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ISSUE
232
FEBRUARY 2020
While there is a lot to celebrate for Asia and the achievements of Asian women golfers, perhaps the real icing on the pinnacle of the multi-tiered victory cake is the prestigious Player Of The Decade citation. The voting was highly competitive amongst fans of the LPGA but there was no doubt in anyone’s mind who the eventual winner would be. It was South Korea’s affable Inbee Park, deservedly the ultimate winner of the biggest title of her life! ASIAN GOLF is proud to honour Park with a special cover feature dedicated to this extraordinary Asian lady and a champion golfer!
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SPECIAL FEATURE 16 TEN REASONS THE GOLF BUSINESS IS BROKEN! One of the most widely discussed topics about golf relates to the future of the ancient game. There is no denying that golf has been under quite a great deal of pressure of late with more golf courses going belly-up combined with a steady decline in the number of people playing the game. Some pundits have even gone to the extreme extent of forecasting the death of golf. For an educated take on this topic, ASIAN GOLF turned to Andrew Wood, – the author of over 40 books he is widely regarded as the world’s leading expert in golf, resort and real estate marketing and a sought after speaker who has spoken to thousands of audiences worldwide on this and other topics from his books.
24 JUST BUILD IT AND THEY’LL COME … The days of “just build it and they’ll come are over!” In an effort to raise the awareness of the importance of marketing and promotions for the
REGULARS
4 EDITORIAL TEAM | 6 SHARED THOUGHTS: FROM
32 SMART AND FRIENDLY – PING’S G710 IRONS
EQUIPMENT FOCUS
As we enter a brand-new decade, PING has rolled out a bunch of new products amongst which are a set of irons and a slew of putters. This review looks at the G710 irons – it is a set of irons that pack not only distance but are absolutely user friendly and very playable.
38 SIM – IT’S ROCKET SCIENCE ALRIGHT! With the start of 2020 and a brand-new decade, one brand has come out claiming that it has a driver for all seasons or rather, a driver to address every aspect of that highly important first shot off the tee box – the drive! And that brand is TaylorMade who have just hit the world’s fairways with the SIM driver. In case you are wondering what this SIM mumbo-jumbo is all about, let’s get this acronym sorted out. It stands for SHAPE IN MOTION.
60 DISTANCE WITH CONTROL Sounds like quite a challenge! How to get around the problem and end up with a win-win solution of distance with control built into an iron? Is this possible? Well, the smart guys at Titleist R&D have done S! The just that with a swanky new set of irons – the T100 T100-S! rons meets the need for a all-new Titleist T100•S irons fully forged player’s iron that plays stronger to e. produce greater distance.
68 TOUR EDGE SHOOTS FOR THE STARS!
54 TITLEIST GOLF BALLS – SPOILED FOR CHOICE! It’s the start of a new year in a brand-new decade and the world’s winningest golf ball brand has rolled out an impressive new family of golf balls. Golfers have the Titleist brand of excellence stamped across an extensive selection of golf balls – each with special playing characteristics combined with the Titleist commitment to performance.
golf club industry, ASIAN GOLF turned to an agency that has a single-minded focus on this very topic. That agency is the UK-based Performance54.
48 THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA! Most of us still have a very vivid recall of the problems and challenges that TaylorMade Golf experienced prior to its restructuring in 2016. However, under the charge of David Abeles as Chief Executive Officer and President of the bornagain TaylorMade, he turned the company around and set it back on its path of glory. ASIAN GOLF is proud to present an exclusive interview with Abeles where he discussed a range of different topics.
82 ASIANS GET READY FOR MEXICAN SHOWDOWN! The new season has got off to a flying start and there are signs that some of Asia’s most talented players will do well in the new year. A showcase event for Asians to put their skills on show is the World Golf Championship in Mexico. Three top names have qualified and there is a possibility that another one or two may make the cut. The PGA TOUR’s Chuah Choo Chiang filed this special pre-event tournament report to ASIAN GOLF.
M THE PUBLISHER | THE ULTIMATE – THE GLOBAL GOLF AWARDS!
True to form and keeping g to its on, commitment to innovation, Tour Edge has launched the latest of its range of power clubs - the Exotics EXS 220 driver, fairway metal and hybrid. All three products feature state-of-the-art game-enhancing innova-tions that vastly improvess ful and upon the wildly successful award-winning Exotics EXS line that launched in November of 2018.
GAME-IMPROVEMENT 74 THE 101 ABOUT BALANCE IN THE GOLF SWING Starting with this edition of ASIAN GOLF, we will be collaborating with PacificPine Sports Group, a specialist coaching organisation that focuses on state-of-the-art youth golf development centres in China. They offer grassroots instruction programmes at “PGA of America Youth Development Centres” across China to introduce and grow the game of golf for boys and girls. The first in the series of special reports lays special emphasis on the importance of balance in the swing process. Over to its Chief Operating Officer Patrick Quernemoen.
Mike Sebastian
INTERNATIONAL ROVING EDITOR
Editor/Chief Executive Officer [mike@asiapacificgolfgroup.com]
Alan Campbell (China/Middle East) Correspondent
GLOBAL EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL
Angela Raymond
President [angela@asiapacificgolfgroup.com]
Gregg Patterson
President, Tribal Magic Inc.
Andrew Wood Founder/President, Legendary Marketing
James Cronk
Raquel Arcega
Executive Creative Art Director [raquel@asiapacificgolfgroup.com]
President, Cronk Group
Digital Services Tech-Know Integrators
Alice Ho
Business Executive [alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com]
INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES
Alice Ho
Email: alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com
Myra Paras
Accounts Executive [myra@asiapacificgolfgroup.com]
ASIA PACIFIC GOLF GROUP(2014) PTE LTD Singapore Post Centre Post Office, P.O. Box 532, Singapore 914018 Tel: +65 6323 2800 | Fax: +65 6323 2838 Company Registration No.: 201405689G
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It is only natural that the longest running awards programme for the Asia Pacific Golf industry should grow into a global event. No one will argue that it is part of a progression plan that is designed to transform it into a major event of world standing. The Global Golf Awards has emerged out of the same crucible that gave the world the highly successful Asian Golf Awards. The Asian Golf Awards witnessed the completion of twenty years in 2019, making it the most successful and respected industry recognition event of its kind.
I
ts wide acceptance is evidenced by the way its awards are proudly displayed by golf clubs in the Asia Pacific who were honoured over the past two decades. “We look back at the growth and evolution of the Asian Golf Awards with great pride ….. its success has been unmatched,” said Mike Sebastian, CEO of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner of the event. “In keeping with the rapid growth of the Asia Pacific and its place on the global stage, we felt that it made sense for the Asian
Golf Awards to keep pace and grow with the region that is home to it,” Sebastian pointed out. The Global Golf Awards is a perfect transition for the Asian Golf Awards. It is part of the new World Golf Expo initiative, a collaboration between the giant Mission Hills Group of China and the Asia Pacific Golf Group. The World Golf Expo will be staged in the bustling capital city of Haikou in Hainan on October 14 – 16, 2020. According to Sebastian, “The World Golf Expo is being planned to grow into one of the biggest and most
important golf business events in the world.” He explained that the World Golf Expo is being structured to address the following key pillars of business: A global golf trade exposition; An international golf business summit; An international agronomy symposium; An international symposium on golf tourism, A series of professional and amateur golf tournaments; The Global Golf Awards; “I envision that the Global Golf Awards will take off from where the Asian Golf Awards left off and take the event to a whole new level of excellence,” said Sebastian who went on to add that the World Golf Expo will “take on carnival proportions” designed to showcase the latest and the best in all things golf and to also stimulate and encourage innovative thinking relating to promoting the growth of golf on a global scale. Like its predecessor, the Global Golf Awards will be conducted through a poll that will be run on-line covering a three-month period. The on-line poll will be launched on March 1 and end on May 30, 2020.
I ENVISION THAT THE GLOBAL GOLF
AWARDS WILL TAKE OFF FROM WHERE THE ASIAN GOLF AWARDS LEFT OFF AND TAKE THE EVENT TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE. – MIKE SEBASTIAN Note that success in the Global Golf Awards on-line poll will be determined by the number of valid votes received. This being the case, all golf clubs and organisations who would like to participate should make an active effort to promote themselves to their target groups to encourage support and participation. The regions to be covered include the following: East Asia (Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China) Southeast Asia Oceania (Australia, New Zealand Pacific Islands) South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal) Middle East/Africa Europe including United Kingdom and Russia Canada North America South America Mexico The voting categories will be made known before the end of February. The awards presentation will be held in Haikou, the capital city of Hainan in China on October 16, 2020.
Remember whe stunned the g the U.S. Wom Pak. She was for Asian w but it also le money rank hold 11 spo given the f women go is a lot to the real ic the prestig highly com doubt in an was South winner of the
en a young South Korean female golfer hit the headlines back in 1998? She olfing world when she battled her way to become the youngest winner of men’s Open – a major on the golfing calendar. She was Hall of Famer Se Ri s the pioneer and the lady who boldly threw open the gates to golfing glory women. Not only did it smash through the glass ceiling for Asian players, ed to the ultimate domination of the LPGA Tour by Asian players. Based on kings, Asian stars from South Korea, Japan, Thailand and China ots on the top twenty list for 2020. This is saying a lot for Asia act that this dominance has been earned against the best olfers assembled anywhere on the Planet. While there celebrate for Asia and Asian women golfers, perhaps cing on the pinnacle of the multi-tiered victory cake is gious Player Of The Decade citation. The voting was mpetitive amongst fans of the LPGA but there was no nyone’s mind who the eventual winner would be. It Korea’s affable Inbee Park, deservedly the ultimate e biggest title of her life!
PARK ALSO MADE HISTORY IN 2016, BECOMING THE YOUNGEST TO QUALIFY FOR THE LPGA TOUR HALL OF FAME AT THE AGE OF 27, AND WON THE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL AT THE SUMMER GAMES IN RIO THAT SAME YEAR.
W
hat a way to start a new decade in the New Millennium – to be declared as the Greatest Player of The Decade, the third decade of the 21st Century. Park garnered some 53% of the nearly 12,000 fan votes received, to gain the top spot. Park was the hot favourite to lift the title based on her
staggering accomplishments on the LPGA Tour between 2010 and 2019. During that time, Park won 18 times, including six major championships, and won the Rolex Player of the Year, Rolex Annika Major Award, Vare Trophy and topped the Money List three times. Park also made history in 2016, becoming the youngest to qualify for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame at the age of 27, and won the Olympic gold medal at the Summer games in Rio that same year. In 2013, Park won the ANA Inspiration, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open, the first three majors of the season, making her the first player since Tiger Woods in 2000 to complete a Triple Crown in the professional game. She won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship again in 2014 and won it for a third consecutive time in 2015, the latter coming with an injured shoulder that would have sidelined many others. She also won the AIG Women’s British Open in 2015, her second multiple-major season. Perhaps Park’s greatest moment came at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Golf Course in 2016. Plagued by back and hand injuries – the two worst types of injuries
that can strike a golfer, she was staring at a bleak future ahead. It had been four months since Park had made a cut on the LPGA Tour, five months since she had broken 70. At the Pure Silk Championship at Kingsmill Resort, she shot 74 and withdrew. The next week in Michigan, she shot 84 and withdrew again. Everything virtually turned against Park as she was taunted to withdraw from Olympic consideration. Against all the hullabaloo, Park hung tough and travelled to Rio where she really dug deep and shot three rounds of 66
REMARKABLE SEEMS LIKE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. EXTRAORDINARY IS OVERUSED. THE ONLY DESCRIPTION – ACCURATE AND APPROPRIATE FOR EVERYTHING PARK DID IN THE LAST DECADE – IS HISTORIC. NOTHING ELSE COMES CLOSE.
and one of 70 to not just win in Rio, but run away with the gold medal, defeating silver medallist Lydia Ko by five
win the first gold medal on golf’s return to the modern
shots.
Olympics. Her victory not only served as a boost to the
It was not just the moment of the decade but arguably the women’s golf moment of the century. It was better than Tiger Woods winning the U.S. Open on a broken leg.
growth of women’s golf in her homeland, but it also had an incredible impact throughout the Asian Continent. Since Park’s record-breaking achievements on the
This was the most watched spectacle in the world with the
LPGA Tour and the Olympics, she has opened the flood-
most coveted prize in sports. No matter the country, gold
gates to young aspirants from Japan, China, Taiwan and
medallists become legends.
Thailand. She has encouraged all of them to set their eyes
Already an idol back in South Korea, the Olympic gold medal, made her a legend. Park’s victory was the highest
on seeking glory on golf’s world stage. Remarkable seems like an understatement. Extraor-
rated live golf broadcast in the nation’s history. The presi-
dinary is overused. The only description – accurate and
dent of Korea even called Park to congratulate her.
appropriate for everything Park did in the last decade – is
It was also a historic moment for Asia to have Park
historic. Nothing else comes close.
One of the most widely discussed topics about golf relates to the future of the ancient game. There is no denying that golf has been under quite a great deal of pressure of late with more golf courses going belly-up combined with a steady decline in the number of people playing the game. Some pundits have even gone to the extreme extent of forecasting the death of golf. For an educated take on this topic, ASIAN GOLF turned to Andrew Wood, - the author of over 40 books, he is widely regarded as the world’s leading expert in golf, resort and real estate marketing and a sought after speaker who has spoken to thousands of audiences worldwide on this and other topics from his books. The following is his special report:
M
uch of the talk about why the golf business is in the toilet has to do with the cost of play. This argument is totally bogus since you can tee it up anywhere, for less, than a decade ago! Then there is also the talk about lack of diversity and inclusion, being the issue. While I will agree it would be nice to include more women or minorities it has nothing to do with the current state of affairs. Is it oversupply of courses? If it is, it shouldn’t be the number of courses because in the USA, it has shrunk by 2,000 or more and the US population went up by 24 million people since 2008! Most of Asia’s population is also growing. Is it the “millennial’s” lack of attention span that’s the issue? No, at best that’s a minor contributing factor, so what then are the REAL issues, the ones the powers that be simply don’t want to address?
#10 ARCHAIC RULES AND REGULATIONS AT CLUBS - the new golf rules are a great start in the right direction on the course, now let’s work on those off the course issues like ar-
chaic dress codes, rules on guest play, women’s play and cell phones. Only the airline business can get away with treating their customers like infant school children. The golf business no longer can.
#9 LACK OF A MARKETING STRATEGY - I have consulted at one time or another with over 3,000 clubs, never once in our
initial meeting has the club been able to articulate their marketing strategy. Which means they don’t have one. Which in turn means they are squandering most of their marketing dollars. Usually, they never get one because they can ever agree on what to give up focusing on what they do best and where the best opportunity lies in their market to expand. See #6 for additional details.
#8 MASSIVE INCREASE IN ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS THAT COMPETE WITH GOLF AND APPEAR TO BE MORE ENTERTAINING - Most of the golf business does not see itself as in the entertainment business, and so makes decisions guaranteed NOT to enhance the entertainment quota or create a WOW Factor that excites their members and guests. This is not hard to do but it does take a little effort. www.GolfmarketingClass.com
#7 GLACIAL ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY FROM WEBSITES, TO EMAILS AND BOOKING ENGINES TO SOCIAL MEDIA - the golf industry is always a decade behind. Even when they
finally capitulate to the forces of change, they do a half-assed job, with the cheapest websites, an amateur Facebook effort or dabble in LinkedIn. Few clubs are using dedicated landing pages, send time email optimization or remarketing automatically to their own website visitors. The real world has been using these amazing tools for three years, or more so the golf industry should be on aboard in another seven. But don’t hold your breath. www.LegendaryMarketing.com
#6 POOR LEADERSHIP MORE INTERESTED IN STATUS QUO, SPONSORSHIP AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS THAN INCREASING PLAY - For example: If I ran the National Golf Course Owners Association (USA), PGA, USGA or others, growing the game/increasing play, would be my only agenda. I would not waste my time on anything except enticing back the ten million, white middle-aged males, that used to play. Then I’d look to expand to other demographics. Pick the low hanging fruit first and don’t waste time in the Bronx when there are a million guys in Westchester County with clubs in the garage! (save the hate mail, I’m immune)
#5 NO ONE IN THE GOLF BUSINESS TAKES SALES OR SALES TRAINING SERIOUSLY - No one! Not the PGA, not the NGCOA, not the management
companies and certainly not owners or club managers! If they did, I’d have sold a lot more Golf Sales Bibles! Instead, it’s my worst selling book ever! Interesting when it’s the only golf sales book in the world - see reason #1 for more explanation. If the car business had as much interest in sales as the golf business does, car sales would drop 80% overnight! This is an unbelievably easy problem to fix, that could instantly increase play 5-10% but nobody will. www.GolfSalesBible.com
#4 MURDER BY MEDIA - Golf has been slaughtered by the media now for over a decade, and the golf industry has done a pathetic job of fighting back! Since the big players have done little to nothing, that leaves it up to club’s themselves. If every club sent out a positive golf article to their email database 3-4 times a month and peppered their social media with positive golf content, this situation could be reversed. But sadly problem #1 will prevent that from happening.
#3 GOLF TAKES TOO LONG, WAY TOO LONG - The PGA
Tour, PGA, USGA, and the R & A should take a leadership position and ban rounds of more than 4 hours, but they don’t!
#2 LACK OF MARKETING DOLLARS - Most businesses spend around US$50,000 on marketing per million dollars in revenue. The average marketing budget of most golf clubs in the USA doing 1-2 million is US$15,000 and in the UK it’s closer to US$1,500! In Asia it’s all over the map but in general far too little!
GOLF IS THE GREATEST GAME EVER, SADLY THE GOLF INDUSTRY IS BROKEN.
WHAT THE GOLF INDUSTRY NEEDS IS BOLD NEW LEADERSHIP FROM OWNERS, CLUB MANAGERS, PGA PROFESSIONALS AND THE BLUE BLAZER BRIGADE. WHAT THE GOLF INDUSTRY NEEDS IS A REVOLUTION. VIVA LA REVOLUTION! – ANDREW WOOD There is practically no business in the world that can survive in a competitive market on the minuscule amount golf clubs spend on marketing. I won’t even talk about how poor the marketing is when they do spend money, but it’s another huge factor. The golf industry has the lamest marketing I have ever seen.
#1 ARROGANCE AND APATHY - at almost every level of the business from the industry’s blue blazer institutions to the management companies who overpower their client’s brand and squander their marketing dollars to promote their own image. The garbage most clubs put out as emails is
a universal testimony to how little they care. Best of all when I call out a management company for their crap on Facebook, or their worthless websites, which devoted 50% of the live space to promoting the management company, not their clients, they say it’s unprofessional of me. When in fact, ripping off their clients with sub-standard efforts is what’s unprofessional. Golf is the greatest game ever, sadly the golf industry is broken. What the golf industry needs is bold new leadership from owners, club managers, PGA professionals and the blue blazer brigade. What the golf industry needs is a revolution. Viva La Revolution!
How frequently have we heard this familiar statement made in the golf club industry? It smacks of total OPTIMISM which is often not substantiated with any solid basis whatsoever. It may have been true in the early stages of the evolution of the game of golf in Asia, especially Southeast Asia. There was a time when golfers just couldn’t get enough, and they were falling over each other to get to a club to play golf. It was bonanza time for developers and golf club operators, but those fat days have since vaporised. Today, there are well over 5000 golf clubs in Asia and many are faced with the challenge of generating enough rounds to keep their bottom-lines in the black. The sad part of this situation is that the majority of these clubs don’t believe in MARKETING although they claim to have a MARKETING DEPARTMENT staffed with
MARKETING PROFESSIONALS and a BUDGET. Budgets are almost always miniscule and laughable! We do not want to ridicule the club industry, but we would like to urge the club industry to get real and start thinking seriously in terms of MARKETING. The days of “just build it and they’ll come are over!”
I
n an effort to raise the awareness of the importance of marketing and promotions for the golf club industry, ASIAN GOLF turned to an agency that has a
director Jed Moore to explore what plans he had to expand the company’s range of services in Asia to cater to the needs of golf clubs in the region. The following are highlights from
single-minded focus on this very topic. That agency is the UK-based Performance54, a modern marketing
that discussion:
and consultancy group, with extensive experience within the golf and tourism sectors. Late last year, Performance54 was recognised amongst the fastest-growing companies in the
ASIAN GOLF: Performance54 has been serving some golf club clients in the Asian region. What sort of specialised services does the agency offer golf clubs in Asia?
UK placing fourth in the latest Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100. Besides their home operations, the company is active in the Middle East and Southeast Asia with new of-
JED MOORE: First and foremost, Performance54 is a dedicated golf business. When we founded the company back in 2015, it was paramount to establish ourselves as special-
fices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. ASIAN GOLF caught up with Performance54’s managing
ists within the industry and to provide insights across the value chain.
In the years since, the business has significantly
Historically, marketing dollars have been the first
developed its service scope; primarily through the introduction of experienced talent across several disciplines,
to get cut, which is often still the case. I think there is still some negative stigma around, but that is less about
recruited from both inside and out of the industry, but also through new business acquisitions. The vision was
the fact that marketing doesn’t work and more how
to create an organisation that clients could turn to for all their sales and marketing requirements; either in part or wholly outsourced, and that is what we have established
the organisations are set up to facilitate the concurrent requirements for a strong marketing strategy; aligned objectives, connected sales teams, strong network
ourselves as. Asia continues to be an exciting prospect for the game as a whole and we enjoy some terrific partner-
relationships, integrated tech and CRM programs – to name just a few. One area I personally feel requires the most consideration, is the authenticity of the message and how it
ships and relationships across the continent. If I was to pinpoint one service area that stands out for us, it is
reaches the market. Golfers are savvy consumers and attribute importance to key criteria that they are looking
the importance for businesses of developing the right narrative, brought to life with memorable content that connects to a sales proposition; thus, connecting and
for in the sales and marketing approach. Modern comms and content capability means anyone can create colour for their product, but it must be about striking an emotive re-
aligning the critical path for owners. Done well, this is an area in which the golf industry can really reap significant rewards.
sponse that leaves a lasting memory if you are to convert.
ASIAN GOLF: As an agency that specialises in marketing promotions and related services, what is your assessment of the importance that clubs in general attach to the marketing of their services?
JED MOORE: The response we have received from
JED MOORE: When it comes to marketing, to be effective, it has to cut through the noise. There is broad spectrum of options, all vying for customer (and thirdparty seller) attention. The clubs that understand who they are in the market and the experience they offer their guest profile are the ones who deliver on satisfaction. If that is working well, it spills over into the marketing function and how news and content in the market is perceived and received, which in turn is likely to drive business return.
THE VISION WAS TO CREATE AN ORGANISATION THAT CLIENTS COULD TURN TO FOR ALL THEIR SALES AND MARKETING REQUIREMENTS; EITHER IN PART OR WHOLLY OUTSOURCED, AND THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED OURSELVES AS.
– JED MOORE
ASIAN GOLF: How are the services that you offer to Asian clubs being received? our Asian clients is very positive, having worked within a range of ownership structures across a spectrum of golf club or destination life cycles. As such, we have found those that work with us on establishing a clear, longterm objective, who are prepared to accept and integrate the incremental value (golf provides) as part of the busi-
FOUNDING-PARTNERS-OF-PERFORMANCE54: L-R-MATT-SELBY-JED-MOORE-GARY-DAVIDSON
ness model, get the most out of the relationship. Overall, I think our approach is received well, as we are not there to just service a pre-agreed scope, but to connect as an extension of the business. We have invested in attracting
activated over a longer period and, unfortunately, we see too many quick-win mentalities intended to bolster a set period, that, even if successful, are too focused on the short-term to
talent to our firm, which has in turn increased the diversity of our service capabilities, meaning we can step in at every
provide longer-term benefit. The key aspect of how best to work with marketing
stage of the marketing journey to provide value. We also believe it is important for us, as a business, to align with the results of our clients. For us to be able to
specialists is not only the development of the campaigns, PR programs and advertising strategies, but the evaluation of what works and why. You can access data that will serve
impact performance positively, we must have line sight of crucial aspects within the operations to formulate opinions and provide advice. Clients who embrace this are the ones who
you well, but the interpretation of that intel is what sets the best organisations apart. Knowing your audience, what they respond best to and how to grow engagement and loyalty will
gain the most benefit, as they get the best out of the teams and our expertise.
allow you to dictate how to spend those important dollars. This is where the likes of 59Club are giving golf club management teams a direct insight into the customer journey
ASIAN GOLF: Do you feel that there is a general lack of understanding and appreciation of the value of marketing by golf clubs in Asia?
and allowing for primary based evidence to shape decisions; the solution to a long-term missing link in the golf industry.
JED MOORE: For the most part, marketing is recognised as a key cog in delivering on business plans by golf clubs in the region. Where I believe there is an opportunity to advance,
ASIAN GOLF: What value can a professional and properly implemented marketing programme bring to a golf club especially in terms of growing its business?
are the timeframes marketing plans are prepared within and scheduled to run for. A positive marketing strategy will be
JED MOORE: The critical point for us, when it comes to the rollout of a marketing programme, is the connectivity of
any planned activity to the sales function. We see it all too
JED MOORE: There are three projects we have deliv-
often that the objectives across both this and marketing can differ. By connecting each department’s objectives
ered for our clients in Asia that stand out; firstly, our partnership with Sentosa Golf Club. What Andy Johnston and
and aligning internal teams, whatever the marketing message, this will elevate results significantly.
his team have created is one of the standout products and experiences in world golf. We have helped tell that story
In many instances, this stems from the business modelling. We have seen some fractious business plans that have under or overestimated the market and skewed
and found ways of bringing it to life; not just in golf terms, but the work it does as a pillar in Singapore Inc. Central to this is the environmental story they can tell through
key decisions. As such, we often inherit work that has relied on secondary and tertiary data to develop fundamental strategies,
the Keep-it-Green and now ‘Game On’ campaigns, which demonstrate what the club means to its members, for visitors to Singapore and the community at large. Secondly, there is the Ho Tram Open, which was such a standout moment for Vietnam’s golf proposition. The
which is one of our biggest bug bares, as it can absorb so much time and effort undoing errors in judgement. If you have the foundations right and appropriate parties are engaged early enough, the marketing function should be fluid. Modern-day advancements in the type and diversity of communication channels and the evolution in the quality of production mean you can get your message out there more regularly and in a more creative fashion that, when leveraged effectively, can have a dramatic effect on a business’ bottom line.
ASIAN GOLF: Given your experience working with clubs in Asia, can you give us a sense of how your services have benefited your clients and can you share some examples of how your work has impacted specific areas of some of your client organisations?
foresight of the ownership group to elevate the worldwide perception of its national endeavour and growing tourism appeal allowed the event concept and its subsequent delivery to spark a movement and interest for golf that was not only confined to The Bluffs as host venue, but the nation as a whole. Finally, the Amata Friendship Cup presented by Toyota, was another milestone, which helped bring to life a powerful concept from the Amata Spring Country Club board – a mixed team championship. To have the best men and women united on the same team, competing for national pride, was something that really stood out, not only for the club’s leadership within Thailand’s golf championship heritage, but was also an effort to give back to the community.
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The PING brand out of Phoenix, Arizona has always enjoyed a reputation for producing great golf clubs. It’s a quality that has had its loyal customers coming back to the company time after time for upgrades. Given this loyalty to the brand, it would not be wrong to state that once a PING player, always a PING player. As we enter a brand-new decade, PING has rolled out a bunch of new products amongst which are a set of irons and a slew of putters. This review looks at the G710 irons and the putters will be reviewed in the March issue of ASIAN GOLF.
I
f you are somebody on the hunt for a set of irons that pack not only distance but are absolutely user friendly, then the new PING G710 irons should be your irons of choice. Not only are the irons very playable – they are great to look at – sleek and with a dark finish.
“The G710 iron is our longest, most forgiving iron to date. It’s
engineered for golfers who want to maximize both distance and forgiveness,” said John K. Solheim, PING’s President. “In designing it, we also advanced other important attributes such as consistency, sound and feel without sacrificing performance. The hydro-pearl stealth chrome finish gives it a very sleek and attractive look. It’s a beautiful, high-performance design that will have broad appeal for golfers who want to hit the ball longer and straighter,” he said. Aside for its playing qualities and looks, the G710 come standard with Arccos Caddie Smart Grips and a free trial of the Arccos Caddie app. “I personally started using Arccos more than a year ago and have seen significant improvement across my entire game,” said Solheim. “It helps me during a round with club selection, and I really enjoy analyzing all the data after the round to uncover areas to help me play better. The Arccos Caddie app is a tremendous shottracking tool to help golfers lower their scores and have more fun on the course.” Each iron is custom built with an embedded sensor in the grip to automatically record and analyze every shot taken during a round when paired with the Arccos Caddie app. The G710 is made from maraging steel, one of the strongest aerospace-grade alloys in the world, and this provides strength and flexibility for launching shots higher and farther. High durability coupled with a machined variable-thickness face make an ideal pairing for distance.
WE’VE CONTINUED TO EMPLOY MARAGING STEEL IN SEVERAL PRODUCTS WHERE MAXIMIZING FACE FLEXING IS A PERFORMANCE PRIORITY.
OUR ENGINEERS
HAVE OPTIMIZED THE BENDING OF THE
G710 FACE TO INCREASE
BALL SPEEDS FOR MORE DISTANCE AND HIGHER TRAJECTORIES, PRODUCING SHOTS THAT LAND SOFTER AND HOLD THE GREEN. IT’S A DISTANCE IRON THAT DELIVERS CONSISTENT DISTANCE, A VERY RARE COMBINATION FOR AN IRON OF THIS TYPE.
– JOHN K. SOLHEIM
THE G710 IRON IS OUR LONGEST, MOST FORGIVING IRON TO DATE. IT’S ENGINEERED FOR GOLFERS WHO WANT TO MAXIMIZE BOTH DISTANCE AND FORGIVENESS.
“We’ve continued to employ maraging steel in several products where maximizing face flexing is a performance priority,” said Solheim. “Our engineers have optimized the bending of the G710 face to increase ball speeds for more distance and higher trajectories, producing shots that land softer and hold the green. It’s a distance iron that delivers consistent distance, a very rare combination for an iron of this type.” It’s MOI has been enhanced producing exceptional forgiveness for more distance and accuracy, especially for mid-to-high handicaps and slower swing speeds. The new irons are available for custom fitting and pre-order at authorized PING golf shops.
CRAFTED WITH PRECISION. FOR PRECISION. Spectacular in every way, the Blueprint iron is for shotmakers who rely on pinpoint accuracy. The tour-inspired, fully forged design puts a premium on workability and trajectory control. Every detail is extremely precise and carefully calculated to fit your eye and give you the feel to attack any pin with confidence.
IF YOU HAVE THE GAME, GET FIT TODAY. ©20 019 PING
This article was written in a room that looked like a shrine devoted to golf drivers manufactured over a period of fifteen years. There were drivers from all of the major brands and some from lesser known manufacturers. Most if not all of these drivers were hailed as game changers in their day – some promised greater distance; some claimed user friendliness and then there were those game improvement claims that offered hope to any golfer who sought and wanted help to just be able to drive the ball well. Against this backdrop of historical pledges of game improvement, one can’t help but feel sceptical about new products that come along and promise everything. But honestly speaking, the majority of new products, at least those that have been delivered in recent years, have lived up to their claims. The veracity of the various manufacturers’ claims is really contingent on the end-user. In the hands of a good player, these drivers pretty much live up to the claims proffered. But in the hands of the hacker, the onus is not on the product to prove itself but the player, especially when the player does not possess the skillsets to take full advantage of the technological advances engineered into a driver. We feel that we have made our case sufficiently clear. With the start of 2020 and a brand-new decade, one brand has come out claiming that it has a driver for all seasons or rather, a driver to address every aspect of that highly important first shot off the tee box – the drive! And that brand is TaylorMade who have just hit the world’s fairways with the SIM driver.
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n case you are wondering what this SIM mumbo-jumbo is all about, let’s get this acronym sorted out. It stands for SHAPE IN MOTION. From what ASIAN GOLF knows so far, it is really serious technology. Technology designed to help golfers get the best out of their driver – that is if you engage one of the SIM model drivers to get the job done.
Anyway, let’s now do a quick dive into what’s so great about SIM
technology. For that, we turn to Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Product Creation. The long-time veteran of the brand puts it this way: “The history of driver design has been about prioritizing trade-offs. You could have great launch conditions, but poor forgiveness. You could have great forgiveness, but at the sacrifice of distance. You could have an aerodynamic shape, but with less than optimal launch conditions. But through the use of multi-material technology, we’ve developed a new shape that optimizes performance in all three areas. It’s forgiving, fast and promotes the ideal launch conditions!” Wow! It really makes a lot of sense! Why did we have to wait for so many years until the start of the third decade of the New Millennium for this revelation? Anyway, there are three models in the family – the SIM, the SIM Max and the SIM Max•D). Central to the SIM design is its reliance on geometry to unlock the next frontier of performance. A series of shape-inspired innovations work in unison to improve forgiveness while also increasing aerodynamics and clubhead speed at the most critical stage of the swing – the last three feet (one meter) of the swing prior to impact. This is the part of the design process that is “rocket science”. Known as the speed generation zone, this is where the most meaningful increase of clubhead speed occurs. At the Tour level, players commonly accelerate from 90mph to 120mph in that moment of truth. SIM drivers are engineered to improve aerodynamics, and thus clubhead speed, through this critical phase of the golf swing. OK guys – we get it! How very ingenious!
Next, let’s look at multi-material technology. TaylorMade’s dabbling with multi-material usage began with the lightweight carbon composite technology it developed over
and development processes effectively deliver a level of precision that ensures every golfer gets a hot and fast driver head. Another special feature of SIM technology is the use
the course of the last 15 years. The fifth-generation carbon
of TaylorMade’s Sliding Weight Technology which allows
composite material, which was refined throughout the
for up to +/- 20 yards of draw or fade bias. For even further
lifespan of the popular M series, was the key to unlocking
personalization, the 2° Loft Sleeve™ allows for the adjust-
a series of new geometric opportunities for TaylorMade
ment of the loft, lie angle and face angle of the driver. The
engineers.
Loft Sleeve™ is available on all three models, while Sliding
Added to the multi-material technology is the TaylorMade Twist Face® innovation that is built into the SIM
Weight Technology is only offered in SIM. Individually, each SIM model is specially engineered
drivers. With Twist Face® TaylorMade is able to push ball
to address specific needs of a player. Here’s how this
speeds near the legal limit for every driver in the SIM family,
stacks up:
particularly on off-centre hits. There are three key features that allow this to occur. It also must be noted that every SIM, SIM Max and SIM Max•D driver head is inspected, measured and tuned to maximize speed and to ensure conformity; a process truly unmatched in the golf industry. Where other drivers have a greater level of variation in ball speed from one to the next, TaylorMade’s engineering
THE HISTORY OF DRIVER DESIGN HAS BEEN ABOUT PRIORITIZING TRADE-OFFS.
YOU COULD HAVE GREAT LAUNCH CONDITIONS, BUT POOR FORGIVENESS. YOU COULD HAVE GREAT FORGIVENESS, BUT AT THE SACRIFICE OF DISTANCE. YOU COULD HAVE AN AERODYNAMIC SHAPE, BUT WITH LESS THAN OPTIMAL LAUNCH CONDITIONS. BUT THROUGH THE USE OF MULTI-MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY, WE’VE DEVELOPED A NEW SHAPE THAT OPTIMIZES PERFORMANCE IN ALL THREE AREAS. IT’S FORGIVING, FAST AND PROMOTES THE IDEAL LAUNCH CONDITIONS!
SIM DRIVER - SIM allows the player who craves
rear of the club to further increase MOI, providing more
customization and adjustability to optimize ball flight
forgiveness and slightly higher launch conditions than the
characteristics by creating a +/- 20 yards of draw-fade
SIM driver.
bias through Sliding Weight Technology and a single 10g weight. It features a slightly smaller face than SIM Max
SIM MAX•D - The SIM Max•D is engineered to help
and SIM Max•D, appealing to players who place a premium
golfers avoid the right side of the course via a strategically
on adjustability and control.
placed heel-bias internal weight and divergent top-line masking, which makes the driver look more open at ad-
SIM MAX DRIVER - The SIM Max driver is designed
dress helping golfers close the face at impact. The draw-
to deliver maximum forgiveness. The all-new Inertia
biased design promotes the highest launch and offers the
Generator positions additional weight at the extreme
largest, most forgiving face in the SIM line-up.
Everything that we have seen and heard about the SIM drivers has convinced us that it is a super game-changing piece of equipment that every golfer should check out. Don’t just believe us – go try it out for yourselves! Complementing the SIM family of drivers are matching SIM, SIM Max and SIM Max•D fairway woods. The stand-out feature of the SIM fairway woods is the iconic V Steel that combines a V Steel™ sole to improve turf interaction and playability from various lies. “As we reviewed the V Steel technology, we discovered a massive benefit to having a fairway metal with significantly less turf drag through impact. By pairing V Steel with our technologically advanced materials, we’ve created fairways that are extremely playable, forgiving and provide explosive distance,” explained Bystedt. Now, aren’t these the fairway woods that you’ve always dreamt of? Now, you can put these in your bag and go out on course to impress yourselves! And if you are on the look-out for a recue wood, you’ve got to give the SIM Max Rescue a try-out. As a long-iron replacement, it’s imperative that hybrids be versatile and playable in all conditions. That’s why TaylorMade
has incorporated V Steel technology into a hybrid for the first time in the company’s history with SIM Max Rescue. The clubhead is engineered to deliver improved turf interaction and reduced friction when playing from various lies. A reshaped leading edge works in conjunction with V Steel to further improve playability and strike conditions. TaylorMade, always renown for its quest for innovation has not disappointed with its SIM technology. It is not just SHAPE IN MOTION – it is PEOTRY IN MOTION!
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n case you are on a hunt for a new set of irons, give the newly launched SIM Max and SIM Max OS irons a spin. Featuring the company’s revolutionary Speed Bridge™ technology and the all-new ECHO® Damping System, SIM Max and SIM Max OS deliver explosive distance, enhanced sound and forged-
like feel to the distance iron category. After playing a pivotal role in the industry leading performance found in M5 and M6 irons, Speed Bridge technology again takes centre stage in 2020 to deliver more refined performance with SIM Max and SIM Max OS irons. Speed Bridge is a mass efficient beam that spans across the
cavity back of the iron, connecting the back bar to the top line. This intelligent shaping allows for improved stability in the upper face and supports the top line, preventing unwanted vibrations that create the harsh feels associated with traditional distance irons. The increased rigidity in the top-line and upper perimeter of the face delivers improved sound and feel while working in conjunction with a flexible Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ engineered for increased ball speed and distance.
Most of us still have a very vivid recall of the problems and challenges that TaylorMade Golf experienced prior to its restructuring in 2016. Many pundits felt at that time that the company was on its death-bed and quite rightly so because it had no suitors who were interested in taking over the company in the state that it was.
A
nyway, against all the adversity and mounting pressures on the company, it pulled through with a major restructuring which saw it split from the giant adidas brand. Put simply, the new-look TaylorMade saw the company returning to its core strengths which was golf clubs. One of the major high-points of the restructuring was the appointment of David Abeles as Chief Executive Officer and President of the born-again TaylorMade. The task at hand for Abeles was a sort of David versus Goliath challenge. Since he took over the reins of the company, Abeles has shown the world that he was up to the challenge. Like the true professional that he is, the Goliath-like challenge has been slayed and Abeles has brought TaylorMade back to glory! Prior to taking up the challenge, Abeles had worked for TaylorMade for fifteen years and had left the company a number of times, only to return and be re-hired. This speaks a ton for the high regard that the company had for him. Under his charge, TaylorMade, for the first time in 20 years became a stand-alone, privately-held equipment and golf ball brand. Since that change, Abeles has led the company to become a force again in the industry – a major force at that.
THE TASK AT HAND FOR ABELES WAS A SORT OF DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH CHALLENGE. SINCE HE TOOK OVER THE REINS OF THE COMPANY, ABELES HAS SHOWN THE WORLD THAT HE WAS UP TO THE CHALLENGE.
LIKE THE TRUE PROFESSIONAL THAT HE IS, THE GOLIATHLIKE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN SLAYED AND
ABELES HAS BROUGHT TAYLORMADE BACK TO GLORY! ASIAN GOLF had the opportunity to meet up with this exciting executive recently and amongst the many topics discussed was how he managed to breathe new life into a totally deflated company and to get it back to the top of the hill. We are proud to present the full interview which was conducted during the launch of TaylorMade’s brand new “Shape In Motion” line of golf clubs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
LEARN MORE
DAVID ABELES LOOKING ON AT ATTENDEES TESTING NEW SIM PRODUCTS
TAYLORMADE MANAGEMENT SHOWING OFF THE NEW SIM FAMILY
UNDER HIS CHARGE, TAYLORMADE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS BECAME A STAND-ALONE, PRIVATELY-HELD EQUIPMENT AND GOLF BALL BRAND. SINCE THAT CHANGE, ABELES HAS LED THE COMPANY TO BECOME A FORCE AGAIN IN
– A MAJOR FORCE AT THAT. THE INDUSTRY
DAVID ABELES SPEAKING TO THE CROWD AT THE TAYLORMADE NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH IN KUALA LUMPUR
TAYLORMADE MANAGEMENT SHOWING OFF THE NEW SIM FAMILY
It’s the start of a new year in a brand-new decade and the world’s winningest golf ball brand has rolled out an impressive new family of golf balls. Titleist, with their acknowledged leadership position with the iconic Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls has widened the selection of balls available to golfers of all skill-levels. Long gone are the days when the choice was limited to the
brand’s top of the line performance balls. Now, golfers have the Titleist brand of excellence stamped across an extensive selection of golf balls – each with special playing characteristics combined with the Titleist commitment to performance. For 2020, the year has kicked off with the AVX, first launched in 2018, the Tour Soft and the latest iteration of the Velocity.
THE IMPROVEMENTS TO AVX ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF THE INSIGHTS AND THE INVENTIVENESS OF OUR R&D TEAM TO TAKE THIS DESIGN TO THE NEXT LEVEL – AND WE EXPECT GOLFERS TO SEE BETTER NUMBERS ACROSS THE BOARD. THE NEW AVX IS FASTER AND LONGER, IT PERFORMS BETTER AROUND GREEN, AND DELIVERS EVEN MORE OF THE INCREDIBLY SOFT FEEL THAT GOLFERS LOVE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT.
– FREDERICK WADDELL
L
eading the new charge is the AVX – the new-
Next on deck is the Titleist Tour Soft. Its design is
est “kid on the block”, Titleist has engineered
based on the largest core ever produced by Titleist golf ball
it for greater ball speed, longer distance and
engineers. This enables golfers to drive longer distances
increased short-game spin while advancing
and attain better short game performance.
the multi-component golf ball technology
Also, first introduced two years ago, the latest model
that has produced breakthrough results for golfers who
utilises new material and process technologies to deliver
prioritize distance and extremely soft feel.
the best performance in its category. It offers a superior
In its second iteration since it was first launched about
combination of soft compression feel, very fast speed for
two years ago, this revolutionary golf ball was developed as
commanding distance and excellent short game spin and
a performance alternative to sit alongside Titleist’s industry
control.
leading Pro V1 and Pro V1x models. Its special stand-out
“Golfers wanting to play a softer-feeling ball shouldn’t
feature is its low flight – in fact it offers the lowest flight,
have to sacrifice yards off the tee or control into the green.
lowest spin and softest feel of the three premium perfor-
We know they have real golf to play and their ball has to
mance offerings.
be much more than just soft,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice
“The improvements to AVX are a direct result of the
President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing. He added, “The new
insights and the inventiveness of our R&D team to take
generation of Tour Soft continues to show what’s possible in
this design to the next level – and we expect golfers to see
a lower compression design. Our engineers have developed
better numbers across the board. The new AVX is faster and
a longer, all-around better performing golf ball that main-
longer, it performs better around green, and delivers even
tains the soft and responsive feel that golfers love about
more of the incredibly soft feel that golfers love about this
this product.”
product,” said Frederick Waddell, Senior Product Manager, Titleist Golf Balls. The new AVX has been reengineered to deliver
A new feature of the Tour Soft is its sidestamp - this has been redesigned and integrated into a new alignment aid feature for 2020. The alignment stamp – resembling a
improved total performance from tee to green. The engine
“T” shape – makes it easier for golfers to line up their Tour
of the AVX is the larger, reformulated low compression
Soft on the green or tee, without having to mark lines on
core which works in combination with a redesigned high
the ball.
flex casing layer to deliver greater ball speed and low long game spin for more distance.
The new Tour Soft is offered in both white and highoptic yellow.
GOLFERS WANTING TO PLAY A SOFTER-FEELING BALL SHOULDN’T HAVE TO SACRIFICE YARDS OFF THE TEE OR CONTROL INTO THE GREEN. WE KNOW THEY HAVE REAL GOLF TO PLAY AND THEIR BALL HAS TO BE MUCH MORE THAN JUST SOFT.
THE NEW GENERATION OF TOUR SOFT CONTINUES TO SHOW WHAT’S POSSIBLE IN A LOWER COMPRESSION DESIGN. OUR ENGINEERS HAVE DEVELOPED A LONGER, ALL-AROUND BETTER PERFORMING GOLF BALL THAT MAINTAINS THE SOFT AND RESPONSIVE FEEL THAT GOLFERS LOVE ABOUT THIS PRODUCT.
– MICHAEL MAHONEY
About colour, the new improved Titleist Velocity takes the cake. Like the other two models, new Titleist Velocity has been engineered for maximum velocity, including
a good swing on it, they’ll have the extra distance to reach the green with the ball flight to stop it there.” In a nutshell, the Titleist Velocity delivers longer
new aerodynamic and core technologies that deliver the
distance, extremely low long game spin, high flight and
longest, best performing Velocity yet.
greater iron stoppability.
It comes in three new matte colour options - Pink, Green and Orange. “Velocity golfers love distance, and they never stop
So, there you have it! A choice of three terrific golf balls for 2020 – all bearing the stamp of quality, excellence and performance guaranteed by Titleist, the number
asking us for more yards,” said Mahoney. “But we know
one brand in golf balls! Available now at all leading golf
they’re also trying to shoot lower scores, and distance
stores.
is only one part of that equation. The advancements our engineers have made to Velocity’s aerodynamics package and high-speed core technology are meaningful. Golfers can take aim from farther away – confident that if they put
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Talk to better golfers and you will often hear them speak about the need to be able to squeeze out optimum distance from their irons. While many of them are able to get the extra yards from an iron hit, they are oftentimes presented with a problem. And that problem relates to being able to control their iron shot. To at least try and shape their shot and get it to where they want the ball to go. Sounds like quite a challenge! How to get around the problem and end up with a win-win solution of distance with control built into an iron? Is this possible? Well, the smart guys at Titleist R&D have done just that with a swanky new set of irons – the T100-S! And that’s not all! Titleist have also come up with a lifesaver for golfers with moderate swing speeds in search for easy launch and greater distance. It’s the T400 irons and ASIAN GOLF takes a look at both the new models.
T
he all-new Titleist T100•S
them stronger for those players. But by doing
irons meets the need for a fully
that you start to sacrifice the incredible feel
forged player’s iron that plays
and turf interaction – the reasons why players
stronger to produce greater
were gravitating toward them in the first place.
distance.
So, our engineers went back and redesigned
Modelled after the tour-refined design
each individual iron to give these players the
of the new Titleist T100 models – which have
stronger lofts and distance they’re looking for,
quickly become the most played irons this
while preserving the performance of that pure
season on the PGA Tour – the new T100•S
forged shape and sole.”
irons are individually calibrated with 2-degree
“While we’ve engineered T100•S for
stronger lofts to give better players the dis-
distance, this is still a precision product,” said
tance they need to score lower, while preserv-
Marni Ines, Director, Titleist Irons Develop-
ing the feel and precision required for superior
ment, Golf Club R&D. “To be a great iron play-
shot shaping.
er you need to be in control of your distances
“T100•S was developed as a Player’s
and have the ability to work the ball when the
Distance iron with an emphasis on the word
shot calls for it. The design of T100•S simply
Player’s. We’ve taken the most popular irons
allows players to hit their shot from even
on the PGA Tour and carefully engineered
farther away – with the tight dispersion and
them to maximize distance,” said Josh Talge,
proper trajectory they need to hit it close.”
Vice President, Titleist Golf Club Marketing. “As we were launching the new T-Series,
The T100-S will roll out in March and will be available only through custom fit. Contact a
we met a lot of golfers who were really excited
Titleist Fitting centre to arrange for a session
about T100 but had become accustomed to
and walk out a totally satisfied customer with
playing stronger-lofted iron sets. It would have
a set of irons engineered for distance with
been really easy to just take T100’s and bend
control.
TO BE A GREAT IRON PLAYER YOU NEED TO BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR DISTANCES AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK THE BALL WHEN THE SHOT CALLS FOR IT.
THE DESIGN OF T100•S SIMPLY ALLOWS PLAYERS TO HIT THEIR SHOT FROM EVEN FARTHER AWAY – WITH THE TIGHT DISPERSION AND PROPER TRAJECTORY THEY NEED TO HIT IT CLOSE. Another godsent from Titleist for golfers
add, “There are so many golfers, particularly
with moderate swing speeds is the T400 which
players with moderate swing speeds, who can
have been tagged as irons for easy launch and
benefit from this technology. The T400 gets the
super distance. This set of irons features an
absolute most out of your swing while still pro-
advanced split sole design, super-thin face and
viding the playability of a Titleist iron along with
wide body, together with a hollow head construc-
that look, sound and feel that dedicated players
tion fortified by extreme amounts of high-density
demand.”
tungsten to help golfers effortlessly launch it higher and hit it farther. “T400 is the super distance Titleist iron has
Like the T100-S, the T400 will roll out in March and will be available only through custom fit. Contact a Titleist Fitting centre to arrange for
been engineered to get the ball in the air and
a session and walk out a totally satisfied cus-
launch it as far as possible, even when the strike
tomer with a set of irons engineered for distance
isn’t perfect,” explained Talge. He went on to
with control.
Spring 2020 NEW COLLECTION
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The Spring 2020 Collection PRESENTS
Private Estate launched in January 2019, with over 40 golf and country clubs across America signing up as stockists, as well as several high profile clubs across Asia including Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club in Hong Kong, Al Mouj Golf in Oman, and Amata Spring Golf Club in Thailand. The brand is represented on a global stage by Brand Ambassadors Kiradech Aphibarnrat (PGA TOUR), Scott Hend (European and Asian Tour) and Tyson Alexander (Korn Ferry Tour). The first time the product was ever worn on Tour was at the 2019 Maybank Championship in Malaysia, where Scott Hend came through a playoff to secure the biggest win of his career and his 3rd European Tour title. At Private Estate, we believe the devil is very much in the detail. We pay meticulous attention to the craftsmanship and design of our products, as evidenced by refined details such as our shell cut buttons, herringbone taping and signature collar, which provide the finishing touches to a truly luxurious product. The Spring 2020 Collection features some classic striped polo shirts such as Santa Monica (below) and Chandler (opposite), as well as a stunning selection of plain solid polos and exciting new prints. The premium look and feel to this collection makes it incredibly versatile, and is suitable for outdoor sports including golf and tennis, as well as smart-casual or even formal occasions such as dinner with colleages or friends.
P O L O S H I RT S T Y L E : S A N TA M O N I C A COLOR : GR APE/BL ACK PRICE: $90
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The littlest golf club manufacturer that does a great job of mixing it with the big boys of the trade, has done it again. Headquartered in the suburbs of Chicago, Tour Edge was founded in 1986 by David Glod, a former golf pro. As a young entrepreneur, Glod believed there was an opportunity in the golfing industry to provide high quality and technologically advanced golf products that were as cutting edge as they were affordable. Glod’s goal was to change the consumer’s perception of value and quality in golf clubs. He designed his first club in 1987 and never looked back. He is now considered one of the preeminent master club designers in golf club design and has led Tour Edge to be a Top 10 manufacturer worldwide in every club category.
T
rue to form and keeping to his commitment
spot due to the addition of Diamond Face technology behind
to innovation, Glod has launched the latest
the face. Forty-two different thick and thin diamond shapes
of his range of power clubs - the Exotics
help to create the large sweet spot which aims to provide
EXS 220 driver, fairway metal and hybrid.
golfers with a substantially hotter face designed to result in
All three products feature state-of-the-art
faster ball speeds, reduction of spin and better perfor-
game-enhancing innovations that vastly improves upon the wildly successful and award-winning Exotics EXS line that launched in November of 2018. The new EXS 220 driver features an enhanced sweet
mance on off-centre hits. The acoustics of the EXS 220 driver has also been improved upon, with a Sound Diffusion Bar (S.D. Bar) having been placed inside the clubhead in a move to enhance the
OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE ANYONE WHO HITS THESE SIDE BY SIDE TO CLUBS THAT COST TWICE AS MUCH TO QUESTION WHY THEY WOULD EVER THINK ABOUT SPENDING THE EXTRA MONEY.
ing and stable metals ever produced by Tour Edge. “We have taken a substantial leap forward in design innovation with the entire EXS 220 line,” said the Master Club Designer Glod. “We set an all-time record for Exotics metal-woods sold with the original EXS line and based on the initial reaction to the performance from our partners and tour professionals, we feel we will shatter that sales
acoustic engineering of the club. The new Tour Edge driver contains an adjustable hosel
record with the EXS 220.” “Our goal is to make anyone who hits these side by
which allows players to alternate from 7.5-degrees to 14
side to clubs that cost twice as much to question why they
degrees with three head options.
would ever think about spending the extra money,” said
Like the new driver, the Exotics EXS 220 metal-woods also feature Diamond Face technology, a major breakthrough in face technology that features different thick and thin diamond shapes or “mini-trampolines” behind
Glod. “These clubs are that good. We will have a large amount of EXS 220 in play on the professional tours and we will penetrate bags of the better players across the globe due to the extreme performance benefits of these clubs.
the face, producing a hotter face with faster ball speeds
Truly, pound for pound, nothing comes close to the EXS 220
and better performance on off-centre hits, as well as
metal-woods.”
reduced spin. The all new shapes and weight repositioning of the EXS 220 metal-woods have made for the most forgiv-
The new ultra-premium, high-performance Exotics EXS 220 driver, fairway metal and hybrid will be available for purchase worldwide on February 1, 2020.
Starting with this edition of ASIAN GOLF, we will be collaborating with PacificPine Sports Group, a specialist coaching organisation that focuses on state-of-the-art youth golf development centres in China. They offer grassroots instruction programmes at “PGA of America Youth Development Centres” across China to introduce and grow the game of golf for boys and girls. The first in the series of special reports lays special emphasis on the importance of balance in the swing process. Over to its Chief Operating Officer Patrick Quernemoen:
I
personally think that balance is one of the most overlooked part of the golf swing, especially for juniors. Most people think that if they swing and they are not laying on the ground when they ďŹ nish then they are balanced. I would encourage you to think more in terms of your center of gravity as it is commonly referred to. Technically speaking however, the more appropriate term would be centre of pressure (COP). If you were putting and you start from a balanced position, then rock to your toes, then to your right then rock back to your heels, what will the putter do? Yes, it will follow the movement you made with your body (COP). The putter head would go to the outside initially then loop back to the inside as you move back toward your heels. At some stage you might make compensating moves, but this will most often be the initial pattern. It is the same result in a full swing. How can we expect the club to move in a constant orbit with a square clubface on the proper angle at maximum speed if our body (COP) is moving back and forth in an unstable way throughout the swing? The issue for the average golfer is, if you haven’t fallen over, why would you think your balance is bad? This can be especially problematic for junior golfers when
WE HAVE SEEN YOUNGSTERS GROW AND LOSE BALANCE. THE BONES GROW FIRST AND THEN THE SAME SIZE MUSCLE HAS TO STRETCH TO ACROSS THE BIGGER BONE LEADING TO POOR BALANCE, TIGHTNESS, AND POSSIBLY GROWING PAINS.
TO THAT END, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE BALANCE OF OUR JUNIOR GOLFERS TO HELP THEM SWING THEIR BEST. they are growing. We have seen youngsters grow and lose balance. The bones grow first and then the same size muscle has to stretch to across the bigger bone leading to poor balance, tightness, and possibly growing pains. To that end, it is important that we continue to monitor the balance of our junior golfers to help them swing their best. When this does happen, they can do exercises like stand on one leg with their arms out to the side parallel to the ground and try to maintain balance without wobbling around too much. Once this becomes pretty good then you can enhance this by doing the same thing with their eyes closed. Over time this should get easier. We get our balance from different sources, from our
inner ear, our vision and our feet. If we take one of those away, we can heighten another. If you are walking forward then start down a steep slope, your eyes tell you as much and your body compensates so you stay balanced as you walk down it. If you were to close your eyes and do the same, it would obviously be much more difficult. The same holds true in your golf swing. If your tendency is to always move down and forward toward your toes in your backswing, then your eyes will notice you getting closer to the ground and your brain will tell your body how to adjust. You will feel “on balance” but you sacrifice how the club moves as a result. If you close your eyes, then you won’t send the same info to your brain and you will really feel yourself falling forwards. Another great drill is to actu-
ally make practice swings with your eyes closed focusing on staying on balance. If you get really brave, tee up some irons and hit shots doing it. Swinging barefoot can give you great awareness of your balance also. They say Sam Snead did it a lot as well as Nick Faldo, and we know their balance is impeccable. Your feet have the ability to move around a bit in your shoes and can give you the false feeling of good balance. With your shoes off you can really sense how your feet are in contact with and interact with the ground as well as how your body is moving in space. You want to start from a balanced position with the weight evenly distributed between your toes and your heels. Your weight will feel slightly into your right heel at the top of the backswing (for a right handed golfer) and then move to the ball of your left foot in the transition, a diagonal move to allow the club to come down from the inside, then back to your left heel at the finish. It is a subtle movement, but one that a lot of the world’s best players do. Another drill you can do, in the gym or on the range to help your centre of pressure move the way it should as well as maintain your body angles is to put a “swiss” ball or gym
ANOTHER DRILL YOU CAN DO, IN THE GYM OR ON THE RANGE TO HELP YOUR CENTRE OF PRESSURE MOVE THE WAY IT SHOULD AS WELL AS MAINTAIN YOUR BODY ANGLES IS TO PUT
“SWISS” BALL OR GYM BALL BEHIND YOUR TAILBONE. IF YOUR BALANCE IS GOOD, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SWING WITHOUT THE BALL FALLING. A
ball behind your tailbone. If your balance is good, you should be able to swing without the ball falling. Now you can see the importance of good balance and the result it can have on your swing. Some things in golf can be overdone and then cause other issues. Good balance cannot be overdone, juniors can always practice the drills above and they will start to see themselves hitting more solid, consistent golf shots.
A first class
1997
1998
Tiger Woods
2005
2006
2007
Vijay Singh
2008
WINNER
WINNER
WINNER
WINNER
Shiv Kapur
Thongchai Jaidee
Prayad Marksaeng
Lam Chih Bing
2017
WINNER
2018
WINNER
Rattanon Wannasrichan Panuphol Pittayarat
2019
WINNER John Catlin
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The new season has got off to a flying start an
talented players will do well in the new year
skills on show is the World Golf Championsh
fied and there is a possibility that another one
Chuah Choo Chiang filed this special pre-e
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA
nd there are signs that some of Asia’s most
r. A showcase event for Asians to put their
hip in Mexico.Three top names have quali-
e or two may make the cut.The PGA TOUR’s
event tournament report to ASIAN GOLF.
BYEONG HUN AN
SUNGJAE IM PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
BYEONG HUN AN PHOTO CREDIT: PGA TOUR
The International Team’s flagbearers from Asia will be out to avenge their gutwrenching Presidents Cup loss by staring down the game’s greatest golfers at this month’s World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. The US$10.5 million showpiece at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City will be the first World Golf Championships of the new decade and while no Asian golfer has lifted the trophy in its storied history, recent editions have witnessed some of the region’s leading lights delivering eye-catching performances.
I
n 2018, young Indian Shubhankar
stars Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An were amongst
Sharma delighted the golfing world by
the stalwarts in an Ernie Els-led International Team
brilliantly taking the second and third
who came agonisingly close to upsetting a Tiger
round lead before settling for T9 with a
Woods-powered United States side in the Presi-
closing 74 in the company of American
dents Cup in December. While the narrow 16-14 defeat was a bitter
legend Phil Mickelson, who won the tournament
pill to swallow, the trio’s performances in Royal
after a playoff against Justin Thomas. Thai ace Kiradech Aphibarnrat crept into a top-
Melbourne, coupled with some wonderful showings
five finish that year to emerge as the highest placed
by C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei and China’s Haotong
Asian finisher, thanks to a closing 65. The big-
Li, were another timely reminder of the growing
hitting Kiradech, the only Thai on the PGA TOUR,
strength of Asian golf. Matsuyama, a five-time PGA TOUR winner,
showed his liking once more for the tree-lined and tricky Chapultepec layout by finishing a creditable third 12 months ago where he produced three 68s and one 69 to serve another reminder of his imminent potential to become a
remains as Asia’s only winner in the World Golf Championships, launched in 1999 with a vision to gather the world’s best players from the various international tours four times a year. The 27-year-old broke through at the 2016 WGC-HSBC Champions in
PGA TOUR champion. Japanese hero Hideki Matsuyama, Korea’s rising
Shanghai and followed up with another stellar victory in the 2017 WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational.
KOREA’S IM CONTINUES TO WIN OVER NEW FANS AND FELLOW COMPETITORS WITH HIS IMPERIOUS GOLF, WHICH IS BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF A ROCK-SOLID IRON GAME.
THE 21-YEAR-OLD, WHO WAS 2019 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, DELIVERED 3.5 POINTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TEAM WHICH INCLUDED A 4 & 3 DRUBBING OVER REIGNING U.S. OPEN CHAMPION GARY WOODLAND IN THE SINGLES. THE
THROUGH HIS METEORIC RISE ON THE ASIAN TOUR WHERE HE WON FOUR TIMES AND CLAIMED THE JAZZ JANEWATTANANOND | PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
Often a stoic figure in the heat of battle, Matsuyama showed a welcome fiery side of his game en route to a
ORDER OF MERIT IN 2019, THAILAND’S 24-YEAR-OLD JAZZ JANEWATTANANOND WILL GO HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH THE STARS IN MEXICO FOR THE FIRST TIME.
2-1-1 record in Royal Melbourne, securing two wins in the Four-Ball sessions with straight-shooting Pan and settled
youngster from Jeju island has featured in one WGC
for a tie with Tony Finau in the Singles.
previously, finishing T11 at the WGC-HSBC Champions in
Nearly three years since his last win, much is expected
Shanghai last November. In 43 PGA TOUR career starts,
of Matsuyama in 2020 as he seeks to end his victory
he has notched nine top-10s and finished runner-up at the
drought and begin the new decade on a winning note. With
Sanderson Farms Championship and T3 at the inaugural
top-25 finishes in Mexico in 2017 and 2019, and at a course
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan at the end of last year.
which demands precision, the Japanese ace is tipped to challenge in Chapultepec. Korea’s Im continues to win over new fans and fellow
Through his meteoric rise on the Asian Tour where he won four times and claimed the Order of Merit in 2019, Thailand’s 24-year-old Jazz Janewattananond will go head-
competitors with his imperious golf, which is built upon
to-head with the stars in Mexico for the first time. Coached
the foundation of a rock-solid iron game. The 21-year-old,
by Pete Cowen, who also works with World No. 1 Brooks
who was the 2019 Rookie of the Year, delivered 3.5 points
Koepka, the baby-faced Thai could well be a dark-horse. He
for the International Team which included a 4 & 3 drubbing
surprised many with a fantastic run at the PGA Champi-
over reigning U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland in the
onship last year before finishing T14 and matched that
Singles. Woods, only the second playing captain to win the
performance in his WGC-HSBC Champions debut.
Presidents Cup, took time to congratulate the Korean after the showdown. Im’s continued rise will be monitored closely as he makes his debut in the WGC-Mexico Championship. The
The likes of Kiradech, Li, Pan and Sharma have yet to quality for the WGC-Mexico but with Matsuyama, Im and Jazz already in the fray, the golfing world will be waiting eagerly to see who will step up on the plate in Mexico.
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