Issuu AG180 by Asia Pacific Golf Group

COVER STORY

The golf industry has started a new romance in Asia and this time, the heart throb of the industry is Vietnam. There is a major push towards the development of new golf courses in this once war-torn nation and leading the thrust is the BRG Group, a multi-faceted Vietnamese conglomerate led by the dynamic lady entrepreneur Madame Nguyen Thi Nga who is said to be the wealthiest businesswoman in Vietnam. Her newest golf project is the Nicklaus Design Legend Hill Golf Resort in Hanoi. Asian Golf was invited to visit the course and to get an insight on what Madame Nga has planned for the future of golf in Vietnam..

EQUIPMENT FOCUS 48 Callaway’s Big Bomber Blitzkrieg! Over a period of 15 months, Callaway Golf has introduced something like eight drivers – five of them bearing the “Big Bertha” branding. The latest to hit the market are the Great Big Bertha and the Big Bertha Alpha 16 driver. We have not received the products yet but based on preliminary information, looks like Callaway expects to do well with these new big sticks.

52 Miura’s Out With Its Newest Putter Miura Golf has debuted the KM 008 putter that signifies a new chapter for the next generation of “the very best blade putter” made of a forged, milled mild steel. Designed by master club-maker Katsuhiro Miura, the KM 008 is an improvement on Miura’s now retired KM 350 putter.

ISSUE 180

SPECIAL FEATURE 20 Talent Watch – Lock In On Danny Masrin!

SEPTEMBER 2015

In our search for young talent and the next prospect most likely to make it on the world stage, we came across an impressive young player from Indonesia. He is 22 year old Danny Masrin who will be graduating from his college in North America in December and he is already preparing to get his card to play on the Asian Tour starting in 2016.

24 Asia’s Golf Legacy Stored For Life! In an unprecedented move, the Asia Pacific Golf Group (APGG), the longest established specialist golf media house in the region and the owner of the prestigious Asian Golf Awards has installed a permanent showcase to recognise the Continent’s best over the years. The permanent showcase will take the form of the Asian Golf Awards Museum and it will be a virtual site in cyberspace.

28 Version 3.0 – Growing From Strength To Strength

62 Black Hat Tips: Pow! Knock Out! If you are a golf fan, I’m sure you will make time to watch The Presidents Cup this year. The Presidents Cup is going to be a great match play event, just like a “boxing match!” I hope both teams are ready to compete!

GAME-IMPROVEMENT

The world’s oldest golf company, Wilson Staff, after flying under the radar for quite a while, is raising its profile and displaying some exciting developments in new product innovations. Most importantly, the one-time great is showing that it has also regained its ability to make money and be profitable. The company has definitely re-invented itself, a process that Asian Golf refers to as “Version 3.0”. Check out this report to see how Wilson Staff is re-booting itself.

34 If It Works For Mission Hills, Better Take Note! Footgolf is growing fast. How fast? We understand that in the United States alone, footgolf courses have surged from about 30 in 2013 to well over 300 this year. Mission Hills Group in China has recognized its popularity and has adopted footgolf as a new business model for the world’s largest golf resort.

40 Malaysia – A Giant In Professional Golf The next few months will see Malaysia playing host to multi-million dollar professional golf tournaments. October will see the return of the hugely popular PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic which is a US$7 million tournament. Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby will play host to the US$2 million LPGA tournament and in early 2016, Maybank will be the host to the US$3 million Maybank Malaysian Open. Welcome to the big time Malaysia!

46 Hail Jordan Spieth! A special tribute to Jordan Spieth, the 22-year-old Texan who has assumed the pole position as golf’s world number one. In the process, he toppled Rory McIlroy from the top spot.

56 Golf Needs To Get “Cool”! The big buzz amongst golf circles, especially those who are the power-brokers of the game, seems to be focused on how the game can pick up a head of steam and grow. Robert Phillion, president of Cobra PUMA Golf believes not enough is being done – check out what one of the industry’s brightest business minds has to say.

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

MIKE SEBASTIAN Chief Executive Officer/Managing Editor

ANGELA RAYMOND President

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SHARED THOUGHTS From The Publisher

he guy is the newly appointed chief executive of the European Tour. And guess what is one of his most pressing aims in his new job? One would expect that his priorities would be focused on the European Tour and the challenges it faces, but this does not happen to be the case. The man is thinking about “strengthening ties” in Asia and by this, we reckon he is talking about ties with the Asian Tour which has so far had a chequered track record this year. So, are we to interpret Keith Pelley’s (this is the new man at the helm of the European Tour) as a gesture of well-intentioned goodwill or are there sinister designs behind his self-professed proclamation of help? Let’s first of all put everything into proper perspective. The European Tour is said to have some 50 co-sanctioned tournaments with the Asian Tour, most of which are events that the former has brokered. Take away the European assist, and there would really be nothing of great substance to shout about as far as the Asian Tour is concerned. This is where this development takes on a twist – an intriguing one at that! The European Tour’s remit should really be Europe

9 ASIAN GOLF

– after all that Continent is its territory. That’s the market that the tour should develop and not look at stretching its tentacles out to Asia. But then again, maybe the tour has no choice but to look for new markets to generate much needed revenue to keep it alive and to ensure that prize monies for its players are both attractive and competitive. The need to seek out new markets is compounded by the fact that the European Tour can’t look across the pond to the United States of America or Canada – both these markets are totally out of bounds! Especially the U.S. where the PGA Tour, under the watchful eye of commissioner Tim Finchem, guards his muscle-bound organization like a pit-bull! Let’s not forget that Finchem is also on the hunt for new markets to stage PGA Tour tournaments and he has already been successful in Asia with events like the CIMB Classic – a rich US$7 million dollar purse! So, the picture now becomes clearer. Asia is a much sought after prize for both the European Tour and the PGA Tour and like in days gone by, when the colonial powers reigned supreme over many parts of this continent, we are seeing the “colonization” of Asia again.

Our defenses are weak, almost nonexistent and both these tours have and are taking advantage of this weakness to just roll in and pick up choice opportunities. This is not healthy for the sport from an Asia perspective. The Asian Tour, which is a players’ tour, is going to be the big loser. While there may be arguments presented that this will have a positive effect on raising standards for Asian professionals, we think otherwise. If anything at all, the earning potential of Asian professionals is literally going to be robbed by tours that are going to hit our shores and this is sad. While both these tours may bring some spectacle to Asia, it is not going to be beneficial to the majority of Asian professionals. We’d like to suggest that Pelley keeps his focus on Europe and work at keeping his players in Europe rather than creating excuses for them migrating to richer pastures in North America. Leave Asia alone and let the Asian Tour develop and grow the professional game. We are sure that they can do a decent job if let alone. We hope that the Asian Tour has not slipped into a deep slumber where they would welcome playing the role of second fiddle to the European Tour. Who knows!

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COVER STORY An Emerging Giant The golf industry has started a new romance in Asia and this time, the heart throb of the industry is Vietnam. There is a major push towards the development of new golf courses in this once wartorn nation and leading the thrust is the BRG Group, a multi-faceted Vietnamese conglomerate led by the dynamic lady entrepreneur Madame Nguyen Thi Nga who is said to be the wealthiest businesswoman in Vietnam. Her newest golf project is the Nicklaus Design Legend Hill Golf Resort in Hanoi. Asian Golf was invited to visit the course and to get an insight on what Madame Nga has planned for the future of golf in Vietnam.

13 ASIAN GOLF

ISSUE 180

SEPTEMBER 2015

COVER STORY An Emerging Giant f there is one country that dominates the “golf golf development buzz” in Asia, it has to be un-questionably Vietnam. Straddled along the e South China Sea, this ancient land was once e part of Imperial China for over a millennium from rom 111BC to AD 938. It is a nation that has fought many wars ars and prevailed and in more recent times, it has driven out foreign forces from Japan, France and the United States es of America. After the defeat of the Americans in 1975,, ending the Vietnam War, the country was unified but remained impoverished and politically isolated. The reform of the war-ravished country started in 1986 when en the government initiated a series of economic and political reforms and by 2000, modern Vietnam with a population in excess of 90 million, had established d diplomatic relations with all nations. Since 2000, Vietnam’s economic growth rate has been among the he highest in the world, and, in 2011, it had the highestt global growth generators index among 11 major economies. Its successful economic reforms resulted ed in its joining the World Trade Organisation in 2007 and with 2015 almost over, Vietnam is trending towards a growth rate in excess of 6 percent which iss about the highest in Asia.

ith the growth of golf tanking in China, once the darling of the golf industry and with the rest of Asia not really showing any signs of dramatic growth in golf development, Vietnam seems poised to be the industry’s new heart throb. Golf course development in Vietnam is experiencing a “eureka moment” with a sudden burst of new golf courses already in play, currently in development or being planned for launch. All of a sudden, virtually every out of work architect, builder and golf consultant has been awoken from a deep slumber, caused by the lack of jobs and many are reported to be heading back to Asia with their focus firmly fixed on Vietnam. It’s the new happy hunting ground

15 ASIAN GOLF

lf industry and quite rightly so for the golf because quite a number of new golf course projects are reported to have been approved throughout Vietnam. Leading the thrust in golf course development is the BRG Group, a multi-faceted Vietnamese conglomerate led by a dynamic lady entrepreneur who is said to be the wealthiest businesswoman in Vietnam. Those who know this “iron lady” speak very kindly about her and are very complimentary to her seemingly boundless vigour and spirit. “She is perhaps the most compassionate entrepreneur one can expect to meet and her enthusiasm for all business opportunities, especially golf is incredible,” commented one of her senior managers. Meet the visionary Madame Nguyen Thi Nga, chairman of the BRG Group and chairman of SEABank and Intimex with extensive

interests in banking, real estate resort rtss an and d resorts retail and with a payroll exceeding more than 7,000 employees. In 2014, she was recognised by the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner of ASIAN GOLF with the prestigious Asia Pacific Woman Golf Entrepreneur of The Year Award. The owner of the award winning Kings’ Island Golf Resort in Hanoi and the BRG Ruby Tree Golf Resort in the port city of Hai Phong, Madame Nga has now officially opened her newest golf development, the Legend Hill Golf Resort. The new golf course, located just 30 minutes away from the capital city of Hanoi, has been built on a historic site known as Soc Son District made famous throughout Vietnam by Saint Giong, renown as one of the “four Vietnamese religious immortals”. As a mark of respect to this legendary hero,

ISSUE 180

th new golf course has been appropriately tthe na named after the Vietnamese legend. At the official opening ceremony on August 9 which was attended by high ranking political and government officials, Madame Nga said, “The launch of this new golf course is the realization of a vision to offer golfers a unique and a world class facility and I am proud to declare that the original vision has been realized and in many ways, it has exceeded all of our expectations.” The Legend Hills Golf Resort will go down the annals of golf history as Asia’s first “twin-green” golf course that offers golfers an opportunity to play 36-holes on an 18-hole configuration. With the opening of this course, the BRG Group is now positioned as Vietnam’s premier golf course owner and operator. The launch of the Legend Hills Golf Resort also marks a very significant part-

SEPTEMBER 2015

The Legend Hills Golf Resort will go down the annals of golf history as Asia’s first “twin-green” golf course that offers golfers an opportunity to play 36-holes on an 18-hole configuration.” nership between the BRG Group and the Nicklaus Design Group, led by the world’s greatest golfer, Jack Nicklaus, arguably the biggest and most dynamic golf business in the world. This partnership will see both organisations working together to help develop new golf courses, golf resorts and golf academies throughout Vietnam. The Legend Hills Golf Resort is Nicklaus Design’s first major golf course in Vietnam

and commenting on this show-case development, Paul Stringer, president of Nicklaus Companies for the Asia Pacific region said “Legend Hills is very special and unique in that it has been designed to offer a variety of strategic hole combinations that can be played in one 18-hole round.” He went on to add, “We have created two separate green complexes playing from one primary landing zone on each hole and from our

COVER STORY An Emerging Giant

perspective the twin greens add interest, challenge, and a unique design feature to the golf course.” According to Stringer, the Legend Hill Golf course has water, strategically placed bunkers, and is a beautiful environment in which to play golf. The launch of this new golf course also heralds a “strategic alliance” between the BRG Group and Nicklaus Design that will see the development of business initiatives that will go well beyond golf course design. It will cover a wide range of other golfrelated business opportunities that will be focused on developing Vietnam into a truly world-class venue for quality golf and to also help develop the country into a major force in international golf. “Working with Nicklaus Design we will seek out suitable locations throughout Vietnam to develop into spectacular golf courses, hotels and resorts and golf academies to help develop and grow the game of golf in Vietnam,” revealed Madame Nga. One of the key focus areas of this stra-

17 ASIAN GOLF

tegic partnership will be the development of junior golfers. The ambitious programme is called the BRG VietGolf U16. Commenting on VietGolf U16 Mark Andrew Reeves, BRG’s Director of Golf Development said, “In short BRG plans to take Vietnamese children aged 8-15 (U16) from all walks of life and introduce them to golf. BRG will start with on-range sessions at BRG Doson Seaside Ruby Tree in the Hai Phong area and BRG Kings’ Island in Hanoi in July and August 2015 respectively.” These programmes will be coordinated and managed by PGA certified experts. The BRG VietGolf U16 programme has three major goals which are: To produce a Vietnam amateur champion by 2018; To produce Vietnamese children good enough to represent Vietnam in the 19th Asia Games; and To produce a Vietnamese player good enough to compete on a major tour (Asian, European, US) by 2025.

As a big investor and a serious stakeholder in golf, the BRG Group has elected to make a long term investment in the youth of Vietnam. “We want to attract young people in Vietnam to the game of golf, especially those who would not normally have a chance of playing the game and by so doing, it is our hope that we will be able to discover and develop exciting young talent under the VietGolf U16 programme,” explained Madame Nga. Considering that Vietnam is a sprawling nation with a large population, BRG VietGolf U16 is not daunted by the task at hand. According to Reeves, “We will start with ‘into school’ visits and ‘schools to golf course’ visits from September 2015 with support from local authorities and gradually grow the programme through free weekend morning on-range tuition which will lead to proficiency and course testing.” “Eventually children will be able to play free of green fees at BRG’s Doson

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Our immediate plan is to make contact with and introduce golf to at least 5,000 children living and attending schools in the Hai Phong area adjacent to BRG Doson Seaside Ruby Tree by end December 2015 and with a similar numeric goal for children in Hanoi surrounding BRG Kings’ Island Resort.” Seaside Ruby Tree Club at off peak times and on school holidays and it is hoped that as BRG acquires more golf courses in different regions of Vietnam, we will extend the programme,” he added. Speaking for the Nicklaus Design Group, Stringer said, “The Nicklaus Compa-

nies support will kick in when we start the Nicklaus Academy in Thang Loi, Hanoi no later than March 2016. This involvement will grow in 2016 – 2018 as we continue to open three additional Jack Nicklaus Academies of Golf throughout Vietnam in the coming four years.”

SEPTEMBER 2015

Sharing her vision for the BRG VietGolf U16 programme, Madame Nga said, “Our immediate plan is to make contact with and introduce golf to at least 5,000 children living and attending schools in the Hai Phong area adjacent to BRG Doson Seaside Ruby Tree by end December 2015 and with a similar numeric goal for children in Hanoi surrounding BRG Kings’ Island Resort.” Given the BRG Group’s current investment in golf development and its projected development plans, two things are for certain – golf is on an upward trend in Vietnam and the BRG Group is going to be at the forefront of the projected growth of the game. While we are tempted to refer to this surge in development as being something similar to what happened in China over the last number of years, it is hoped that the pace will be controlled and is both sustained and sustainable in Vietnam.

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SPECIAL FEATURE Rising Stars

Every once in a while, a young golfer emerges in Asia who holds out promise as being the total package. We’ve seen this with Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, India’s Anirban Lahiri, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and lately, Malaysia’s rising young gun, Gavin Green. These are players who share one thing in common – they possess a truck-load of talent and skill that’s been good enough to take them onto the world stage. Matsuyama, Aphibarnrat and Lahiri have already made it on the international WYVMLZZPVUHS JPYJ\P[ HUK ^L ÄYTS` ILSPL]L [OH[ NP]LU .YLLU»Z < : JVSSLNL [YHJR YLcord, he is destined for big things in the near future.

n our search for young talent and the next prospect most likely to make it on the world stage, we came across an impressive young player from Indonesia. He will be graduating from his college in North America in December and he is already preparing to get his card to play on the Asian Tour starting in 2016. 20

21 ASIAN GOLF

“If I do not get my card in my first attempt I will play on the Asian Development Tour for the first year,” said 22 year old Danny Masrin. This youngster is not just a talented player – he’s got brains and he uses it well to strategise his future. We have to differentiate Danny from most of the others that we run into because he is one young man who has already devel-

oped a pathway and it does not start and stop with the Asian Tour. He has his sights set on the big game which is to make it all the way to play on his dream tour – the PGA Tour, the tour for the big boys of professional golf! “In the short-term I am planning to compete in Asia. However the ultimate goal is to move beyond the Asian Tour and onto the European or PGA tour

ISSUE 180

In the short-term I am planning to compete in Asia. However the ultimate goal is to move beyond the Asian Tour and onto the European or PGA tour one day.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Danny Masrin

SEPTEMBER 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE Rising Stars

one day,” is Danny’s vision of the future. The young Indonesian started playing golf seriously when he entered the American college system which he describes as being “very competitive.” “I think that college golf is a great platform for juniors to go through as you build networks, friendships and experience that you cannot learn anywhere else.” He explained that the U.S. college golf season normally runs through fall and winter and as he put it, “we don’t exactly play in the “easiest” conditions.” “We play in a lot of cold, windy weather, especially when you go to school in the Midwest and I think that the competition and the weather conditions have both made me a better player,” he said. Having played competitively both in Asia and in America as a junior player, Danny feels that there are a lot of differences that a player will experience playing in both regions. By his reckoning, one area of the game that is of utmost important in America is the attention paid to the mental aspects of golf. “During the last two years of my college career I started to focus on the mental side of the game because while

I can hit the ball as well as any of the players on tour, but where I differ from them is the way they handle themselves on the course,” Danny explained. “The more I have looked into the mental side of the game the more intrigued by it I have become,” he exclaimed. To prove his point, Danny shared a piece of advice that he received from a sports psychologist who presented him with this poser: “When you hit a bad shot into a bunker and you walk up and see that it’s plugged what is your first thought?” Danny said he responded with a shrug and retorted, “It’s an automatic bogey …..it’s a terrible lie, and I am so unlucky.” The psychologist thought otherwise and questioned if it was really a bad lie and explained that under most circumstances, a player will perceive the worst and when this happens, everything starts to crumble. “What I learned from this observation is that as golfers we need to focus on controlling what we can control and one of those things that we can control is how we react to shots and how we perceive shots,” Danny pointed out.

From that one example of how a poor mental attitude can affect a golfer’s game, Danny has become very adept at hanging mentally tough against on-course adversities. Speaking with tremendous confidence, he said, “Now when I see my ball plugged in a bunker I say it’s not a bad lie …. I can get up and down and I am able to address the shot with a positive attitude where I give myself hope.” Before this radical transformation, Danny would have given up hope and in despair marked up his card with a bogey. “The mental side of the game is what separates a good player from a truly great player,” is how he evaluates the importance of possessing a strong mental game. Danny’s father, Jimmy Masrin, a man obsessed with golf and a scratch player himself, is a highly successful businessman and has been a source of tremendous support to his development as a top junior and college golfer. Jimmy is the man behind the Leadbetter Academy in Indonesia, and this is where young Danny has been coached since 2011. “I work with Phillipe DeBuschere (the academy’s lead coach) and have been with him ever since. I can definitely say that

I think that college golf is a great platform for juniors to go through as you build networks, friendships and experience that you cannot learn anywhere else.” 22

23 ASIAN GOLF

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my game has improved from the combination of a good full-time coach as well as playing collegiate golf.” Asian Golf has had an opportunity of watching Danny in action and he is most certainly a young man on a mission. He describes himself as “a pretty long hitter and I hit my driver over 300 yards and my irons are also pretty long and one of my strengths.” Under the watchful eye of his coach, Danny has sharpened his short game and according to him, “I have really put in a lot of time into my wedge game and putting and now I would probably assess it as being 100 times better than it used to be and together with my iron play, I see the short game as a major asset to my game.” As the young Indonesian gets ready to embark on his professional game, he has just signed on with Adidas/Taylormade for clothing and equipment. However, he will stick to playing with his Titleist AP2 irons. Young Danny is on his way and watch out for this talent who has the potential to break out and hit the big time. He is the total package and a great hope for Asia!

SEPTEMBER 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE Asian Golf Awards

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SEPTEMBER 2015

While golf has had a relatively long history in Asia, very little has been done in terms of maintaining a permanent record of the achievements of men and women in the industry.

his is all set to change with the launch of the Asian Golf Awards Museum. In an unprecedented move, the Asia Pacific Golf Group (APGG), the longest established specialist golf media house in the region and the owner of the prestigious Asian Golf Awards has installed a permanent showcase to recognise the Continent’s best over the years. The Asian Golf Awards is widely regarded as the Asian golf industry’s equivalent of Hollywood’s “Oscars”. Annually, the golf industry recognises its best through an on-line poll of golfing facilities across the Asia region. There are more than 48 award categories and special awards that honour the best golf courses in the region, the best golf destinations and the best personalities in the industry. It serves as a yardstick by which excellence in the golf industry is measured in Asia. The permanent showcase will take the form of the Asian Golf Awards Museum and it will be a virtual site in cyberspace. Some of the greatest names in Asian golf are now permanently installed in this special museum.

SPECIAL FEATURE Asian Golf Awards

Gary Player Jack Nicklaus

Thongchai Jaidee

Peter Thomson

Dr. David Chu

To commemorate this auspicious milestone, we have taken the decision to create a home for the awards and we felt that in the absence of a brick and mortar facility, the next best option was to create a grand web site to pay tribute to the industry’s greats.”¶ :\ÄHU :HPM\S The awards programme has been around since the late 1990s but was only formalised and actively promoted starting in 2006 and this year will mark the programme’s tenth anniversary. “To commemorate this auspicious milestone, we have taken the decision to create a home for the awards and we felt that in the absence of a brick and mortar facility, the next best option was to create a grand web site to pay tribute to the industry’s greats,” said Sufian Saiful, the curator of the cyberspace museum. The museum is now “live” at www.asiangolfawards.com Commenting on the programme, Tenniel Chu, vice chairman of the Mission Hills

27 ASIAN GOLF

Group in China said, “We have always had a special place for the Asian Golf Awards and APPG needs to be thanked for having both the vision and the drive to undertake to organise this special awards programme which is the best in Asia.” The Asian Golf Awards has more than 48 award categories and included amongst its special award categories are: ■ The Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame ■ The Asia Pacific Golf Life-Time Achievement Award ■ The Asia Pacific Custodian of The Environment Award Among the legends and great names who have been inducted into the Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame are:

■ Jack Nicklaus ■ Gary Player ■ Peter Thomson ■ Thongchai Jaidee ■ Dr. David Chu In conjunction with the Asian Golf Awards Museum, APGG will also be launching another service that will rank the Most Powerful People in Golf in Asia. This programme, now in its third year is managed jointly by GOLF Inc. magazine from North America and APGG. The results of this list will be published in the October issue of Asian Golf. Like the Asian Golf Awards Museum, the “Power List” will have its own web site that will serve as a record of the men and women who have been elected to be on this list.

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of the known norms and boundaries of public

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SPECIAL FEATURE Wilson Staff

The odyssey began back in the last century â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1914 WR EH H[DFW ZKHQ :LOVRQ 6WDĎ&#x192; HPbarked on a journey that would establish it as one of the true greats of the golf industry. It is a brand that the heroes of golf depended on and these LQFOXGHG OHJHQGV OLNH *HQH 6DUD]HQ 6DP 6QHDG :DOWHU +DJHQ $UQROG 3DOPHU 1LFN )DOGR 3D\QH 6WHZDUW -RKQ 'DO\ %HQ &UHQVKDZ DQG 9LMD\ 6LQJK 7RGD\ RQH KXQGUHG \HDUV ODWHU DIter being passed through the hands of various owners and corporate UH VWUXFWXULQJV :LOVRQ 6WDĎ&#x192; LV WDNLQJ RQ WKH QHZ FHQWXU\ ZLWK H[FLWLQJ QHZ SURGXFWV DQG D EROG YLVLRQ IRU WKH IXWXUH $VLDQ *ROI ORRNV LQWR WKH QHZ :LOVRQ 6WDĎ&#x192; ZLWK 7LP &ODUNH JHQHUDO PDQDJHU DQG WKH PDQ DW WKH KHOP RI WKH FRPSDQ\

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SPECIAL FEATURE Wilson Staff

sian Golf met Clarke when he had just assumed his new corporate responsibilities in 2007 and he immediately gave a strong impression that he was a man on a serious mission. For those who are not familiar with Wilson Staff, it may help to point out that it is the oldest golf equipment company in the world and it is also the brand that has “more majors won than any other brand.” Players using Wilson Staff clubs have won a total of 61 majors! Just in case you are wondering why we have tagged this article as “Version 3.0”, there’s a very good reason behind it. The early years were great years for Wilson Staff until 1970, when PepsiCo (yeah, the outfit that produces the soda pop) purchased the company. Under PepsiCo, Wilson Staff was almost destroyed by the bottler’s mass marketing strategy which down-graded the once lofty image of Wilson-Staff to that of a mass-market, bargain basement department store brand. There went WilsonStaff’s highly respected and revered 30

31 ASIAN GOLF

reputation as world class golf equipment used by the best players in the world! This period was “Version 1.0” in the history of the company. After being subjected to the ignominy of being down-graded to a Walmart brand by PepsiCo, Wilson Staff was bought by a private equity group and nothing happened under the new ownership which lasted about four years. It was again sold off to its current owners, Amer Sports just before the turn of the century. It was a tumultuous period and Wilson Staff was wallowing in red ink amidst numerous management re-shuffles and nothing looked good for the once great brand. This period was “Version 2.0” (a lot happened in this period but we’ve decided to pass on it).

The company needed a major, almost seismic make-over and this came in 2006 when Clarke took over as general manager and started to re-engineer the company. This period witnessed the launch of Wilson Staff’s “Version 3.0” – the slick management process that has seen the company consolidate itself and lay a foundation on solid bedrock that will see it progress into the future. “Version 3.0” has already started producing results according to Clarke who said,”Last year (2014) was certainly a remarkable year for Wilson Golf. We had a notable win on The PGA TOUR by Kevin Streel-

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man, a European Tour win by Marcel Siem, and it was really special to see Padraig Harrington back in the winner’s circle on the Asian Tour. To top it off it, it was a profitable year for Wilson Staff in a very competitive business climate.” Clarke who has been at the driver’s seat since 2006 has stuck to a very well defined strategy that is centred on developing innovative world class golf products that help people enjoy the game while giving its tour players a competitive advantage through products like the Wilson D200 line of equipment and the low compression innovations in the Duo range of golf balls. It is a well-acknowledged fact that the golf equipment sector of the industry has been experiencing very difficult times over the past few years primarily caused by excess inventory and ruthless price wars. Wilson Staff seems to have been mindful of this blood-letting and steered clear of the mayhem. “We know where Wilson Golf is

going to be five years down the road and we have a clear road map on how we are going to get the brand there,” Clarke explained. “Our strategy is to take the market conditions out of play as we do not need to react to the craziness we have seen in the market over the past few years. Our main objective is to execute our brand strategies with a focus on profitability and continuous improvement each and every year.” This strategy is clearly manifested in Wilson Staff’s current line of equipment. The

SEPTEMBER 2015

D200 line features the right light technology that works for a majority of its golf consumers. “We are able to measure this through extensive consumer testing and I believe our right light technology was recognized on Golf Digest’s Hot List Gold Awards in the Driver/ Irons category and in the Silver Awards on Fairway Metals/ Hybrid. In order to be an innovative brand it requires a willingness to go against the norm when the product gives the golfer better results,” Clarke pointed out.

Our strategy is to take the market conditions out of play as we do not need to react to the craziness we have seen in the market over the past few years. Our main objective is to execute our brand strategies with a focus on profitability and continuous improvement each and every year.”

SPECIAL FEATURE Wilson Staff Wilson Staff has been a pioneer in lightweight technology and this technology has been used extensively in the D200 series of clubs and its predecessor, the D100 series. As a division of Wilson, the sporting goods manufacturer who are leaders in making world class equipment to impact balls with different sports, this has given Wilson Staff a definite advantage. For years, Wilson Staff has used advanced consumer insights from all of its sports to give it the opportunity to stay in front of consumer trends. “We’ve found that there are similarities to what our players are looking for from a competitive advantage, whether it be on the court (tennis), at the plate (baseball), or on the course (golf). I can tell you that light weight is here to stay as

players want to continue to hit things further or harder by being able to swing faster with the same effort,” Clarke pointed out. He went on to add, “It is in our DNA to challenge the norm and always ask the next question which is WHY NOT! Fat Shaft, Low Compression, Fybrids, Right Lite and more coming soon are all driven by our own curiosity and advanced consumer insight.” Challenging the norm can also be seen on a different level – the professional golf tours where Wilson Staff’s profile is on the rise. “We have wonderful players and people on the Wilson Staff team and I am committed to continuous improvement which is why we added Brendan Steele and Troy Merritt to go along with Padraig Har-

We are able to measure this through extensive consumer testing and I believe our right light technology was recognized on Golf Digest’s Hot List Gold Awards in the Driver/ Irons category and in the Silver Awards on Fairway Metals/Hybrid. In order to be an innovative brand it requires a willingness to go against the norm when the product gives the golfer better results.”

33 ASIAN GOLF

rington, Kevin Streelman, and Ricky Barnes on the PGA TOUR.” Clarke explained. In the context of Wilson Staff’s steadily rising profile, the company’s golf balls have been received very well by consumers, especially the Duo range of balls. According to Clarke the Duo is the world’s softest ball at 29 compression and it has taken the golf ball industry by storm. He said, “Currently in the US, four of the top selling balls are now low compression products which is forcing many companies to catch up – we have been into low compression since 1997 and we are still the global leader in low compression golf balls.” Of the most memorable aspects of Wilson Staff is its achievement in winning majors – 61 in total with no other brand in sight as a challenger yet. Commenting on this record, Clarke said, “Majors are a very special part of this great game and we are building our brand and tour staff to put us in position to be at the elite level of the game. Nothing is more elite than a major win in golf and we are excited to continue to build on our industry leading 61 wins in the near future.” With 2016 around the corner, the Wilson Staff team is excited about what it has in store for 2016. Looking ahead, Clarke exclaimed, “I think the quote ‘most successful people are people who take risks - calculated risks - but nevertheless, risks, sums up our outlook of the future.” A very apt and fitting attitude which embodies the focus to continue innovating and producing the best golf equipment for consumers at all skill levels. Wilson Staff is well on its way to booting up on “Version 3.0”.

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SPECIAL FEATURE Footgolf

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Mr. Tenniel Chu with the cheerleaders

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Hong Kong and Mainland stars team

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t all becomes terribly significant when the world’s largest golf resort, the Mission Hills Group of China opened up its wide, accommodating arms to embrace footgolf and bring it into its fold of golf businesses. This was serious validation by a major force in golf! When Mission Hills anoints footgolf, it’s time to sit up and take notice.

A FootGolf footnote: Although we vehemently attacked this new sport, we have to point out that as geriatrics, we were envious and jealous of those who could slip into a pair of sports shorts, jersey and football boots and go play footgolf! If only we were young and fit again! You can bet your bottom dollar that we’d get out in a New York minute and go for a kick-about!

Well, now that we have come clean and have acknowledged that the hybrid game is here to stay, let us set out to see how the game has caught on. One report states that Footgolf is growing fast. How fast? We understand that in the United States alone, footgolf courses have surged from about 30 in 2013 to well over 300 this year. There is no doubt about it – footgolf is growing and it is growing as a sport with more players signing on to experience this fun sport. Tenniel Chu, vice-chairman of the Mission Hills Group, the man spear-heading the promotion of footgolf in China told Asian Golf that the world’s largest golf resort is viewing footgolf as a “new business model”. If one is to interpret his statement, Mission Hills is focused on growing footgolf as a serious business and if the group has allocated the use of the Nicklaus course at its Shenzhen facility in China for footgolf, it becomes very apparent that bucks are being put behind this business initiative. An Editorial footnote: When the lords and gatekeepers of the game first looked at footgolf, they viewed it as a much needed shot-in-the-arm and held out the hope that this hybrid will introduce much needed new players to the game of golf. With no statistics to back this, one can only deduce that footgolf’s popularity is based on its own unique appeal and not as a dragnet to introduce new players to golf. We think that footgolf will experience meteoric growth with little or no crumbs left behind for the golf industry to pick up. Get the message? Back to the report – “FootGolf has acquired a good and growing support base in China and based on current trends, it has a very good future in China – the potential for growth is huge,” declared Chu who is the prime moving force behind the China Footgolf Association. Chu is so bullish about the future of footgolf in China that

SPECIAL FEATURE Footgolf

Cheers for AGA Chairman Gilbert Lam’s Hole in One. Tenniel, Billy Lau, Gilbert Lam, Cindy Lee and Chan Yee Ming celebrate.

Footgolf is just like golf in many ways. You play on a golf course, there are eighteen holes, and the winner is whoever finishes in the fewest number of strokes. Where it is different to golf, and similar to football, is that instead of hitting a golf ball you kick a football.”

Aerial photo of cheerleaders-AGA stars and Tenniel Chu

he is already planning on a team representing China and Hong Kong at the 2016 Footgolf World Cup in Argentina. “FootGolf has proved to be hugely popular with footballers. China has 26 million footballers and 300 million football spectators and fans, the most of any country in the world. It catches such a large demographic, so it is just a question of waiting for the right time to get involved with it,” said Chu. “I knew it would take off with adults, but we started looking at how the sport could continue to grow and grow. And if you get the youngsters involved you’re going to still be going in 10, 20, 30 years’ time, and you’ll be continuing to build, develop and progress,” Chu added. Footgolf is just like golf in many ways. You play on a golf course, there are eighteen holes, and the winner is

Group Photo- A total of 42 two-man teams battled for honours on the historic Jack Nicklaus-designed World Cup Course at Mission Hills, the pioneer and innovator in China.

37 ASIAN GOLF

whoever finishes in the fewest number of strokes. Where it is different to golf, and similar to football, is that instead of hitting a golf ball you kick a football. Unlike golf, Footgolf is easy to learn and anyone can play. It combines the excitement of both sports. And this is what concerns the golf purist. Can and will the growing popularity of footgolf spin off a few new players for golf? We gave Mr. Chu the final say – “I don’t believe that golf will be cannibalized by footgolf – I believe that each game has its own strengths and it is my belief that both games can co-exist.” As a parting shot, we will urge all golf course operators in Asia to watch development at Mission Hills in China. The group is creating a new business pathway for golf course owners to add a new and hopefully sustainable revenue stream.

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Prize presentation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tenniel Chu,Shen Rong ,Chen Yujun (Winner), Xu Deli, former Chairman of Guangdong Golf Association

Fernando Iturbe shows football golf skills to teenagers

SEPTEMBER 2015

Fernando Iturbe (A grade UEFA coach), Tenniel Chu and Tan Binliang

A GOLF Battle FIT FOR ONLY

THE BEST! We knew that this headline would grab your attention! Finally club managers get to play and compete in a tournament all their own. The Asia Pacific Golf Group in conjunction with the staging of the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit will be organizing the Inaugural Asia-Pacific Inter-Club Challenge Tournament. It will be played with twoman teams drawn from clubs within the Asia Pacific footprint for the coveted Le Van Kiem Inter-Club Trophy. This tournament is all about good, clean fun and more importantly, it is about networking. The tournament will be run on October 14. The venue will be the Orchid Country Club, an awardwinning 27-hole golf course in Singapore that has played host to a variety of golf tournaments including the Asian Tour. There is no entry fee to participate in

this tournament. To qualify, players need to register as delegates to attend the Summit and there are 144 slots available. Entry will be on a first come first served basis and a two-man team from each club can register on-line through APGS official website at www.golfconference.org or email Alice Ho at alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or call +65 63232800 for more details.

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SPECIAL FEATURE Professional Golf Tournaments

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Malaysia does not get a fair shake for what it does for the professional game of golf. In fact, it often gets over-shadowed by countries like China and Thailand when it comes to exposure and coverage in international media, especially the golf media. This is disappointing especially when you consider that it is about the only country within the Southeast Asian basin where professional tournaments witness the active involvement and participation of local corporations, government agencies and the national golf association (it must be pointed out that the Malaysian Golf Association is perhaps the most active amongst national golf associations in the region).

SPECIAL FEATURE Professional Golf Tournaments

ggressive promotions like what Malaysia is engaging in should be recognized and promoted by all serious stake-holders in golf. Those who are familiar with that country’s flag-ship event, the Maybank Malaysian Open would be pleased to know that it will receive a massive boost for the

2016 edition. The event, a hugely popular professional tournament in Malaysia and the neighbouring countries, will see the size of its prize money bloat to a staggering US$3 million for next year’s clash. As national tournaments go, it tops the chart as the “richest national golf tournament” in the region. Scheduled to be staged in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur in February 2016, it will tower over the US$1 million dollar Singapore Open which is scheduled to be held from January 28-31.

The latter event which takes its name after the highly successful island nation which is its home, is back after a three year hiatus. While the tournament is back on the Asian professional tour calendar, it’s not something to get excited about. After having worked its way to becoming Asia’s richest national golf tournament under the banner of its last sponsor, Barclays Bank, the resuscitated event is back with a total of a “minimum prize purse of US$1 million”. Last held in Singapore in 2013, the “new look” Singapore Open will be sponsored by Sumitomo-Mitsui Banking Corporation and will be titled the SMBC Singapore Open. During its heyday, the now defunct Barclays Singapore Open was a premier event even by global standards with a purse of US$6 million. Now that Malaysia’s initiatives in the hosting of professional golf tournaments have been put into proper perspective,

Next year will also be a milestone year for golf as it will be featured as an event at the 2016 Olympics for the first time, and we want this tournament to be an important staging point for our professional golfers who can represent the country in Rio.” – Tan Sri Dato Megat Zaharuddin, chairman of Maybank 42

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MAYBANK MALAYSIAN OPEN: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - APRIL 20: Lee Westwood of England celebrates with the trophy after winning the Final round of the 2014 Maybank Malaysian Open at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club on April 20, 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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Maybank needs to be patted on its back for stepping up to the plate and forking out the big investment of US$3 million for prize money. This is what the professional game needs in the region to grow. Cash-rich Asian multinationals have to come forward to support and help grow the game of golf and what Maybank has done is a classic example of corporate support for golf and it is simply spectacular! Maybank has been involved with the Malaysian Open for a decade and in that time, its commitment to golf has helped raise the standard of amateurs and professional golfers in the country. And with the staging of the 2016 tournament, Maybank has again extended its commitment to see the largest number of professional Malaysian golfers qualifying and participating in the tournament. “Next year will also be a milestone year for golf as it will be featured as an event at the 2016 Olympics for the first time, and

SEPTEMBER 2015

we want this tournament to be an important staging point for our professional golfers who can represent the country in Rio,” said Tan Sri Dato Megat Zaharuddin, chairman of Maybank. He went on to add, “Our considerations to have Maybank’s own Championship are to ensure that our objectives in projecting our brand to our stakeholders worldwide and to support our community aspirations can be sustained in the best possible way.” According to Megat he expects to reach out to golfers within the region and said, “With the Maybank Malaysian Open we will also be nurturing budding ASEAN golfing talents by providing a fixed number of slots to talented golfers in the ASEAN countries.” Besides being home to the richest national golf tournament, Malaysia also plays host to the CIMB Classic which is a full-fledged PGA Tour tournament. The next

SPECIAL FEATURE Professional Golf Tournaments

2014 Sime Darby LPGA

2014 CIMB Classic

instalment of this star-studded tournament will be staged in Kuala Lumpur in October and the tournament boasts a prize-kitty of US$7 million! Another star-studded world class tournament hosted by Malaysia is the Sime Darby LPGA tournament which is now in its sixth year. The prize money for this event stands at US$2 million. We think that everybody who is interested to see golf grow, should stand up and salute Malaysia for showing its leadership in helping to stage world-class professional tournaments. Let us not forget also how the nation and its golf stake-holders work with these professional event promoters to run coaching programmes for a select group of promising young stars and clinics to help expose the game of golf to a wider audience. Well done Malaysia! You have set a glowing example of what can be done to help grow golf. Continue to be the beacon of hope in Asia!

45 ASIAN GOLF

We think that everybody who is interested to see golf grow, should stand up and salute Malaysia for showing its leadership in helping to stage world-class professional tournaments.â&#x20AC;?

Nominated for "Best Golf Resort in Asia" Asian Golf Awards 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE A Tribute

ow refreshing it is for professional golf to finally have a super-star without blemishes. Someone who can help project a new image for golf. The game has finally rid itself of a fallen hero whose name has not only become tarnished but also disgraced. The pro-tem custodian of the throne, whilst a nice kid, was totally colourless. He just did not possess the star qualities to transform him into the sort of idol golf needs, especially at this stage of the evolution of the game. However, all this changed on August 17, 2015 when a 22-year old from Texas ascended to golfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loftiest throne to claim the prestigious and sought after title as the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Number One golfer! Jordan Spieth personifies everything that is good and wholesome about golf and while he has been on the ascendency in recent years, his pleasant demeanour and great family values is most definitely going to get golf all the respect that it so rightfully deserves. And let us not forget his awesome game, his natural talent and his fighting qualities. All distinctive qualities that symbolize the mark of a true champion. Let a new era begin!

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EQUIPMENT FOCUS Callaway Big Bertha

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he elves have been very busy lately at the house that the legendary Ely Callaway built. It’s fascinating to note that since he set up Callaway Golf in 1984, the company has led through the creation of highly innovative golf products. It is perhaps best known and recognized for the Big Bertha Driver, a product and a brand that was first introduced to the world in 1991. At the time, its design was considered highly modern and a radical departure from older drivers as it was crafted entirely of stainless steel. Since the introduction of the original Big Bertha, Callaway has introduced further clubs and lines of clubs with similar names, such as the “Great Big Bertha”, the “Biggest Big Bertha”, and titanium versions of the clubs. In 2003, they introduced the “Great Big Bertha II,” and in 2004, the “Big Bertha 454.” It was not until 2013 when the company brought back this successful brand with the launch of two new multi-material, adjustable drivers with the Big Bertha name, the Big Bertha and Big Bertha Alpha.

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Callaway Big Bertha

he latest additions are the “Great Big Bertha” driver and the “Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond” driver. According to a Callaway spokesman. The Great Big Bertha features a low centre of gravity and high MOI to deliver distance with forgiveness. “The light, fast, stable chassis is the key to generating higher clubhead speed, and with the perfect combination of aerodynamic shaping with multi-material construction, it comes with all the bells and whistles to set the club configuration to suit your swing type,” the spokesman explained. The Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond driver is said to deliver “extreme distance” and Callaway claims that it has been designed with the “expert player” in mind. “The Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond Driver is built for high-calibre players looking for the ultimate combination of extreme distance and shot-shaping control in a sleek, traditional shape,” the spokesman said. The all-new dual distance chambers allow Callaway’s gravity core to work as a distance turbo charger. This is a highly innovative development and here’s how it works: Simply choose to put the gravity core in either the left or right chamber for a draw or neutral setting.

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Both the new Big Bertha models feature the next-generation R*MOTO Technology which provides the structure for a thinner face, leading to high ball speeds on balls struck anywhere on the face.” Flip it up or down depending on where their normal impact location is on the face. More weight behind the impact location equals more ball speed and more distance. Both the new Big Bertha models feature the next-generation R*MOTO Technology which provides the structure for a thinner face, leading to high ball speeds on balls struck anywhere on the face. The Great Big Bertha’s adjustable perimeter weighting adds stability and forgiveness moving the weight to the point on the clubhead that delivers greater dispersion control based on a golfer’s swing characteristics plus virtually unlimited draw and fade bias options— all without sacrificing forgiveness. With the Big Berha Aplha 816 Double Black Diamond, Callaway engineers designed it with a deeper face, a more traditional shape and a low centre of gravity to reduce spin, along with just the right amount of forgiveness and workability. The shape of the crown, the open face angle, and the matte black finish with no distractions are all designed to suit the eyes of better players’ as they stand over the ball. Both the new drivers come with matching fairway woods. For the Great Big Bertha, Callaway reports that it has come up with new fairway woods that deliver the ultimate in forgiveness and control. A

forged hyper speed face cup is designed to achieve high ball speeds for great distance on centre hits and off-centre hits. “The head sizes are larger than that of typical fairway woods and that extra surface area leads to a higher MOI for more forgiveness,” according to the spokesman. Callaway has also added its legendary Warbird Sole, which makes the club easy to hit from a variety of lies with a midlaunching trajectory. The Great Big Bertha fairway wood range also offers the Heavenwood (20.5-degree loft, 43-inch shaft) and Divine Nine (24-degree, 42-inch shaft) clubs to help tighten a golfer’s dispersion. Golfers looking to fill distance gaps in their bags will also find these clubs to be the perfect solutions. The Big Bertha Alpha 816 fairway woods are said to be Callaway’s most advanced fairway woods, designed for better players who desire shot-shaping control and tour-style distance. Good players will love the adjustable centre of gravity (CG) weights (3g and 16g) that lets a golfer to determine the ball flight desired. “Simply move the weight forward when you want a lower spin, flatter ball flight, and move it back for more forgiveness and a higher launch - however you set the CG, the forged hyper speed face cup will generate ball speed on centre and off-centre shots,” the spokesman pointed out. A modern shape with a slightly larger head offers more MOI than one would expect out of an elite player’s fairway wood and the sole design provides control from a variety of lies.

GOLF EQUIPMENT MIURA KM 008

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The fact that it has taken a while for the debut of the KM 008 is proof in itself that Miura sticks rigidly to its policy of releasing new products only if it is an improvement over its predecessor.”

ne of the reasons why the new putter has been so well received by the market is directly attributable to the fact that Miura is a brand that does not follow industry trends to release new products on a regular basis. Led by the legendary Japanese master craftsman Katsuhiro Miura, popularly referred to as the man with the “hands of God”, the new putter is the KM 008. This stylish putter is a replacement to the old standard, the KM 350 which was retired in 2014. The fact that it has taken a while for the debut of the KM 008 is proof in itself that Miura keeps rigidly to its policy of releasing new products only if it is an improvement over its predecessor. Prior to its retirement, the KM 350 (small blade putter) ranked amongst the most popular in its range. Master craftsman Katsuhiro has spent a good deal of time designing the KM 008 which is the next generation putter from Miura. The KM 008 does not come cheap and it has hit the North American market with a suggested price tag of US$450. Like the KM 350, the KM 008 is forged from a single billet of soft carbon steel. The Miura forging process creates the industry’s tightest

grain structure, with similarly tight manufacturing tolerances. “Miura-san stands by his statement that the putter has been designed for players who are seeking the very best,” says Bill Holowaty, Miura’s executive vice president of Product Strategies. “This toe-weighted beauty confirms that it’s possible to match looks with performance. The milled face is extremely forgiving and produces a strike that transmits to the feel, distance control and in achieving the truest of rolls from reduced skid. We invite you to discover what we deem to be perfection on the green.” Based on launch pictures of the product, the absence of alignment lines and dots is very apparent. It is also sort of old school in terms of design but the face of the putter looks awesome. Miura is a specialist club maker renowned for its broad line of forged irons, wedges, drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. All Miura clubs are custom fitted by authorized Miura dealer/ fitters with each individual golfer getting not only properly fitted clubs, but a partner in his or her game. Miura dealers are famous for service after the sale and continuing relationships with players they fit, from informal discussions about equipment, practice, and technique to hands-on monitoring of loft, lie, weight and all the crucial golf club metrics.

LONG THANH GOLF RESORT, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

NOVEMBER 1 & 2, 2015

In Celebration Of Fathers And Sons Asia Paciﬁc Father and Son Golf Tournament is back again. Fathers and sons or direct related members of a family will do battle to see who emerges as the best of the best in the region.

The tournament is open to any combination of family members – father, daughter, uncle/ aunty and nephew/niece. This arrangement provides for a wider family involvement and participation.

This prestigious tournament will be staged on The winning team will walk away with the November 1 & 2, 2015 and the host venue is Asia Paciﬁc Father and Son Trophy presented the award winning Long Thanh Golf Resort in by Vietnamese philanthropist Le Van Kiem. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Come and Be Part of the Region’s Only Total Family Golf Event ... The 2015 Asia Paciﬁc Father and Son Golf Tournament! Entry fee is set at US$450 per player and this will include: Daily two-way transfer from the Sheraton Saigon Hotel to the golf course. Lunch, refreshment and dinner on both days. Prizes and goodie bags. One practice round on October 31.

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

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

DOWNLOAD PDF – RULES & REGULATIONS: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt-rr2015 For enquiries, please contact Alice Ho at alice@asiapacificgolfgroup.com or call +65-63232800

ORGANISED BY: LONG THANH GOLF RESORT

SPECIAL FEATURE Cobra-PUMA Golf

My belief is that we need to work hard to make golf more fun and inclusive. If we do that, there are a ton more golfers out there – more than we can even imagine.” – Robert Phillion

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The big buzz amongst golf circles, especially those who are the power-brokers of the game, seems to be focused on how the game can pick up a head of steam and grow. This has become a mantra so much so one wonders if these “movers and shakers” are really sincere about growing the game or if it is just plain lip service. Anyway, is growing [OL NHTL [OL YLHS JOHSSLUNL& -VY\T WHNLZ VU NVSM MLH[\YL H [VU VM KPɈLYLU[ VWPUPVUZ on what the game needs to grow and one critic holds the PGA accountable for its antiquated approach which he thinks is the cause why no one from younger demographics identify with the game any longer. By this critic’s contention, “anything the PGA can do to keep golf boring as hell, and they’re on it .... the game’s leadership is aspiring to make it as boring as humanly possible and they’re succeeding beyond expectations! “Truly outspoken and declared with conviction and a huge dose of testicular fortitude!

SPECIAL FEATURE Cobra-PUMA Golf

hat is the thinking of some of the major industry players like equipment manufacturers? Do they think enough is being done to grow the game? Asian Golf reached out to the spunky 51 year old President of Cobra PUMA Golf, Robert Phillion for his take and this was how he reacted: “No, I don’t!” Speak about being boldly emphatic and a real scrooge with words – a truly direct and blunt response from a man who is deeply entrenched in helping to keep golf exciting, vibrant and relevant to all ages. Phillion is a chief executive whom you can’t dislike. He does not mince his words and he tells it like he sees it! Perhaps the youngest top honcho amongst the major equipment manufacturers, he feels very passionately about the future of golf. In a conversation with Asian Golf, he said, “I think we all have a responsibility to grow the game and its reach. My belief is that we need to work hard to make golf more fun and inclusive. If we do that, there are a ton more golfers out there – more than we can even imagine.” Phillion should know a thing or two about FUN in golf. Just look at how CobraPUMA integrates fun into what it does – its golf clubs, especially the drivers, epitomize FUN with the colours used on the club heads. Check out the brand’s apparel – it’s all about FUN and a golfer attired in PUMA apparel is almost always a stand-out on either a professional tournament or in a normal, run-of-themill weekend hacker’s round at a club. Cobra-PUMA’s key brand ambassadors like Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson are also living showcases for

FUN – they personify everything that stands for youthful vitality and vibrance, not to mention the top-shelf game that they both bring to golf. While we are on Phillion’s call for golf to be made more FUN and inclusive, we would like to bring in top professional golfer Lee Westwood who has a thing or two to say about the current state of the game. The former world number one has warned that golf needs a major overhaul of its image and format if it is to attract the next genera-

tion of players. In a Facebook rant, Westwood opened up: “Golf is absolutely not doing enough. It needs to be promoted better – the R&A, the USGA, the PGA Tour, the European Tour, the Asian Tour, the South African Tour need to do more to encourage young players to take up the game.” Not known as someone to be outspoken or controversial, Westwood said, “It needs to have the stigma taken away from it that it’s an old man’s game and that it’s

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It needs to have the stigma taken away from it that it’s an old man’s game and that it’s for the ‘toffs’ if you want to call it that. It needs to be more available to the man in the street …. golf needs to be made more available to everybody.” – Lee Westwood

for the ‘toffs’ if you want to call it that. It needs to be more available to the man in the street …. golf needs to be made more available to everybody.” Well, Cobra-PUMA’s Phillion is right on the money. Change has got to happen and if the “voice of the people” keeps getting louder and more demanding, the gate-keepers will have to change! And with leading brands like Cobra-PUMA pushing for change, it’s got to have some effect eventually. Now that the case for change has been made, let’s get back to the conversation with Phillion. When Asian Golf first had a session with him in 2014, he had a firm conviction that Cobra-PUMA was hell-bent on injecting huge doses of fun into golf through innovative products, apparel and accessories and that conviction has not changed one bit. “Definitely. By providing high-performing, high-tech, innovative

products that have style and an edge, we are trying to change the way consumers play. It’s about having performance enhancing equipment and having fun. We also try to bring our game enjoyment to life not only in products, but also in our marketing efforts, our players, our partnerships and even in our company culture. It’s who we are and what we do,” Phillion declared emphatically. It has to be noted that Phillion is credited with bringing the Cobra brand onto the main stage of golf after it was acquired by PUMA in 2010. Up till that point, the brand had been languishing in “equipment limbo” and Phillion’s panache and swagger that he is known for, breathed life into the old brand. “There is no doubt that players such as Rickie and Lexi help to move the needle in golf and this brings a new, younger demographic to the game,” Phillion explained.

Young stars like Fowler and Thompson possess a style and swagger that brings attention to both the COBRA and PUMA Golf brands, especially among young people. “They both have huge loyal fan bases who want to wear what they are wearing and play the equipment they are playing …. it’s about youthfulness and swagger. We are all about making golf Fun.” No session with Phillion can be complete without him speaking to his range of innovative products so we quite naturally had to stick him with a question that probed the brand’s performance in 2015 which is proving to be a tough year for the golf industry and this is what he said: “It’s been a very solid first half for COBRA PUMA GOLF – we have technology-rich, performance-enhancing products, strong marketing messages and great brand ambassadors.” He is ecstatic about how Cobra-PUMA’s FLY-Z family has done incred-

SPECIAL FEATURE Cobra-PUMA Golf

ibly well, especially in numerous independent surveys. “Our R&D team works hard each year to develop new products that help golfers of all levels improve their game – and the Fly-Z family does just that. The Fly-Z driver is one of the most forgiving drivers currently on the market – yet it doesn’t sacrifice distance. That’s extremely important for the majority of golfers. The best measure of this can be seen in the three significant victories notched up this year by Fowler and Thompson. “We couldn’t be more proud to celebrate these wins with him, and we know we’ll see many more from Rickie in the future and Lexi is great for our brand and even better for the game of golf. We feel equally as strong about our other players as well,” beamed a proud Phillion affectionately known around Cobra-PUMA’s office as the “big cheese”. Phillion is a man on a mission and what he has done for the brand in the short time that it has been under his charge, is nothing short of being impressive. In his parting shot, he declared, “I believe there’s more opportunity for our brands than ever before, and it’s our intention to play offense in this market where we believe there are many question marks.” Next month’s issue of Asian Golf will feature a major review on the company’s latest clubs – the King Ltd.

61 ASIAN GOLF

By providing high-performing, high-tech, innovative products that have style and an edge, we are trying to change the way consumers play. It’s about having performance enhancing equipment and having fun. We also try to bring our game enjoyment to life not only in products, but also in our marketing efforts, our players, our partnerships and even in our company culture. It’s who we are and what we do.”

GAME IMPROVEMENT

I hope everyone gets a chance to play more golf this month! If you are a golf fan, I’m sure you will make time to watch The Presidents Cup this year. The Presidents Cup is going to be a great match play event, just like a “boxing match!” I hope both teams are ready to compete! 62

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The Presidents Cup is a series of men’s golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the he rest of the world minus Europe..

s a preview to o next month’s Presidents idents Cup, I wanted d to share this timeless meless tip to help improve mprove your understanding of the golf swing! This is one of the most classical golf tips that I have used with th students because it simply works rks and it’s very easy to understand. Boxing is a huge sport in n Thailand so it is only fitting to use the boxing glove to demonstrate nstrate to students how the golf club sets on the backswing in order to make e an effective forward swing. It’s important that a golfer fer realizes that setting the golf club properly in the backswing will assist with gaining power and speed. Using a boxing glove, I like to demonstrate a simple punching motion – taking the golf lf glove back and forth. The wrist set will happen en naturally if you keep your forearms as relaxed as possible. If you ou focus on turning your shoulders early in your backswing, students udents will find the wrist set up much easier to do. Many players find the early set easier to use because it helps the club feel lighter, thus easier to control. I like to have students make swings in a mirror and notice on the backswing that the club b will set, creating an angle position. Now, when the backswing iss complete, a forward swing will allow the golf club to swing to o the target, the body reacts to the golf club swinging and a nice ce follow-through is completed! Again, take it back like you would be making a coil for a punch. Then, swing the club ub to the target to follow-through. You will notice and feel a very ery effective and powerful move in the swing. Trust me! If you can relate ate a boxing punch to the golf swing, and visualize the correction rrection motion, your shots will be more consistent! You can do it!

ABOUT TONY MEECHAI Born and brought up in the United States, Tony Meechai won his first golf tournament at the age of nine. He began working in the golf industry when aged 15 and competed in various Mini Tour and PGA Tour qualifiers after turning professional in 1994. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from New Mexico State University and a degree in Marketing and Professional Golf Management, he has made a name for himself in Asia over the past decade, during which time he has served as Director of Instruction at Thailand’s Heartland Golf Schools and Springfield Royal Country Club as well as presenting tips on numerous region-wide golf television shows. Recently, he founded the Tony Meechai Golf Academy that combines a curriculum including academics and golf education for aspiring Tour professionals. Programmes are in conjunction with international institutions throughout the world. For further information, please visit www.tmggroupasia.com or email to tony@tmggroupasia.com

www.tmggroupasia.com

COBRA HISSES THE LOUDEST! he KING is back! COBRA has just launched a truly revolutionary driver which it has aptly named the KING LTD. Pre-launch information tells us that COBRA is reinventing a classic while at the same time redefining the driver category for better players. It is not a replacement for its current line-up – The KING LTD is a brand new flagship offering. Check out Asian Golf’s comprehensive review of the entire family of the KING LTD range which will include driver, woods and irons.

TAYLORMADE’S NEW BAG OF TRICKS REVEALED!

ASIAN GOLF ISSUE 181

ake note all fans of TaylorMade – the company is all set to bounce back with some exciting new products that initial reports say will knock the socks off all golfers! Knowing TaylorMade and having followed their production development programmes, what we are hearing is not to be discounted. Expect something that will raise the bar. It is all about TaylorMade getting right back on the fast track.

he Asia Pacific’s top conference on golf will open in Singapore this month. The longest running conference in the industry, the Asia Pacific Golf Summit will create history this year with a brand new platform for a conference. Rather than subjecting delegates to one-way monologues, delegates will take the floor and engage in lively and focused Town-Hall style debates on business trends, challenges, opportunities and aspirations for the industry, especially the golf club industry. It will be a game-changer with delegates taking charge of their own conference! APGS 2015 will also launch the Club Management Association of Asia’s highly revolutionary e-University on-line learning platform for the club industry in Asia and the firstever Asian Golf Profiles Lifestyle and Demographic Research report. For all the latest news and views from the Asian golf scene, subscribe to Asian Golf – Asia’s most powerful golfing voice!

www.asiapacificgolfgroup.com

CONSISTENTLY VOTED AS THE BEST COURSE IN THAILAND

Owned and managed by The Peninsula Hotels and often voted as possessing the “Best Clubhouse in Asia” and “Best Course in Thailand”, Thai Country Club is less than 45 minutes from downtown Bangkok and is renowned for having the friendliest staff of professionals in the Kingdom committed to providing the Ultimate Golfing Experience. For registered guests of The Peninsula Bangkok, We are happy to arrange a tee-time at a substantial reduction from our normal visitor’s rate. Extend your business trip in Bangkok, or book a get-away golfing package. When it comes to exclusive golfing with impeccable hospitality – we play off scratch.

1997 Winner: Tiger Woods

VOLVO MASTERS

ASIA

2005 Winner: Shiv Kapur

2006 Winner: Thongchai Jaidee

2007 Winner: Prayad Marksaeng

2008 Winner: Lam Chih Bing

1998 Winner: Vijay Singh

Thai Country Club www.thaicountryclub.com Tel: +66 (38) 570-234 inquiry@thaicountryclub.com The Peninsula Bangkok www.peninsula.com Tel: +66 (2) 861-2888 pbk@peninsula.com

Bangkok, Thailand