AG202July2017 by Asia Pacific Golf Group

ISSUE

202

J U LY 2 0 1 7

One area that is reflective of the dynamism of Vietnam is its golf industry. A very late starter in golf relative to most of its Southeast Asian neighbours, Vietnam has played catch-up with the rest of the region and today ranks amongst one of the golf power-houses of Southeast Asia. Quite naturally, the sudden burst of development activity has catapulted the country into becoming one of the finest showcases for Asian golf. What the country has on offer is quite a sight to behold and it is for this very reason that it has been selected as the venue for the 2017 Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS 2017).

16 SPECIAL FEATURE 30 BRG HERALDS A NEW ERA The frenetic growth of golf in Vietnam is being spear-headed by the Hanoi-based BRG Group which has ambitious growth plans for the development of golf in the country. As part of its drive to promote golf the group’s dynamic chairman, Madame Nguyen Thi Nga, has thrown her personal support behind the group to launch the BRG Golf Vietnam Amateur Tour 2017, the ﬁrst of its kind anywhere in Southeast Asia.

38 FROM A SHY KID TO A GLOBAL SUPERSTAR! June 11, 2017 was a historic day for Asian golf. It was on this

nded to the throne day that Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn ascended to be crowned as the number one ranked female golfer in the world. Ariya is the ﬁrst golfer, male or female, from Thailand and Southeast Asia to win a majorr championship. 16 and the tour’s She was the LPGA Player of The Year in 2016 leading money winner.

60 THE MANGA GOLF CRAZE CNN’s special report on manga comics has as posed an interesting question regarding growing the game me of golf which generally speaking, is in state of decline in n the developed world. The poser is whether manga comics might i h h hold ld the key to helping grow the game, especially amongst the young. you

90 IINDIA SCORES A FIRST IN GOLF! The ﬁrst ever all synthetic golf course has been built in India. The people who are responsible for this major disruption are the guys behind the award-winning golf course design company, Golfplan. The project was dreamt up by one of com the lead principals of the ﬁrm, Kevin Ramsey who together with his partner David Dale have designed and built some of Asia’s top golf courses. Asia

96 BBANZAI MATSUYAMA SCORES BIG!

Afte a slow start for the 2017 season, Japan’s Hideki MatAfter suyama has begun to crank it up. The phenom from the East suya claimed the number two spot in the 117th U.S. Open, and in clai the process, banked in a check for US$ $1,052,012.

100 54

SPECIAL COLUMN

GAME-IMPROVEMENT

46 FAILURES BY DESIGN

98 GAME PREVIEW: THE PERFECT 10

This is a special report, the second in a series that explores various nagging issues on the controversial topic of: Golf Course Costs Are Destroying the Game – Who Is Responsible? This report is produced by James Graham Prusa, ASIAN GOLF’s International Roving Editor.

“It’s never too late to learn,” says Hong Kong-based Iain Roberts, who has taught countless players, from beginners to elite professionals, in a 40-year career. “This series of lessons will show how good coaching can produce quick and effective results, no matter the student’s age. And we’re going to have some fun along the way.”

54 THE EVOLUTION OF KOREANS ON THE PGA TOUR This is a new editorial column made possible through a collaboration between the PGA Tour of America and ASIAN GOLF. Given the growing presence in Asia of the largest professional golf tour in the world, we felt that it was incumbent upon us to provide the PGA Tour with its own platform to talk about its activities throughout this vast Continent. In its latest editorial contribution, it examines how South Koreans have become a growing presence and force on the PGA Tour.

82 76

100 GOLF IS NOT ABOUT HOW YOU MOVE YOUR HIPS! Although hip movement is important, what is even more important is getting your swing right. Because once your swing hangs together, it will automatically take control over how much hip movement you need. Our resident golf guru Tony Meechai is a great believer in getting your swing right and his advice is to not overdo hip movements during the course of a swing.

106 GETTING PREPARED FOR COMPETITION In the current series of golfing tips, ASIAN GOLF’s resident golf coaches, the joint principals of the Pro Tour College, David Milne and Lawrie Montague explore and explain the importance of how to prepare for competition. As part of the drill, we would like to highlight the five most important things to do, that will give a golfer every chance to post golf scores that reflect his true potential.

EQUIPMENT FOCUS

REGULARS

66 GOLF BAGS AND GLOVES - PRODUCTS OF TECHNOLOGY

8 EDITORIAL TEAM

The modern golf bag is a critical part of a golfer’s kit. The modern game demands a bag that is both engineered and designed to hold a golfer’s clubs and accessories such as gloves and personal items when moving around the course-particularly if walking as opposed to using a buggy.

12 SHARED THOUGHTS FROM THE PUBLISHER: NO MAS! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

76 MUIRA GOLF STORMS BACK INTO THE FRAY! The legendary Japanese irons manufacturer, Muira, has launched its latest – Hayate drivers and woods. It is its ﬁrst foray into the realm of drivers and woods having historically being an ultra-premium golf equipment company best known for its forged irons and wedges.

82 PRICES ARE ON THE UP AND CLUBS ARE BEING SNAPPED UP! Equipment manufacturers seem to be testing the waters with higherpriced golf clubs. It all started with Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) charging premium prices for its clubs. Since then, Titleist has done likewise and the latest to follow this trend is Callaway Golf with the launch of the Epic series of irons, pro irons and hybrids.

Mike Sebastian Editor/Chief Executive Ofﬁcer [mike@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

INTERNATIONAL ROVING EDITORS

James Graham Prusa Correspondent

Angela Raymond President [angela@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

Alan Campbell (China/Middle East) Correspondent

Andy Stangenberg Club Services Advisor

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Raquel Arcega

Tony Meechai (Black Hat Golf Tips -Thailand)

Executive Creative Art Director [raquel@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

(Pro Tour College)

David Milne & Lawrie Montague

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Alice Ho Business Executive [alice@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

Alice Ho Email: alice@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com

ASIA PACIFIC GOLF GROUP(2014) PTE LTD

Wayne Lwee Head, Digital Network/Video Editor [wayne@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

1 Yishun Industrial Street 1, #07-23 A’posh Bizhub, Singapore 768160 Tel: +65 6323 2800 | Fax: +65 6323 2838 Company Registration No.: 201405689G

Myra Paras Accounts Executive [myra@asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com]

No part of Asian Golf may be reproduced in any other publications, printed or published without the written permission of the publisher. Opinions in Asian Golf are the writers’ and are not necessarily endorsed by Asian Golf. Asian Golf accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, transparencies or other materials. Manuscripts, photographs and artwork will not be returned unless accompanied by appropriate postage.

asiangolf 201

SHARED THOUGHTS

FROM THE PUBLISHER

If there is one lesson to be learned from the recent unfortunate DUI charge that landed Tiger Woods in the laps of the police, it is simply this – the entire darn industry should back off and leave Tiger alone! Only he knows what’s ailing him and it is now evident that the man who was once the most feared professional golfer in the world, has succumbed to a very human weakness which has to do with managing PAIN.

he once super athlete has subjected his body to innumerable surgical procedures – it all started with his ﬁrst knee surgery back in 1994 when he was in college. Since then, he has had a buffet-spread of surgeries to his back, his knee and his Achilles heels. That’s a lot of surgeries and given the number of times that Tiger has gone under the knife, the man must obviously be experiencing post-operative aches and pains that most of us can never fathom. This problem is further exacerbated by his desire to want to make a comeback to tournament golf. As much as we hate to say it, Tiger will never be able to play at the level of game that once enthralled the world. Those days are over and have been over for quite some years. We have advocated that he should call it quits and enjoy life – after all he’s earned it!

july 2017

However, with this recent scandal unfolding, it is very apparent that Tiger has an addiction problem – an addiction to prescription pain-killers. On his own admission, Tiger revealed to the arresting ofﬁcers that he was on four medications – Soloxex, Torix, Vioxx and Vicodin. At a later date, he admitted to also taking Xanax. ASIAN GOLF checked with a pain management physician to get a better understanding of the cocktail of painkillers that Tiger was on and what we discovered explains the totally disorientated state that Tiger was in when he was picked up by the police. According to the physician, Xanax is a commonly prescribed drug to treat anxiety and depression. Quoting a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning, the physician explained that when Xanax is taken in combination with an opioid like Vicodin, it “may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death.” Vicodin is one of the most frequently abused drugs in America and is a strong opiate painkiller with highly addictive properties. If a person consumes too much Vicodin, he risks slowing his heart rate down to the point of death. His skin will be clammy and he may go into a coma. Like other

opiates, Vicodin is likely to make a person drowsy. Once a person is addicted, it eventually becomes more important to get the drug than just about anything else in life. Care of oneself, one’s business or family takes a backseat to acquiring the drugs needed. The upside of Vicodin addiction is that one can recover from it although the person facing recovery from this addiction may dread the withdrawal process from opiates. In Tiger’s case, he has got the problem under control as he has entered into a rehabilitation centre. This won’t be the ﬁrst rehab stint for the 41-year-old – he also reportedly checked into a facility in Arizona in 2010 for an addiction to painkiller Vicodin and sedative Ambien. Let us all hope that he gets on top of this problem and gets his life back in order. One special plea to the industry though – give him the space he needs and let’s all move on without Tiger Woods as a contender in tournaments ever again. Let us remember him for all his great achievements and let him live on as the game’s greatest legend!

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APGS 2017 COVER STORY

TENNIEL CHU

ZACH SHOR

MADAME NGUY

BOB PARSONS

SHERATON HOTEL, DANANG

asiangolf 201 RESORT 16 BRG LEGEND HILL GOLF

YEN THI NGA

Who would have thought more than forty years ago that Vietnam would one day become a hotbed for golf? Decades of war and strife left the war-torn nation in tatters and it was a laggard in the fast-paced growth of Southeast Asia of which Vietnam is a part of. But one thing could not be overlooked and that was the determination and resolve of the Vietnamese people to bounce back. Years of hardship has provided the people of Vietnam with a compass aimed at one goal – a goal driven by rapid development and growth. Looking back at the country’s meteoric development one can only look upon Vietnam with admiration and awe. Today, this Southeast Asian nation is the region’s star performer and with a population of 100 million people, it has embarked on an ambitious drive to transform Vietnam into one of the most dynamic countries on the Asian continent.

july 2017

THE HA LONG BAY GOLF COURSE

ne area that is reﬂective of the dynamism of Vietnam is its golf industry. A very late starter in golf relative to most of its Southeast Asian neighbours, Vietnam has played catch-up with the rest of the region and today ranks amongst one of the golf power-houses of Southeast Asia. In the last few years, powerful Vietnamese entrepreneurs have invested in golf course development and these investors have all been singularly focused on building some of the best courses in Asia, if not the world. The thrust towards building the best golf facilities automatically attracted some of the world’s best golf course architects to Vietnam. Industry leading names like Nicklaus Design (owned by Jack Nicklaus), Nick Faldo’s Faldo Design, the “Great White Shark” Greg Norman, Schmidt Curley Design and IMG have bestowed upon Vietnam some of their trademark designs. Blessed by some of the most stunning vistas and

spectacular natural terrain, Vietnam boasts high quality golf courses that can be found along its beautiful and breathtaking coastline, its central highlands and its flat plains. Being some of the newest golf courses in Asia, the majority of the courses and their club houses are ultra-modern and in keeping with current design trends. Quite naturally, the sudden burst of development activity has catapulted the country into becoming one of the finest showcases for Asian golf. What the country has on offer is quite a sight to behold and it is for this very reason that it has been selected as the venue for the 2017 Asia Pacific Golf Summit (APGS 2017). The staging of APGS 2017 marks the celebration of a new dawning for golf in Asia. “The selection of Vietnam as the venue for APGS 2017 was a strategic decision because it serves as a new platform to launch a whole new era in golf and golf development,” explained Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner and producer of APGS 2017. BRG RUBY TREE GOLF RESORT, HANOI

asiangolf 202

BRG LEGEND HILL GOLF RESORT

The Summit will be staged in Danang, a coastal city in central Vietnam that is renowned for its sandy beaches and history as a French colonial port. The show dates are November 14-16. The host sponsor for APGS 2017 is the Hanoi-headquartered BRG Group, a major player in the development of golf in Vietnam. At the time of writing, this dynamic multi-faceted Vietnamese conglomerate had just concluded a new strategic partnership with Nicklaus Design to develop multiple new courses in the coming years. BRG which already operates a number of courses including the award-winning Kings’ Island golf resort in Vietnam is said to be planning another ten new golf courses. This ambitious development programme was announced in Washington during the Memorial Day holidays and the signing of the agreement was witnessed by the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc. “We are proud to be the host sponsor for the Summit as we believe that given its long-standing record and reputation

BLESSED BY SOME OF THE MOST STUNNING VISTAS AND SPECTACULAR NATURAL TERRAIN, VIETNAM BOASTS HIGH QUALITY GOLF COURSES THAT CAN BE FOUND ALONG ITS BEAUTIFUL AND BREATH-TAKING COASTLINE, ITS CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND ITS FLAT PLAINS.

BEING

SOME OF THE NEWEST GOLF COURSES IN

ASIA, THE MAJORITY OF THE COURSES AND THEIR CLUB HOUSES ARE ULTRAMODERN AND IN KEEPING WITH CURRENT DESIGN TRENDS. BRG KINGS ISLAND GOLF RESORT, HANOI

july 2017

BRG DA NANG GOLF CLUB

as one of the leading conferences on the business of golf, it will help ﬁrmly establish Vietnam as one of the world’s most exciting destinations for golf,” said Madame Nguyen Thi Nga, the chairman of the BRG Group. The Summit will be staged in the brand new Sheraton Hotel in Danang which will also be the venue for the 2017 Asia Paciﬁc Economic Cooperation summit which will be attended by newly elected American President Donald Trump. The Danang staging of APGS 2017 will be the eleventh in the series - it was initially launched in Singapore in 2007. “The Summit has come a long way since then and we have had more than 400 speakers address the Summit over the years including some of golf’s legends like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Peter Thomson, Gregg Norman and Annika Sorenstam,” according to Sebastian. The 2017 event will be no different and it will continue with the established tradition of staging some of the most exciting movers and shakers in the industry. The theme for

the Summit is “NEW DIRECTIONS” as it captures and reﬂects the new dynamism and changes that are taking place in the golf industry in the region. No one single person embodies the theme more than the one man who has more or less turned the entire golf equipment industry on its head. He is the founder and chairman of Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG), Bob Parsons, the billionaire philanthropist and self-confessed “golf nut”. The main reason why APGS 2017 regards Mr. Parsons as a prime catch is because he is a perfect ﬁt for the message that needs to be communicated. His most vital business maxim is based on the credo that places special emphasis on the “willingness to adapt”. He epitomizes “disruption” which is very evident in the way he established PXG in one of the toughest business climates for golf in decades. Put simply, in one bold move, Parsons developed a golf club that pros love to hit. Basically, with PXG, he has taken disruption to a whole new level and in the process, he has built a better mouse-trap

asiangolf 202 201

BRG DA NANG GOLF RESORT

that the entire golf industry both acknowledges and admires. Parsons will set the tone for APGS 2017 – a mood and a tone aimed at embracing change and generating a whole new era of growth marked by a shift from tradition. Parsons is a man who thinks big in whatever he does - he is a tech-world entrepreneur and a self-made billionaire who founded the Internet domain registration company, GoDaddy. He has a net worth in excess of US$2 billion and one of his brand ambassadors, Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship had this to say about Parsons, “He always had the fanciest gear, and he was a golf nut, but he’s also a sweet man who is big into philanthropy.” Parsons has taken the Giving Pledge, promising to commit at least half his fortune to charity. Parsons visit to Vietnam will be nostalgic – he ﬁrst came to Vietnam in 1968, as a 17-year-old. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps and several months into his tour, he stepped on a tripwire and was badly wounded. He still has shrapnel in his arms and legs and received an honorable discharge and the Purple Heart.

WE ARE PROUD TO BE THE HOST SPONSOR FOR THE

SUMMIT AS WE BELIEVE THAT GIVEN ITS LONG-STANDING RECORD AND REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE LEADING CONFERENCES ON THE BUSINESS OF GOLF, IT WILL HELP FIRMLY ESTABLISH

VIETNAM AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXCITING DESTINATIONS FOR GOLF.

– MADAME NGUYEN THI NGA

SHERATON HOTEL, DANANG

july 2017

THE 2017 EVENT WILL BE NO DIFFERENT AND IT WILL CONTINUE WITH THE ESTABLISHED TRADITION OF STAGING SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN THE INDUSTRY.

THE THEME FOR THE SUMMIT IS “NEW

DIRECTIONS” AS IT CAPTURES AND REFLECTS THE NEW DYNAMISM AND CHANGES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN THE GOLF INDUSTRY IN THE REGION. So, count on one of the industry’s most inspiring and colourful leaders to set the mood and tone for the growth and development of golf in Asia in the coming years. Another top name who also thinks big when it comes to golf is Tenniel Chu, vice-chairman of the giant Mission Hills Group of China. Mission Hills has served as a development template for Vietnam as its facilities have served to drive Vietnamese investors to follow in the footsteps of the world’ largest golf resort by developing multiple golf facilities. Chu’s focus for APGS 2017 will be on the group’s commitment to junior golf development. He feels that in keeping with the Summit’s theme, New Directions, the industry’s leaders will need to pay more attention to growing the game of golf amongst juniors. “Junior golf has always been at the heart of the Mission Hills philosophy, so to celebrate our 25th year we are aiming to break all records with opportunities for more than 25,000 young golfers,” he said. “As the world’s largest golf club in the world’s most populated country, we want to help boost the game in China. We will bring golf to tens of thousands of kids of all ages and abilities during 2017 and beyond.” In a bid to help nurture China’s next generation of golfing superstars, the Mission Hills Golf Academy will continue to select talented young golfers for its junior development programme. More than 20 golfers aged 8 to 16 currently make up the junior squads and receive top-class coaching and mentoring from the Mission Hills Academy’s PGA coaches. What Mission Hills is doing is tangible evidence of the New Directions that golf is taking in Asia. In line with the New Directions theme, APGS 2017 will serve as the launch-pad for Topgolf, the exciting new way to play golf. Short of a better way to acknowledge Topgolf’s presence on the traditional golf landscape is to describe it as

an “incredible social experience” that is spreading like wildfire in North America. Just imagine – it’s a game where you chip, sip and chomp – what can be better than being able to play some golf, have your favourite drink, eat some delicious food and be in the company of your friends with one common objective – to have fun! Zach Shor, chief operating officer of Topgolf International, will be the organisation’s messenger to APGS 2017. Zach is the man charged with the responsibility for Topgolf’s future growth, and there’s no better person to inform Asia how Topgolf is spreading internationally. This is only the tip of the iceberg relating to what is in store for APGS 2017. For a sense of the full programme, please visit http://www.golfconference.org Vietnam promises to be a very gracious host for APGS 2017 and given the mood in the country towards golf, everyone attending the Summit can be assured of a truly historic event. Among some of the highlights of APGS 2017 will be the 2017 Asian Golf Awards, the “Oscars” for the Asian golf industry. More than 100,000 valid votes, covering over 40 award categories were cast on-line over a three-month period. “It is an all-time record for the polls in the eighteen year history of the programme,” declared Alice Ho, the coordinator for the Asian Golf Awards. The 2017 Asia Pacific Inter-Club Golf Tournament will be staged for the third time and this event will pit executives from Asian golf clubs in friendly battle for the BRG Group Challenge Trophy. This tournament will be staged at the BRG Danang Golf Club on November 14. Delegate registration is now open at

https://secure.golfconference.org/

SPECIAL FEATURE

GOLF BOOM IN VIETNAM

The pace of golf course development in Vietnam just picked up a head of steam as the BRG Group inked a new deal in Washington with Nicklaus Design to design and develop a portfolio of new golf courses in that country.

his ground-breaking agreement was

tourism supported by good year-round weather and our

reached during the Vietnamese Prime

friendly service orientated people,” said Madame Nga.

Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s recent visit to

“To take full advantage of our competitive edge, we have

the USA, and the agreement was concluded

teamed up with Nicklaus Design and this ensures our new

by Madame Nguyen Thi Nga, chairman of

golf courses will be very attractive destinations designed

BRG Group.

The signing ceremony heralded a signiﬁcant mile-

and built to international standards,” she added. The visit of the Prime Minister underlined the im-

stone in the strategic cooperation between the BRG Group

portance of this relationship. “It is especially meaningful

and Nicklaus Design. Since Madame Nga and Nicklaus

that this signing ceremony coincides with the visit of Mr.

Design signed their ﬁrst agreement to design the BRG

Nguyen Xuan Phuc to America,” Madame Nga added, “and

Legend Hill Golf Resort in 2011, this spirit of cooperation

we promise the Prime Minister that we will deliver this

has grown. There are currently two more 18-hole Nicklaus

vision of Vietnam as a fabulous golﬁng destination and a

Design golf courses under construction in Vietnam.

great golf nation.”

It has been reliably learnt that the new agree-

Commenting on behalf of Nicklaus Design, Paul

ment provides for the construction of ten more new golf

Stringer, Asia Paciﬁc President said, “Jack Nicklaus and

courses. “Vietnam has a tremendous potential for golf

Jack Nicklaus II, Nicklaus Design are delighted to continasiangolf 202

ue our ongoing relationship with BRG Group and Madame Nga and this historic signing between the BRG Group and Nicklaus Design solidiﬁes our relationship for the future. We look forward to creating more great golf courses for the BRG Group and golfers throughout Vietnam.” The strategic alliance between BRG Group and Nicklaus Design promises to bring world-class golf to a nation hungry for growth in sports tourism and the game. Together, this combination aims to draw interest in golf from all over the world resulting in domestic employment and foreign patronage. BRG Group is Vietnam’s leading golf course operator, while Nicklaus Design is the world’s leading golf course design ﬁrm with more than 400 golf courses in 43 countries and 39 U.S. States. Nicklaus Design was founded by golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

july 2017

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BRG TOURNAMENT SPECIAL FEATURE

One of the youngest nations in golf within the O Southeast Asian geography has to be Vietnam S So o but bu b u the pace of the game’s growth in this nation is aanything but slow. is As As iiff itit iiss in a race to play catch-up, Vietnam is now pe p erh rha ap ps go ggolf’s o fastest growing nation on the planet with perhaps m mo rre e nnew ew w ggolf courses being designed, developed and more oopened op pen ened w h many more are on the drawing boards ready while to bbee la to au un nc launched. At the rate the country is opening up to new go ne new ggolflff ffacilities, a it won’t be long before it becomes a m ma ajjo or pl pplayer aye ay ye on the Asian and global golﬁng scene. major

asiangolf asia as a sia s iangol ngol golf 201 20 2 01

30 30

he frenetic growth of golf in Vietnam is being spear-headed by the Hanoi-based BRG Group which has ambitious growth plans for the development of golf in the country. To ensure that it lays a very strong foundation for golf in Vietnam, the group’s dynamic chairman, Madame Nguyen Thi Nga, an avid golf fan and widely regarded as one of Vietnam’s wealthiest lady entrepreneurs, has thrown her personal support behind the group to launch

31 31

june jjune e 20 2 201 2017 017 017 01

the BRG Golf Vietnam Amateur Tour 2017, the ﬁrst of its kind anywhere in Southeast Asia. In announcing the launch of this milestone event, Madame Nga said, “I would like to stress that the primary focus of this series is to help inculcate, nurture and grow a golﬁng culture in Vietnam that embraces the true spirit of golf as a sport, as a game to promote social contact and camaraderie and to foster a high level of honesty, integrity and honour that golf represents.”

“It is my desire that golf develops along the correct guidelines of the sport and that Vietnam will take its rightful place amongst the great nations of golf as a golfing jurisdiction that upholds all that is good about the game,” Madame Nga added. The BRG Golf Vietnam Amateur Tour 2017 will be run along similar lines as a professional tour and it will be professionally organised and managed. The Tour which is already in progress, is made up of 10 individual tournaments that will be played on the award-winning courses operated by the BRG Group. Commenting on the Tour, Mark Reeves, division director of the BRG Group said, “BRG Tour is all about the integrity and traditions of the game. As Vietnam is a relative newcomer to the game we need to establish the correct framework for the introduction of the rules of golf so as to create a level playing field and at the same time, to ensure situations in the field are met with equity.” It would be pertinent to note that the accepted norm in Vietnam for hosting events is not focused on the spirit of the game or the camaraderie that lends itself to competition, but with huge table prizes, generous hole-in-one rewards and prizes in cash. “Golfers in Vietnam have not been fully introduced to the rules of golf and if this is not addressed, in the long term it could hamper the development of top flight golfers both amateurs and professionals alike,” he added.

I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THAT THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS SERIES IS TO HELP INCULCATE, NURTURE AND GROW A GOLFING CULTURE IN VIETNAM THAT EMBRACES THE TRUE SPIRIT OF GOLF AS A SPORT, AS A GAME TO PROMOTE SOCIAL CONTACT AND CAMARADERIE AND TO FOSTER A HIGH LEVEL OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND HONOUR THAT GOLF REPRESENTS. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MADAME NGUYEN THI NGA

VIEW PHOTOS Echoing the need to bring about a more enlightened understanding of the rules of golf, Evan Mahoney, BRG’s director of golf operations, Northern Region said, “We need to begin to play to the rules before the spirit of the game is diluted and y In the absence of a p loses its true identity. professional tour, Vietnam ﬁnds itself with blurred lines on prizes and prize money values that over reach amateur status as laid la out by the R&A and USGA, the governing world w bodies of golf.”

The BRG Golf Vietnam Amateur Tour 2017 will be run in accordance to the strict guidelines that are used for the staging of professional golf tournaments. “We will observe every single tenet of tournament golf in structuring the events and we will also be paying special attention to how the course is set up for each tournament,” Reeves explained. According to him, the intention of BRG is to provide all participants with an experience that will be similar to that experienced by professional golfers playing in a professional tour. “In so doing, we expect to be able to educate golfers in

THE BRG GOLF VIETNAM AMATEUR TOUR 2017 WILL BE RUN IN ACCORDANCE TO THE STRICT GUIDEACCORDA LINES THAT A ARE USED FOR THE STAGING OF PROFESSIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENTS.

“WE

WILL OBSERVE EV EVERY SINGLE TENET OF TOURNAMENT GOLF IN STR STRUCTURING THE EVENTS AND WE WILL ALSO BE PAYING SPE SPECIAL ATTENTION TO HOW THE COURSE IS SET UP FOR EACH T TOURNAMENT.

– MARK REEVES asiangolf 201

TO GIVE THE TOUR AN AIR OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE AND RELEVANCE, THE ORGANISERS HAVE DECIDED TO “THEME” SOME OF THESE EVENTS AROUND GOLF’S BIGGEST TOURNAMENTS SUCH AS THE PRESTIGIOUS U.S. MASTERS, THE OPEN AND THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPS. “WE WILL USE THESE GLOBAL EVENTS AS A TEMPLATE TO DEMONSTRATE HOW TOP CLASS GOLF IS PLAYED AND TO ENCOURAGE A BUZZ AMONG THE PLAYERS TO HELP DRIVE HOME THE MESSAGE AS IT RELATES TO RULES AND FAIR PLAY IN COMPETITION,

– EVAN MAHONEY

Vietnam on how golf should be played especially as it re-

these events around golf’s biggest tournaments such as the

lates to the rules of the game, the spirit of the game and the etiquette and behaviour of golfers on and off the course,” Reeves explained.

prestigious U.S. Masters, the Open and the Players Championships. “We will use these global events as a template to demonstrate how top class golf is played and to encourage

Like a professional tour, the BRG Golf Vietnam Amateur Tour 2017 will be strictly monitored and controlled from all aspects so as to ensure that the rules of the game together

a buzz among the players to help drive home the message as it relates to rules and fair play in competition,” Mahoney pointed out.

with the accepted norms of social behaviour are upheld at all points in time.

“In the ﬁnal analysis, it is our hope and desire that amateur golf in Vietnam is set on a proper footing and

To give the Tour an air of international importance and relevance, the organisers have decided to “theme” some of

that its foundations and laid on solid bedrock,” Reeves emphasised.

june 2017

3 4 5

ore than most industries, the golf industry has had its fair share of doom and gloom stories. The golf business landscape has been inundated by news about golf course closures, declining incomes, equipment manufacturers shutting down and a litany of such dismal news. The time has come to put this all behind and look ahead. Asia has entered an exciting era of dynamic growth with most of the Continent’s economies reﬂecting good health. More Asian corporates are moving up the ladder of success on the For-

tune and Forbes list of billion-dollar conglomerates. This is an excellent measure of the powerhouse that Asia is. Populations are becoming better educated, more afﬂuent and ready for new and exciting experiences. While the Baby-Boomers may be on the decline, the younger population demographics including the much talked about Millennials have matured and moved up the consumer pyramid. There has never been a better time than NOW for the golf industry to take stock of all the positives and prepare itself to tap into new opportunities for improved business and greater earnings.

New technologies like Mobile Ap to be brought on board to improve t member experience. New and exciti of play need to be introduced that is consuming, more fun and more affo Service standards need to be stepp fold. New and improved ways of ren efﬁciently maintaining golf courses fast-tracked. It’s all about NEW DIRECTIONS b herein lies the future of golf and its g in Asia. There’s a NEW AGE of oppor awaiting the golf club industry in Asia

|1| ADAM HARRIS |2| ANDREW WOOD |3| ANDY STANGENBERG |4| PAUL STRINGER |5| STEVEN FREUND |6| GREGG PATT |8| ROBERT PARSONS |9| ZACH SHOR |10| BILL SANDERSON |11| TODD RHINEHART |12| DR. MILTON ENGELKE |13| DAVID D

ASIA PACIFIC GOLF

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adopters of the emerging changes will be set and ready to reap harvests brought about by the paradigm shifts. Be part of the ENLIGHTENED COMMUNITY and be at the 2017 Asia Paciﬁc Golf Summit (APGS 2017). No other golf business event in the world can offer you a road map to prepare for the exciting times ahead. Come and listen to the architects of change who will be piloting Asia’s thrust forward.

TERSON |7| TENNIEL CHU DOUGET |14| BRAD BURGESS

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asiangolf 202

SPECIAL FEATURE

HISTORY IS MADE!

Who would have ever thought that a shy little 11 year old back in 2007 would one day go on to become the very best female golfer in the world. It was at the Siam Country Club during an LPGA tournament that a kid called Ariya Jutanugarn alerted the world that it should sit up and take notice of her.

SIAN GOLF was on hand to witness Ariya’s historic breakthrough when she qualiﬁed for the 2007 Honda LPGA Thailand tournament, making her the youngest player ever to qualify for an LPGA Tour event. Since then, Ariya has been on a meteoric rise to the very pinnacle of the women’s professional game. On June 11, 2017, the young Thai superstar was crowned as the number one ranked player in the world. She sealed the deal by putting on a tremendous display of skill, determination and quiet conﬁdence to pull off a spectacular sudden-death play-off win at the 2017 LPGA’s Manulife Classic. Marking her time in the early rounds, Ariya made

july 2017

a charge over the weekend and placed herself within striking distance of the third round leader, American Lexi Thompson. She tagged her all the way in the ﬁnal round and caught up on the 18th hole to force a three-way play-off between her, Thompson and South Korea’s talented In Gee Chun. All were tied at 17-under. All that Ariya needed to wipe out the challengers was just one play-off hole – a par 4 which she birdied effortlessly to win the tournament and pick up a winner’s check for US$255,000. Ariya is the ﬁrst golfer, male or female, from Thailand and Southeast Asia to win a major championship. She was the LPGA Player of The Year in 2016 and the tour’s leading money winner.

I am RIKARD KALBERG and my life revolves around Black Mountain. As a professional golfer, I have constant access to a world class golf course that helps me stay at the top of my game. I love life and Black Mountain offers the ideal setting for quality living in a perfectly managed and well-balanced environment. As a family man, Black Mountain is safe and a perfect place to grow my family. What more can I ask for? Come and be part of Black Mountain. Black Mountain Golf Club – a small piece of heaven on earth.

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The only go an excitin lf tournament sp eci g, fun-fille d event w ally organized for here golf g The Asia club execu olf club owners, o Pacific G pe tives get olf Group to play an rators and manag Tournam d compete ers ent. The to together with the in a tourn . It’s back again – B urnamen ament all t will be st RG Group will be their own hosting th It will be aged con . played w junction with the e 2017 Asia Pacific ith two-m This tourn 2017 Asia an teams In te ament is rClub Golf Pacific G drawn fro all about olf Summ m clubs w good, cle it. ithin the an fun an The tourn Asia Pacif d more im ament wil ic p fo o rtantly, it otprint. l be run o is about n n Novem There is n etworkin ber 14 at o entry-f g. It’s the the Danan ee to par third in th g G ti o ci lf p & Countr ate in this to attend e series. y Club in tourname the 2017 Danang, Asia Pacif nt. To qual Vietnam. ic Golf Su if y, p la yers need mmit and Entry wil to there are l be 144 slots register as delegat from eac on a first-come-fir available es h club can st-serve b . re as g is ister on-l For more ine throu and a two-man te informat gh the AP am GS websi alice@asi ion please visit w te. apacificg ww.golfco olfgroup n fe re nce .com or ca ll +65 632 .org or email to A li 3 2800 fo r more de ce Ho at tails. VENUE:

PRESENTED BY:

asiangolf 201

COLUMN

SPECIAL FOCUS

GOLF IS SURELY ITS OWN WORST ENEMY. WHILE MANY WERE TALKING OVER THE PAST FOUR DECADES ABOUT THE GAME, ITS MAINTENANCE AND ITS COURSE DESIGN BECOMING MORE SIMPLE - JUST THE OPPOSITE TOOK PLACE. – BRIAN SILVA, GOLF COURSE ARCHITECT AND SEMINAR INSTRUCTOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY’S GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN 47

june 2017

What you are about to read is the second in a special series that trains the spotlight on a myriad of problems that challenge the successful operation of a golf course. Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that a golf course is about just grass, grass cutters and gardeners. It is a veritable showcase of various disciplines of agronomy and horticulture that come together to help produce a golf course that serves its owners and its members well. This is where things can go awry – very clear decisions have to be taken from the outset as to what sort of golf course is desired. One would not be too far off the mark to state that most owners want golf course that imitate some of the world’s best and then there are those who go overboard and demand tournament standard golf courses that even professional golfers would show great disdain to play on. Get the message? – It all starts with design and this is where things are known to go absolutely mad as owner’s wishes are given top priority over everything else, including the successful and profitable operation of a golfcourse. ASIAN GOLF feels that this is an issue that affects all of us in the business of golf and that includes all golfers because at the end of the day, they are the ones who bear the brunt of paying the bill for a course that was designed to fail from the getgo. To tell the story, warts and all, the assignment was given to our International Roving Editor, James Graham Prusa to investigate. There is no one better qualified than Prusa to undertake this tough assignment – he comes from a long and distinguished lineage of professionals who have both a passionate and intimate understanding of how a golf course should be designed for success. This is second report in the series: Golf Course Costs Are Destroying the Game – Who Is Responsible?

hat has driven up the price for golfers? Insights come from Brian Silva, an authoritative golf course architect who has been passionately teaching the Golf Course Design Seminar at Harvard University for years. The award winning Captains Club in New Bedford, Massachusetts are among his portfolio of golf course designs. Silva cuts to the chase as to why golfers pay more, “Starting with the oil shocks of the 70’s the word has been that the game and its maintenance has to change - and change it has - it has never been more costly to maintain the games ﬁelds of play - and there can be no denying that this is largely because the game’s ﬁelds have never been more intensely - if not ridiculously - maintained.” The 19th century’s legendary building architect

asiangolf 202

Louis Sullivan originally coined the rationalist design principal “form ever follows function, this is the law.” Function encompasses both the golf game and cost of maintenance. Function is what golf design needs to get back to. “Ridiculously maintained” courses follow ridiculous designs and are expensive, slow-to-play, less fun, and drive up prices for golfers.

“I’d like to play a game that can take place in three hours. I’d quite like to play a game that I can get some reasonable gratiﬁcation out of very quickly – and something that is not going to cost me an arm and a leg.” Jack Nicklaus, world’s Greatest Golfer and active course designer, speaking on CNN January 2015 The Great One, Jack Nicklaus, offered sage advice on what golfers want – ‘fun, quick paced, value priced’ golf. Whether an amateur or great tour pro,

july 2017

every golfer enjoys fun at a quick pace of play on a wellconditioned golf course – and they’ll willingly pay sensible fees. Ignoring these needs by golf course designers has gone on too long. Amid golf’s cyclical contractions and increasingly competitive leisure alternatives, masses of prospective, unrealized golfers have voted with their feet to walk away. Why? Much of golf’s problem today began years ago on design tables before contemporary golf courses were even built. Widespread disconnect exists between the aesthetic designs of golf courses and the pragmatic realities of their sustainable operation.

“The two reasons golf courses fail is that almost no one does basic demographic research, and developers and lenders get starry-eyed by the name of the designer.” Jerry P. Sager, First National of America Finance, Forbes Magazine 2010 Golf courses fail because developers don’t do their homework and designers then endure the same ignominy. After fatally ignoring market assessments, developers emotionally focus on the names of golf course designers, ignoring the “function” of long-term business impacts from design. Disregarding economics, saturated golf course markets, and snubbing demographics oft precedes the coup de grâce. Some call the latter

golf course design – cum skyrocketing maintenance costs. Many designers have absolutely no hands-on, timetested experience in managing the day-to-day complexity of operating a modern golf course, yet many tout being uniquely qualiﬁed to deﬁne golf’s means of production. What designer has actually operated a golf course to really understand all the course management issues impacting the daily business of producing and sustaining golfers? Most have simplistic understanding of such, yet developers through designers proceed carte blanche to chart out the most important asset of golf. A few years ago I was in a design discussion pointing out expense impacts of routing layouts, and golf car path curbing schemes to prevent damage around greens. The so-called architect rudely burst, “That’s the superintendent’s problem,

not mine.” Multiply such arrogant attitudes by a myriad of design inﬂuences on future maintenance and subsequent cash losses. Perhaps current lack of new projects for architects may solve golf’s problems, only if those who survive focus on collaboration for future maintenance efﬁciency!

“If you get a superintendent for $50,000 and he’s taking $800,000 to maintain it [golf course], aren’t you better off paying $100,000 for a superintendent that can do it for $400,000? The answer is very simple math - about $350,000 better off.” Dr. Michael Hurdzan, renowned golf course architect, speaking in 1999

FOR ME, TH

COURSE CONS

AVERAGE GOLFER WANT GOLF COURSE.

HE WA

AUGUST THAT HE HAS GOLF ANYMORE. WHE 1960S, EVERY COURS SPRING, DRIED OUT AN MER, REGAINING SOME AN INDIAN SUMMER.

asiangolf 202 201

Golf course architects design a course’s operational maintenance expenses for its lifetime – largely resulting in high prices for golfers. Developers need to identify, retain and listen to a highly qualified superintendent, greenkeeping expert when engaging a golf course architect. An experienced, highly-expert superintendent‘s vision can identify and preempt mistakes in hole-routing, design of greens’ complexes, cart path locations, grading for maintenance, irrigation-design & operation, and can avoid creating costly turfgrass wear. As architect Brian Silva sees it, “I have always been a fan of the golf course superintendent being brought onto a project as early as possible. It is another set of eyes that see the project from a different perspective and this goes well beyond assessing the relative maintainability of a design. The superintendent can also weigh in early on with the owner as to the recurring annual costs of his design ‘wants.’ ” Golf course design firms often lack understanding of the engineering science of Time-in-Motion impacts on an operation’s finance. Many will try to stymie discussion of such topics claiming it will drive up construction costs, but the real motivation is to reduce their own time and efforts to complete the design. Designing for time-in-motion operating efficiencies for locating clubhouses, maintenance facili-

HE BOTTOM LINE FOR COST ESCALATION IN

STRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE IS THAT THE

– DEMANDS – A CLIMATE-CONTROLLED

WANTS THE SAME FAIRWAYS AND GREENS IN

APRIL. NOBODY BELIEVES IN SEASONAL EN YOU AND I WERE GROWING UP IN THE SE WAS SEASONAL. GREEN AND LUSH IN THE ND BROWN AROUND THE EDGES IN THE SUME TEXTURE IN FALL, ESPECIALLY IF THERE WAS

S IN

– RON WHITTEN ties, service kiosks must be done uncompromisingly with an experienced manager to assure long-term ﬁnancial health for a golf course. Only expert operations people can discern options to avoid ignorant design mistakes before building golf’s business complexes of the course, clubhouse, kitchen, and maintenance facility for cost effective movements of golfers and maintenance resources. Few designers know who Frank & Lillian Gilbreth, or Frederick Taylor were, fewer understand industrial engineering for efﬁciency

51 51

june2017 july 2017

of movement, nor are they familiar with applications of General Motors’ famed 1946 management training movie “The Easier Way.” (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=k9vIhPszb2I) Designers simply lack the experience or background to void flawed dogmas in designing golf courses – but watch the hackles of ire if one raises objective challenges. Fortunately wise interests are earnestly trying to address these fatal design and maintenance issues. The USGA and affiliated golf associations have launched a new confab called the North American Golf Innovation Symposium. Recently held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and collaborated with the Pacific Northwest Golf Association, the program focused on some concepts of industrial efficiency and pace of play solutions. They’ve developed initial algorithm systems and GPS software to predictively model for pace of play impacts. Similarly approaches must be incorporated integrating design to time-in-motion maintenance movements with industrial engineering applications for more economically sustainable golf courses. ( http://www.usga.org/content/dam/ usga/pdf/2017/nagis-schedule-of-events.pdf ) An iconic and authoritative golf writer, Ron Whitten, Senior Editor, Architecture for Golf Digest globally, designed the 2017 US Open course Erin Hills with Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry. Ron recently wrote to me with a passionate, personal dissertation on design, maintenance and the price of golf that would readily outshine my own feeble writings. He articulated apprehensions that fashions in both golf course design and maintenance do not buoy well for the game and he noted outcomes for golfers. “For me, the bottom line for cost escalation in course construction and maintenance is that the average golfer wants – demands – a climate-controlled golf course. He wants the same fairways and greens in August that he has in April. Nobody believes in seasonal golf anymore. When you and I were growing up in the 1960s, every course was seasonal. Green and lush in the spring, dried out and brown around the edges in the summer, regaining some texture in fall, especially if there was an Indian summer.” After years of growth to stagnation, only golf consumers can now pull the game back from the edge of the precipice. Golf’s woes, including its specious image as a ‘game for the rich,’ can be mitigated with better golf course strategic planning, designing for “function” and managing maintenance costs. As Ron Whitten well points out, golf consumers need to set better directions for the game – before it permanently moves into a long winter of its business lifecycle. All of us in golf contributed, perhaps unwittingly, to golf’s Failures by Design.

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PGA TOUR IN ASIA COLUMN

This is a new editorial column made possible through a collaboration between the PGA T Given the growing presence in Asia of the largest professional golf tour in the world, we provide the PGA Tour with its own platform to talk about its activities throughout this vast what the PGA Tour is doing in Asia will go a long way to expose the highest level of profe country in the region. As of now, the PGA Tour has very high profile engagements in the A and Japan and this role is expected to grow progressively in the years to come. The botto being a huge beneficiary insofar as growing the game and uplifting the standard of play to come out of the PGA’s stake in Asia. The following is the latest editorial contribution to South Koreans have becoming a growing presence on the PGA Tour:

The field at that 2004 tournament was only 38 players, and five of them were Korean. Playing that week in their homeland were Kevin Na, Y.E. Yang, I.J. Jang, K.J. Choi and No Seok Park. The event was the Shinhan Korea Golf Championship, and although the 72-hole event at Jung Mun Golf Club on Jeju Island was considered unofficial and not part of the official 2004 schedule, it was the PGA TOUR’s first official foray into tournament golf in South Korea.

hile Na made a valiant effort, he still came up two strokes shy of winner Arron Oberholser, settling for a tie-for-second ﬁnish with Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez. Yang just missed a top-10, tying for 11th. There would be no 2005 Shinhan Korea Golf Championship, and it’s been 13 years since the PGA TOUR held that oneand-done tournament in South Korea. asiangolf 200

Tour of America and ASIAN GOLF. felt that it was incumbent upon us to t Continent. There is no denying that essional tournament golf to every ASEAN bloc, China, South Korea om-line simply points to Asian golf y are concerned. Only good is going o that looks at how

may 2017

In a few months, the drought will end as the TOUR returns to South Korea for a tournament that promises to be, compared to the Shinhan Korea Golf Championship, bigger, better and—most importantly—ofﬁcial. The CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES is part of the 2017-18 FedExCup schedule, with points available and a two-year TOUR exemption going to the winner. The CJ CUP, October 19-22, will be the second event in a three-tournament Asian swing that starts with the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and ﬁnishes with the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China. “I remember the place we stayed at we were able to walk down from the cliffs to the beach and be able to mess around on the beach and see locals on the beach, people from all over the world, going to Jeju Island to enjoy the weather, to enjoy the sun and the fun that Jeju has to offer,” recalled Oberholser, who should have fond memories of his week in Korea since he pocketed US $1 million for the win. “It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to play golf.” While Nine Bridges is located on the other side of the island from where Oberholser won, the same dramatic scenery will be in play at the tournament will be part of the TOUR’s schedule for at least the next 10 years. The tournament purse is US $9.25 million. The CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES also comes exactly a year after the country hosted the 11th playing of The Presidents Cup, the biennial tournament between U.S. players and non-European International players that took place in Incheon. All these events that have gone before The CJ CUP are part of the tapestry of men’s golf in Korea, a sport that has taken a huge leap forward in the last two decades.

In 1965, Hung Soo Ahn, a Hawaiian, became the first player of Korean descent to play in a PGA TOUR tournament when he competed as an amateur in the Hawaiian Open in Honolulu. Ahn, a member of the Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame, tied for 50th that week with TOUR veterans Dow Finsterwald and Tom Nieporte. A year later, another amateur, Barney Kim, also Hawaiian of Korean descent, made the cut on the number and went on to tie for 73rd. Twenty-two years later, Jong Duck Kim was making history when he became the first Korean to play in a major championship, Kim qualifying for the 1997 Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Then in 2003, K.J. Choi became the first Korean to play in the Masters, a year after his breakthrough win in New Orleans where he became the first Korean to win on TOUR. Today, Koreans playing in PGA TOUR events and major championships is a common sight, with Si Woo Kim winning in consecutive years on the PGA TOUR, his latest title at THE PLAYERS Championship in May. Today, there are six Koreans inside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking. People are noticing. “We have watched the growth of golf in South Korea for the last decade-plus and recognize the high-quality skills that Korean players possess as they have competed and won on the PGA TOUR. We look forward to veteran Korean players competing in THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES and anticipate up-and-coming Korean players also taking full advantage of the opportunity to compete on the worldwide stage the PGA TOUR offers,” said Ty Votaw, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President, Global Business Affairs.

NINE BRIDGES

asiangolf 202 200

56 50

“Having a PGA TOUR Regular Season tournament in Korea is extremely meaningful. It’s also exciting that many Korean prospects will get an opportunity to compete at the world-class level. I am confident that THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES will play a major role in developing Korean men’s golf,” said KPGA Chairman Hwee-Bu Yang. Of the 78 players who will compete in the first CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, 60 will come from the FedExCup points standings. While there may be Koreans from among that group of 60, Koreans not PGA TOUR members are guaranteed spots in the event. The top-three Korean players from the Official World Golf Ranking not otherwise in the field will receive invitations, as will the Korea Golf Tour’s KPGA Championship winner and the top-three players from the Korea Golf Tour’s Order of Merit. With that criteria in mind, it’s anticipated that this tournament will feature the largest collection of Koreans gathered in one PGA TOUR event. At a tournament Koreans can call their own.

57 51

may 2017 july 2017

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GOLF MANGA SPECIAL FEATURE

Manga are comics created in Japan that conform to a style developed in the late 19th century. In Japan, people of all ages read manga. The medium includes works in a broad range of genres: action-adventure, business and commerce, comedy, detective, historical drama, horror, mystery, romance, science ﬁction and fantasy, sports and games, and suspense, among others. And what about golf? Would it surprise you to learn that golf has a big Manga following in Japan with special manga comics devoted to teaching the game? It’s big business in Japan – big enough for CNN to produce a special focus report on the manga craze in the network’s recent “Living Golf” show.

asiangolf 201

july 2017

NN’s special report on manga comics has posed an interesting question regarding

READERS OF THE MAGAZINE FIND IT

growing the game of golf which generally

EASY TO UNDERSTAND THE TIPS IN

comics might hold the key to helping grow the game,

THAT AUTHENTICITY AND DEDICATION IS WHAT COMPELS 100,000

especially amongst the young.

PEOPLE TO BUY THE MAGAZINE EVERY MONTH

speaking, is in state of decline in the developed world. The poser is whether manga

According to CNN, the comic craze, hugely popular in Japan since the early 19th century, boasts several notable

PICTURE FORM.

IN WHAT IS THE SECOND BIGGEST GOLF

golﬁng titles such as “Kaze NoDaichi” and “King Golf.”

MARKET ON THE PLANET BEHIND

But “Golf Lesson Comic” is a slight anomaly in the genre.

THE

It’s less about entertainment, and more about serious tips

UNITED STATES.

to help improve your drives, chips and putts. Golf Lesson Comic is reported to sell about 100,000 copies every

so-called “bubble economy”

month.

which saw property prices

Utilizing the traits that manga is famed for - ex-

and the stock market

pressive characters with big bulging eyes and abstract

rocket. By the early

background designs - “Golf Lesson Comic” illustrates

1990s, around

scenarios that help the reader hone their swing. It also

15 million

drills down on an aspect of golf almost as important as a

people played

player’s swing - their mentality.

regularly.

“It’s not about fun - that’s not really allowed in golf

But when the

lesson manga,” said Takanobu Tamura, an illustrator at

bubble burst soon

the comic. “It’s a lesson, so obviously, you have to draw it

after, it led to a “lost

in a way the reader can understand. You have to write it

decade” when the Japanese

so that the method the lesson professional is describing

economy continued to shrink

is properly communicated to the reader, so entertainment

and prices kept on falling. More

takes a backseat.” He continued, “And then you have to

than 100 of its courses closed and

draw a proper hook shot to represent a hook, a slice to

half of the 15 million-strong army of

represent a slice shot - having to draw the slice form is

golfers gave up as golf was seen by many

what I take most care over.” Tamura says readers of the

as an expensive, time-consuming luxury.

magazine ﬁnd it easy to understand the tips in picture

“The fact that the golﬁng population of

form. That authenticity and dedication is what compels

Japan is aging so much seems to have become a

100,000 people to buy the magazine every month in what

real problem, so I guess it’s vital to bring in young

is the second biggest golf market on the planet behind the

people as players,” Tamura said. That aging demo-

United States.

graphic also has implications for the magazine.

Tamura says in the mountain of self-help golf litera-

“The age group of the readership is really going up,

ture available in Japan, it is the unique Manga illustrations

so just like with the world of golf, we’d like to bring in a

that really cut through for readers. “If you explain things

younger age group, to attract younger people, and that in-

in pictures it’s clearer, easier for people to understand,”

cludes the artists,” said Shinji Matsuyama, the magazine’s

he said. So that’s where the idea of using manga for golf

editor.

lessons has come from. Golf boomed during the 1980s thanks to Japan’s

The continued success of Japan’s golfers on the world stage is an undeniably key factor if golf is to stage

asiangolf 202 201

july 2017

IT’S NOT ABOUT FUN - THAT’S NOT REALLY ALLOWED IN GOLF LESSON MANGA, IT’S A LESSON, SO OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVE TO DRAW IT IN A WAY THE READER CAN UNDERSTAND.

YOU HAVE TO WRITE IT SO THAT THE METHOD THE LESSON PROFESSIONAL IS DESCRIBING IS PROPERLY COMMUNICATED TO THE READER, SO ENTERTAINMENT TAKES A BACKSEAT.

– TAKANOBU TAMURA

ILLUSTRATOR TAKANOBU TAMURA

a resurgence in the country. Should world No. 2 Hideki

pearing, the market gets excited - it’s a really good thing,”

Matsuyama break through and become the ﬁrst Japanese

explained Matsuyama.

golfer to win a major, as he is being touted to do, it could have huge implications for the game. With four wins on the PGA Tour, and two of those in

Looks like manga comics offer a strong and valid case to help turn around golf’s decline in Japan. For the ﬁnal word on the manga effect on golf in Japan, we turned to

2017, he is the latest to carry the torch for Japan, after

the Editor of Golf Equipment World, Mitsumasa Katayama

Ryo Ishikawa - the youngest ever winner on the pro Tour

who said, “Golf manga comics is huge in Japan and I be-

in Japan aged just 15 - and Ai Miyazato, a former women’s

lieve that it will have a very positive effect on encouraging

world No. 1. “If Hideki Matsuyama, Ryo Ishikawa, Ai

young Japanese to take up the game of golf.”

Miyazato, and the like are in our comics, the customer, the reader will bite, so when you get a superstar like that ap-

That’s a huge vote of conﬁdence for golf manga comics – let’s all sit back and watch a golf revival in Japan driven by manga comics!

WILSON GOLF SPECIAL FEATURE

In preparing to write this article, the writer dragged out one of his old golf bags from the garage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a specimen that last saw some action on a golf course some 25 years ago. Looking at that bag, it became very apparent that in the old days, golf bags were just containers to hold golf clubs. When placed against a new-age golf bag, the differences become very obvious. Today, technology has developed to the extent that many additional pockets and receptacles have been built into the design of golf bags for extra gear, gloves and so on, all without reducing the effectiveness of their primary function in carrying clubs.

he modern golf bag is a critical part of a golferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kit. The modern game demands a bag that is both engineered and designed to hold a golferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clubs and accessories such as gloves and personal items when moving around the course-particularly if walking as opposed to using a buggy. Advanced materials such as high-grade polymers and plastics are now the norm, and compounds of metal and plastic are often used to construct durable, high-tech bags that will both last a long time and be comfortable to carry, as well as keep up with the style of high-grade clubs currently being developed that using cuttingedge technologies. asiangolf 201

JEAN-PIERRE DEGEMBE

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NEXUS3® C

To get a better understanding of modern golf bags and gloves, ASIAN GOLF spoke with Jean-Pierre Degembe, Wilson Staff’s Global Product Director for Hard Good Accessories based in the company’s headquarters in Chicago. The following are excerpts from that interview

ASIAN GOLF: As far as the average golfer is concerned, a golf bag is a golf bag, period! This certainly is not the case insofar as you are concerned. How many different types of golf bags does Wilson Staff produce for each model year? DEGEMBE: Consumers have different needs based on how they play and where they play and we have to service these demands. For example, there are some golfers who look for a lot of organization, while others seek the lightest bag and then again, there are those who want very speciﬁc features. This necessitates the need to produce numerous designs. Just to illustrate my point, for 2018 we will feature nine cart bag and eight carry bag designs that will be produced in multiple colours. When viewed from a global scale, one design does not ﬁt all for sure! ASIAN GOLF: What is the difference between the bags? DEGEMBE: There are quite a HYBRIX™ HYBRID GOLF BAG CLASSIX™ CARRY BAG

asiangolf 201

CARRY BAG

NEXUS3® CART BAG

lot of differences between the bags which fall into two speciﬁc core groups – the cart and carry. When it comes to differences, we have the DryTech which is rain proof. We have the neXus cart and carry which are bags that are designed with a unique outside frame and then there is the ILock cart that has a unique top for the golfer who likes to have all his clubs organized in the same place all the time. For Asia, some golfers like their bags to be heavily decorated, especially in Japan and South Korea. In some Asian countries bags have to come with a padded rain and travel hood.

ASIAN GOLF: What is the most popular ﬁnish for golf bags – vinyl, leather, fabric etc? DEGEMBE: The vast majority of the bags that Wilson Staff produce use nylon and polyester fabrics as these are light weight, durable and come in a wide choice of colours. Black is the predominant colour and we brighten the bags with accent colours. PVC material has been banned in most countries but we still do few bags using PU for tour bags. Leather is a very niche market because of the cost and the maintenance factor. 69

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ASIAN GOLF: You have been involved with the development of golf bags for many years and in that time, you’ve seen changes. Going forward, do you see the designs of golf bags taking on a new look given the fact that many golfers are carrying less clubs in their bag? If so, what do you see as the golf bag of the future? DEGEMBE: For sure golf bags have evolved but the overall shape and functions have remained about the same and this is frustrating. A few years ago I did a project with the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland that produced some unique and radical designs, but when presented to golfers, the preference was still for the conventional golf bag! Rain proof bags will see the biggest growth and we will see some changes in the fabrics used where the focus will be on light-weight and durable fabrics with fashionable patterns. The engineering of bag tops, the base and stands especially on carry bags are so much better today than a few years ago. From a personal viewpoint, I would like to ﬁnd a way where the consumer can customize and personalize his bag. We have some ideas but the cost involved in the manufacturing process combined with logistics does not make it viable for the moment. With greater strides in technology and lower logistics pricing, we will get there eventually. NFL® CART & CARRY BAGS

CART PLUS™ CART BAG asiangolf 201

RAIN PROOF BAGS WILL SEE THE BIGGEST GROWTH AND WE WILL SEE SOME CHANGES IN THE FABRICS USED WHERE THE FOCUS WILL BE ON LIGHT-WEIGHT AND DURABLE FABRICS WITH FASHIONABLE PATTERNS.

THE ENGINEERING OF BAG TOPS, THE BASE AND STANDS ESPECIALLY ON CARRY BAGS ARE SO MUCH BETTER TODAY THAN A FEW YEARS AGO.

FROM A PERSONAL VIEWPOINT, I WOULD LIKE TO FIND A WAY WHERE THE CONSUMER CAN CUSTOMIZE AND PERSONALIZE HIS BAG.

IONIX™ SL CARRY BAG PROFILE® CART & CARRY BAGS

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WINTER GLOVES

ASIAN GOLF: You are also responsible for the manufacture of golf gloves – how many different types of gloves does Wilson Staff design and manufacture in a typical model year? DEGEMBE: We have over fifteen different models and by the time you do sizes, right and left hand configurations, men’s and ladies and Asian cuts, you can hit over forty stock keeping units just for one design. ASIAN GOLF: Is there technology in golf gloves and if so, tell us what it is? DEGEMBE: There’s a lot of technology involved in glove production. Take the leather we use as an example – we use the latest technology in the tanning process so as to ensure that the leather provides the best grip possible – we call this Tack Tech. There has also been a lot of advances in technologies relating to the cutting and sewing processes which now help us to attain the best fits for golfers. You’ll be surprised how much technology is involved in glove making and it is constantly being advanced. ASIAN GOLF: There are different sizes for golf gloves – do you see a standard, one-sizefits-all glove coming into the market?

FG TOUR™ GLOVES

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RAIN GLOVES

THERE’S A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED IN GLOVE PRODUCTION.

TAKE THE LEATHER WE USE AS AN EXAMPLE – WE USE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN THE TANNING PROCESS SO AS TO ENSURE THAT THE LEATHER PROVIDES THE BEST GRIP POSSIBLE

– WE CALL THIS TACK TECH. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A LOT OF ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGIES RELATING TO THE CUTTING AND SEWING PROCESSES WHICH NOW HELP US TO ATTAIN THE BEST FITS FOR GOLFERS.

YOU’LL BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY IS INVOLVED IN GLOVE MAKING AND IT IS CONSTANTLY BEING ADVANCED. GRIP SOFT™ GLOVES CONFORM™ GLOVES

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NFL- FIT-ALL® GLOVES

DEGEMBE: As it now stands, there are three different sizes globally – the cuts are: Regular (which serves the USA and Europe); Cadet (for hands with shorter, wider fingers and wider palms peculiar to the Australian market); Asian (where the measurements are in metric standard and the Asian hand tends to have a smaller width); We now have a “one-size-fits-all” glove. It uses more lycra inserts so it stretches from size S to XL and it is proving very popular as giveaways during events. ASIAN GOLF: With the industry trying to attract younger players to the game of golf, do you see golf bags and gloves evolving and taking on a look and appeal that will be in step with the tastes of the younger consumer? DEGEMBE: We are already doing this with golf bags that are more fashion oriented utilizing brighter colours and fabric patterns such as space dye which is popular in the athletic gear business. Regarding the gloves, because of the huge variation in sizes, running a variety of colours is not a viable undertaking. However, with the “one-size-fits-all” glove we see the opportunity for customization and the use of colours. MITTENS

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GOLF EQUIPMENT

MUIRA GOLF

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Nothing really lasts forever. This just so happens to ever one organization seems to be bucking this be Japanese brand, Miura Golf. The company was Katsuhiro Miura who has been making handc Widely referred to as the craftsman with the been used by professional golfers have go ships. The company has also produced f and K.J. Choi used a set of Miura CB-50 ship in 2011. Miura was once an undis equipment category, but the compan in recent years due to increased co manufacturers of high-end golf eq

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be one of the constants in life. Howelief and it’s that highly venerated s established back in 1957 by its founder, rafted forged golf clubs since then. e “hands of god”, Miura’s clubs have one on to win several major championorged irons for Nike and TaylorMade, 01 irons to win The Players Championsputed leader in the ultra-premium golf ny’s presence at retailers has declined ompetition from other more aggressive uipment.

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ather than give in to tough competition, Miura has consolidated and returned to do battle in the arena that it was once dominant. Now under new ownership that has pumped a “signiﬁcant investment” into the company. Miura is back with a vengeance! The strategy going forward is to expose Miura clubs to consumers worldwide and to simplify the company’s product line. Rebounding with its new found vitality, Miura has launched its latest – Hayate drivers and woods. It is its ﬁrst foray into the realm of drivers and woods having historically being an ultra-premium golf equipment company best known for its forged irons and wedges. In case you have problems with the name, this is how it is pronounced phonetically - “Hi-yah-tay.” The move to drivers and woods has been described as a serious drive to broaden the brands appeal to a golfer’s full bag and players of all skill levels.

Commenting on the new products, Miura’s chief operating officer Bill Holowaty said, “The Miura family has worked long and hard to create models that offer forged excellence to golfers who don’t strike the ball consistently. The same can now be said with the Hayate line of woods. The patience and attention to detail of Shinei Miura - son of the company founder and legendary club-maker Katsuhiro Miura – have resulted in a driver and fairway woods that are worthy of the Miura name.” The Hayate driver, for example, is designed to “maximize ball speed” and “optimize launch conditions.” It does so through a shallow, 460-cubic-centimeter club head that has a 35-gram arch “floating” above its sole. According the company, the new technology optimizes centre of gravity (CG) to add ball speed and reduce spin for more distance. The CG is also alterable through an adjustable heel weight, which can accommodate up to an 8-gram weight to tweak draw or fade bias. “Visually, the first thing most golfers will notice about the driver is its sole, which has a honeycomb structure and a large MG logo - its purpose is both functional and aesthetic as the honeycomb construction is said to add to the driver’s structural stability and therefore improve feel,” explained Holowaty.

VISUALLY, THE FIRST THING MOST GOLFERS WILL NOTICE ABOUT THE DRIVER IS ITS SOLE, WHICH HAS A HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE AND A LARGE

MG LOGO -

ITS PURPOSE IS

BOTH FUNCTIONAL AND AESTHETIC AS THE HONEYCOMB CONSTRUCTION IS SAID TO ADD TO THE DRIVER’S STRUCTURAL STABILITY AND THEREFORE IMPROVE FEEL.

– BILL HOLOWATY

The Hayate driver, the fairway woods are designed to improve playability and consistency, using a one-piece titanium construction that Miura says offers “the industry’s tightest tolerances.” The shallow club faces are paired with a low CG to help golfers hit the ball higher and make it easier for them to elevate shots from the turf. Making shots from the ground even easier is a sole shape that’s said to optimize turf interaction for improved ball contact. So, you have been introduced to Miura’s new products and new positioning in the global marketplace. Now, it’s left to be seen if it can blow up a storm to take its rightful place at the high-end of the golf equipment market.

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CALLAWAY GOLF EQUIPMENT FOCUS

After an extended period where the price of golf clubs plunged, the fall seems to have been arrested as witnessed by the demand for high priced golf clubs. The trend for clubs being marked at high retail price-points started back in 2015 when the upstart Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) rocked the market with the launch of its PXG 0311 irons which started at US$300 per club head. Golfers went for it and PXG has never looked back. In fact, its latest, PXG 0311T Milled Wedges is price tagged at US$650 per wedge!

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s ASIAN GOLF declared back in 2015, PXG has turned the golf equipment industry on its head and we maintain that this can only mean good for the industry. Obviously emboldened by PXG’s pricing strategy, 2016 saw the conservative Titleist brand follow suit with the launch of

its C16 Concept project, with 1,500 drivers sold out at US$999 each and 1,500 iron sets, priced at US$2,699 with steel shafts and US$2,999 with graphite shafts, also sold out. A deﬁnite trend has started and it’s not all about just pricing but it really is more about quality. The products offered are truly top-of-the-shelf items and whichever way one looks at it, the high prices are justiﬁed for the quality one receives in return. The latest manufacturer to jump onto this bandwagon is Callaway Golf. After a very successful launch with its Epic driver, the company has launched a set of irons and hybrids on the Epic platform. Like PXG’s Parsons, Callaway’s CEO, Chip Brewer decreed to his research and development head that he would impose no limit on time, materials or cost. Just go out there and develop the best damn iron was the message he gave. Apparently this dictate was made back in 2012 when Brewer joined Callaway and apparently he challenged Dr. Alan Hocknell, Callaway’s head of R&D, to create his “dream iron”. Hocknell moved swiftly and he enlisted

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the help of more than 70 people to help determine what was needed and how he was to create the “dream iron”. Amongst those brought on board were engineers,

product greatly exceeded his expectations. “And we knew that it deserved to be called Epic,” he said. Callaway claims that “no stone was unturned” in an

metallurgists, industrial designers, tour professionals, professional club ﬁtters - all took part in conceptualizing, developing, reﬁning, and testing.

effort to come up with that special eureka moment to produce an iron that combined distance, control, forgiveness and feel. The result is the Epic irons and Epic Pro irons,

The engineering team had the freedom to give these irons every performance advantage by using the most

both deliver the best performance package in an iron in Callaway’s illustrious history.

ultra-premium materials in advancing some of the most revolutionary technologies in the industry. Hocknell felt conﬁdent they would make something special, yet the ﬁnal

In developing the Epic irons, Callaway pushed the team in a way that they could elevate performance to the highest level that the company has ever achieved. As the

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CALLAWAY’S CEO, CHIP BREWER DECREED TO HIS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT HEAD THAT HE WOULD IMPOSE NO LIMIT ON TIME, MATERIALS OR COST. JUST GO OUT THERE AND DEVELOP THE BEST DAMN IRON WAS THE CHIP BREWER

MESSAGE HE GAVE.

undisputed number one iron in the industry, Callaway had to provide the absolute best combination of ball speed, distance, forgiveness, accuracy, control and feel. “And to go beyond that standard, we had to be extremely meticulous, creative and committed to carefully crafting each material,” explained Hocknell. Every iron in this set is uniquely constructed to promote optimum performance. During development the team studied and tested new ways to enhance launch and

into its Internal Standing Wave technology. MIM’ed stands for Metal-Injected Molding, an injecting-molding process that uses ﬁnely powdered metal to create intricately

trajectory, and succeeded by introducing an incredibly high amount of MIM’ed tungsten (over 664 grams in the set)

shaped parts with tremendous precision. Tungsten is relatively heavy, which allowed Callaway asiangolf 202 201

WATCH VIDEO

to control the head’s internal weighting so that it could give each individual iron

but it’s integral to enhancing performance in the Epic Irons. What truly sets this iron apart is the Exo-Cage head

its own optimized CG location. To do this, Callaway engineered a precise amount of tungsten for each club. By so doing, Callaway lowered the CG in

construction that was ﬁrst applied to an iron in the Big Bertha OS. The high-grade steel structure in the centre of the cavity stiffens the body, especially the top-line and

the long irons for easy launch and high, long carry, and raise the CG in the short irons for lower, more controllable ﬂight. And it also meant better control of the left-right CG

sole, so that the face can take on more impact load. This is known as “energy lensing”, and in the irons energy lensing allows the face to behave more efﬁciently

positioning in tandem with the hollow hosel that creates weight savings. This is an expensive alloy to manufacture,

to promote faster ball speed and distance, dramatically enhancing performance. In fact, it helped Callaway raise

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the COR right up to the limit in each iron – a level of speed

That said, Epic Pro, according to the company, boasts

that the company has never reached in a full set. The multi-material head consists of a variety of premium components, each precision-milled and robotically

Callaway’s best-ever overall performance package of distance, workability and forgiveness in a player’s iron. Epic is also available in a hybrid. The Epic hybrid

laser-welded to give Callaway engineers precise control over CG location, COR, MOI and vibration control, with maximum structural integrity. A multitude of processes,

incorporates a crown consisting of Callaway’s proprietary tri-axial carbon composite material. Used in its Great Big Bertha Epic driver and fairway woods, tri-axial carbon is

steps and inspections are required to create each head. The result is the most premium, high-performance iron

the thinnest and lightest composite material the company has ever used. The weight it saves is redistributed into

ever to bear the Callaway name The Epic Pro irons share all the same material and technological advancements, but in a more compact head

strategic locations within the head to increase MOI and lower the CG. Well, it looks like Hocknell took Brewer’s challenge

with a thinner top-line and sole and less offset - qualities that make it slightly less forgiving but signiﬁcantly more workable, a trade many better players are willing to make.

and in the process has created irons and hybrids that deliver groundbreaking technology that have in no way been impeded by any limits or boundaries!

IN DEVELOPING THE EPIC IRONS, CALLAWAY PUSHED THE TEAM IN A WAY THAT THEY COULD ELEVATE PERFORMANCE TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL THAT THE COMPANY HAS EVER ACHIEVED.

AS THE UNDISPUTED NUMBER ONE IRON IN THE INDUSCALLAWAY HAD TO PROVIDE THE ABSOLUTE BEST COMBINATION OF BALL SPEED, DISTANCE, FORGIVENESS, ACCURACY, CONTROL AND FEEL. “AND TO GO BEYOND THAT STANDARD, WE HAD TO BE EXTREMELY METICULOUS, CREATIVE AND COMMITTED TO CAREFULLY CRAFTING EACH MATERIAL. – DR. ALAN HOCKNELL TRY,

COOL FROM EVERY ANGLE Introducing ECCO COOL 360°BREATHABILITY & 100% WATERPROOF

The ECCO COOL is unlike any golf shoe you have ever worn. Innovative GORE-TEX® SURROUND® technology forms a completely breathable and waterproof membrane around the entire shoe. At the same time, our new midsole grid-construction allows for 360° breathability with every step you take. Dry and comfortable feet, no matter the weather, no matter the course. Experience ECCO COOL at your local golf store or online at golf.ecco.com.

GOLF COURSE WITH A DIFFERENCE! SPECIAL FEATURE

What you are about to read is a revolution that’s been waiting to happen in the golf industry. and maintaining a golf course has been one of the problems challenging the growth of the g has to be mowed and maintained in pristine playing condition all the time. What about the fe come as part and parcel of the maintenance cost. And then, there is the cost of water to kee you can forget about all the cost challenges - you can now have a golf course that requires are playing pitches for soccer and hockey and now, golf’s jumped on the bandwagon. It’s a n would have ever thought that India would be the ﬁrst to kick off this revolution but this ancie

he people who are responsible for this major disruption are the guys behind the awardwinning golf course design company, Golfplan. The project was dreamt up by one of the lead principals of the ﬁrm, Kevin Ramsey who together with his partner David Dale have designed and built some of Asia’s top golf courses. However, this new course in New Delhi, India is the ﬁrst golf course with no grass – it is fully “turfed” with synthetic

turf - the ﬁrst anywhere to deploy synthetic turf through the green. The 9-hole, par-3 layout at M3M, an apartment complex - in addition to its 9-hole putting course and driving range - are entirely “grassed” with a lush-green product produced by FieldTurf, the Calhoun, Ga.based subsidiary of the French company, Tarkett Inc., that has supplied its product to some 7,000 sports facilities worldwide. So, how was this course built? “Prepping the subgrade for golf holes designed for FieldTurf is pretty similar to the

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Given the high cost of building game. Just imagine the turf that ertilisers and pesticides which ep the turf properly watered. Now, s virtually none of the above. There no-brainer and it’s disruptive! Who ent nation has made it happen! normal course of events,” said Ramsey. “Here at M3M we installed a compacted sub-layer comprised of two separate gravels, then a sand layer and shock pad. It’s all been perimeter drained. You don’t want herringbone drainage because if that settles in an awkward way, you’d have to peel back the turf, address the issue and re-stitch. With this medium, it’s all about minimizing seams.” “Above the shock pad goes the FieldTurf itself, with its ‘blades’ of grass some 2.5 to 3 inches long. A mixture

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I’VE HIT OFF THE STUFF. I’VE PLAYED SHOTS INTO THESE GREENS - IT PERFORMS LIKE REAL TURF AND IT LOOKS GREAT,” HE SAYS. “THE GREENS WERE DESIGNED JUST LIKE THEY WOULD ON A CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE, A BIT SMALLER MAYBE - BECAUSE THESE ARE ALL PAR-3S. BUT THE GREEN CONTOUR IS REAL. – KEVIN RAMSEY of crumb rubber and sand is sifted in there to create the height of cut you want. Water percolates through to a certain extent but mainly it sheet-drains to the perimeter drainage points,” Ramsey explained. “I’ve hit off the stuff. I’ve played shots into these greens - it performs like real turf and it looks great,” he says. “The greens were designed just like they would on a championship course, a bit smaller maybe - because these are all par-3s. But the green contour is real.” Ramsey said he would not classify himself as some sort of a synthetic evangelist - just a course development practitioner open to all reasonable options. Ramsey says it’s no coincidence that pioneering projects are taking shape in India, or Hong Kong, as opposed to North America. The synthetic course is especially suited to India where the dry season in Delhi makes it one of the hottest places on earth. “It was 48 degrees during one recent visit - that’s 118 degrees Fahrenheit! You’d have a very difﬁcult time maintaining year-round turf in this climate, with all this shade, to say nothing of the water that it would require,” Ramsey pointed out. “Taking into account what is a pretty harsh climate, we expect a lifespan of 15-20 years for the FieldTurf at M3M. Will it be exactly like grass? No. But we couldn’t have done this even 10 years ago. Just in that space of time, we’ve seen an amazing leap forward in quality,” he explained.

With the course scheduled to be open in September, what has reaction been to the new facility? “Asians in particular appreciate the garden aspect of golf, as opposed to the brown, naturally rough-hewn golf most prized in the West,” Ramsey explained. “And it really is a garden we’ve created here amid the high rises. We have created a creek and waterfall at the putting course - that’s a very attractive water feature. It’s just like any other design work, where you’re combining the strategies of playing the game with optimal aesthetics,” Ramsey added. “This FieldTurf will always look good. There will be no dormancy, no off-colour in the off-season. The trees will lose their leaves but residents will always look down from the 33rd floor and see this beautiful, lush-green courtyard with pins - 100 percent of the time.” This new synthetic golf course is yet another feather in the cap of Ramsey and Dale. For the past 40 years, in countries new to the game of golf, Golfplan has often been the first to arrive and the last to leave. All told, the firm has created more than 217 courses in 32 different countries. In many of these far-flung locations -- Tunisia, Bali, Myanmar, Uganda, Mongolia, Nepal - Golfplan created the very first modern golf course, or the first public course. Keep up the pioneering work guys. Golf needs new and refreshing innovations and you guys seem to be leading the way!

THE FIELDTURF SYSTEM FIBRE

INFILL

BACKING

Polyethylene ﬁbre is treated with UV inhibiters and is abrasion resistant so that athletes can slide on the ﬁbres without fear of turf burns.

Similarly sized particles of washed silica sand and rounded cryogenic rubber inﬁll hold each other in suspension, compress and expand to provide stability, long life resiliency and proper energy restitution.

The backing is made of a combination of permeable woven and non-woven polypropylene fabrics to provide exceptional strength and unmatched vertical drainage. asiangolf 201

july 2017

SHARPEN YOUR SHORT GAME.

Soft, 431 stainless steel head with hydropearl chrome finish.

Our extremely precise wheel-cut milling process creates our sharpest grooves ever. The result: significantly higher spin rates and precise trajectory control so you can play with greater accuracy and confidence. With four sole grinds, there’s a Glide 2.0 wedge to fit every golfer.

NEW GROOVES SPIN BALL MORE THAN EVER.

FIND YOUR GRIND.

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SS GRIND FULL SHOTS Lower-lofted wedges are milled to increase spin and control on full shots. 46°, 50° & 52°

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AROUND THE GREEN Higher-lofted options are milled to impart more spin on chip and pitch shots. 54°, 56°, 58° & 60°

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Moderate attack angles and divots. Fits most golfers.

WS GRIND Full-sole for players with a steep angle of attack.

* Compared to original Glide

Inspired by Eye 2 for ultimate in bunker performance.

DISTANCE WITH PRECISION High-launching, distance generating long irons and compact, precise short irons give golfers full command of their shot making.

AN IRON FIT FOR SCORING. Engineered for golfers who want an iron with a soft, powerful feel and Tour-inspired aesthetics, the new i200 iron delivers exceptional distance and forgiveness while providing the trajectory control you need to play with precision. Get fit today and choose from a variety of high-performance, no-upcharge aftermarket shafts to match your ball flight and feel preferences.

Visit ping.com to learn more about the entire PING product line. ÂŠ2017 PING P.O. BOX 82000 PHOENIX, AZ 85071

SOFT, POWERFUL FEEL A muscle-stabilizing bar and deeper, longer tuning port harmonize with a thinner, faster face to create a powerful feel and sound.

HIDEKI MATSUYAMA SPECIAL FEATURE

fter a slow start for the 2017 season, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama has begun to crank it up. The phenom from the East claimed the number two spot in the 117th U.S. Open, and in the process, banked in a check for US$ $1,052,012. Had luck been on his side and had he started his charge earlier, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama could have probably been the winner. He put on a great showing to come from behind to make a spectacular surge in the ﬁnal round. If anything at all, Matsuyama proved that Asian players are now waiting in the wings to pull off a win at the majors. He topped his stellar performance at the U.S. Masters with a jump up the Ofﬁcial World Golf Rankings from fourth placing to being the world’s number two golfer, just one rung below reigning world number one, Dustin Johnson. asiangolf 202 201

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PREVIEW GAME IMPROVEMENT

an a 55-year-old take up golf and reach a halfdecent standard? “Yes!” says respected coach and PGA Master Professional Iain Roberts. And not only that, he believes it can be done in just 10 hours. To prove it, Iain is teaming up with his friend and golf novice Niall Donnelly for a series of 10 one-hour lessons, brought to you exclusively by ASIAN GOLF. From ﬁrst picking up a club to getting out on the course, “The Perfect Ten” will see Iain guiding Niall through all aspects of the game: Posture, stance and pivot. Correct grip and starting to swing. Arm action and swing plane. The art of pitching. “Magic hands”. Learning to drive. Breaking down the swing. Bunker shots and putting. Programme review. Out on the course. “It’s never too late to learn,” says Hong Kong-based Iain, who has taught countless players, from beginners to elite professionals, in a 40year career. “This series of lessons will show how good coaching can produce quick and effective results, no matter the student’s age. And we’re going to have some fun along the way.” “The Perfect Ten” starts on August 1, 2017 and will be available in ASIAN GOLF, www.asiapaciﬁcgolfgroup.com and on social media. Don’t miss this series. It’s a special programme designed not only to grow golf but to help you play a better game.

Ocean Course Holes 8, 9, 10

WE PROVIDE THE MANICURED FAIRWAYS. M OT H E R N AT U R E P R OV I D E S T H E R E S T. At Ria Bintan, we take pride in keeping our golf courses in impeccable condition. But we take no credit for the breathtaking natural attributes – the lush tropical forest, soothing balmy breezes, enticing emerald sea and pristine white beaches. Be totally charmed at Ria Bintan, Indonesia. Golf, anyone?

It's a Golf Mad Summer! Book now for a round of weekday golf at Ocean Course for S$119 nett and enjoy our newly upgraded 9-hole Forest Course on us! Quote AGMGMS to book and bring your best buddies along for the 27-hole ride!

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GAME IMPROVEMENT

BLACK HAT GOLF TIPS

Hip movement may be great for those who like to shimmy the night away on the dance ﬂoor. But in golf, over-doing hip movements is not the way to go. Although hip movement is important, what is even more important is getting your swing right. Because once your swing hangs together, it will automatically take control over how much hip movement you need. Our resident golf guru Tony Meechai is a great believer in getting your swing right and his advice is to not overdo hip movements during the course of a swing. Take it away Tony!

e are all about learning and playing the game of golf well. Most importantly, we strive very hard to ensure that whoever

comes through our teaching programmes, learns how to play the game well and in the process have fun. That said, it’s important to focus on how a club is swung and how the ‘body’ reacts to the club being swung. Yes! This is a timeless and priceless approach to playing enjoyable golf. The beauty of this approach is that it gets experienced golf-

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IT’S IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON HOW A CLUB IS SWUNG AND HOW THE ‘BODY’ REACTS TO THE CLUB BEING SWUNG.

YES!

THIS IS A TIMELESS AND PRICELESS APPROACH TO PLAYING ENJOYABLE GOLF.

THE BEAUTY OF THIS AP-

PROACH IS THAT IT GETS EXPERIENCED GOLFERS TO ‘UNDERSTAND’ WHAT THEIR PURPOSE IS EACH TIME THEY SET UP TO THE BALL AND GET READY TO EXECUTE THE SHOT!

THIS IS WHERE THE HIPS COME INTO PLAY. ers to ‘understand’ what their purpose is each time they set up to the ball and get ready to execute the shot! This is where the hips come into play. The hips move to the rhythm and motion of the golf swing. By stretching your hip area it will allow you to rotate properly. But, from my experience, let the hips ‘react’ to the golf club swinging. In my teachings, I prioritize the need to setting up the club right to the golf ball. Then, imagine the swinging motion by creating the proper arc so that the club head contacts the ball squarely and drives the ball to the target. Having this picture in one’s mind is a lot simpler than worrying about how far to rotate or tilt the hips.

IN MY TEACHINGS, I PRIORITIZE THE NEED TO SETTING UP THE CLUB RIGHT TO THE GOLF BALL.

THEN, IMAGINE THE SWINGING MOTION BY

CREATING THE PROPER ARC SO THAT THE CLUB HEAD CONTACTS THE BALL SQUARELY AND DRIVES THE BALL TO THE TARGET.

HAVING THIS PICTURE IN ONE’S MIND

IS A LOT SIMPLER THAN WORRYING ABOUT HOW FAR TO ROTATE OR TILT THE HIPS. I just get on my knees, tee up a ball and swing the driver. You will be surprised that the more you focus on swinging the golf club to the target, the farther the ball will go. Try it. You’ll change your mindset and hopefully will understand what your priority should be when it comes to executing a shot and keeping golf simple!

Here’s a drill you can do. Take your golf club and set it up off the ground. Now swing it back and forth in the air around your body. Focus on the golf club swinging to the target. You will notice the body reacting to the golf club swinging. There should be a swoosh sound. Do this ten times and then set up to a golf ball and maintain the same mind frame. Now swing as you just did and notice the simplicity as the ball soars to the target! Good job! When I was growing up, I remembered playing a few rounds of golf at my home course with a group and we all hit our tee shots from our knees. This is when I realized that I did not need too much hip movement.

ABOUT TONY MEECHAI Born and brought up in the United States, Tony Meechai won his first golf tournament at the age of nine. He began working in the golf industry when aged 15 and competed in various Mini-Tour and PGA Tour qualifiers after turning professional in 1994. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from New Mexico State University and a degree in Marketing and Professional Golf Management, he has made a name for himself in Asia over the past decade, during which time he has served as Director of Instruction at Thailand’s Heartland Golf Schools and Springfield Royal Country Club as well as presenting tips on numerous region-wide golf television shows. His signature Black Hat Golf Camps and Schools offered at various clubs in Thailand, including Lotus Valley Golf Resort, portrays the unique curriculum and teaching philosophy. Recently, he co-founded the International Preparatory Golf Academy at The American School of Bangkok, which combines an academic and golf education program for junior golfers. Voted 2015 Top 3 Best Professional Golf Coach in Asia Pacific, he continues to strive to grow the game of golf in Asia. For further information, please visit www.tmggroupasia.com or email to tony@tmggroupasia.com.

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GAME IMPROVEMENT

PRO TOUR GOLF COLLEGE

In the current series of golﬁng tips, ASIAN GOLF has decided to work with its resident golf coaches, the joint principals of the Pro Tour College, David Milne and Lawrie Montague on preparing junior golfers in Asia to reach world class levels in playing the game. In the fourth article in the series, our gurus explore and explain the importance of how to prepare for competition.

here are many things that a golfer has to do to get a competitive edge before embarking on a competitive round of golf. As part of the drill, we would like to highlight the ﬁve most important things to do, that will give a golfer every chance to post golf scores that reﬂect his true potential. The one and only thing that you can control 100% is your preparation before you play. The above statement is nothing new as

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we are sure you’ve read and heard it from tour professionals and sports psychologists with quotes like “Learn To Love The Process And The Results Will Come”. So if the preparation and the process are key, what are the ﬁve most important points to apply that will give a golfer the best chance to record lower scores? Here is a list of what we believe are the top ﬁve must do things before you play.

THE ONE AND ONLY THING THAT YOU CAN CONTROL 100% IS YOUR PREPARATION BEFORE YOU PLAY. 1. WEATHER FORECAST Just knowing the temperature for the day is not nearly enough. Your smart phone should have an App that will provide you with a seven day forecast of temperature and radar images showing the probability of rain throughout the day as well. This will help you plan what you will wear and also plan your wet weather strategy if necessary. There are App’s available for free like Weather Live Free, Weather Radar, Weather Zone and many more which you can download. Predicting wind strength and direction is equally critical before and during a round which can take well over ﬁve hours. There are free Apps that can be downloaded or go to websites that you can access that information. There’s always locations on the course where it’s difﬁcult to know where the wind is coming from. So knowing the direction before you start your round allows you to mark it on your yardage book which should have a compass indicating due North on each page of the yardage book you’re using for that course. 2. EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST Most golfers have a checklist but it’s probably trusted to their memory and that is not an effective way to remember all the required items they will need for each day. We strongly recommend that you write out a comprehensive list and when you are sure it’s complete, laminate it so it’s weather proof and place it in your golf bag. Now you can run through the list before you head off to the course and ensure you are ready for any situation that the day will challenge you with and be fully prepared. Here’s a list of suggested items: 14 clubs, alignment rod, golf balls, gloves, tees, towel, ball markers, divot repair tool, wet gear, umbrella, range-

finder, replacement battery for rangefinder, sharpie, yardage book, snacks/water, band-aids, sunscreen/chap stick, insect repellent, tissues, backup contact lens, shoe laces etc. 3. PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PREPARATION In our experience we find gofers of all levels start their physical and mental preparation only when they start hitting balls on the range before a round. This may seem logical but you will find more and more young gofers understand that getting ready starts well before you head to the range. If you’re currently hitting balls on the range before a round to warm up you need to change this routine as soon as possible. You want your mind and body to be synced up before you even hit a putt.

MOST OF OUR SUCCESSFUL YOUNG GOLFERS ARE USING A DEVICE CALLED

“FOCUSBAND” WHICH

WHEN USED CORRECTLY WHILE DOING THE MOBILITY EXERCISES HELPS SYNC THE SUBCONSCIOUS PART OF THE BRAIN WITH THE BODY.

We would recommend that you ﬁnd a trained TPI professional that can designed a pre game regime exercises that focuses on mobility and functional movement with the emphasis on dynamic rather than static stretching. This can be done in the locker room or ﬁnd a quiet place in the clubhouse which will be ideal to work on your breathing at the same time. Most of our successful young golfers are using a device called “Focusband” which when used correctly while doing the mobility exercises helps sync the subconscious part of the brain with the body. Check the website out on www.focusband.com. 4. NUTRITION AND HYDRATION The average round takes 227 minutes and the golfer walks around 9000 metres. Research shows golfers on average lose 1.2 Kg during a round of golf and use up 2000 to 2500 calories per round. There is a huge amount of literature on how you should replace what you lose so as to be able to maintain peak performance over one and also multiple rounds. The research in a nutshell concludes that during prolonged exercise over 1 hour, consumption of adequate carbohydrates and water will help maintain performance. So with that in mind fuelling the body by eating high quality carbohydrates the night before especially if you have an early tee time the next morning is essential. Examples of meal the night before would be something like pasta with meat sauce, long grain rice with stir fried vegetables and chicken.

At least an hour before you tee off meals should consist of either fresh fruit and nuts, yogurt with fruit or cereal and skim milk. Hydration recommended intake is 500mL 2 hours before tee time. Another 250mL 30 minutes before tee time and 250mL 15 minutes before tee time. So that’s a litre over that period and how does that compare with your ﬂuid intake? Be reminded that these are recommendations and depending on situations where you’re playing you might be needing more. A general guideline would be to consume 100mL every 10 minutes or a good sip every hole under hot humid conditions and a sports drink to be added to replace the electrolytes lost by excessive sweating. During a round fruit like bananas for carbohydrates and potassium replacement, granola bars, trail mix and fruit will help maintain energy levels. These are only recommendations so seek advice from the relevant professionals to get the best outcome for you. 5. PRE- GAME ROUTINE Each individual has a set routine of how they prepare before their golf game. So the question is to ask yourself is there a better way that will allow you to be more prepared before you hit that 1st tee shot? As you now understand you’re not just hitting balls on the range to warm up and get loose, make your time

on the range as realistic as you are going to experience on the course. That means after hitting some wedges, start hitting full shots at random targets left and right rather than in the same direction. I would also suggest you leave the last 20 balls where you hit the clubs in the order that you would do out on the course. Meaning if the 1st hole is a short par 4 and your game plan is to use a 3 wood, then hit a 3 wood and if the second shot required a wedge hit that as your next shot. If the 2nd hole is a par 3 hit the iron for the required distance and so on. You should almost be able to replicate the clubs you will be using for the 1st 9 holes. This is a much more effective way to get ready for the round and getting your targeting skills honed rather than working on your technique which is not helpful at all. Generally most golfers start with the range followed by greenside skills and finish off with putting. Don’t follow what others are doing so find the right blend of routine that suits you and gets you in the competitive mode before you arrive on the 1st tee. Pre-game routines can be holding you back especially if you struggle to score well at the start of the round. Don’t be afraid to adapt and adjust your routines until you find the one that you believe will lead you to better scores. Some of the five points outlined above may seem like common sense to you but if you do them consistently they will give you more opportunities to keep lowering your competitive score average every time you play.

LAWRIE MONTAGUE AND DAVID MILNE are the joint principals of Pro Tour Golf College, Jakarta, Indonesia

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