it was. It’s a lot easier to hit than it looks.” Adam Scott, a long-time Titleist brand ambassador weighed in on the 716 T-MB by stating, “What’s so important in a blade I believe is the sole and the leading edge. For me, I like that to be fairly sharp and fairly flat. Not too much bounce on it. You want that crisp feel in the turf. That’s what a muscle back has always been about. The new 716 certainly has that progressive blend through the set. It’s still very clean which is important but that toe shape is looking very neat and progressive through the set, blending nicely, particularly in that 7-iron and 8-iron area.” The final drill-down is on the “rookie” of the bunch – the brand new Titleist 816H hybrids which fits smack in the middle of the “7” series devoted to its irons and the “9” series which has been synonymous with drivers, woods and hybrids. The two new hybrids launched are the 816H1 and the 816H2 and both have been engineered to offer distance and forgiveness with high launch and spin control. A stand-out feature of the 816H hybrids is a slot designed into the sole that Titleist calls an Active Recoil Channel. This allows the face to flex more effectively at impact to increase ball speed and effectively make the sweet spot larger. The edges of the channel in the 816 hybrids have relief that allows the clubs to skim over the turf and through

rough more easily. The 816H1 is the larger of the two new hybrids, and it has a rounder head and is designed to appeal to players who like fairway wood-style hybrids. On the other hand, the 816H2 produces about 150-300 rpm less spin and it has been designed to appeal to golfers who like ironstyle hybrids. By Titleist’s contention, more golfers than ever are replacing long irons with hybrids and carrying multiple hybrids in their bags because of their performance benefits. The new 816H models are technically advanced scoring clubs that have better shot stopping ability and can improve yardage gaps at the long end of the set. “The Active Recoil Channel has revolutionized distance for us across our entire metals line and really pushes us ahead of the pack in the hybrid category,” said Stone. He continued, “Golfers, now more than ever, are relying on their hybrids to hit precise golf shots and help them create more scoring opportunities.” The 816H hybrid line offers loft choices every two degrees from 19º to 27º. In the past, golfers looking to replace a long iron only had one hybrid loft option but with the 816, the number of choices has grown significantly. Current world number one Jordan Spieth had this comment about the 816H, “The new 816, with the silver head and black face, is a really cool looking hybrid. It’s really clean, really crisp. When I strike it, it shoots off the face nicely. It goes a little higher than my 915 hybrid, and a little bit further. If you’re going to hit it a little higher and further, ultimately that’s enough to make a golfer really pleased. When you mishit a hybrid, you need it to stay on line, still get up in the air and to still go far enough – and that’s what 816 does.” The wait for the Titleist 716 irons and 816 hybrids has been worth the while. These are terrific clubs from a company that has learnt and learnt well from it past glories. Titleist has taken innovation and product performance to a whole new level and any golfer intent on playing a better game of golf, should spend some quality time checking out these new arrivals.

ASIAN GOLF ISSUE 183 he very best of the golf club industry in Asia gathered in Singapore in October to be recognized, awarded and celebrated at the 2015 Asian Golf Awards. The Asian Golf Awards, arguably the largest category-based awards programme in the world, has completed its sixteenth year as the exclusive Asia Pacific benchmark to measure the standard of excellence of golf clubs and related services. Some 200 distinguished guests from all over the Asia Pacific graced the grand gala celebrations and this included golf club owners, operators and general managers who were present to personally receive prestigious awards in 48 award categories. The winners were elected by over 72,000 voters who participated in an on-line poll conducted earlier in the year.

ORCHID COUNTRY CLUB, SINGAPORE OCTOBER 15, 2015

WILL THE RISE OF CONFUCIANISM IN CHINA HELP GOLF? here is no doubt that there has been an ongoing ‘revival’ of Confucianism in China that earnestly started in the last decade. With the modernisation and development of China, Confucianism is on the rebound. Given the bludgeoning that golf has taken in China this past year, one wonders if a ‘proper’ refocus on Confucian philosophy is a good thing for golf. If golf is recognized as the ‘people’s game’ in the context of the rise of Confucianism, it can only help give the game new validation and acceptance in China. Asian Golf speaks with China watchers to get their take on this trend.

e hear that the European and Asian tours intend to combine their playing memberships and business dealings into a mega-tour that will stretch from the Atlantic coast of Ireland to the shores of the Pacific in the Far East. This is not a teaming of two tours that are of equal size and strength and this only portends to trouble ahead for the weaker of the two. It is like an allusion to the story of the wooden horse of Troy, used by the Greeks to trick their way into the city. Asian Golf examines this marriage to see how it will affect its members and it promises to be a good read albeit highly controversial. 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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