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ISSUE
183
DECEMBER 2015
If there is one word that describes the Asian Golf Awards, it has to be “excellence”. This word is indelibly engrained into the credos of all quality conscious organisations and individuals involved in the golf club industry in Asia. The Asian Golf Awards is the institution that dedicates itself to bringing international recognition to the crème de la crème of golf clubs in the region. The Asian Golf Awards is without peer anywhere and it stands tall as the largest category-based awards programme in the world and serves as a unique benchmark to measure the standard of excellence of golf clubs and related services. This issue is dedicated to the golf clubs and the men and women who reached out to the stars – the heroes and heroines of the club industry in the Asia Pacific for 2015.
58 TITANTOUR IGNITE – Fowler Power For The Foot! Who would have ever thought that golf shoes would move closer to running shoes in terms of design and technology. Well, it has happened. PUMA Golf has crossed over the divide into its running shoe division and tapped on the idea of energy-return cushioning which has proven effective in running shoes. With the launch of the TITANTOUR IGNITE, PUMA Golf has made its entry into the cushioning game.
62 FootJoy’s D.N.A Steps It Up! It’s two years since FootJoy rocked the world with the launch of its revolutionary D.N.A. golf shoes and the latest iteration of this hugely successful shoe is now out. We’ve got all the details.
SPECIAL FEATURE 34 It’s Solid Gold! The 2015 Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament has firmly placed itself as a stand-out event. It would be safe to say that there is absolutely no amateur golf tournament that can come anywhere close to the recently concluded 2015 Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament. One could even go to the extent of declaring it as an event that many professional tournaments would find hard to match! That’s how well organised it was.
40 Beware Of Greeks Bearing Gifts! The inevitable has happened. What many thought would not come to fruition has since been proven wrong. The European Tour and the Asian Tour have set aside their differences and are deep in discussions for a merged tour. What is this going to mean to Asian professionals?
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52 Trail-blazing After Fifteen Years! The Titleist Pro V1 golf ball made a relatively unheralded appearance on the PGA Tour back in October 2000. The planet had just seen the first few months of the new millennium go fleeting by against a backdrop of change and progress. Amidst all of this, Titleist put into play a golf ball that would go on to essentially revolutionise the golf ball industry. ndustry. Asian Golf looks back on an illustrious history of a great eat golf ball.
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64 Confucianism In China – Good Or Bad For Golf? Golf is the oldest and ultimate ‘people’s game’ and nd the Peoples Republic of China ought to recognise that golf iss a citizens’ game to be enjoyed by all. They need to take back ack the people’s game that has been hijacked. Asian Golf’s Roving g Editor, James Prusa shares his thoughts on how the resurgence ce of Confucianism can impact the future of golf in the Middle Kingdom.
EQUIPMENT FOCUS 44 TaylorMade Gets Tough In The Ball Battlefield! attlefield! Hot on the heels of the highly successful launch h of the M1 family of golfclubs, TaylorMade has dashed out onto the global marketplace with its latest golf balls. It iss just not one new golf ball but a full line-up! Its 20166 golf ball line-up includes a new Tour Preferred X, Tour ur Preferred and Project (a) models.
48 PSi Irons – The Ultimate Form & Function Story From TaylorMade With PSi, TaylorMade has found the perfect blend of form and function; an iron that delivers a rare balance of elegant design and superior feel combined with increased ball speed and distance. In doing so, TaylorMade has brought innovation to the better player iron category in a way that benefits those discerning players who seek the most out of their irons.
6 Asian Golf Editorial Team 8 Shared Thoughts From Publisher 68 Next Issue
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
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MYRA PARAS Accounts Executive
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ALICE HO Marketing Executive
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WAYNE LWEE Video Editor/Streaming services
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Photographers
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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)
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SHARED THOUGHTS From The Publisher
R
ecently, while I was having lunch with the board of directors of a golf club in Indonesia, I nearly fell off my chair when one of the gentlemen told me that their golf event enjoyed a reported global viewership of 500 million. This is not a typo – the number was 500 million viewers who are said to have watched the tournament on “live” TV. This is for a golf tournament in Indonesia! A staggering half a billion people, which is even greater than the 478 million who watched the last quadrennial Winter Olympic Games. Something has obviously gone terribly awry and to have fed the event owner in Indonesia this claim is outrageous! What is very concerning is that these claims are being openly used by tournament organisers to entice sponsors to come on board to pay for the staging of events. A case in point is the 2014 Chiangmai Golf Classic presented by PTT in Thailand. It is public knowledge that the sponsor was told by the tournament organiser that it “will enjoy 742 hours coverage across the Asian Tour Golf Show, highlights and live broadcast which will reach no fewer than
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180 countries and 625 million homes.” Technically speaking, one can’t dispute this claim but there is a big difference between “reaching” and “viewing” – what the sponsor needs to know is whether the 625 million households are viewing the golf event broadcast. Most of us receive cable/satellite signals that give us access to a multitude of channels but the big question that needs answering relates to which channel we are watching. Just because we have access to a cable or satellite feed cannot lead to the assumption that everyone is watching the golf programme. How ridiculous can some people get! This claim needs full clarification from the tournament organisers. Just so that we put everything into perspective - the most watched golf tournament on television is the U.S. Masters and according to published records, the American network CBS Sports reported a final round coverage of the 2015 Masters drawing a total of 14 million viewers. Now, you don’t have to be a math
genius to figure out the problem. Neither do you need to be reminded that an Indonesian tournament has the draw-factor to command a dramatically larger pull than the U.S. Masters. 500 million viewers worldwide – this is something from the sublime slipping into the ridiculous!
EDITOR’S SCAM-NOTE: Television ratings in the United States are collected by Nielsen Media Research. Nielsen results are reported in two measurements: ratings points and share. There are an estimated 114.5 million television households in the United States as of September 1st 2008. A single national ratings point represents one percent of that total number, or 1,145,000 households for the 2006-07 season. Share is the percentage of television sets in use tuned to the programme. The total number of viewers is then derived from those two numbers.
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SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards
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ISSUE 183
DECEMBER 2015
SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards If there is one word that describes the Asian Golf Awards, it has to be “excellence”. This word is indelibly engrained into the credos of all quality conscious organisations and individuals involved in the golf club industry in Asia. These are the facilities where the men and women go that one extra mile to ensure that a total quality experience is delivered to golfers day after day without fail.
I
t is all about how golfers are given that very special sense of arrival when they check in to a golf club. It has to do with the way golfers are greeted and treated. It is about how service is meted out at restaurants and the attention to detail and quality of the food and beverage served. It concerns the work that goes on throughout the year to ensure that tee boxes, fairways, bunkers and greens are maintained to very demanding standards. In the final analysis, it all comes down to the commitment and effort made by the entire team – owners, operators, managers and staff because the quest for excellence is in their hands. These are the people who take pride in what they do and the men and women who strive to win great distinction and honours for their clubs. The Asian Golf Awards is the institution that dedicates itself to bringing international recognition to the crème de la crème of golf clubs in the region. The award programme has been in place for sixteen years and
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from 2007, it took on a new role to celebrate and honour the very best amongst the best in a spectacular recognition event befitting its stature as the most prestigious awards programme for the golf industry in the Asia Pacific region. The Asian Golf Awards is without peer anywhere and it stands tall as the largest category-based awards programme in the world and serves as a unique benchmark to measure the standard of excellence of golf clubs and related services. The winners in over 48 categories were elected by over 72,000 voters who participated in an on-line poll conducted earlier in the year and the final results are based on the popular vote. Some 200 distinguished guests from all over the Asia Pacific graced the occasion on October 15 at the 2015 Asian Golf Awards which was staged at the award winning Orchid Country Club in Singapore. Golf Club owners, operators and general managers were in attendance to personally receive the coveted awards.
SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards
The management team of Banyan Golf Club celebrating their awards with club caddies.
The importance and value of the Asian Golf Awards is perhaps best articulated by John Blanch, general manager of the award-winning Thai Country Club in Bangkok who said, “Quite simply there are no other awards in Asia that carry the gravitas of the Asian Golf Awards – other awards have come and gone whereas the Asian Golf Awards have been the highlight of the calendar for the club industry since their inception in 2007 and are eagerly awaited by golfers, golf course owners, golf club boards, golf club employees and managers throughout Asia Pacific.” Ever since the Asian Golf Awards programme transformed into an event that gathered the best in the golf industry, the Mission Hills Group of China has enjoyed a very prominent presence and each year, it has hauled many awards and 2015 was no exception. The vice chairman of the group, Tenniel Chu who was present at the award ceremony reacted by saying, “We are extremely thrilled to receive such honours, especially coming from the Asian Golf Awards which we regard as the most prestigious awards programme in the golf industry across the Asia Pacific Region.” One of the true doyens of golf in Asia is Conrado L. Benitez II, president of the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Manila and the vice president of the National Golf Association of the Philippines who believes that the Asian Golf Awards is a part of the industry. Honoured with the Asia Pacific Custodian Of The Environment
award for 2015, Benitez said, “The Asian Golf Awards leads the region in showing global world leaders how to gather and unite diverse golf communities, including its past, present, and future generations, to grow the game and preserve its environmental heritage.” A regular feature at the Asian Golf Awards is the party atmosphere created by the team from the Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand. This is another facility that recognises the value of the awards programme as acknowledged by Stuart Daly, executive director of operations, “The Asian Golf Awards has become an industry goal for many clubs in the region to achieve - they are an acknowledgement of excellence within the industry. Both I and my GLS Asia colleagues have been lucky to have been recipients of some awards over the past few years, and we are delighted to receive them.” He added, “For me personally, the highlight is to see our team members sharing the spotlight with awards such as the “Best Superintendent” and “Best Club Caddy” Award. These are milestones in their careers and one that the other team members look up to and hopefully will achieve one day.” Many clubs which have been making the grade every year, including the new ones which scored wins, feel the challenge to keep pushing harder to stay on top. Success at the Asian Golf Awards invariably is considered as a great inspiration and motivation to keep raising the bar.
The Asian Golf Awards leads the region in showing global world leaders how to gather and unite diverse golf communities, including its past, present, and future generations, to grow the game and preserve its environmental heritage.” – Conrado L. Benitez II
SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards
KUALA LUMPUR GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB (MALAYSIA) Lumpur X Kuala Golf & Country Club, West Course (Malaysia) Phuket Y Laguna Golf Club (Thailand)
Z Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort (Thailand) Mountain [ Black Golf Club (Thailand) Jakarta Golf \ Royale Club (Indonesia) Country Club \ Thai (Thailand)
LOTUS VALLEY GOLF RESORT (THAILAND)
“Recognition from the Asian Golf Awards came at the ideal time for Chiangmai Highlands Golf and Spa Resort. Chiang Mai is becoming known as a golf destination, and we have expanded to 27-holes. The resort is steadily gaining popularity and the Asian Golf Awards confirms for us that we are doing the right things to grow and it’s a terrific boost to the morale of our team heading into the peak season,” was the response from Derek Schade, general manager of the resort. The need to stay sharp always receives stout support from Brian Curley, one half of Schmidt-Curley Design, the recipient of the “Best Golf Course Architect” in the Asia Pacific for 2015. The award-winning architect said, “In a vast world of spectacular courses and epic destinations for golf, Asia sometimes gets lost in the shuffle when compared to other courses for golfers to experience. There is no doubting the origins of the game and the importance of its influential designs, but Asia is a leading force in moving the game forward to new generations of golfers with new takes on design and operations. The Asian Golf
BLACK MOUNTAIN GOLF CLUB (THAILAND)
Awards plays a huge role in highlighting the very best of these new additions to the family of wonderful courses.” To be recognised as the “Best Golf Course” in the Asia Pacific is the ultimate achievement and the spectacular Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand walked away with this major title for another year. The club also claimed the top spot for the “Best Championship Golf Course” along with a number of other top placings. “Black Mountain is honoured to receive the numerous awards bestowed upon it since the Asian Golf Awards programme’s inception, and we consider these accolades to have played a significant role in Black Mountain becoming acknowledged as Thailand’s leading golf course and arguably the best course in the Asia Pacific,” declared Harald Elisson, general manager of the club. He continued, “The awards programme is relevant not only to Black Mountain but to all Asian golf courses because it serves as a barometer of public appreciation by singling out clubs which are prepared to go that extra mile to deliver a golfing experience which is a cut above.”
Asian Golf Awards is a trusted recognition of exceptional quality and a great yardstick for discerning golfers to use to make informed choices about which great course to play.”
SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards h Inaugural Asia Pacific Inter-Club Golf Tournament was hotly he c contested in Singapore on October 14 and the gold-plated c challenge trophy went to Xili Golf Club of China. The winning team was made up of Mark O’Connell and B i Distel. Di l The tournament was held in conjunction with the recently Brian concluded 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit which was staged at the Orchid Country Club in Singapore, the venue for the golf tournament. Commenting on the victory, O’Connell said, “I know that we played well as a team but we did not expect to romp home as the winners”. Besides the challenge trophy, the team of O’Connell and Distel also won a complete set each of Wilson Staff’s 2016 D200 series golf clubs and golf bag. Runners-up was the team from Singapore’s Tanah Merah Country Club represented by Kok Min Yee and Ian Geoffrey Roberts. The individual champion for the tournament was Jon Tomlinson, Director of Golf Operations, IMG Golf. Mark O’Connell and Brian Distel
According to Elisson, an Asian Golf Award is a very credible way to communicate to the wider golfing community, the standards that a golf club and its people have genuinely achieved. “With votes for the courses being cast by the general public, an Asian Golf Awards is a trusted recognition of exceptional quality and a great yardstick for discerning golfers to use to make informed choices about which great course to play.” This sentiment is shared by George Chandra, chief operating officer of the Royale Jakarta Golf Club in Jakarta, Indonesia, who said, “As a course which is well-known to many foreign golfers we have used the Asian Golf Awards to build our brand image and the awards that we have won at the Asian Golf Awards is a major factor in our success to attract streams of golf tourists.” A new-comer to the Asian Golf Awards is Jose Juan Z. Jugo, president of Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club in The Philippines. His club was declared the “Best New Golf Course” in Asia in 2014 and this year, the club claimed the “Best Golf Course” in the Philippines. “Considering Ayala Land Premier’s efforts in developing thoughtfully-planned golf courses, it was very
encouraging to be amidst the most respected names in the region’s golf industry. It was even more inspiring to be recognized for Ayala Land Premier’s achievements in their presence,” said Jugo. The final word on the 2015 Asian Golf Awards goes to the winner of the “Best Golf Course” in Singapore, Sentosa Golf Club. Its general manager Andy Johnston, in describing the award said, “We are very honoured and privileged to receive the accolades and recognition from such a leading publication and spokesman for the game in the Asia- Pacific region. Years from now, the Asia -Pacific region will see more and more spectacular courses as the game and its facilities grow , and the impact of Asian Golf will be forever be noted as a knowledgeable and reputable source of tracking the best of the best.”
It was wa very en encouraging g to be amid amidst miid the most respected name names me in the region’s regi re ion’s golf go industry. indu indus dus It was wa as ev eve even en more re iinspiring to be recognized nized for Ayala Aya Ay yal a Land Pre Premier’s re achievements a achieve eve ve e in theirr presp ence.” enc ence ce – Jose Juan Z. Jugo
SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards
ORCHID COUNTRY CLUB, SINGAPORE OCTOBER 15, 2015
Golf Club, X Sentosa Serapong Course
2015 ASIAN GOLF AWARDS TOP THREE WINNERS | COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY
BEST COURSE IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
BEST COURSE IN INDIA
1. The Empire Golf & Country Club 2. Royal Brunei Golf & Country Club 3. Panaga Golf Club
1. Clover Greens Golf Course 2. Eagleton - The Golf Village 3. Oxford Golf & Country Club
BEST COURSE IN CAMBODIA
BEST COURSE IN INDONESIA
Golf & [ Tianma Country Club
1. Angkor Golf Resort, Faldo Course 2. Phokeethra Country Club 3. Grand Phnom Penh Golf Club
1. Royale Jakarta Golf Club 2. Damai Indah Golf & Country Club 3. New Kuta Golf & Ocean View
Golf Club, \ Emirates Majlis Course
BEST COURSE IN CHINA (INCLUDING HONG KONG AND MACAU)
BEST COURSE IN JAPAN
Hills Golf Y Mission Club Country Z Orchid Club
Golf ] Angkor Resort, Faldo Course
1. Mission Hills Golf Club Haikou, Blackstone Course 2. Yalong Bay Golf Club 3. Tianma Golf & Country Club
BEST COURSE IN CHINESE TAIPEI
1. Ta Shee Golf & Country Club 2. Miramar Golf & Country Club 3. The Orient Golf & Country Club
1. Wakagi Golf Club 2. Hirono Golf Club 3. Tokyo Golf Club
BEST COURSE IN SOUTH KOREA
1. Sky72 Golf Club, Ocean Course 2. Anyang Golf Club 3. The Club at Nine Bridges
“Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” - John W. Gardner
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SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards The Asian Golf Awards leads the region in showing global world leaders how to gather and unite diverse golf communities, including its past, present, and future generations, to grow the game and preserve its environmental heritage.” Malarayat Golf & X Mt. Country
Y
The Empire Golf & Country Club
Victoria Golf & Z Country Resort Marina Bay Golf [ Course Horizon Hills Golf & \ Country Club Valley Golf ] Lotus Resort
BEST COURSE IN LAOS
BEST COURSE IN SINGAPORE
1. Long Thanh – Vientiane Golf Club 2. Dansavanh Golf & Country Club 3. Laos Country Club
1. Sentosa Golf Club, Serapong Course 2. Laguna National Golf & Country Club, The Masters Course 3. Marina Bay Golf Course
BEST COURSE IN MALAYSIA
1. Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, West Course 2. Kota Permai Golf & Country Club 3. Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club
BEST COURSE IN MIDDLE EAST
1. Emirates Golf Club, Majlis Course 2. Saadiyat Beach Golf Club 3. Abu Dhabi Golf Club
BEST COURSE ON THE SUB-CONTINENT (INCLUDING BANGLADESH, NEPAL, PAKISTAN AND SRI LANKA) 1. Victoria Golf & Country Resort (Sri Lanka) 2. Karachi Golf Club (Pakistan) 3. Royal Colombo Golf Club (Sri Lanka)
BEST COURSE IN THAILAND
1. Black Mountain Golf Club 2. Thai Country Club 3. Banyan Golf Club
BEST COURSE IN MYANMAR
1. Pun Hlaing Golf Club 2. Royal Mingalardon Golf & Country Club 3. Mandalay Hill Resort
BEST COURSE IN VIETNAM
1. Kings’ Island Golf Resort, Mountain Course 2. Long Thanh Golf Club 3. Heron Lake Golf Resort
BEST COURSE IN THE PHILIPPINES
1. Anvaya Cove Golf & Sports Club 2. Mt. Malarayat Golf & Country Club 3. Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” - Vince Lombardi
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SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards
Thi Nga – X Nguyen Asia Pacific Vision Award Masrin – Y Jimmy Asia Pacific Golf
TOP THREE WINNERS | BEST IN ASIA PACIFIC 3. Tanah Merah Country Club, Garden Course (Singapore)
BEST GOLF DESTINATION IN ASIA PACIFIC
Personality Of The Year
1. Thailand 2. Indonesia 3. China
Lakhana Didyasarin Z – Asia Pacific Woman Golf Entrepreneur Of The Year
BEST PRO-SHOP IN ASIA PACIFIC
1. Mission Hills Golf Club Shenzhen (China) 2. Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (Malaysia) 3. Black Mountain Golf Club (Thailand)
BEST COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC
1. Black Mountain Golf Club (Thailand) 2. Mission Hills Golf Club Haikou, Blackstone Course (China) 3. Tianma Golf & Country Club (China)
Patterson – [ Gregg Asia Pacific Life-time Achievement Award
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2015 ASIAN GOLF AWARDS
ORCHID COUNTRY CLUB, SINGAPORE OCTOBER 15, 2015
Brad Burgess – Asia Pacific TrendSetter Of The Year Award | Sports Turf Solutions Pte Ltd
BEST MANAGED GOLF CLUB IN ASIA PACIFIC 1. Mission Hills Golf Club (China) 2. Thai Country Club (Thailand) 3. Banyan Golf Club (Thailand)
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC
1. Black Mountain Golf Club (Thailand) 2. Mission Hills Golf Club Haikou, Blackstone Course (China) 3. Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, West Course (Malaysia)
Sanderson – Asia ] Bill Pacific Life-time Achievement Award Chu ^ Tenniel – Mission Hills
BEST NEW COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC
Mission Hills Golf Club Dongguan, Rose -Poulter Course (China)
BEST LOCKER ROOM/MALE OR FEMALE IN ASIA PACIFIC 1. Mission Hills Golf Club Dongguan (China) 2. Thai Country Club (Thailand) 3. Long Thanh - Vientiane Golf Club (Laos)
BEST GOLF RESORT IN ASIA PACIFIC
Group China | The Global Jadeite Golf Award
1. Mission Hills Golf Club Haikou (China) 2. Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort (Thailand) 3. Banyan Golf Club (Thailand)
BEST COURSE ARCHITECT IN ASIA PACIFIC
BEST CLUBHOUSE IN ASIA PACIFIC
1. Mission Hills Golf Club Haikou (China) 2. Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (Malaysia) 3.Chengdu Country Club (China)
1. Schmidt-Curley Design Inc. 2. Nicklaus Design 3. Pacific Coast Design
BEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC Marina Bay Golf Course (Singapore)
BEST MAINTAINED COURSE IN ASIA PACIFIC
1. Black Mountain Golf Club (Thailand) 2. Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (Malaysia)
X 26
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[
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CONSISTENTLY VOTED AS THE BEST COURSE IN THAILAND
Owned and managed by The Peninsula Hotels and often voted as possessing the “Best Clubhouse in Asia” and “Best Course in Thailand”, Thai Country Club is less than 45 minutes from downtown Bangkok and is renowned for having the friendliest staff of professionals in the Kingdom committed to providing the Ultimate Golfing Experience. For registered guests of The Peninsula Bangkok, We are happy to arrange a tee-time at a substantial reduction from our normal visitor’s rate. Extend your business trip in Bangkok, or book a get-away golfing package. When it comes to exclusive golfing with impeccable hospitality – we play off scratch.
1997 Winner: Tiger Woods
VOLVO MASTERS
VOLVO MASTERS
VOLVO MASTERS
VOLVO MASTERS
ASIA
ASIA
ASIA
ASIA
2005 Winner: Shiv Kapur
2006 Winner: Thongchai Jaidee
2007 Winner: Prayad Marksaeng
2008 Winner: Lam Chih Bing
1998 Winner: Vijay Singh
Thai Country Club www.thaicountryclub.com Tel: +66 (38) 570-234 inquiry@thaicountryclub.com The Peninsula Bangkok www.peninsula.com Tel: +66 (2) 861-2888 pbk@peninsula.com
SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards
Somsringam X Punyisa – Best Caddie Of The Year Wither – Best Y John Professional Golf Coach in Asia Pacific Bose – Asia Z Jeffrey Pacific Best Master Club Fitter Ai Lin – Best [ Kong Marketing Communications Manager of the Year Srichanya \ Minachai – Excellence in Golf Course Agronomy & Cultural Practices in Asia Daly – Best ] Stuart Golf Manager Of
ORCHID COUNTRY CLUB, SINGAPORE OCTOBER 15, 2015
2015 ASIAN GOLF AWARDS TOP THREE WINNERS | SPECIAL CATEGORIES
BEST RENOVATED COURSE OF THE YEAR Laguna Phuket Golf Club (Thailand)
BEST VALUE FOR MONEY EXPERIENCE Lotus Valley Golf Resort (Thailand) Marina Bay Golf Course (Singapore) Orchid Country Club (Singapore)
BEST GOLF CLUB EXPERIENCE IN ASIA PACIFIC Banyan Golf Club (Thailand)
BEST CLUB GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR
1 Harald Elisson – Black Mountain Golf Club (Thailand) 2 Stacey Walton – Banyan Golf Club (Thailand) 3 John Blanch – Thai Country Club (Thailand)
The Year Nizam ^ Mohd Othman – Best Golf Course Superintendent Of The Year
BEST GOLF MANAGER OF THE YEAR
1 Stuart Daly - Banyan Golf Club (Thailand) 2 Paul Giovanni - Sembawang Country Club (Singapore) 3 Mohd Yusri Mat Isa - Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club (Malaysia)
BEST FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER OF THE YEAR
1 Kamisah Icha - Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club (Malaysia) 2 Ramiriz Osman - Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (Malaysia) 3 Marco Geng – Mission Hills Group (China)
BEST GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR
1 Mohd Nizam Othman - Kuala Lumpur Golf &
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Country Club (Malaysia) 2 Yulius Widodo – Royale Jakarta Golf Club (Indonesia) 3 Ong Seng Kiat - Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club (Malaysia)
BEST CADDIE OF THE YEAR
1 Punyisa Somsringam - Banyan Golf Club (Thailand) 2 Abdul Rahman – Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (Malaysia) 3 Park Eun Jin - Sky72 Golf Club (South Korea)
BEST MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Kong Ai Lin – Kota Permai Golf & Country Club (Malaysia)
BEST FOOD AND BEVERAGE EXPERIENCE IN ASIA PACIFIC
1 Banyan Golf Club (Thailand) 2 Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (Malaysia) 3 Laguna National Golf & Country Club (Singapore)
BEST PROFESSIONAL GOLF COACH IN ASIA PACIFIC
1 John Wither, Banyan Golf Club (Thailand) 2 Travis van Dijk, Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (Malaysia) 3 Tony Meechai, Tony Meechai Golf Group (Thailand)
ASIA PACIFIC BEST MASTER CLUB FITTER Jeffrey Bose
EXCELLENCE IN GOLF COURSE AGRONOMY & CULTURAL PRACTICES IN ASIA
Minachai Srichanya - Banyan Golf Club (Thailand)
KOTA PERMAI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB R
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Danau Permai Resort Berhad (379138-V) No.1, Jalan 31/100A, Section 31, Kota Kemuning, 40460 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel: +603-5122 3700 Fax: +603-5122 3702 Email: kpgcc@kotapermai.com.my GPS Coordinate: 2.006592,101.534421
www.kotapermai.com.my
SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards
BY JAMES G. PRUSA Director, Golf Courses and Laboratory SKY72 Golf/Roving Editor, Asian Golf
To Be The Best And To Stay The Best Is A Perpetual Challenge! he Asian Golf Awards are very coveted a of significant value to both golf and c courses and individuals. The awards have b become well established and meaningful g course industry. In Korea the awards to the Asian golf certainly reverberate with much fanfare and I see the Asian Golf Awards proudly displayed with honour in clubhouses all round Asia as I travel. It is only golf courses where the game of golf truly exists and the awards programme brings deserved recognition to this importance. Most people know that recognition awards or rating programmes always involve some degree of subjectivity, but when grouped in the entirety of a class of quality, golf courses and individuals who are given such recognition, clearly are the best in the industry and only separated by small differences. And then there are also those many others who are of high quality and will now make the extra effort to strive to gain an award next year. I have had people in the past tell me that they want one of the Asian Golf Awards and a few years later I see them getting one. It just takes determination, a consistently well-managed golf course, excellent customer service and concerted 360 degree efforts in golf course industry relations. However, the real benefits potential to achieving the “Best in Asia” status immediately
begins after the latest awards banquet — that’s when the next effort kicks in and you better be marketing. Sitting through lengthy awards ceremonies is certainly worth the time to honour and encourage the base of golf’s existence, especially here in Asia. And it’s a reflection of Asian golf’s maturation that the list of great achievers in the Asian golf course industry is growing every year. Those golf courses and individuals who are on the Asian Golf Awards list year-after-year know that the real promotion begins when the latest recognition is awarded. They know that the post award season is the time to launch aggressive and well-planned marketing campaigns to capture the attention of members, customers, competitors and the industry. It takes solid promotion to get through the constant noise that distracts golfers’ attention. After all, the Best can never rest! Strike with promotion when the Asian Golf Awards is still hot. It’s not a time for modesty after the banquet. Stiff competition is healthy for golf course businesses. The Asian Golf Awards share a knowledge that one can’t rest on the laurels of an award beyond an evening’s banquet if they expect to return the following year. SKY72 congratulates all of our team members on achieving an Asian Golf Awards – and then we each demand of one another, greater effort for more improvement of our product and service with new promotions to assure we are at the banquet tables next year.
In Korea the awards certainly reverberate with much fanfare and I see the Asian Golf Awards proudly displayed with honour in clubhouses all round Asia as I travel. It is only golf courses where the game of golf truly exists and the awards programme brings deserved recognition to this importance.”
SPECIAL FEATURE 2015 Asian Golf Awards
e Van Kiem has established a track record of pre-eminence in golf in the Asia Pacific rregion. As an illustrious golf entrepreneur and philanthropist, he has played a dominant rrole in growing the game of golf in his native country of Vietnam and in contributing g generously towards charitable causes. So far, he has donated close to US$50 million tod various i wards charities. He is an avid golfer and owns world-class golf courses in Vietnam and Laos with more new golf developments in the pipe-line.
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HORIZON HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 2nd Runner Up of Best Course in Malaysia – Asian Golf Awards 2014/2015 1st Runner Up of Best Golf Excellence- Exhilarating Experience – Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards Malaysia 2013-2015 3rd Runner Up Best Course in Malaysia – Asian Golf Monthly Awards 2013 9th Best Clubhouse in Asia Pacific – Asian Golf Monthly Awards 2012 Gold Winner - Golf Course of The Year - Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards Malaysia 2011-2013
Horizon Hills Resort Berhad (769101-H) No.1, Jalan Eka, Horizon Hills, 79100 Nusajaya, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia Tel: +607-232 3166 Fax: +607-232 3919 Email: general@hhgcc.com.my GPS Coordinate: 1.452196,103.638829
www.hhgcc.com.my
SPECIAL FEATURE The Midas Touch!
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ISSUE 183
DECEMBER 2015
t all started slightly over two years ago when two men were discussing the d development of a unique golf tournament th ill serve a two-fold purpose. The first was to thatt will promote junior golf development and the other was to see how golf could be used as an agent to foster family bonding. What was a casual discussion very quickly developed into a full scale tournament – the Inaugural Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament. One of the men was Mr. Le Van Kiem, the Vietnamese golf philanthropist and billionaire entrepreneur. He officially declared the birth of the inaugural Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament and in so doing, he pledged to make it the finest tournament of its kind in the Asia Pacific.
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SPECIAL FEATURE The Midas Touch!
S
taged at the award-winning Long Thanh Golf Resort in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Le laid out a party that was a multi-sensory treat for all of the participants. An avid golfer and a man passionate about the promotion of junior golf, he made sure that everyone had a terrific time on November 1 and 2. PGA of America coach Tony Meechai who led a powerful team from Thailand had this to say about the organization of the tournament: “It’s awesome – I have seen amateur events in the U.S., Europe and in Asia, but this event in Vietnam is in a class of its own. I have never seen so many trophies and prizes and speaking about prizes, the Mercedes Benz, diamond rings and other valuable prizes on offer for the eight holes-in-one was a mind-blower – where do you see prizes like this for an amateur event!” Meechai continued, “The VIP treatment accorded to all the teams was another wonderful experience. Air-conditioned executive buses, all lunches and dinners catered for and the food and drinks served on course – man, this was a gastronomic feast for everyone. If only all tournaments can be organized like this!”
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It’s awesome – I have seen amateur events in the U.S., Europe and in Asia, but this event in Vietnam is in a class of its own.”
SPECIAL FEATURE The Midas Touch!
One of the highlights of the tournament was the selection of six Vietnamese juniors who had the best scores in the tournament. These juniors will attend a special golf clinic conducted by Meechai and it will be carried out under the auspices of the Asian Junior Golf Foundation. Nothing was spared by Mr. Le – he just wanted the best for all 77 teams representing 12 countries. “It was fun all the way although competition was tough,” observed Meechai. As a coach, I must say that the kids who played in the tournament were really good and some were even world class,” he pointed out. Mr. Le confirmed that the 2016 Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament will be staged in late November or early December next year. “We expect to announce the exact dates within the next few weeks, “said Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the promoter of the tournament. “We had one objective in mind and that was to promote family bonding through this event and Mr. Le helped to create the right sort of atmosphere to make this happen. Golf now has an event that parents and their children and relatives can come to every year to have a great time playing golf and to spend some real quality time with families from all over the world.”
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We had one objective in mind and that was to promote family bonding through this event and Mr. Le helped to create the right sort of atmosphere to make this happen. Golf now has an event that parents and their children and relatives can come to every year to have a great time playing golf and to spend some real quality time with families from all over the world.”
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SPECIAL FEATURE Professional Tours
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ISSUE 183
DECEMBER 2015
For as long as we can remember, relations between the Asian Tour and the European Tour have never been on the best of terms. Although never quite openly discussed, there was always an air of suspicion amongst those at the Asian Tour of being marginalised by the bigger, better and more powerful European Tour. In fact the European Tour has been guilty of just foraging onto Asian territory to stage tournaments with the Asian Tour left standing with no defence. Unfortunately, the Asian Tour has never had the muscle, the clout or the gumption to do likewise and launch raids into Europe to stage events of their own. Even if they did, they would have most likely been unceremoniously hustled out from European soil!
B
ut all this veiled hostility and dislike for one another seems to have all of a sudden turned rosy. This happened when the European Tour appointed Keith Pelley as its new top dog and as soon as he crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Canada to Britain, he declared that Asia was going to be on top of his agenda. Isn’t that odd given the fact that his remit is Europe and there he goes bleating about what he was going to be doing about Asia. His posturing from the outset has been very expansionistic, in fact downright colonialist! Without even a whimper, the Asian Tour immediately signalled that it was all for a romantic coming together of the two tours. All the bad blood of years gone by was suddenly water under the bridge! One wonders why the sudden need for a merger? Can’t each tour stand on its own feet and look after the needs of its members? Is there such an urgent need for the
tours to jump into bed with each other? Apparently, everything seems to point to both the tours having a real need to get to hold hands and we have our doubts as to what’s on the agenda for the European Tour. With the Asian Tour, our contention is that a merger is a safe way towards ensuring sustainable, long-term survival. For the European Tour, there seems to be only one goal – to grow and become a truly dominant force, strong enough to take on the PGA Tour of America. That’s what we think.
With the above suppositions as scenarios for a merger between the Asian Tour and the European Tour, let’s drill down deeper to see what else we can unravel. According to the Asian Tour’s top honcho Mike Kerr, there have been some tough discussions and negotiations and it looks certain that there will be just one tour with a single membership comprising the current players on the European and Asia Tours respectively. It seems that membership in the merged
We can definitely expect to see fewer Asian players on tour and if anything at all, just be prepared to see the professional game in Asia slide down a deep abyss.”
SPECIAL FEATURE Professional Tours
tours will be based on merit and that Asian Tour members will effectively get access to the entire schedule of tournaments that would be included in any future tour. In an interview with an international news agency, Kerr admitted to the merger being a “safety valve” for the Asian Tour when he declared that the merger will ensure longterm stability in a sport which has seen some events disappear from the calendar in recent years. This has been the case especially with the Asian Tour which has been experiencing some lean years of late. This seems to have played very nicely into the hands of Pelley who comes across as a guy who possesses some big ambitions – ambitions that go far beyond the merger. One can’t rule out the possibility that he is adding muscle to bulk up his united tour to take on Tim Finchem’s operation which is the all-powerful PGA Tour. What do members of the Asian Tour think? Quite honestly, everyone seems to be keeping their mouths shut. This is strange especially when one considers that while the merger would be great for the two tours in question, but earning a livelihood in a more crowded and competitive combined tour is going to come with some extreme challenges. The immediate challenge concerns whether the Asian Tour members can 42
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hack it against a strong field of members from the European Tour? With the exception of Thongchai Jaidee, Anirban Lahiri and Kiradech Apibarnrat, most of the Asian Tour members are going to find it to be an exhausting and draining challenge. What does Kerr think? He was recently quoted as saying “we want to create elite golfers in Asia to drive golf and unlock the potential of the game in Asia.” It is a noble vision alright but quite honestly, the pathway for Asian professionals is going to be fraught with virtually insurmountable hurdles. According to Kerr, steps are underway to allay fears amongst Asian Tour members and to ensure they understand the details of the merger and are comfortable. He has even gone to guarantee that “no Asian professional is going to lose any opportunity.” At this juncture, it may make sense to look at what the merger will mean to non-playing members from Asia who want to obtain their card to play on the merged tour. It is not going to be that easy to get through qualifying school since there will be only one Q-school which most probably will be a massive obstacle to get past. Are Asian players ready for this challenge? Quite honestly, we don’t think so! With about only 25 tour cards on offer on the European Tour Q-School, it’s going
to be a herculean task getting a card. Before even getting to that stage, there are three qualifying stages to play, and it will cost an aspirant U.S. $2,043.00 to enter. There is no refund if a player does not progress past the first qualifying stage. It must also be noted that some 700 entries are received each year, and that adds up to a US$1,430,100 – a nice financial windfall for the European Tour! When the three stages are completed, only 25 golfers will enjoy the privilege of playing on the main tour. You don’t need to be a brain surgeon to figure out the challenge at hand. Asian players who manage to get on the main tour are going to be in for a rough ride. We can definitely expect to see fewer Asian players on tour and if anything at all, just be prepared to see the professional game in Asia slide down a deep abyss. The Asian Tour as we know it today will be in a good state after having sold out to the larger and more dominant European Tour. Pelley would have realised one of his mission objectives; Kerr would have secured himself and what about the Asian members – go figure this one out for yourselves – the best word that would describe their fate is a mono-syllabic Anglo-Saxon swear word which no responsible journalist or publication will permit to use!
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EQUIPMENT FOCUS TaylorMade Golf Balls
Hot on the heels of the highly successful launch of the M1 family of golf clubs, TaylorMade has dashed out onto the global marketplace with its latest golf balls. It is just not one new golf ball but a full line-up!
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I
ts 2016 golf ball line-up includes a new Tour Preferred X, Tour Preferred and Project (a) models. The new Tour Preferred ball (4-layer construction, 80 compression), features TaylorMade’s next-generation SpeedMantle inner layer. According to the company, the inner mantle is comprised of a material that is more than 65% softer and more flexible than the previous generation’s version. It has allowed engineers to create a softer feeling ball while still maintaining the performance characteristics of the original Tour Preferred golf ball. The new Tour Preferred golf ball promises higher launch and greater spin for long irons while maintaining the same distance off the tee and greenside spin as the previous Tour Preferred X but with a softer feel. TaylorMade’s new Tour Preferred X ball (5-layer construction, 87 compression) features a new thicker re-engineered Soft Tech cast urethane cover for more green-side control. Similar to its predecessor, the Tour Preferred X promises low spin off the tee, low iron ball
We developed forty three Tour Preferred X prototypes throughout our exhaustive pursuit to engineer a better golf ball and put them in the hands of our Tour players.” – Eric Loper
DECEMBER 2015
EQUIPMENT FOCUS TaylorMade Golf Balls
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The TaylorMade Project (a) ball, is designed specifically for the competitive amateur player to help promote more spin and improved performance inside the 30 yard range.” flight but with more green-side spin, as preferred by the best players in the world. According to the company, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Jason Day are among those already playing the Tour Preferred X. “We developed forty
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three Tour Preferred X prototypes throughout our exhaustive pursuit to engineer a better golf ball and put them in the hands of our Tour players,” said Eric Loper, TaylorMade’s director of Golf Ball Development. “They were unanimously drawn to the ball
J A S O N D AY
that produced more control around the greens, and that was the new Tour Preferred X. We’re excited by their initial reactions to its performance and look forward to their transition into the new models for the ’15-’16 PGA TOUR season.” The TaylorMade Project (a) ball, is designed specifically for the competitive amateur player to help promote more spin and improved performance inside the 30 yard range. The new Project (a) has an overall compression of 70 (versus 88 in the original model), which was achieved by dropping the core compression by 33%. The core compression has been reduced from 60 to 40 by way of a REACT Core with a new speed optimized formulation.
SPECIAL FEATURE TaylorMade PSi Iron
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DECEMBER 2015
TaylorMade Golf, the industry leader in iron innovation, has taken a new approach to the better player iron category with the introduction of the PSi™ and PSi Tour irons. Players have long been subjected to choosing an iron with either premium sound and feel or distance. With PSi, TaylorMade has found the perfect blend of form and function; an iron that delivers a rare balance of elegant design and superior feel combined with increased ball speed and distance. In doing so, TaylorMade has brought innovation to the better player iron category in a way that ILULÄ[Z [OVZL KPZJLYUPUN WSH`LYZ ^OV ZLLR [OL TVZ[ V\[ VM [OLPY PYVUZ
SPECIAL FEATURE TaylorMade PSi Iron
I
In creating the PSi, we wanted to make sure we understood the true needs of the better player before deciding how best to approach its design.” – Tomo Bystedt
n designing TaylorMade’s most advanced players irons to date, engineers integrated the company’s new, proprietary Dynamic Feel System (DFS). Comprised of a HYBRAR™ blend compression damper and a multi-material cavity badge, this system works to reduce vibration across the face without sacrificing ball speed. Combined with redesigned head geometries, tungsten weighting in the long irons (3-5), and forged short irons (8-SW), the result is a truly dynamic approach to feel management in an iron that delivers on its promise for superior sound and feel throughout the set. New to the PSi iron is a revolutionary new Speed Pocket – now a cut-thru slot that feeds directly into the cavity undercut. The Speed Pocket with the cut-thru slot yields more effective slot performance resulting in faster ball speeds for shots struck lower on the face. PSi also utilizes Face Slot Technology, a feature that debuted last year with the RSi series of irons. Face slots, located on the heel and toe of the clubface, protect ball speed and generate more consistent distance on shots struck off-centre. Consistent distance on shots across the face was a key deliverable in ensuring this iron met the demands of better players. Finally, an ultra-thin face (sub-2mm) contributes in supplying this compact iron with amazing distance. The 360° undercut expands the unsupported face area and lowers the CG to generate the optimal combination of speed, spin
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and launch angle, giving better players the trajectory they want and the distance they need. The PSi irons also utilize a progressive spec package, ensuring each iron throughout the set delivers optimal performance. Blade length, topline thickness and offset increase progressively from the wedges down through the long irons, delivering golfers a confidence-inspiring, aesthetically appealing look at address. “In creating the PSi, we wanted to make sure we understood the true needs of the better player before deciding how best to approach its design,” said Tomo Bystedt, Director of Iron Product Creation. “The total performance package had to meet or exceed the player’s expectation on look and feel while giving them performance they had never seen before. The consistency, workability and distance are something we think will be a revelation to all better players.” In addition to the PSi, TaylorMade also announced the PSi Tour iron, designed with input from and engineered for the best players in the world. Featuring forged 1025 Carbon steel and precision milled face slots and Speed Pocket, PSi Tour features a more compact head size and tour-inspired shaping and workability for the best of ball strikers. Additionally, PSi Tour has a thinner topline, less offset and narrower sole than the PSi and its progressive CG position allows for higher trajectory in the long irons while retaining optimum workability. The PSi Tour is expected to be TaylorMade’s #1 played iron model on the PGA TOUR in 2016.
SPECIAL FEATURE Titleist PRO V1 15th Year Anniversary
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T
he Titleist Pro V1 golf ball made a relatively unheralded appearance on the PGA Tour back in October 2000. The planet had just seen the first few months of the new millennium go fleeting by against a backdrop of change and progress. Amidst all of this, Titleist put into play a golf ball that would go on to essentially revolutionise the golf ball industry. Just imagine, on that fateful day in October, the Pro V1 took epic strides to march into the annals of golf. It was epic because in its debut, the new golf ball was put into play by no less than 47 players. If this is not a vote of confidence in a new product, than what else can it be? It was instant validation of a product of innovation and superior quality and the Pro V1 has not looked back since! The great dimpled wonder has gone on to dominate year after year on the professional tours and in this, its fifteenth year, the ball keeps rolling into more holes to claim victory for those who depend of its reliability and performance. Today, Pro V1 and Pro V1x are the most played and best-selling golf ball models
around the world. Two out of every three players across the worldwide professional tours tee up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x, and the percentages are even higher at major men’s and women’s global amateur events, the NCAA Championships and competitive boys’ and girls’ junior championships. Bill Morgan, senior vice president for Titleist Golf Ball R&D, who was at the October 2000 launch recalled, “While we expected early adoption, we weren’t certain what the ball count would be, because players only had a day or two of practice rounds.” Still vivid in his memory, Morgan said, “Forty seven players, or over half of all the Titleist players in the field, immediately put the new Pro V1 in play. We heard from players, that for the very first time, they didn’t sacrifice anything in a golf ball. The Pro V1 provided total performance by delivering exceptional distance gains off the tee while providing incredibly soft feel and what we called ‘dropand-stop’ short game control. It also had a durable cover that wouldn’t cut or shear the way the traditional balata-covered balls did.” This marked universal validation heralded the start of a new era in golf ball technology. The Pro V1 was an exciting addition
DECEMBER 2015
to Titleist’s high performance golf ball line, further accelerating Titleist’s position as the industry leader in innovative technology, best-in-class process quality and manufacturing capabilities. It was the first time Titleist had applied its expertise in large-core technology, multi-component technology and elastomer urethane technology into one product. Another insider who was at the October 2000 launch was Mary Lou Bohn, vice president, Golf Ball Marketing and Titleist Communications and this is how she recalled the event in Ls Vegas: “The Pro V1 responded to the changing nature of the game and the arrival of the power game on the tour necessitated golf balls that delivered very low spin in the long game, while maintaining
I’ve been playing the Pro V1 or Pro V1x since I was 12 years old and started playing competitively,” said Spieth. “That is when I made golf my number one sport and wanted to shoot the lowest scores possible. I haven’t played another ball in competition since then. I think everybody that took the game seriously, at least my peers at the time, all wanted to play the Pro V1 or Pro V1x.”
SPECIAL FEATURE Titleist PRO V1 15th Year Anniversary the spin, feel and control of the premium liquid centre, wound technology golf balls. We walked the fairways with players during their practice rounds, and it was amazing to hear so many great players effusive over Pro V1’s performance. If you look at the early success of players who achieved recordsetting performances, the results spoke for themselves.” One such player was Billy Andrade, who won the Invensys Classic the first week the new Pro V1 was available, and recently recalled how it “resurrected his career.” “I remember I was not having a very good year entering that event,” said Andrade. “I think I was around 160th
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on the money list and there were only a few events left. I was desperate. I vividly remember the first time I put it into play during a practice round. The ball was 20 yards longer than the Tour Prestige that I was playing at the time. I chalked some of it up to altitude, but the distance, in addition to the overall performance of the ball, was like nothing I had ever played.” Andrade fired five consecutive rounds in the 60’s to win by one shot. Not only did players transitioning to the Pro V1 finish 1-2 on the leaderboard, they finished 1-2
in driving distance. The victory was the fourth of Andrade’s career and vaulted him from 159th to 43rd on the 2000 PGA TOUR money list. Another Pro V1 player tied for third after fashioning a closing 10-under par 62, the event’s lowest single round score. To put things into perspective, Titleist Brand Ambassador Jordan Spieth, recently named PGA TOUR Player of the Year, was seven years old when the Pro V1 debuted in 2000 and is among several young Titleist golf ball loyalists who have never played anything but Pro V1 or Pro V1x in competition.
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“I’ve been playing the Pro V1 or Pro V1x since I was 12 years old and started playing competitively,” said Spieth. “That is when I made golf my number one sport and wanted to shoot the lowest scores possible. I haven’t played another ball in competition since then. I think everybody that took the game seriously, at least my peers at the time, all wanted to play the Pro V1 or Pro V1x.” The immediate success of the Pro V1,
beginning with the Las Vegas event, created a demand for a golf ball among all golfers not previously seen before. Due to the considerable momentum the Pro V1 gained as a result of tour player usage and success, media coverage and word-of-mouth communication, Titleist accelerated its market launch from March 2001 to December 2000. After just four months in golf shops, Pro V1 was the best-selling golf ball in the market place. At the 2001 Masters, 42 of 45 Titleist players in the field teed up a Pro V1. Not only did the Pro V1 allow tour players to reach new heights, but it also allowed golfers at every level to enjoy a better game. Previously, golfers had to make sacrifices and prioritize distance over scoring performance. They could choose a 2-piece ball that would give them distance off the tee, but that meant a loss in short game control into and around the green. With Pro V1, golfers now had one ball that delivered unmatched distance as well as the short game performance demanded by the best players in the world. The Pro V1 was, and continues to be 15 years later and counting, a ball without compromise. “The significance of Pro V1 goes beyond just its initial tour and market success,” said Bohn. “It marked a paradigm shift where the best performing golf ball for tour players is also the best performing golf ball for all golfers.” WHY “Pro V1?”: One of the questions Bill Morgan got most after the
DECEMBER 2015
launch of Pro V1 – and still gets to this day – is, “What does Pro V1 mean?” “We didn’t know what to call it,” said Morgan. “The leading tour-played ball at the time was the Titleist Professional. We were coming up to the USGA deadline for getting balls on the conforming list, so I just put an interim stamp on for submission and I figured we would work out what to officially call it later. I wrote Pro for Professional, V for the ‘Veneer Project’ that it was called in R&D, and the number 1. I absolutely thought we would change the name but the players said they loved it - so it stuck.” Looking ahead, the brand’s success is expected to continue and flourish and with a track record that includes over 2,374 worldwide wins and over 304,000 players across the worldwide professional tours who depend on the Pro V1, count on many more good years ahead. One final validation - according to Golf Datatech, an industry watchdog, through September 2015, the Pro V1 has been the best-selling golf ball in the marketplace for 175 consecutive months.
We heard from players, that for the very first time, they didn’t sacrifice anything in a golf ball. The Pro V1 provided total performance by delivering exceptional distance gains off the tee while providing incredibly soft feel and what we called ‘drop-and-stop’ short game control. It also had a durable cover that wouldn’t cut or shear the way the traditional balata-covered balls did.” This marked universal validation and the start of a new era in golf ball technology.” – Bill Morgan
THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT H HAS AS ARRIVED!
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FASHION TREND TITANTOUR IGNITE
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ISSUE 183
DECEMBER 2015
There is a cross-over taking place in the golf shoe industry. Remember the days when golf shoes looked like nothing else in the shoe business – designs used to be boring and chunky and the soles had metal spikes drilled into them. With these shoes on, golfers walked with a strange gait especially when they had to walk on concrete ÅVVYZ ;OH[»Z HSS ZPUJL JOHUNLK .VSM ZOVLZ UV^ SVVR JVVS HUK HYL ]LY` H[OSL[PJ 0U fact, the athletic look seems to have taken golf shoes into a whole new realm where [OLYL PZ H KPZ[PUJ[ JYVZZ V]LY [V Y\UUPUN ZOVLZ 7<4( .VSM OHZ THKL [OH[ [YHUZP[PVU ^P[O P[Z SH[LZ[ ¶ [OL ;0;(5;6<9 0.50;, 0[»Z NVSM ZOVLZ SVHKLK ^P[O [LJOUVSVN`
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ho would have ever thought that golf shoes would move closer to running shoes in terms of design and technology? Well, it has happened. PUMA Golf, a world leader in sports shoes and apparel has crossed over the divide into its running shoe division and tapped on the idea of energy-return cushioning which has proven
effective in running shoes. With the launch of the TITANTOUR IGNITE, PUMA Golf has made its entry into the cushioning game. The company has launched two models – the TITANTOUR IGNITE and TITANTOUR IGNITE Premium. The footwear utilizes revolutionary IGNITE foam – an innovative foam that maximizes energy return to give golfers power, comfort and performance through all 18 holes. “The coolest shoe in golf is now
the most comfortable shoe we’ve ever made. The addition of IGNITE foam to the PWRCOOL Technology brings TITANTOUR footwear to a new level – enhancing its performance on the course and providing unparalleled support and cushioning,” said PUMA Golf’s Grant Knudson, head of footwear. “At PUMA Golf we challenge ourselves to create footwear that helps golfers focus on their game instead of thinking about their feet. With the TITANTOUR IGNITE col-
FASHION TREND TITANTOUR IGNITE
lection, golfers can play from dawn ‘til dusk and their feet will be comfortable, protected and performance ready.” Engineered with PUMA’s proprietary IGNITE foam, the TITANTOUR IGNITE family is designed to deliver responsive cushioning, optimal rebound, and superior step-in comfort through every shot. During a proprietary manufacturing process, a liquid Polyurethane (PU) blend is poured into a mold in the shape of the midsole. IGNITE Foam has a high support factor and high compression set that results in both superior cushioning and minimal deformation over time. This new foam technology is designed to make the shoe more responsive and release energy more efficiently throughout the swing, making IGNITE footwear extra comfortable. In addition to the IGNITE foam, the shoes also feature TITANTOUR’s signature technology, PWRCOOL powered by Outlast, which regulates foot temperature by utilizing phase change materials that absorb, store and release heat for optimal thermal comfort. Rickie Fowler, PUMA Golf’s brand ambassador and poster-boy debuted the new TITANTOUR IGNITE footwear at this year’s Presidents Cup and this was his feedback: “My shoes play a big role in my performance - I 60
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definitely attribute some of my success on the golf course to my PUMA Golf gear. Wearing the new IGNITE footwear over the past few weeks makes me really excited to get out there and play as we move into the new season.” The IGNITE collection provides 3600 comfort and performance by adding a premium dual density PU sockliner that provides additional comfort and a customized fit, along with a PWRFRAME TPU outsole that encases the midsole for lightweight strength and durability, increased flexibility and superior traction. The outsole also boasts DUOFLEX, anatomically positioned flex grooves that allow the foot to move naturally while still providing support with a low-profile cleat made with K5 for long lasting abrasion resistance. Sporting a new, sleeker shape, and new performance, the TITANTOUR IGNITE is fullgrain leather that provides excellent fit, unrivaled comfort and a stylish toe-down look. The TITANTOUR IGNITE is also available in a Premium model, taking golf footwear to the next level with sophisticated, tonal colourways in full-grain leather and constructed with an ultra-soft pigskin lining. The IGNITE Premium shoe features aniline pull-up leathers in brown and grey.
SPECIAL FEATURE New FootJoy D.N.A. Shoes
anuary 2014 marked a new milestone for a FootJoy when the brand launched its D.N.A. F golf shoe which the company described g as the best feature package ever delivered. It was said to be the most technologically advanced shoe FJ had ever produced and that it embodied everything that a golfer wanted. FootJoy spent years designing every aspect of D.N.A. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to create a shoe that had five key features to improve stability, comfort and performance. To create the most feature-laden golf shoe FootJoy needed to explore the anatomy of its premium footwear products and then scrutinize every aspect throughout the design and development process. Every material and every component was carefully considered in order to deliver a shoe with lightweight stability, a precise fit, superior feel and ultimate performance.
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I
t’s two years since FootJoy rocked the world with the launch of its revolutionary D.N.A. golf shoes and the latest iteration of this hugely successful shoe is now out. The latest D.N.A. golf shoes feature a new TourLock Cleat System for enhanced performance and traction in all conditions. While maintaining its low profile appearance, the new cleat system significantly enhances retention. Inside D.N.A., an improved SnugFit Tongue conforms to the top of the foot and locks it in place. “We were faced with the challenge of how to make our most feature-laden golf shoe even better and I believe we’ve accomplished that,” said Doug Robinson, vice president for FootJoy’s Product Design and Development. “The key challenge for our Product Development Team was how to improve on what was already the best-selling shoe. However, in true FootJoy spirit, the team did not disappoint and have delivered yet another winner in every sense of the word,” declared Timothy Yoong, regional brand manager for FootJoy. He went on to add, “The new D.N.A. is probably the best golf shoe on planet Earth right now.” Another cool feature of this latest iteration is that golfers will now have the ability to add their own personal touch through the myriad of custom options in MyJoys. MyJoys currently offers more than 14 million ways of customizing the #1 Shoe in Golf, including exotic print leathers, personalization, country flags and novelty logos. “D.N.A. loyalists have been clamouring for a customizable version of the shoe since its initial launch nearly two years ago, so we’re excited to offer it as a part of our MyJoys Programme,” said MyJoys marketing manager, Rita Lepage. The D.N.A. MyJoys golf shoes also feature three areas of customizable colour and the largest size chart in golf with sizes ranging from 6 Narrow to 16 Wide and 7XW-12, 13XW. Additionally 12 new microfibre leathers will be added to the MyJoys Programme for use on the new D.N.A.: White Silver Sphinx, Black Silver Sphinx, Silver Fluid, White Patent, Blue Metal, Black Metal, Off White, Royal Blue, Platinum, Black, Red.
DECEMBER 2015
Another cool feature of this latest iteration is that golfers will now have the ability to add their own personal touch through the myriad of custom options in MyJoys.”
SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On China
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ISSUE 183
DECEMBER 2015
GOLF IS TABOO IN CHINA 0 has been a challenging year for golf in China. Some eighty golf courses have been shut down by 015 tthe Beijing Government. The Chinese Communist Party has also banned all 88 million of its members from joining golf clubs, T iin its i latest l update of party discipline rules. This is part of a sweeping anti-corruption drive that China has been conducting since 2012. The new rule on golf states that members are banned from “obtaining, holding or using membership cards for gyms, clubs, golf clubs, or various other types of consumer cards, or entering private clubs”. If caught, members could either receive a warning or be removed from the party, depending on the severity of the violation. Joining golf clubs are often seen by the Chinese public as places where officials have cut shady deals. In September, local media reported that at least 60 employees in state-owned companies were punished for spending public funds on playing golf.
Golf is the oldest and ultimate ‘people’s game’ and the Peoples Republic of China ought to recognise that golf is a citizens’ game to be enjoyed by all. They need to take back the people’s game that has been hijacked. Asian Golf’s Roving Editor, James Prusa shares his thoughts on how the resurgence of Confucianism can impact the future of golf in the Middle Kingdom.
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or all serious China-watchers, the rise of Confucianism proffers some indication of hope that the Chinese Communist Party may be showing signs of softening and perhaps adopting some of the teachings of Confucius, the great Chinese teacher, politician and philosopher. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. In a recent speech Chinese President Xi Jinping drew upon the teachings of Confucius as it relates to two major issues, namely of peace and development. After years of miraculous economic growth, China faces multiple pressures and challenges domestically from a number of aspects. Beijing has to juggle institutional issues, structural economic issues, social stability issues, ethnic issues, and more. By harking back to the teachings of the great Chinese sage, it seems that President Xi wants to humanize China’s special concern for “peace and development” by placing it in the context of Confucius and the long Chinese tradition of Confucianism. Emphasizing the legacy of Confucius can help legitimize China’s emphasis on “peace and development” for both the domestic public and the international community. For over 2,000 years, Confucius has been regarded as “the Greatest Sage and Teacher” among Chinese people. Recently, the values and beliefs of Confucianist political philosophy have taken centre stage in Chinese politics — political rhetoric dealing with ethical humanism, virtuous rule, people-oriented governance, and so on. China has decided to forge its own path, one separate from the process of Western style modernization (where economic growth facilitates the process of democratization). While seeking its own path, it is both natural and essential for China to look to its own traditions to find essential concepts that might produce political and social cohesion, which is increasingly important to the Party and the whole nation as well.
SPECIAL FEATURE Focus On China is that Northern Asian societies have twisted Confucian ‘harmony’ to keep people in their ‘place.’ It is used to simply ‘control’ people and to protect those in the power elite. It is strongest in Korea. Thus, the elitism membership model that has hijacked the game of golf is what golf course ‘clubs’ have been built upon. Golf in its pure amateur state found in Scotland is a societal leveler – and only when affordable golf course business models recognize this does the game really grow.
AG: There has been tremendous blood-letting of late insofar as the golf industry in China is concerned where courses have been either demolished or shut down. In light of this reported return to Confucian values, do you see a silver lining for golf in China which strips itself of the extravagant and glamourous image that the Chinese golf model has assumed?
Against this shift in policies, Asian Golf conducted a question and answer session with its resident “China Watcher”, roving editor James Prusa. A long-time Asia-hand and a Stanford University scholar, Prusa is highly qualified to discuss any trend in China as it affects golf. The following are excerpts from that interview:
ASIAN GOLF: Serious “China Watchers” are sensing that China is turning back to Confucius values. You qualify as a “China Watcher” at least from the perspective of golf. Do you sense this shift? JAMES PRUSA: There is no doubt that there has been an ongoing ‘revival’ of Confucianism in China that earnestly started in the last decade. Keep in mind that Mao’s wife led a purge in the 1970s that totally attacked Confucianism as being ‘reactionary.’ With the modernisation and development of China, Confucianism is on the rebound. China has always been engaged in Confucian influences — today, it is being promoted to regulate Chinese society in the guise of ‘harmony’. Essentially everything has a place and every place has a thing – including people. They sell the need for ‘harmony’ in society above the individual.
AG: Do you see this throw-back to the past as a good development especially for golf, given the fact that the *OPULZL NVSÄUN TVKLS OHZ ILLU H [V[HS HU[P[OLZPZ VM Confucian values.
JP: I do see a ‘proper’ refocus on Confucian philosophy as a good thing for golf if golf is recognized as the ‘people’s game.’ The problem
JP: What is going on with the golf course moratorium and closing of courses in China was so predictable. Let’s recognize that the reasons for the golf course restrictions, though complex, were brought about by an abuse of land planning, abuse of limited resources such as potable water, corruption and a large dose of greed. We must recognize that the Chinese authorities have every right and duty to protect the local people and impose land use restrictions just as is done everywhere in the West. I see a silver lining only if the golf course industry gets its act together and starts to promote the honorable and ancient virtues for public golf. Talk is cheap; action takes investment of time and energy. Where are the designers who can present and convince local authorities on how to build profitable government-owned golf courses for use by citizens? And that will require training of operations staff too.
AG: Do you think that the time is now right for Chinese investors to look at creating public golf courses to make the game both accessible and playable to the masses - would this meet with the approval of the central government? JP: 100% absolutely the case! However, forget focusing only on private investors. National, regional and local authorities need to invest in such recreational opportunities for their citizens. It is a high responsibility of governments of the people. Golf is the oldest and ultimate ‘people’s game’ and the Peoples Republic of China ought to recognise that golf is a citizens’ game to be enjoyed by all. They need to take back the people’s game that has been hijacked. An elementary study of the history of golf and its Scottish roots will quickly reveal this. I would love to someday help plan, build, develop and teach operations to 100 government owned, financially sustainable golf courses in Asia! What an honor that would be! The business model is readily out there and one does not need to spend money like drunken sailors to achieve it. Public golf is REAL GOLF.
Golf is the oldest and ultimate ‘people’s game’ and the Peoples Republic of China ought to recognise that golf is a citizens’ game to be enjoyed by all. They need to take back the people’s game that has been hijacked.” 66
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I do see a ‘proper’ refocus on Confucian philosophy as a good thing for golf if golf is recognized as the ‘people’s game.’” – James Prusa AG: As golf tries to re-position itself in keeping with Confucian values, do you think it will have a smooth passage given the slowing economic growth in China?
JP: I don’t think that golf has ever had a ‘smooth’ passage – developing golf course facilities correctly has always been and always will be hard work at best. When it is ‘smooth’ and easy you can bet that greed and ignorance are behind it. Public golf must gain a foothold in not only China, but all of Asia. It has been a private membership, business model driven growth. Unlike in the West where private clubs are equity memberships and governed by the members, too many ‘clubs’ in Asia have really just been a business with an owner --and often driven by owner egos that have led to financial failures. I think that ‘Confucian’ culture has also driven this actually. People are so desperate to gain entree into a higher social strata (a higher ‘place’ in Confucian harmony), that they perceive golf membership as only a ‘face’ enhancing achievement. Let’s get golf back to being the societal equalizing sport of the ‘people’s game’ that originated in Scotland instead of an elitist driven model of exclusivity that Asia has embraced. I think that there is a near desperation for many in Asia to claw their way up to the top of the pecking order and this has been a huge factor in the way golf has grown – now it is time for a more mature, calm expansion of golf into the public sector. The masses of people in Asia also deserve to enjoy golf in good public facilities. One would think that a country like China would figure that out and start to build government, local authority owned golf courses – like St. Andrews, Scotland!
DECEMBER 2015
ASIAN GOLF ISSUE 184 Marketing And Education – Why? ithin the Asian geography, there are over 5000 golf courses but this fact is not universally known. Why is this so you may ask? The answer is quite simple – the value of marketing and promotions is not being truly harnessed and put to work by the golf club industry. The same is true of education. The club industry in general has shown an aversion to investing in human capital development. This has to change! An investment in knowledge pays the best interest and Asian Golf will give you the facts.
Rio 2016 – Is Asia Ready? hen golf got back into the Olympic Games, the custodians of golf immediately took to their pulpits to preach about how Asia and Asian governments would seize the opportunity to get involved to promote golf and prepare teams to vie for a playing slot in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Has this really happened? Will Asia be well represented at the games? Find out in the January edition of Asian Golf.
Asia Outlook 2016 hat does 2016 hold for golf in Asia? This is a fascinating topic and we will probe the industry and give it a health check. Again, we will ask the tough questions and the answers may not be all that palatable, but it will most definitely be revealing. Find out if Asia has control over its golf destiny or has it been mortgaged.
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