The ClubHouse Issue 18 (Jan 2013) by The ClubHouse

INSIDE: ANTONIO LASCUNA PREVAILS TO CLAIM MAIDEN ASEAN PGA TOUR WIN IN SABAH

ISSUE 18 (01/2013) PP17714/04/2013(032168)

HOT NEW GEAR!

TAKING A LEAD FOR JUNIORS It has been a long time coming and for us especially at The ClubHouse, it has been about making right on one of our unfulfilled promises to our readers in 2012. Early last year, we pledged to formulate Malaysia’s first Junior Order of Merit and while we were optimistic that we would have a comprehensive junior golf rankings system up and running by the end of year, we were unfortunately unable to do so. While it has been an humbling experience for us, it nonetheless gave us the opportunity to travel to many junior golf tournaments across the country, speak to tournament organisers, officials and most importantly, parents on how best to move forward on this matter. It also meant that we had time to have extensive discussions with respected figures in the sport as well as potential sponsors and we pleased to report that despite some concerns (which we have addressed as a result), most are in favour and are excited on the prospect of having a proper junior golf rankings in place. The time for talking is now over and it is time to get moving! We’re pleased to announce that The ClubHouse in partnership with likeminded players in the industry will come out with perhaps the nation’s first publicised junior golf rankings. An official announcement will be made as early as next month with the rankings, powered by one of the leading junior golf solutions provider in the United States, taking a prominent place in our website (www.theclubhouse.com.my) as well as in our monthly issue before the new junior season starts in March 2013. We comprehend the pitfalls of taking this first step; indeed we are concerned that in doing so, we may step on some feet along the way. But then again, if we are to stay true to our commitment to see our juniors flourish and become world-beaters in their own likes, this is but a small hurdle in a long road to success. If you have any queries or suggestion with regards to the junior golf rankings, please do feel free to email me at news@theclubhouse. com.my

2 Edward Saminathan Chief Golf Writer news@theclubhouse.com.my

THE TEAM Chief Golf Writer Edward Saminathan Sub-Editors Lina Abdul Wahab, Khalidah Jamil, Evelyn Gan Contributors Andrew Myles, Calvin Koh, Doyle De Costa, Jason Winter, Justine Moss, Martin Vousden, Normas Yakin, Richard Fellner, Samantha Cebrero, Scott Kramer Photography Eddie Putera, T. Ravi Chitty Brand Manager B.N. Murali Art & Design Siva Yoham Jalaguvalan Operations Associate Suzila Afirah Abdul Rauf Advertising: info@theclubhouse.com.my Editorial: news@theclubhouse.com.my Subscription: subscription@theclubhouse.com.my Website: www.theclubhouse.com.my

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IN YOUR ISSUE 18

SPOTLIGHT 8 BUILDING PALM GARDEN 6

SABAH MASTERS REVIEW

REGULARS

COLUMNS

12 INSIDE THE ROPES 15 MYJUNIORS 16 AROUND THE GLOBE 18 IN THE BAG 24 GEAR UP 37 GOLF DIARY 38 TEE BOX 40 WHERE TO GOLF

TRAVEL FEATURE

HUA HIN GET MORE GOLF ONLINE

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FIT FOR GOLF WITH SAMANTHA CEBRERO 32 COVERING CARLSBAD BY SCOTT KRAMER 33 RARE BIRDIE BY MARTIN VOUSDEN 34 GOLF DOWN UNDER BY RICHARD FELLNER 35 GOLFING TALES FROM THE LION CITY 36 UNCHARTED COURSE WITH NORMAS YAKIN

ANTONIO HAS THE LAST LAUGH © Khalid Redza / WSG

Sabah’s Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Bolkiah Hj Ismail hands the newly-unveiled trophy to winner Antonio Lascuna

6 Filipino Antonio Lascuna ended a long frustrating wait for his first win on the ASEAN PGA Tour by triumphing in the US$75,000 Sabah Masters. By Edward Saminathan

ilipino stalwart Antonio Lascuna wore down pacesetter Mardan Mamat in a thrilling play-off to claim the Sabah Masters on January 12– his first-ever victory on the ASEAN PGA Tour. The unassuming 42-year-old from Davao started the final round five strokes off the lead but stormed back with an impressive fiveunder 66 to haul himself into contention in the US$75,000 season-finale at the Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club. For much of the week, Singaporean number one Mardan had looked set to add to his collection of two ASEAN titles but failed to fire on all cylinders when it mattered most. The 45-year-old let a two-shot cushion slip through his fingers coming into the final stretch, with a six-foot miss for birdie on the 17th before dropping an uncharacteristic bogey on the last to finish even-par 71. It meant that the veteran duo were level at the top on 11-under-par 273, with extra holes needed to decide the winner.

Hot start by Antonio during the final round

Coming in sole third was Anthony Fernando of the Philippines, the joint runner-up here in 2011 closing with a strong six-under 65 to finish three strokes behind the leaders.

Nachimuthu Ramasamy (68) topped the Malaysian contenders with a seven-under 277 alongside Indonesian Rory Hie (65), while Sabah’s own Nicholas Fung struggled to live up to expectations of a strong local gallery with

a poor final round 74, finishing a stroke adrift of sixth-placed Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Somkiat Srisanga of Thailand. There was little to separate Antonio and Mardan through the first two playoff holes until the latter took a drink with his approach on the third extra hole to concede the victory to his Filipino opponent, who earned a cheque for US$12,918. “I am really excited. It is a relief to finally win. It was a great battle with my elder brother Mardan who kept giving me chances,” said the 18-time winner on the Philippine domestic circuit. Antonio first started playing on the ASEAN PGA Tour in 2008 and has accumulated two secondplace finishes, a couple of third placings and a total of nine top-fives.

“I always told myself to be patient and not force things. I felt a win would come eventually, even if I least expected it today. My opening three birdies definitely helped me focus, and I just told myself not to concede a bogey. I was lucky in the playoff because it was really down to who was going to make the first mistake as there was little separating us,” added Antonio.

National Arie Fauzi claimed the low amateur prize with a four-over 288 total

Mardan took the defeat on the chin and didn’t make any excuses for his defeat. “I’m a little bit disappointed, but I told myself at the start of the round that I had to go under par to wrap up the victory. Unfortunately, I came short off that target and lost the tournament.”

“Playoffs are always tough, and it is easy to lose focus when you’re going up and down the 18th so many times, but all said and done, I’m happy for Tony for finally getting the monkey off his back,” he added, noting that the tournament proved a great competitive warm-up for his 2013 season.

Mardan rues a par miss on the final hole of regulation

Anthony Fernando settled for his second consecutive top-three finish at the tournament

While the timing of the event seemed puzzling for many avid golf fans, the Sabah Masters nonetheless proved that its new post-season January date could attract a strong field, including the top Malaysian names, the region’s top young stars as well as a handful of marquee names -, increasing the profile of the event, which was revived in 2011 after a 13year absence.

With strong backing from title sponsor Sabah Tourism Board and host venue Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club which presented a much improved playing tract for the players this year, the Sabah Masters is looking set to feature prominently on an expanded 2013 ASEAN PGA Tour schedule.

Nicholas dished out a disappointing closing display but went home with the Merit crown

Nachimuthu took advantage of Nicholas Fung’s messy finish to top the locals

The only notable setback was the absent Gunn Charoenkul of Thailand - his withdrawal robbing the fans of what promised to be a fascinating battle for the Order of Merit crown with Nicholas.

BUILDING PALM GARDEN 8

A visionary owner, a passionate shaper and one of the region’s most sought after golf course designers had his team put their minds and will together to create one of Malaysia’s most aesthetically pleasing golf courses in Palm Garden Golf Club. he EGP brand is a household name as far as high-quality golf courses are concerned in Malaysia and around the region.

the Causeway with their recent work at Jurong Country Club and SAFRA Golf and Country Club.

The architects behind the construction and remodelling of some of the nation’s most premier golfing layouts such as Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Glenmarie Golf & Country Club, Tropicana Golf & Country Club, Kelab Golf Sarawak and Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club, have also made a name for themselves across

It comes without surprise that Ted Parslow, the 69-year-old Australian, who is celebrating two decades of setting up EGP Design in Malaysia this January, and his firm were handpicked four years ago to undertake the RM50 million major overhaul of Palm Garden Golf Club abutting Putrajaya.

The spanking new 18-hole parkland layout which plays a tad shorter and tighter, measuring just a little over 6,000 m from the back tees, has been paraded as the country’s most luxurious public course experience. The master craftsman himself sat down recently with Edward Saminathan to give the background story on putting together the pieces of Palm Garden Golf Club.

than before. High mounds between many of the holes also utilised much of the fill material whilst ultimately giving drama and adding definition to individual holes throughout the course.

Huge amounts of filling

How familiar were you with Palm Garden Golf Club before actually being tasked with its reconstruction? I remember that the very first year I came to Malaysia, I did come to this place, and there was a little nine-hole golf tract right next to a huge palm oil mill owned by IOI Group.

What was the background to your involvement with the new Palm Garden Golf Club project?

I am sure you did more than just “sprucing up”? At first, we did not foresee that the golf course would change that much – the old Palm Garden was a very much liked golf course. We did have an inkling that it was not going to play to a full championship length but the general idea was to make subtle changes to holes unaffected directly by the proposed commercial development and construct a brand new clubhouse and residual holes in an adjacent area of secondary jungle between the existing course and the expressway leading to Putrajaya.

Gary Cox

I would say that Gary was really on top of the challenge that awaited him but more importantly, he got along particularly well with the clients and played a vital role as the liaison with the various contractors involved. Tan Sri Lee is one of the most hands-on golf club owners I have met in my career, and his passion is second to none.

Hole 8

At that point, IOI Properties Bhd was embarking on a large-scale retail development [Editor’s note: The IOI City Mall features one of the biggest shopping arcades in South East Asia, including a one-of its-kind entertainment park, office blocks and a hotel, occupying a space of 33 acres] and the prevailing idea was that much of the golf course would give way for that project.

Circumstances, however dictated that we had to eventually go back to the drawing board for almost the entire layout. The main reason being that the earthwork for the mall left us with close to three million cubic metres of soil and boulders, which had to be utilised. In utilising this large quantity of material many of the fairways are up to 20 metres higher

Shortly after that, the group’s executive chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Lee Shin Cheng wanted to add a full 18-hole layout. American designer Rick Robbins was entrusted to build the new Putra and Palm nines and upgrade the existing IOI nine. That was in the early 1990s and not quite 20 years later, I found myself at a much changed IOI Resort, just a par-five away from the heart of the nation’s administrative capital with the access and connectivity significantly improved from what I remembered it to be.

I believe that Tan Sri appreciated the good value the golf course brought to the existing properties as well as the future mixed development, hence he decided to give the golf club a second lease of life by sprucing it up and turning it into an 18-hole public course (Palm Garden Golf Club was previously a members’ club).

In our previous conversation, you have alluded to the important role played by golf course shaper Gary Cox? Do you care to elaborate? We were really fortunate to have the able hands of Gary, who has worked with our team in a number of high-profile projects. With the major earth movement and complex shaping required, Gary was the right person to put things into place and manage theconstruction activities. Gary also had the full support of Jasin, the main contractor who employed him, as they could see the value in the efficiency of his construction style.

The course that you see now is a little bit different from what we had originally planned when we started. For example, hole number four was slated to be a long par-four but eventually became the shortest par-five on the golf course, while the eighth was shortened to a par-four as we had to respond to the future development plans that the clients had in mind.

I believe in many ways, the clients could relate to Gary’s style of work– Gary loved to finish as

What were some of the challenges involved during the construction process? As the gradient was quite steep with the continued movement of earth, controlling erosion within the site was very critical, especially in the wet months. Being on the boundary of the Putrajaya Wetlands, we had to be very careful during the construction process not to allow any siltation from the project to flow into the wetlands. It was vital that we put in a comprehensive system of silt traps to avoid any unwanted particles, as well as controlling the volume of water released during a storm, which could have disturbed the ecosystem there.

Well, the similarities may be there but I assure you, it was not intended to be. The seventyseven sand traps are quite high-faced, which some might say is my trademark, but I liked Gary’s style of finishing them off differently with the angled grassed lip. There may be some engineering similarities such as the drainage system, path side pits, kerbing and maybe even the way water comes into play, but I believe that Palm Garden has its own identity. Golfers may find the undulating, large greens very familiar, but that is because I like the greens to offer a wide range of possible pin positions and challenge players to take different approaches each time they play. What has been some of the feedback you have gotten from associates and industry captains who have played the golf course? The routing has received praise, but most of the feedback has been about how pristine the

Palm Garden has always been noted for its rich flora, and one major feature that is left from the old layout today are the palms and trees; credit has to go to Palm Garden’s resident horticulturist Maznah and her team, who, together with Gary, coordinated the transplantation of thousands of mature palms and trees, which gave the course its pristine look from day one.

How would you rate the golf course personally, now that it is open to play? We used zoysia on the fairways, and it has fared well during the wet months; we are pleased that the choice of tidfwarf Bermuda (sourced from Saujana Golf & Country Club) for the greens has proven to be a good one. Under the grass, you have the highest quality of sand and material available and maybe, even one of the best drainage systems in the country, which will prove a difference in the years to come. From a player’s point of view, it is not a difficult golf course to post a reasonable score as long as you can play yourself around the trouble.

golf course looks and that is credit to the club maintenance crew for keeping it clean and tidy and to the management for insisting upon the highest possible quality of presentation Many of the elevated tees offer a breathtaking view of the golf course, the mangroves as well as the developments mushrooming in the surroundings; golfers do appreciate this

And your favourite hole? I like the finishing hole (pix above) – it’s a good, challenging par-four to finish your round. It’s a very scenic hole, and the average golfer has to really think about his second shot, because it is a delicate trade-off between risk and reward. You can see the entire hole from all tees and from the clubhouse which is exciting for players and spectators alike.

HOLE 17

Has anyone mentioned that Palm Garden course shares a resemblance to your other creations, especially the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club?

feature. A visiting friend from the United States commented that he enjoyed certain privacy to his round, because he was not distracted by adjacent fairways and that was a good point.

We have since removed the silt traps within the golf course area. Fully grassed slopes and numerous retention ponds now permanently protect the wetlands which are more visible to golfers as they play along adjacent elevated fairways.

HOLE 14 he goes, unlike some projects where you never really see the finished product until the end. He finished all activities in an area as he went along. For example with bunkers he would shape, drain, grass surrounds and install sand in a continuing operation, so Tan Sri had a good vision of the golf course as it was being built.

INSIDE THE ROPES

LUKE DONALD HEADLINES FIELD FOR RICHER MALAYSIAN OPEN

Maybank chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Nor and MGA vice-president Datuk Mohamed Zain Yusof hold the Seagram Trophy alongside tournament sponsors

orld number two Luke Donald will grace the stage of the Maybank Malaysian Open for the first time when he tees off at the national Open this March.

Donald, who completed a historic double when he won the money titles on both sides of the Atlantic in 2011, will headline a stellar field of proven winners from both the European and Asian Tours at the resplendent West Course of Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club from March 21-24. Luke Donald

class golfing personalities to the tournament and Malaysia as a whole. “Since Maybank took over the title sponsorship of the Open in 2006, we have made every effort to promote the game and enhance the prestige of the event for Malaysia. We have worked to get top players to inspire our crowds and participants.” “Many have gone on to become even bigger names in golf. We have introduced Malaysians to different players to be inspired by the diversity of talents and skills on the greens. I am pleased to say this tradition will continue,” said Megat Zaharuddin. “The confirmation of Luke Donald is indeed another boost for the Maybank Malaysian Open. Donald’s presence, like many other top players we have had in the past, will not only draw the crowd but also strengthen the profile of the Maybank Malaysian Open in the global golfing map.” While admitting that the Maybank Malaysian Open has to keep up with times and remain competitive by increasing its prize purse to attract the top names in the game, Megat Zaharuddin expressed his confidence that the long-standing prestige of the Malaysian Open remains a great marketing tool.

Title sponsor Maybank also confirmed that the total prize fund for the 52nd edition will rise to US$2.75 million – an increase of US$250,000 from the past two editions – making it one of the richest national Opens in the region.

“The European and Asian Tours’ players appreciate the long tradition of one of Asia’s oldest Opens as well as the glory and excitement of competing amongst the world’s best. They come to lay their claim on this highstakes event, one that also gives them that all-important world golf ranking points as well as the Race to Dubai – the only tournament in Malaysia to do so,” he noted.

In making the announcement, Maybank chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor reiterated the banking powerhouse’s commitment to bringing world

Tournament custodian Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) expressed the important role that the national Open has played in elevating the game of golf in Malaysia.

“The Maybank Malaysian Open has always been a platform for local professional golfers to elevate their performance and propel their careers in the international arena. Many of our professionals and even amateurs have benefited tremendously from the exposure and opportunity to play in a premier European Tour event alongside some of the best professionals from around the world,” said its vice president Datuk Mohamed Zain Yusof. The management of Asian Tour congratulated Maybank on its strong stewardship in ensuring the outstanding success of the Maybank Malaysian Open. “With golf making a welcome return to the Olympiad in 2016, the support from sponsors such as Maybank is crucial as the staging of world-class events like the Maybank Malaysian Open will provide the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) and a pathway for Asian stars, including the Malaysian golfers, to play their way to Rio De Janeiro in three years’ time,” said Asian Tour’s chief executive Mike Kerr. Event promoter GlobalOne was confident that moving the dates of the tournament before the Masters Tournament would not affect the quality of the field. “Today’s announcement of Luke Donald is an indication of the impact we are expecting to generate with the field for the 2013 edition. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be announcing a few more big names from within the world’s top 50 players, including some Major champions,” said GlobalOne’s chief executive John Eu. “Golf’s top stars are very global and have achieved much success in their travel, so we do not expect any problems with securing players. Furthermore, with the Open set to take place a good three weeks before the Masters Tournament, it will give a last chance saloon for players on the fringe of the world's top-50 to earn their Masters start” he added.

INSIDE THE ROPES The Asian Tour regular totalled 11-under 273 over four rounds to pick up a cheque of RM25,200 in the RM150,000 seasonopener.

proved a little unlucky on the tenth when he lost his ball, but that’s golf,” he added on his three-stroke swing after the turn.

Airil Rizman Zahari was three strokes back in sole third after posting a flawless two-under 69 ahead of defending champion Sukree Othman (69).

”Before I came here, I had the same thought about repeating my success at Impian two years back. It’s good to be back in the winners’ circle again, even if I’m far from comfortable with the new swing regiment that I have been implementing for the last five months. I’ve learnt during that period that I don’t have to swing it really well to play well as it is more important to be mentally positive.”

A battling final round of one-under 70 saw Shaaban Hussin settle for fifth on five-under 280. Despite a poor start with a bogey on second, Danny came back strongly with two strong stretches, especially when he birdied three of his five finishing holes.

FIRST BLOW TO CHIA AT KINRARA

anny Chia clinched his third Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) title in style, overturning a four-shot deficit to triumph by two strokes at the I&P Kinrara Classic on January 6. Danny, who turned the big 4-0 last November, traded seven birdies and two bogeys for a closing five-under 66 at Kinrara Golf Club; he took full advantage of S. Sivachandhran’s bad luck to clinch his first victory on the burgeoning domestic tour since June 2011, when he won the Clearwater Classic.

“I think I surprised a lot of people and even myself by coming back strongly today after my bogey-ridden finish yesterday. I didn’t miss that many greens this week, but I was a bit undecided on the pace. After I bogeyed the second, I realised that the patches were not slowing down the ball – it was the opposite actually, and I began to judge my putts much better,” said Danny, who was winless on tour last season. “The only way I could have outplayed Siva was to drain more putts than him as he can really get going on these greens. In the end, he

Danny also won the opening leg in 2010/2011 season and hoped that the win will set him up nicely for the rest of the year.

S. Sivachandhran was left wondering what could have been as a run of nine straight pars, which ended with an unlikely two-shot drop on the 10th when he lost his ball after his approach veered left into the rough. “I am very disappointed with that incident because I was nursing my lead through the turn, but it proved to be a miserable turn of luck on my part. I gave myself chances on the back nine all the way till the end but could only muster a single birdie on the 15th .”

Leading final round scores 273 – Danny Chia 72-63-72-66 275 – S. Sivachandhran 67-66-70-72 278 – Airil Rizman Zahari 71-717-67-69 279 – Sukree Othman 72-67-71-69 280 – Shaaban Hussin 69-71-70-70 281 – R. Nachimuthu 71-73-69-68 282 – Shaifubari Muda 71-74-69-68 Akhmal Tarmizee Nazari 73-71-68-70 Haziq Hamizan 70-70-69-73 284 – Nicholas Fung 71-67-75-71 Khor Kheng Hwai 69-73-69-73 Jeremiah Kim 71-67-71-75

NICHOLAS CLAIMS ASEAN HONOURS, SUTERA HARBOUR NAMED BEST VENUE

icholas Fung stole the show at the ASEAN PGA Tour Gala Awards Night held at the plush Sutera Harbour Marina, Golf & Country Club on January 12.

The 22-year-old Sabah native took to the stage to receive trophies for winning the ASEAN PGA Order of Merit title, and he was also voted the Players’ Player of the Year. He also claimed the Best Stroke Average with a score of 68.67 from 12 rounds. A joint eight finish in the season-ending Sabah Masters earlier in the day was enough to allow the reigning Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Order of Merit champion to top the regional money list. Nicholas finished the season with winnings of US$31,884 on the back of a victory at the Palembang Musi

Championship and a play-off defeat at the Singha Esan Open in Thailand. His fine year also meant he was one of the top five players from the money list to secure a place in OneAsia. The others were Gunn Charoenkul and Annop Tangkamolprasert from Thailand, Filipino Jay Bayron and Singaporean Choo Tze Huang. Annop also earned the Most Inspired Performance of the Year Award after recording his breakthrough win as a professional in the Gowa Classic in Indonesia. Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club was voted Venue of the Year by the players while Thailand's Piya Swangarunporn topped the birdie count with 81 birdies through 24 rounds.

INSIDE THE ROPES

EXPANDED TOUR CALENDAR A BOON FOR PROS

ocal professionals will have a lot to smile about as the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour announced a 2013 schedule bursting at its seams. The burgeoning domestic circuit, which began in late 2010, will feature an increased list of 22 tournaments - up from 20 in 2012 and will offer a total prize fund in excess of RM4 million. In addition to co-sanctioning nine events with the Asian Development Tour, the PGM Tour has also signed up three legs with the ASEAN PGA Tour - increasing its growing profile within the South East Asian region. The Satellite Tour platform, which was introduced halfway through the 2012 season, will have eleven qualifying events this year. In unveiling the schedule, PGM chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid expressed his appreciation to the government, in particular the prime minister, as well as various sponsors that have supported the tour since its inception.

“The PGM Tour is an important platform because without it the professional golfers of Malaysia would never be able to showcase their talents to potential sponsors and the golfing world at large. To this, the PGM Tour owes a debt of gratitude to the Prime Minister, the government as well as the many corporations that have come forward to help us reach our objectives.” He added that the tour was established to unearth new talents and to give Malaysian professionals a chance to compete and develop as players. “It is heartening to see that the younger players are starting to break through, even if the bulk of the tournaments are still being won by more established players. It is not surprising that each tournament, there is at least one young player showing up on the leaderboard and contending for the title,” he added, noting that he was delighted that the average scores have shown marked improvement over the last two seasons. In welcoming the ASEAN PGA Tour as a new partner, Ahmad Sarji advised the local professionals not to disheartened by the increase of co-sanctioned events but to take it as a positive challenge. “By having the ADT and ASEAN events here in Malaysia, we are easing the process for our local professionals to test their skills against the much stronger international and regional players and in the process, develop themselves into better players in preparation for the bigger challenges that await them,” he said. The third season opened with the RM150,000 I&P Kinrara Classic at Kinrara Golf Club and will conclude at the same venue with the Maybank Tour Players Championship, which will offer a richer purse of RM350,000 this year. The tour is also expected to make a maiden trip to Langkawi for the LADA Langkawi Masters at Gunung Raya Golf & Country Club in April. The other notable change is the Pahang Classic in October, which will shift to Royal Pahang Golf Club from its traditional venue at the Lanjut Golden Beach and Golf Resort in Rompin.

2013 Calendar Jan 3-6 PGM I & P KINRARA CLASSIC Kinrara GC, Puchong, Selangor Jan 30- Feb 2 PGM CCM KRPM MASTERS (ADT) Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia, Sg Buloh, Selangor Feb 20-23 PGM SIME DARBY HARVARD MASTERS (ADT) Harvard GCC, Bedong, Kedah Mar 06-09 PGM NORTHPORT GLENMARIE MASTERS (ADT) Glenmarie GCC, Shah Alam, Selangor Mar 06-09 PGM CLEARWATER CLASSIC Clearwater Sanctuary Resort, Batu Gajah, Perak Apr 10-13 PGM MAYBANK JOHOR MASTERS (ADT) Johor Country Club, Johor Bahru, Johor Apr 25-28 PGM LADA LANGKAWI MASTERS (ADT) Gunung Raya GR, Langkawi, Kedah May 08-11 PGM ASEAN A’FAMOSA MASTERS A’Famosa GR, Alor Gajah, Melaka May 27-30 PGM KELANTAN CLASSIC Kelantan GCC, Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan Jun 12-15 PGM ASEAN PENANG MASTERS Penang GR, Bertam, Penang Jun 26-29 PGM UMW TEMPLER PARK MASTERS (ADT) Templer Park CC, Rawang, Selangor Jul 03-06 PGM PERLIS CLASSIC Putra GC, Arau, Perlis Aug 15-18 PGM KINRARA CLASSIC Kinrara GC, Puchong, Selangor Aug 21-24 PGM TERENGGANU MASTERS (ADT) Awana Kijal Golf, Beach & Spa Resort, Kijal, Terengganu Sept 04-07 PGM SABAH CLASSIC Sabah GCC, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Sept 25-28 PGM MELAKA CLASSIC Ayer Keroh GC, Ayer Keroh, Melaka Oct 03-06 PGM MNRB SARAWAK MASTERS (ADT) Sarawak GC, Kuching, Sarawak Oct 16-19 PGM PAHANG CLASSIC Royal Pahang GC, Kuantan, Pahang Oct 23-26 PGM ASEAN NEGERI SEMBILAN MASTERS Seremban International GC, Seremban, N. Sembilan Nov 07-10 PGM MIDF KLGCC MASTERS (ADT) Kuala Lumpur GCC, Kuala Lumpur Nov 20-23 PGM IMPIAN CLASSIC Impian GCC, Saujana Impian, Selangor Dec 12-14 PGM MAYBANK TOUR PLAYERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP TBC

RM150,000 RM200,000 RM200,000 RM200,000 RM150,000 RM200,000 RM200,000 RM180,000 RM150,000 RM180,000 RM200,000 RM150,000 RM150,000 RM200,000 RM150,000 RM150,000 RM200,000 RM150,000 RM180,000 RM200,000 RM150,000 RM350,000

MY JUNIORS

Ong Shi Qing and Mohd Zarid Encho Suhaimi flanked by MGA NJDP committee member Hock Toh (left) and GlobalOne’s John Eu (right)

NATIONAL CAMP AIMS TO ELEVATE JUNIOR GOLFERS’ SKILL-SET

select group of junior golfers from across Malaysia successfully underwent a three-day intensive training camp during the Maybank Junior Golf National Camp organised by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA). The programme, which concluded on December 11 at the Glenmarie Golf & Country Club, focused on imparting an advanced level of golfing fundamentals and knowledge to junior golfers between the ages of 12 and 16, who were nominated by the respective state golf associations affiliated to MGA. Participants of the training camp went through a series of activities to hone their golf techniques as well as to help them devise their own mental strategies in preparation for competitive tournament play. While short game components such as iron play, pitching and chipping made up the bulk of the programme, the juniors were also given instructions on improving their distance of the tees. They were placed on a strict fitness regimen as well as nutritional plan while revisiting the rules and etiquette of golf to become more polished amateurs. Maybank, who have kept the programme running annually since taking over the title sponsorship of the Malaysian Open in 2006, expressed their commitment to help develop world-class golfing talents for Malaysia. “With substantial golf programmes like the Maybank Junior Golf National Camp (12–16 years) and the recently launched Maybank Junior Golf Champions Academy (6–12 years), I believe we can reach out to the next generation of professional golfers in Malaysia

and create future champions for our country,” said its chief marketing officer Mohamed Adam Wee Abdullah. “As a bonus initiative, the best boy and girl participants will get a chance to play alongside the professionals at the Maybank Malaysian Open 2013 Pro-Am tournament,” he added. MGA president Admiral (R) Tan Sri Dato Setia’ Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor expressed appreciation for Maybank’s ongoing support for the association’s efforts in promoting the game of golf and its ideals to the younger generation. “As a sporting association, the support of a corporation helps us tremendously in realising our vision to develop a structured golf development programme for juniors. We are so thankful for their support in discovering and nurturing our nation’s brightest young golf talents.” “Opportunity for winners of the Maybank Junior Golf National Camp to play with the professionals at the Pro-Am event during the Maybank Malaysian Open will be a boon to efforts in inspiring Malaysia’s young golfers to achieve golfing excellence,” he said. Six-handicapper Mohd Zarid Encho Suhaimi from Sabah was named the best boy participant while 15-year-old Ong Shi Qing (10) of Selangor was the pick of the girls. “The Maybank Junior Golf National Camp was a lot of fun, it was a great experience. I learnt a lot and it’s a dream come true to be able to play at the Maybank Malaysian Open 2013,” said 16-year-old Zarid.

WATCH THIS SPACE!

AROUND THE GLOBE

THAWORN, ISHIKAWA INVITED TO THE MASTERS eigning Asian Tour number one Thaworn R Wiratchant was on cloud nine after receiving a special invitation to play in The Masters Tournament.

Along with Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, both players received exemptions from Augusta National Golf Club to compete in the year’s opening Major in Georgia, United States from April 11-14. “I’m very happy with this good news,” said Thaworn. “When my manager informed me, I initially thought she was joking. I didn’t expect to receive an invitation and I was planning to work hard to break into the world’s top-50 (by end of March) to qualify for the Masters.” Ranked 68th in the world, Thaworn wrote a slice of history on the Asian Tour last year by becoming the oldest player at the age of 45 years and 353 days to win the prestigious Order of Merit crown following a season which included three victories.

He will become the fourth Thai after Sukree Onsham, Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng to tee up at Augusta National but is hoping to become the first from his country to play in all four rounds. “I’ll try to make the cut… that would be the goal. If I don’t make it, then I want to ensure that I had played my best. The players at the Masters are all good players and it is a very challenging golf course,” said Thaworn. Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, said in a statement: “The Masters has long established a tradition of supporting the global game, and we were excited to extend invitations to Thaworn Wiratchant and Ryo Ishikawa, who we hope will provide added interest and enthusiasm for golf in Asia through their participation in the tournament.”

INDONESIAN OPEN BACK ON ASIAN TOUR CALENDAR

he Indonesian Open will return to the Asian Tour schedule from 2013 and onwards on the back of a landmark agreement penned by the regional tour, the Indonesian Golf Association (PGI) and event promoter IMG. The new partnership will focus on elevating the stature of the Indonesian Open into one of the most prestigious national championships on the Asian Tour.

beyond will be hugely successful so that the entire golfing fraternity in Indonesia will be proud of our flagship tournament,” he added. Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han was equally pleased to welcome back the event, which roll of winners include include prominent names such as the late American Payne Stewart, Frank Nobilo of New Zealand, Filipino legend Frankie Minoza, Australia’s Craig Parry, Chinese Taipei’s Lu Chien-soon and Myanmar’s Mya Aye.

As a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours, all Asian Tour tournaments receive the “The Indonesian Open has highest allocation of Official World always been one of the finest golf Golf Ranking points in the region. championships in Asia where our leading stars such as Thaworn “On behalf of PGI, we are delighted Wiratchant, winner of the 2012 Asian to announce that we have entered Tour Order of Merit, and Thongchai into a partnership with the Asian Jaidee (pic) have won the tournament Tour and IMG which will benefit in the past. our country immensely through a myriad of wonderful opportunities “We are excited to have this for junior development, the golfing opportunity to work closely with the industry and tourism in this country,” PGI and we believe the Indonesian said Indonesian Golf Association Open is right up there amongst the (PGI) president Arifin Panigoro. best of national Opens in Asia. Our players enjoy visiting Indonesia as the “This agreement marks a new dawn golf courses, facilities and hospitality for our national championship and are first class and we look forward to we are convinced the staging of returning for the 2013 Indonesian the Indonesian Open in 2013 and Open.

LOUIS DIGS DEEP FOR VOLVO TITLE

outh African Louis Oosthuizen stormed back in the final round of the Volvo Golf Champions at Durban Country Club on January 13 shooting a six-under 66 to win the title by one stroke. Oosthuizen entered the final round five shots adrift of leader Scott Jamieson from Scotland, who finished second after a finalhole eagle chip to force a play-off agonisingly missed the pin by millimetres. Former paratrooper Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand was a further shot back in third. “What a great week for me and I played really well today,” said Oosthuizen, who posted rounds of 68, 64, 74 and 66 for a 16-under total of 272 and succeeded compatriot Branden Grace as the winner. Oosthuizen had earlier in the week topped a pro-am event and the farming enthusiast quite understandably talked to organisers and swapped the car he had won for an excavator.

AROUND THE GLOBE

CHARL WALTZES TO SOUTH AFRICAN WIN the field trailing following an 11-shot win in the Asian Tour’s Thailand Golf Championship a week earlier. Schwartzel, 10 clear with a round to play, added a three-under-par 69 either side of a two-hour thunderstorm delay to claim his eighth European Tour title. Closest challenger Gregory Bourdy of France took a double-bogey seven on the final hole to elevate Swede Kristoffer Broberg, four times a winner on the Challenge Tour last season, into second place. Bourdy shared third with Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, a winner himself at the weathershortened Nelson Mandela Championship in Durban, defending champion Garth Mulroy and England’s Andy Sullivan. outh African Charl Schwartzel completed S his fantastic finish to 2012 with an astonishing 12-stroke victory on home soil at the Alfred Dunhill Championship on December 16.

Schwartzel also continued a remarkable record at the course on the border of the Kruger National Park. “It’s always been a special place for me. This is where I can almost say my career started and it’s always stayed close to my heart,” said Schwartzel, who won his first Tour title in 2004 and has had four runner-up finishes there.

The former Masters champion underlined his return to form with a 24-under-par 264 at Leopard Creek Country Club - to again leave

“It’s nice to have continued my form from last week. I was saying a month and a half ago it’s been a pretty disappointing year.”

LPGA UNVEILS EXPANDED 2013 SCHEDULE uoyed by growing global fan base, TV B ratings, and corporate sponsorship, the LPGA Tour released its 2013 schedule that includes 28 tournaments.

In total, Yani Tseng, Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, and other stars of the LPGA will play one more tournament than they did last season for US$49 million in prize money. Though the tour lost two events (the Sybase Match Play Championship and Navistar LPGA Classic), Whan added another three. The 2013 schedule is the most robust since 2009, when the LPGA also staged 28 contests. LPGA commissioner Michael Whan is confident about adding another later this year to the new trio already on the calendar. “We expect to have one more tournament to announce in the very near future,” said Whan in a statement. In addition to the Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic at the Ocean Club Golf Course over Memorial Day

weekend and the North Texas LPGA Shootout April 25-April 28 at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, the tour will travel to Beijing, China, for the US$1.8 million Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic from October 3-October 6. The tour will also play five major championships, with the former Evian Masters emerging as The Evian. The Old Course at St. Andrews will host the Women’s British Open a month prior to the fifth major. This season, which starts February 14 at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open and wraps up with the season-ending CME Group Titleholders in Florida on November 24, also features the Solheim Cup.

TRANSFER SEASON

January 1 signalled the start of player movement worldwide and we bring you a running list of who’s coming and going in the equipment world. TaylorMade Lucas Glover (previously with Nike) Ryan Moore (Adams) John Huh (Ping) JJ Henry (Callaway) Brian Davis (Titleist) Stewart Cink (Nike) Nike Nick Watney (Titleist) Kyle Stanley (Titleist) Seung-yul Noh (Titleist) Thorbjørn Olesen (Titleist) Rory McIlroy (Titleist) Callaway Gary Woodland (Titleist) Andres Gonzales (Adams) Chris Kirk (Titleist) Nicolas Colsaerts (Titleist) Ryo Ishikawa (Yonex) Jamie Sadlowski (Adams Golf ) Adams Jeff Overton (Mizuno) Cobra Puma Golf Jesper Parnevik Oakley Zach Johnson (Iliac) Bubba Watson (Travis Mathew)

TITIYA CLAIMS MAIDEN LAGT WIN

Four-time major champion Meg Mallon will lead the U.S. squad at Colorado Golf Club with the Americans hoping to bring the cup back home after losing it to the Europeans two years ago at Celtic Manor.

JOHNSON TRIUMPHS AT HAWAII merican Dustin Johnson made a winning start to 2013 A by claiming a four-shot victory at the weather-affected Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on January 9.

After three straight days of suspension due to severe winds, the tournament was reduced to 54 holes with two rounds played on Monday. Johnson started the final round with a three-shot lead and secured victory with a five-under 68 for a total of 16-under - four shot clear of Steve Stricker.

hailand’s Titiya Plucksataporn fired a T final-round 73 to win the LAGT’s seasonopening Royal Open at the Hsin-chu Royal

Johnson who made a great start to the final round with three birdies in his first eight holes but a double-bogey on the par-four 13th dropped him to one under and briefly threatened to derail his title hopes. But an eagle on the next hole before further gains on the 15th and 18th made the win safe.

With a three-stroke advantage after two rounds, Titiya endured a nervous finish as she double-bogeyed the closing hole to total six-under-par 210 and finish a stroke clear of local hopeful Teresa Lu, who signed for a final round 70.

Golf Club in Taiwan on January 13.

IN THE BAG

CONTINUING SUCCESS Coming on the back of their highly-anticipated and successful 913 drivers, Titleist promise to deliver more performance from both turf and tee with their new 913 fairway metals and hybrids

he 913 fairways and hybrids utilise a new SureFit Tour weight location on the sole of each club to help create distinct performance targets, all-around performance or lower spin with a penetrating flight with golfers able to select their preferred models â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 913F or 913F.d Low Spin and 913H or 913H.d â&#x20AC;&#x201C; based on forgiveness or ball flight.

Both the 913 fairways and hybrids have a leaner SureFit Tour hosel with a lower height and tapered sleeve which not only improves the center of gravity but also accentuates the appearance at address. The 913 hybrids are also refined with a sleeker, tour-inspired design.

Similar to 913 drivers, the fairway metals and hybrids utilise a new casting and polishing process to produce an ultra-thin crown, with a lower, flatter sole profile.

Continuing the bold new cosmetics found on the 913 drivers, the fairways and hybrids have a striking, black PVD finish and a new black body paint that provides a sense of confidence and power at address.

The 913 fairway metals and hybrids also feature lower center of gravity (CG) positions compared to preceding 910 models to further maximize distance potential through reduced spin while providing stability and forgiveness.

CLUB TECH TALK

STOCK SHAFT MATRIX PRICE

913F

913F.d

The 913F is a high performance, classic pear shaped fairway that delivers distance with stability through low and deep weighting for all-around performance from the turf and tee.

The 913F.d Low Spin is a high performance, larger full pear shaped fairway that delivers distance with lower spin (about 200 rpm less than 913F) from low and forward weighting for a more penetrating flight.

913H

913H.d

The 913H is a high performance hybrid that delivers distance and stability through low and deep weighting for all-around performance.

The 913H.d is a high performance hybrid that delivers distance with lower spin from low and forward weighting for a more penetrating flight. It has a more compact head than 913H with slightly more offset.

Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 82, Mitsubishi S+ Blue 72 and 62, Titleist Bassara W 55 and 45

Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 92 , Diamana S+ Blue 82 and 72, Titleist Bassara W 60 and 50

RM1200 S$510

RM999 S$449

Available from February 9, 2013. Custom order starts March 15, 2013.

IN THE BAG

COLOUR REVOLUTION Volvik has been producing quality golf balls since 1989 and is one of the top selling brands in South Korea. Its entire range of unique golf balls come in an assortment of fresh colours and have taken the world by storm with the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-standing involvement with the LPGA Tour, sponsoring both players and events. Spearheaded by its revolutionary Vista IV, Volvik golf balls are now exclusively available at all Pan-West outlets. Vista IV

Tour performance golf ball made for low handicap golfers who want to maximize their game while at the same time doing it in style. l l

Sports a patented zirconium ionomer cover with a 392 cube-octahedron dimple design that is more durable and long lasting without sacrificing on soft feel. Four-piece, performance golf ball features a power core for longer distance, a Bismuth mixed control layer for softer feel and better spin control as well as a high-resiliency inner cover that provides increased energy transfer for greater distance and accuracy of the tees.

RRP: RM250 (available in four assorted colours and white)

Lady 350

Ultimate distance with hyper soft feel. l Premium three-piece golf ball designed for lady golfers with lower swing speeds yet seeking longer distance. l Proprietary dual core technology with patented Bismuth mixing promotes a soft feel for more accurate play and greater spin control. l Low compression 350-Octahedron dimple pattern delivers improved flight stability.

RRP: RM180 (available in pearlescent pink and yellow)

Crystal

Maximum distance without sacrificing feel l l

Two-piece low compression golf ball that provides ultra soft feel and maximum distance on every shot. Features a translucent ionomer cover with genuine crystal properties for superior light diffusion for high visibility even during flight.

RRP: RM180 (available in nine assorted colours)

Magma*

Maximum distance without sacrificing feel l

Similar to its predecessor the Volvik Raiders, three-piece golf ball with enhanced distance technology that pushes the limits of how far a ball can fly yet promote better feel.

RRP: RM180 *Non-conforming under the Rules of Golf as established by the USGA and The R&A in St Andrews

IN THE BAG

Calling it a “once in a lifetime innovation, TaylorMade Golf unveil their revolutionary Rocketbladez franchise, an iron with remarkable new technology that promotes high launching, long straight and quickstopping performance for golfers of all abilities.

The Speed Pocket combined with a shorter hosel helps redistribute 17.5 grams of weight to lower the center of gravity to deliver a higher launch angle, higher peak trajectory and a steep, quickstopping descent.

The Speed Pocket is a two-millimeter-wide slot cut in the sole of the 3-iron through 7-iron that permits the face to flex farther and more easily to provide more springiness upon impact. Higher-lofted clubs such as the sand and lob wedges don’t include the Speed Pocket but have redesigned cavities to improve their feel and feature TaylorMade’s ATV (All-Terain Versatility) sole for improved workability around the greens.

Careful management of the RocketBladez’s face thickness, Center of Gravity location and the inclusion of the Speed Pocket enlarges the effective sweet spot, which makes for more consistent shotmaking – and therefore more consistent distance gaps throughout the set.

Advanced, ultra-thin face design promote consistently high ball speed and distance. The Speed Pocket is sealed with a specially formulated polyurethane developed by 3M that keeps grass and other debris out as well as dampens vibration for better, more solid feel upon impact. Want more details? Head on over to www.taylormadegolf.asia/my Rocketbladez:

RM3,850 TM Rocket Fuel Graphite 65 (#4-PW,SW) RM3,450 TM Rocket Fuel Steel 85 (#4-PW,SW) RM3,350 Women’s Graphite (#5-PW, SW)

Rocketbladez Tour: TBA (KBS Tour C-Taper 95 & Dynamic Golf S200)

RocketBladez irons have more of a cavityback than the RocketBladez Tour models, which are tuned a little hotter with a more compact head, squarer toe, thinner topline and minimal offset.

IN THE BAG

E ASY TO HIT !

Packed with technology, the new Adams Golf Speedline Super LS family of driver, fairway woods and hybrids are designed using Velocity Slot Technology (VST) and multi-material construction to provide golfers with exceptional performance in all categories while continuing the brand’s dedication to producing easy to hit clubs. The Super LS line-up takes on a matte white finish on the crown and a contrasting PVD face, which combines to make the clubs look larger at address and more easy to align to instill more confidence in the player.

SPEEDLINE SUPER LS DRIVER l Slot in the sole of the club is deeper in the heel and toe to increase the sweet spot across the face, providing golfers with consistently higher ball speeds for consistently longer drives. l Lower CG maximizes gear effect to produce very low spin without sacrificing launch. This combined with the deep face design creates a driver that high launch and low spin players have been longing to hit. l Features Adams’ Fast Fit fitting system, which allows for extensive adjustability, having the ability to adjust face angle, length and swing weight to fine tune this driver for maximum performance to better your own game.

SPEEDLINE SUPER LS FAIRWAY l A redesigned crown slot generates more ball speed, creating optimal launch angle and spin rate while a new sole slot increases the overall hotness of the face. l Multi-material design with a titanium face and crown combining with a stainless steel sole for exceptionally low center of gravity and thin fast face. l Features Adams’ Fast Fit technology which allows for extensive customisation of loft/face angle, length and swing weight for maximum performance.

SPEEDLINE SUPER LS HYBRID l Incorporating VST, the multi-material design with a titanium face and crown as well as a stainless steel sole creates an exceptionally low CG for greater all-around performance. l A next generation sole slot has an increased CT for an incredibly hot face for higher ball speeds and more distance. l Redesigned crown slot that is deeper, longer and thinner improves deflection across the entire face to increase launch angle without creating any additional spin for more carry distance and makes it easier to hit greens from further away

Full specifications at www.adamsgolf.com. Prices to be announced

IN THE BAG

RAZR FIT XTREME DRIVER

www.callawaygolf.com

Callaway RAZR Fit Xtreme driver debuts new technologies to advance overall performance and promote distance gains over its predecessor, the awardwinning, Tour-proven RAZR Fit® driver. Powerful new Speed Frame™ Face Technology that optimizes stiffness and stress distribution across the face saves weight for more efficient energy transfer. This produces increased ball speed and consistent distance, even on off-center contact. l Features a tighter bulge radius for a more preferred look at address, along with more consistent sidespin and dispersion. l Utilizes its patented, lightweight Forged Composite crown to achieve the lowest center of gravity (CG) of any adjustable driver for further distance gains. l Improved adjustability with the OptiFit Hosel that adjusts the face angle to Open, Square or Closed positions to improve accuracy and trajectory while allowing golfers to dial in their preferred look at address. l A new OptiFit Weights weighting system that offers golfers a greater range of shot shaping options. l Comes in more lofts that incorporate a greater range of face angle options, CG bias options and CG height differences with two Tour grade shafts (Aldila Trinity & Matrix 7M3 Black Tie) as stock offerings. l

RRP: RM1,990

X HOT IRONS

www.callawaygolf.com

Callaway’s new X Hot and X Hot Pro irons are designed to deliver increased distance and performance for both amateur and professional golfers. l Industry leading deep undercut cavity moves the hottest part of the face lower down to the area where most golfers connect with the ball for higher ball speeds. l Speed frame technology - previously utilised in Callaway drivers - create more efficient energy transfer by optimising face stiffness, facilitating increased ball speed and consistent distance even if the ball is struck outside the sweet spot. l Feel Management Technology fine tunes sound by promoting a crisp and dynamic feel. l Pro versions created for lower handicappers with J-Face Dynamics for great power and feel as well as Callaway’s most precise 20° Close Spaced V grooves, which offer more backspin from the rough.

RRP: TBA

IN THE BAG

VR_S COVERT DRIVER www.nikegolf.com

Visually stunning iconic red driver stands out as the most innovative club Nike Golf has ever produced, combining three proprietary technology platforms for unprecedented distance, control and forgiveness. • • • •

High Speed Cavity design sees the central-back portion of the sole being removed to force the weight to the heel and toe areas, creating a more forgiving, perimeterweighting effect. Upgraded FlexLoft adjustable sleeve allowing independent adjustment of the face angle into three different settings while the club’s loft can be set between 8.5° and 12.5°. Enhanced 2013 NexCOR Face Technology with a 45% larger hot zone A 460-cc head and is designed to maximize power while golfers who want to shape their drives can opt for the 430cc Tour version.

RRP: RM 1,380 & RM 1,780 (Tour) - (available with Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage 50/60 shaft )

CT112 DRIVER www.fourteengolf.com • • • •

Four-piece lightweight and durable titanium construction designed for maximum forgiveness and distance. Features a 6-4 titanium face with variable thickness which allows for great rebound effect and maximum energy transfer at impact combined with 460cc size head for maximum hitting area and forgiveness. BF-11 0.5mm ultra thin crown design promotes a lower center of gravity, creating an easy, powerful and high launch. High back head design promotes a level swing, for a strong and penetrating flight with low spin.

RRP: RM 1,950

AMP CELL DRIVER www.cobragolf.com •

•

MyFly Technology gives you six different loft/trajectory settings allowing the player to adjust the loft to maximize distance, manage trajectory for different weather and ground conditions and dial in the club to match your game. AMP CELL SmartPad Technology delivers a square face at address regardless of loft setting for added shot workability while retaining an option for the player to slightly open or close the driver as needed at address. Advanced Material PlacementTM and Cell technology work together to enable a 12% larger elliptical E9 Face shape to deliver faster ball speeds and high moment of inertia on mis-hits.

RRP: RM1,390 (Fujikura Rombax) and RM1,290 (Fujikura Fuel) - available in four fresh colours

GEAR UP

adiCross Tour Golf Shoe www.taylormadegolf.com

adicross II provides superior traction and comfort in all types of weather and any course-condition a golfer can expect to encounter • •

Classic adidas inspired full leather upper provides a rich look and feel adiWEAR abrasion resistant rubber outsole provides full-length spikeless traction, comfort and off-course versatility. Advanced Traction technology utilizes 100 strategically placed traction lugs in varying sizes for ultimate traction and grip in all conditions with the addition of Plusflex 4 Channel Flex grooves in forefoot for increased flexibility, natural feel and ground contact throughout swing. Lightweight EVA sock liner promotes longer lasting comfort. Choice of a classic lace-up (tonal and contrast and a fashion-forward Velcro-strap with a two-year waterproof warranty.

•

• •

RRP: RM299

The new SciFlex glove delivers exceptional gripping power and breathability for an unbeatable performance advantage and Tour-proven feel in all climate conditions.

SciFlex Glove www.footjoy.com

• • •

•

Taction 2™ Advanced Performance Leather® provides exceptional moisture management and improved grip performance for a tour-proven feel. Angled ComforTab™ closure secures a precision fit Micro-perforations strategically positioned on the palm and fingers, matched with a new MicroVent® FiberSof™stretch material located on the back of the hand promotes a cooler, drier, more comfortable golf glove even in the most extreme conditions. PowerNet™ mesh at the back of the hand improves breathability, flexibility and contoured fit.

RRP: RM75 (available in assorted colour, sizes 21-27 in LH and RH)

Merino Tour Golf Socks www.footjoy.com

Developed using fine, natural merino yarns, Merino Tour delivers unbeatable moisture management and temperature regulation, keeping your feet dry and comfortable for the optimal playing experience. • • •

Fine Merino wool naturally regulates temperature and manages moisture keeping your feet dry and comfortable while breathable mesh inserts in key stress areas boost ventilation. Comfort seam toe enclosure ensures a comfortable, smooth fit coupled with a double-layer reinforced heel for added durability. Anatomically shaped left & right foot-beds provide enhanced cushioning in high impact areas and a contoured fit while targeted cushioning in both the ball and heel deliver added comfort.

RRP: RM52 (available in black and natural)

GEAR UP

Sync Cart Bag www.sunmountain.com

Sun Mountain started with a top and bottom designed to nest in the upper and lower bag wraps of its proprietary push carts. •

A slimmer cart bag designed for push cart fan with a new 15-way divider with a separate putter well to fit oversized putter grips. Nine pockets including two fulllength clothing pockets, a velour-lined valuables pocket and an insulated cooler beverage pocket. Integrated cart strap for buggy use and rubberized pads protect the bag from wear and tear on and off the cart.

•

RRP: RM790 (available in assorted colours at RGT Technology)

Sport Spikeless Golf Shoe www.footjoy.com

Designed and developed for the player seeking crossover-inspired comfort, style and technology of FootJoy Sport golf shoes with a versatile spikeless outsole • • • • •

Full grain leather uppers offer outstanding comfort, breathability and durability while Proofguard membrane provides total waterproof protection. Full rounded toe character with a slightly shallow forefoot and a slightly narrow heel Molded EVA fit-bed and midsoles provides lightweight underfoot cushioning with forefoot flex zone provides additional walking comfort and flexibility. Heel stabilizer increases heel stability by minimizing any teetering that may occur during the golf swing. Duramax rubber spikeless outsole creates a lightweight, durable and stable hitting platform with added a measure of versatility and fun color pop.

RRP: RM545 / s$220

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Royal Splendour Lina Abdul Wahab returns to the regal city of Hua Hin, ready to be pampered like a queen while discovering the traditional charm and hospitality of Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most peaceful beach destination

TRAVEL FEATURE

ua Hin, the area to south of Thailand, about 200km away from Bangkok is a picture of calm and serenity when I first visited it in 1998.

As a perfect escapade to lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stresses, Hilton Hua Hin offers first rate spa. The spa is an icon of Hilton Hua Hin. For a spa buff, the Hilton Hua Hin spa provides an amazing experience. Shut your tired mind out with the most relaxing Thai herbal steam bath with the distinct lemongrass scent lulling you to short but restful nap. Let the very experienced Thai masseuse unwind your tired muscle after a morning of rigorous tennis or intense golf. Its reputation speaks for itself. One comes out of it feeling brand new.

Back then, Hua Hin was synonymous with the Thai royal family, the palace, historical sites and national parks. What struck me the most in that visit was how beautiful the beaches of Hua Hin were. Long stretches of pristine white sands seemed endless, forming a perfect alliance with the clear bluish sea to give the perfect postcard moment to anyone walking along it. Now, Hua Hin is a thriving town which is not only well-known for its historical sites, national parks and its much celebrated railway station. Thanks to Berjaya Air (www.berjaya-air.com), travelling to Hua Hin is now a breeze - minus the hassle of a three-hour transfer by car from Bangkok - with direct flights connecting Subang to the regal city thrice weekly. Mention Hua Hin now and amongst the first things which would come to mind is golf tourism. Hua Hin currently boasts some of the most spectacular world class golf courses, which golfers from around the world gravitate to as their first choice golfing destinations. A world class golfing experience needs to be coupled with an excellent accommodation and you will be spoilt for choice in Hua Hin.

Other than the spa, Hilton Hua Hin offers many facilities. There is something for everyone, from the executives to the golfing daddies to the

Situated right in the centre of Hua Hin, Hilton Hua Hin Resort and Spa (www.hilton.com) provides the perfect combination of urban living and seaside vacation experience. Just a short 15minute drive from the Hua Hin Airport and two hour drive from lively Bangkok, Hilton Hua Hin is perfectly accessible to everyone. Each modern room is the epitome of comfort and spacious layout and treats guests to prime beachfront views over the Gulf of Thailand from the private balcony. Each room comes equipped with cable TV, wifi connections and a full size fridge.

TRAVEL FEATURE

CATCH A FLIGHT! Berjaya Air flies non-stop to Hua Hin from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang thrice weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Promotional rates start from RM299* one-way with free and easy packages going for as low as RM1238*. Golf packages are also available from RM2238* with the airline extending an additional 10kg baggage allowance for golfers. Book at www.berjaya-air.com *terms and conditions apply

mummies in need of a good rest and foodies who are on the quest to sample Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hot and spicy delicacies. A ballroom perfect for the wedding of the year, recreational centres like the playground for the children, billiard room for the teenagers, tennis courts and fitness rooms for the health conscious and a big and welcoming pool for everyone. Five restaurants which can host guests for their business meetings or simply a leisurely lunch or

dinner with the love ones - all boasting exquisite cuisines cooked by world-class chefs. Literally at the footsteps of Hilton Hua Hin is the pristine beach with stretches for about five km. Hua Hin is blessed with attractive, safe and family-friendly beaches. As Hua Hin is situation in the Gulf of Thailand, the sea is warm throughout the year making swimming and other beach activities a pleasurable experience.

TRAVEL FEATURE

Amari Hua Hin (www.amari.com/huahin) may be the new kid on the beach of Hua Hin but the royal treatment it promises is fit for the ancient king. Tastefully designed and furnished, guests to The Amari would immediately feel that they are on a stylish vacation upon entering lobby greeted by friendly hotel staffs who are always smiling. First impressions last and The Amari takes that seriously.

Amari has other things to offer as well, such as the signature spa, the fitness room, the very spacious swimming pool or just have a relaxing drink with each other at the Coral Lounge.

family that made the stay in The Amari simply ideal.

They strive to give each guest an experience to remember and right from the start to the time a guest leaves, excellent service continuously provides guests with a memorable experience. The highlight of the stay in The Amari has to be the excellent service by the always gracious staff. Each hotel guest is treated like a king and our wish is their command, delicately attentive without being too intrusive.

Situated on Nong Kae beachfront, The Amari is the perfect family friendly resort which caters to the needs of everyone. The rooms are carefully designed with modernist and contemporary design elements. They are spacious, fully equipped with flat screen television, a broad sofa, walk â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in wardrobe and a cosy living area. It is home away from home, or rather a grand suite away from home. Guests can choose from the deluxe room, hill view, ocean view and the pool view and each room comes with a spacious balcony for guests to enjoy whichever view that feeds their eyes. There are five restaurants in The Amari and one need not look anywhere else for the fine dining experience to fulfil the gastronomic desires. The

Efficiency seems to be their code of honour and they accommodate to queries and requests to the best of their abilities, without ever wiping the genuine smiles off their faces. It was them and the culture of The Amari treating each guest as

The Amari has got to be a class of its own. Being new, it has already made its mark in the hearts of many hotel guests who came as travellers but left as families. The Hua Hin which I first visited in 1998 has come a long way to be where it is right now but has retained its traditional charm. It was a very pleasant experience then and now - with hotels such as Amari and Hilton Hua Hin with their excellent service and very accommodating staff simply making the experience not just pleasant but a memorable one as well.

FIT FOR GOLF WITH SAMANTHA

appy New Year! What better way to start your golf year right than to understand your golf swing and know more about golf fitness. In this issue letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tackle the dreaded SWAY and SLIDE.

SWAY is the excessive lateral movement of the lower body moving away from the target on the backswing. The SLIDE would be the excessive lateral movement of the lower body moving towards the target on the downswing. A few questions you maybe able to answer to understand some causes of the slide and sway swing faults. How is your ability to separate your upper body from your lower body? Do you have a good pelvic rotary movement or is it more of a lateral movement? Are your ankles mobile? Here are some exercises to correct those limitations. Exercise 1: Lift your feet off the ground and move your ankles. Without moving your legs, use your feet to do air drawings of th e alphabet from A-Z.

Samantha Cebrero fell in love with golf when she first held a club at the age of 11. Her love for the sport evolved through the years until a childhood hobby turned into a professional career.

certified

Titleist

Performance Institute (TPI) instructor, she travels around the region to provide golf clinics to various level of players. With her education and continuous learning of everything golf, her goal is to help and share as much as she can and rock Asia in the process.

Exercise 2: In an all fours position stabilizes your core to prevent any movement from your spine. Lift your leg and make 5 circles with that hip trying to get the biggest range of motion possible. Do them on both sides.

NO TO SWAY & SLIDE Exercise 3: In an all fours position place your left hand behind your head and rotate your spine. Get your elbow to touch your right knee by rotating in a counter clockwise direction. Rotate your spine and elbow as far as possible by rotating clockwise. Do them 5x in both sides. Keep your eyes on the elbow. Lastly, for a better golf game, try some golf fitness

COVERING CARLSBAD BY SCOTT KRAMER

Scott Kramer is a veteran golf writer based in the golf equipment capital of Carlsbad, California. In his 20-plus years covering the golf industry, the former senior editor of GOLF Magazine

has

lowered

his

playing index to 5.1, raised his IQ on the sophisticated technology used to make golf clubs, and stayed even keel on his propensity to miss short putts.

But he always brings game to his columns.

feel old. This month, I’m attending the PGA Merchandise Show for the 23rd consecutive year. Products used to be announced at the convention – packing wonderful elements of suspense and surprise -- but electronic means and quicker product cycles have forced manufacturers to reveal their new year’s equipment plans early. Furthermore, you benefit by finding out which exciting, new trends you’ll see in equipment this year. Come and take a peek. DRIVERS Drivers bearing adjustable lofts will be big in 2013. New models, such as TaylorMade’s R1, Nike’s VR_S Covert and Cobra’s AMP Cell, allow you to adjust the loft by several degrees. It’s one thing – as in years past – to re-orient the shaft and then watch your ball flight veer left or right, or slightly up and down. But it’s quite another to move the ball significantly higher or lower, actually changing the club’s loft by four degrees or so. Imagine a windy day, morning dew, tight holes, or whatever conditions you might run into, and wish you had a higher- or lower-lofted driver to negotiate the course with. While many of you have tended to previously find one face angle setting you liked and keep it there, that will not be the case with adjustable loft. You’ll want to continuously toy around with it.

2013 EQUIPMENT TRENDS

In 2013, you’ll also see driver clubheads in bright colours. Cobra officials were amazed, when they previewed their new AMP Cell driver in four colours at an October kick-off event, at how passionate golf retailers were about certain colours, how they swore a clubhead in one colour – albeit otherwise identical – made it look deeper or larger than another. FAIRWAY WOODS AND HYBRIDS Adjustable lofts will probably be huge in fairway woods and hybrids this year, too – maybe even more so than drivers because you can take a standard 3-wood, for example, and convert it into a true 4-wood in seconds. You’ll also see many fairway woods this year being touted as distance mongers. Some companies put slots or hollow cavities directly behind the clubface that create a rebound effect, to help shots catapult quicker off of the clubface for more distance. IRONS Technology is finally progressing with irons. TaylorMade’s new Rocketbladez irons have a slot

behind the clubface that creates a trampoline-like effect on the clubface, allowing it to burst shots forward with more speed for longer yardage. In fact, most manufacturers have bested their previous iron models, using new technology, shaping, or weighting concepts to add distance and forgiveness. Notably, they’ve truly enhanced yardage: Rather than strengthening the lofts as they have in years past as a quick way to add distance, they’ve now discovered ways to further spread the weight around inside the clubheads to master the feat. They’re also continuing to use lighter shafts and grips; and they’re thinning out the clubface for more spring-like effect. This will really help players of all abilities - particularly those needing game-improvement and super gameimprovement models - hit the ball higher and longer, with less effort. WEDGES With wedges, face texturing has gone to another level. Cleveland Golf’s Rotex wedges (pix above) , for instance, feature large-sized grooves plus a directionally milled pattern that helps maximize spin - particularly on shots where spin is hardest to generate - by improving the quality and consistency of impact. Other companies are offering custom wedges in which you select your own grind; bounce angle, shaping and even cosmetics. There’s also a growing tendency toward wedge fitting, so you have ideal wedges for your swing with seamless distance gaps between them. BALLS While Titleist is offering new versions of its Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls, other manufacturers have also debuted renovated versions of their old-andpopular models – Bridgestone’s e6, for example, has larger dimples that reduce drag and increase lift for more carry. Then there are the all-new products. TaylorMade replaced its five-layer Penta TP ball with a like ball, the five-layer, soft core Lethal. This one’s designed to stay in the air longer and spin less on tee shots. I’ve tested it and found it to be one of the best new golf balls I’ve seen in years. Callaway expanded its ball offerings with new three-piece models. Srixon’s offering a fresh game-improvement ball, and Nike’s new balls feature a proprietary mantle material that’s supposed to speed up your shots by three miles per hour.

RARE BIRDIE

Martin

Vousden

experienced golf writer and editor, equally at home in print © Getty

publications or online content. A

The news that Tom Watson has been appointed America’s Ryder Cup captain for next year’s match at Gleneagles has been widely welcomed.

basis the captain is able to arrive at a judgement about their character and relish for the fray that he wouldn’t otherwise be able to make.

Although I stand second to no-one in my admiration for Tom - both as a man and a golfer, I think it is a desperate move and could misfire badly. Not because I think he will necessarily make a poor job out of it, but because if the USA loses again – and let’s be honest, recent history suggests this is more than likely, the PGA of America will meet with a dead end. It will have effectively admitted that it does not believe that other potential candidates such as David Toms and Fred Couples are capable for the job.

Another issue concerns the perpetual Ryder Cup headache that is Tiger Woods who, in contrast to those names just mentioned, has a poor record in the event when compared to his 14 majors and 74 Tour victories, putting him second in the all-time list and closing fast on Sam Snead’s 82 wins. He has also been the US Tour Player of the Year 10 times, so his Ryder Cup record of played 33, won 13, lost 17 and halved 3 is pretty abysmal.

Undoubtedly, by the time the competition arrives, Tom will be 65, the age at which, had he been British, he would most likely be drawing his old-age pension. His age, per se, should not preclude him from consideration but what it means is that he will not have been playing on the regular PGA Tour, from which his team will be selected, for a decade-and-ahalf. This is particularly relevant in America because, unless the PGA changes its selection criteria, the captain will be making four wild card picks – double the number of his European counterpart, and a third of the team. However, if he is not teeing it up regularly, or even occasionally, with those potential picks, he will have very limited opportunities to see them at close hand, performing in the heat of battle. All the golfers in the frame for selection will have the playing ability to represent their country but what counts for more than anything in the furnace of Ryder Cup competition is heart, or fire in the belly, or sheer bloody-minded determination to win, whatever the cost. The history of the competition is enlivened and enriched by comparatively modest golfers who come alive when the stress meter is dialled up to 11 – the most recent example being Ian Poulter. But he is but the latest. Over the years we have seen numerous players – people like Lanny Wadkins, Sam Torrance, Paul Way (remember him?), Manuel Pinero and Dave Hill, none of them major winners, step into the ring in this biennial competition and punch well above their weight. By playing alongside such men on a regular

There is also, of course, a bit of history between the two men, with Watson being one of the few pro golfers to publicly berate Woods, not for his extra-marital affairs but his general on-course demeanour, saying that the younger man needed to clean up his act. Both men have been quick to say there are no continuing issues between them but worryingly, a few days after his appointment, Watson said of Tiger: “If he’s not on the team for any unforeseen reason – and I’m sure he will be, you can bet that he’s going to be number one on my pick list.’ To make such an announcement so early, having no idea of the sort of form Woods will be showing in 20 months’ time, is simply offering a hostage to fortune. Over and above all of this is the question: Just how important is the captain? I would argue that a competent man at the helm won’t win you the competition but a bad one could lose it – the most obvious recent example being Hal Sutton at Oakland Hills in 2004. I have not heard it suggested, however, that Davis Love III was responsible for last September’s loss; he was simply the victim of a tremendous European performance on singles day. Finally, Tom’s appointment has been justified, in part, by the fact that he was the last man to lead America to an away victory. However that was in 1993 at The Belfry, 21 years before the next competition takes place. Using this logic they might as well try to disinter America’s most successful captain ever, Walter Hagen, who died in 1969. As I have said, desperate times require desperate measures.

former editor of Today’s Golfer, he now freelances from Scotland, near Carnoustie. His Ryder Cup book With Friends Like These, was published in 2006.

33 Quote of the Month

“It takes hundreds of good golf shots to gain confidence, but only one bad one to lose it “ - Jack Nicklaus

Desperate times call for desperate measures

GOLF DOWN UNDER

Richard Fellner is the Group © Inside Golf

Editor of Inside Golf Magazine – Australia’s most regularly read golf publication. Hailing from the United States but now a proud resident of Melbourne, Fellner is a true golf tragic having played the game for over 35 years but never getting any better at it.

hile motorised golf carts are becoming more prevalent at courses across the globe, a current study in Australia is shedding light on the fitness benefits of players who eschew carts and choose instead to walk 18 holes.

No wonder we are all so tired after a round!

I’ve often wondered how far I actually walk when I play. Sure, you can estimate the distance by noting the scorecard yardage and then adding “a little extra”. But does that really tell the whole story?

The hackers and middle handicappers, as expected, rarely walk down the middle of each fairway; instead playing what many of us call “Army Golf” (left, right, left, right). They also tend to cover extra distance to/ from neighbouring fairways, hazard areas and the trees, etc. The low handicappers, on the other hand, walk basically down the middle of the fairways, but cover more distance circling the greens (to determine the line/break). They also help the others to find lost balls, and of course, they still had the same buggy-green-tee box return trips. In all, their distance averages only about 500m less than the High/Middle Handicappers.

What about walking from the car to the proshop, walking to the practice tee, walking around the putting green, etc.? Once you tee off there are 18 return trips between your buggy and the tee box, and 18 more to/from the greens, and the trips from the green to the next tee, etc. And then there is the big wildcard: what if you or your playing partner(s) lose a ball (or a dozen) during the round? Depending on your particular “search pattern”, you may walk back and forth across a 30 metre stretch of area many times. It all adds up. So just how far does an average golfer walk in a round? With the recent boom in smartphone/GPS technology, the question is now being answered.

How far do you REALLY walk during 18 holes?

Inside Golf magazine (Australia) is conducting a study whereby they are asking golfers to measure their walking distance via various GPS units and smartphone apps, like Map My Walk, RunKeeper, etc. These apps are designed for walking/jogging enthusiasts to set and measure their fitness goals. Utilising GPS technology, the apps continuously track an athlete’s speed, distance, changes in elevation, etc., and then plot the route on an online map. The initial findings are proving to be extremely interesting. During a standard 18-hole round, golfers are reporting distances of nearly DOUBLE the scorecard length. On courses that are listed at, say, 5700 metres, some golfers are walking close to 11 kilometres or more (which includes golf, plus the off-course measurements like walking from the car, clubhouse, practice area, etc.).

It is also surprising to note that the difference in distance between low/middle/high handicappers is fairly negligible.

On a side note, some apps also indicate calories burned during the round. A few of the golfers in the study are reporting 1000+ calories burned for the walk (it does not take into account things like the actual golf swing, practice swings or pushing the buggy, etc.) In a world where obesity is a growing problem (no pun intended), the study may prove that hitting the links can actually be good for you! TAKE PART IN THE STUDY Inside Golf is looking for golfers across the globe to take part in a World’s First smartphone study into the distance walked during a round of golf. All you need is a GPS that measures your walking distance or a smartphone/iPhone with one of the popular fitness Apps (like Map My Run, RunKeeper, etc.). To participate, you’ll need to walk a round of 18 holes. Simply activate your app/unit prior to your round (be sure to set your phone on “silent”). Keep it in your pocket for the round, and be sure to turn it off when you return to your car. Then, log on to www. insidegolf.com.au, to enter the data. Good luck!

GOLFING TALES FROM THE LION CITY

Growing up in a golfing family with a grandmother who was an amateur champion golfer, Justine Moss developed a love

he former popular Green Fairways located off Eng Neo Avenue is set for a new lease of life under new owners Champions Golf Pte Ltd, who secured the tender back in December with a winning bid of SGD88,988 per month (plus GST). Champions Golf Pte Ltd, whose partners consist of father and son team Alan and Matthew Murray, as well as Malaysian-based businessman Charles Wilkins, have wasted no time in upgrading the existing facilities as well as introducing new improvements. Since securing the keys at 4.30 p.m. on 31 December 2012 (they opened for business at 7 a.m. the next day), they have already made some welcome tweaks to the course and driving range, which include new range mats, balls, distance signs and floodlights as well as the much needed improvements to the greens. Future improvements encompass the upgrading of the short game practice area (putting, chipping and bunker areas), refurbishment of the changing rooms, construction of target greens on the range, setting up of an indoor golf simulator and the reopening of the mini golf area. The course is also set to be rated by the Singapore Golf Association for handicapping purposes. Plans are in the pipeline – naturally with Singapore Land Authority approval, to possibly convert the current nine-hole course into a full 18 holes with a par of 34 on the front nine and 32 on the back nine. This, however, will involve no extra land – rather, some holes will have two tee boxes and two greens, and some will share a tee box and a green. Other facilities include the Champions Golf Academy – Alan Murray is director of coaching, while V. Lingam is head PGA professional – which currently has 12 coaches. There is also a VIP area at the driving range which has six private bays, an air-conditioned room and a locker room. “Our vision is to bring golf to everyone so everyone

can play. You don’t have to be rich or poor. This is going to be a family-oriented place; we’ll have a playground, get the mini golf going and encourage people to bring their kids,” said Wilkins. “The number one motto at Champions Golf is ‘learning golf while having fun’ and this is for everyone and in particular for juniors. This is a great place to do it because we have every part of it. We have the short game, long game, nice golf course and the price is not too expensive, so that’s our vision,” added Murray. Richard Harries spent eight years as a pro there when it was Green Fairways and is looking forward to the new management’s vision. “The future is very bright and the place is going to be rejuvenated, refurbished and developed. The Bukit Timah area will definitely benefit.

of golf at an early age. After moving to Singapore in 1998 from Sydney, and opening her own communications company a year later, Justine expanded the writing side of her business and currently writes for a number of golfing and lifestyle publications in the region, with her finger on the pulse of local golf happenings in the Lion City

“I have been blessed with wonderful people to teach golf for many years now, and I think they’ll appreciate the work that the new management is doing to improve and upgrade the facility. It’s become like a second home for most golfers who are away from their golf clubs in the UK, Europe, US, etc. and this is like their gospel home in Singapore for their golf.” For further information on weekday and weekend golf course as well as driving range rates, visit www. championsgolf.com.sg.

Green-er Fairways

UNCHARTED COURSE WITH NORMAS YAKIN

Normas

Yakin

considers

himself an all-rounder: a former cocoa and oil palm planter, golf course superintendent, golf club manager, director, lecturer and consultant. He believes there are only two great mavericks in Malaysia; one of them is a former Prime Minister. Modesty, however, prevents him from telling you who the other one is. In his free time, he scribbles at

www.mynormas.com

have renovated many greens in my career. Come to think of it, I’ve killed a few greens too but that’s another story. Let’s start again; I have renovated many greens in my career, too many for me to recall them all and yes, there are some that I would rather forget. One of the difficult parts of renovating or reconstructing greens is about choosing the right grass. I mean, what is the definition of ‘right’? In some cases, the choice of grass is a RM80,000 question. No, not the price of the grass; it could be the price of the renovation. I remember telling one of my former bosses; what is the point of spending RM80,000 to buy new sand that is the correct size, remove the old sand, repair sub-soil drainage, etc. and worse of all; lose business for about three months and then try to save a few thousand by buying unknown grass? Yes, unknown grass. The guy tells me it is such and such grass and I’m supposed to take his word for it? Ok, perhaps I have done that those days when I was young and ignorant. After three years; the renovation can be considered wasted. The green looked like it was planted with fairway grass!

TIFDWARF ON GREENS

However, in the last few renovations that I did, I either buy grass that comes with a certificate or I’ve seen the grass’ performance with my own eyes or try to get it tested. Then on delivery day, I’ll send one of my staff to witness the harvesting. I’d hate myself if some smart aleck were to show me grass from one part of the nursery and then harvest it from another part by mistake. In addition, I send a different staff every few days too. Not that I don’t trust my staff, but I want to umm… “Broaden everyone’s experience”. It was at one of this renovation work at a golf course that I work in that I learnt a lot about grasses. We couldn’t afford the time to import the certified grasses from overseas and the Big Boss wants us to do all 18 greens in one year. To top it off, we were to host Malaysia’s then second biggest golf tournament by the end of the year. Counting the practice green, we had to find enough grass for 19 greens from one source! Not many nurseries can supply the same grass for that area size in such short notice. I flew from one end of the peninsular to the other –

literally; I went to a golf club known for great greens at the border of Thailand and a nursery in Kota Tinggi. Eventually we settled for grass from a golf course near the old airport less than 20km from my club. Did anybody else see the irony? The most popular grass on greens in Malaysia is called Tifdwarf which is a natural mutation of Tifgreen which was a hybrid of two Bermuda grass species. It was released in 1965 by the US Dept. of Agriculture and University of Georgia that has a campus in a town called Tifton, Georgia. I guess that’s why the name of many grasses has got the prefix ‘Tif’ in front of it. Problem is, because it is a natural mutation, it is prone to more mutations in the long run, especially if it keeps being replanted over and over again. That is why you find the Tifdwarf in one golf course different than on another; or on one green to another; heck, sometimes you can find different Tifdwarfs on one green! It’s a classic case of replanting green with grass from another source. If there ever was a need to replant grass on greens, I make sure I get it from one source: the best source of them all is a nursery of my own. Of course, sometimes the ‘nursery’ is also the club’s practice green. If I replant green 3 from the stolons of green 2; then replant green 4 from green 3; green 5 from green 4; 6 from 5 etc., what may happen is the grass on green 6 will have different characteristics than on green 2; especially if the grass source in the first place were unknown; it may have gone through the same procedure in its previous golf course! God knows how many golf courses before that?! Can you imagine how many generations apart green 18 is from the original Tifdwarf? If there is one free advice I can give; be careful of your grass when you replant your greens. If you can’t afford to buy good certifiable (in one way or another) grass; I suggest you postpone the renovation and start saving. Plenty more to talk about grass in future articles; watch this space.

GOLF DIARY

Jan 21 - 25 National Trials

Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam, Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie GCC & Saujana GCC, Selangor

Feb 18 - 19 Maybank Malaysian Open National Qualifier Kuala Lumpur GCC, Kuala Lumpur

Jan 23-26 Qualifying School Final Stage presented by Sports Authority of Thailand

Imperial Lakeview & Springfield Royal CC, Hua Hin, Thailand

Jan 30 - Feb 2 PGM CCM KRPM Masters (ADT)

Feb 1-3 Volvik RACV Ladies Masters

RACV Royal Pines Resort, Queensland, Australia

AUS$250,000

Feb 8-10 ISPS Handa New Zealand Women´s Open Clearwater GC, Christchurch, New Zealand

Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia, Sg Buloh, Selangor

€200,000

Feb 20 – 23 PGM Sime Darby Harvard Masters (ADT)

Royal Canberra GC, Canberra, Australia

RM200,000

Feb 14 - 17 ISPS Handa Women´s Australian Open US$1,200,000

Harvard G&CC, Bedong, Kedah

RM200,000 (appox US$65,000) January 22 Piala Puteri

Palm Garden GC, Putrajaya

Feb 21-24 Myanmar Open

Royal Mingalardon GCC, Yangon, Myanmar

US$300,000

Jan 24 - 27 Farmers Insurance Open

Torrey Pines GC, La Jolla, California

Jan 30 - Feb 2 CCM KRPM Masters

Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia, Sg Buloh, Selangor

RM200,000

Feb 20 - 24 Accenture MatCh Play Championship Ritz-Carlton GC,Arizona,USA US$8,750,000

Feb 20 – 23 Sime Darby Harvard Masters

Jan 23 - 26 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters Doha GC, Doha, Qatar

US$2,500,000

Feb 5 - 8 Qualifying School - Final Stage

Sutera Harbour GCC, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona

US$6,200,000

Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California

RM200,000

Industry Hills GC, California, United States

Jan 31 - Feb 3 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Feb 7 - 10 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

Harvard G&CC, Bedong, Kedah

Jan 29 - Feb 1 Qualifying School - Final Stage

US$6,100,000

Jan 31 - Feb 3 Omega Dubai Desert Classic

US$6,500,000

Feb 14 - 17 Northern Trust Open

Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades, California

US$6,600,000

Emirates GC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

US$2,500,000 Feb 7 - 10 Joburg Open

Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC, Johannesburg, South Africa

€1,300,000 Feb 14 - 17 Africa Open

Feb 14-17 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open

€1,000,000

US$1,200,000

East London GC, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Jan 24 -26 Yeangder Open

Linkou Orient GC, Linkou, Chinese Taipei NT$3,000,000 (appox US$100,000)

Royal Canberra GC, Yarralumla, Australia

Feb 21-24 Honda LPGA Thailand

Siam CC, Chonburi, Thailand

US$1,500,000

TEE BOX

CARLSBERG GOLF CLASSIC

Toh & Ng reign suprem

oh Kim Loong and Paul Ng Soon Thai were crowned the overall gross and nett champion respectively during the 2012 Carlsberg Golf Classic National Finals held at Saujana Golf & Country Club recently. The finals marked the culmination of a six-month long preliminary challenge, participated by over 5,000 golfers in 40 Carlsberg golf outlets across Malaysia. The gross and nett winners from each of the preliminary legs advanced for one final showdown faced off one last time at Saujana Golf & Country Club. In the gross contest, six-handicapper Toh carded a round of two-over 74 to finish two strokes clear of Stanley Wong (7) while Jean Baptiste (1) was a further shot back in third. The nett division proved to be closely fought affair, with nine-handicapper Ng needing a countback to edge runner-up Tam Wah Leng (18) to the win after both had finished with

matching 68s. Sam Fuok Lim came in third with a score of 69. The champions each won a set of Callaway Razr X Tour Irons, a trophy and a chance for Nett and Gross and a chance to tee-off at the pro-am tournament of the Maybank Malaysian Open 2013. The top three finishers in each category will also be rewarded with an overseas golf retreat sponsored by the brewer.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Carlsberg is proud to be aligned with a premier sport like golf where integrity and discipline are integral characteristics of success,â&#x20AC;? said its managing director Soren Ravn. The 19th edition of Carlsberg Golf Classic did its part for a worthy cause with a sum of RM112,000 raised and channelled to deserving charity organisations.

PERMAI CLASSIC AGSSG-ADAMS GOLF-FIREFLY GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP Tan crowned AGGSG grand finale champion

ight-handicapper Tan Vi Kung overcame 19 other finalists to emerge as the overall champion of the AGGSG-Adams Golf-Firefly Golf Championship recently. Tan, who was the A Medal winner at the Bukit Kemuning Golf & Country Club leg, notched 39 Stableford points during the grand final held at Saujana Golf & Country Club to top the leaderboard ahead of Desmond Teoh (11) and Ramzi Bujang, who finished level on 37 points.

Teoh was declared the runner-up spot based on countback. The grand finale marked the completion of the championship, which organised eight legs in various golf clubs in West Malaysia. In keeping with the nature of the tournament to foster camaraderie among AGGSG Links cardholders, the grand finalists were hosted to a welcome dinner prior to the tournament at a famous seafood restaurant in Petaling Jaya.

Lee tops 2012 season-ender at Kota Permai

ee Wen Tze picked up the overall title in the Permai Classic at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club recently. Eight-handicapper Lee notched a superb round of four-under 68 to emerge as the champion in a field of 115 participants. Chew Ken Kuen emerged victorious in the A Medal with a nett 68 after a countback while Tajudin Supian posted a 75 for the best gross score. In the ladies category, Judy Kong (15) carded a nett score of 71, to runner up Deborah Wong (13) by three shots.

BECAUSE YOU DESERVE MORE!

The #1 Golf Card Just Got Better

KGPA quarter.pdf

4/19/12

6:33 PM

With the AGSSG Golf card, the doors swing open for you at more than 70 golf clubs throughout Malaysia. Enjoy preferential golfing rates, be it on a weekday or a weekend. THE #1 GOLF CARD is now MORE than just a golf card! • MORE than just a plastic card – it’s a bio-energy health card! • MORE than just golfing in Malaysia. Now you can golf in Indonesia too! • MORE tournaments in 2012; the first ever to have its own premium series of golf tournaments exclusively for cardholders. • ALL-IN PRICE which includes Golfer's Insurance and 1-touch S.O.S Auto Assist Service 24/7 ... NOTHING more to pay!

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NON-M’SIAN RM 899.00 RM 850.00 RM 548.00 RM 498.00 RM 330.00 RM 800.00

CMY

* Inclusive of mandatory 6% govt. tax

AGSSG LINKS SDN BHD

HQ: No. I-2-5 Block I, Jalan PJU 1A/1, Taipan Damansara 2, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Tel: 603-7842 6911 Fax: 603-7842 6858 www.agssglinks.com.my Operations Office: 1st Floor, A01-1, Block A, Garden City Business Centre, Jalan Dagang Besar, Taman Dagang, 68000 Ampang, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel: 603-4270 2926/3198/7670 Fax: 603-4270 2925

Agssg Links Sdn Bhd

Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam (KGPA) is situated within Bukit Kiara, about 18km from Kuala Lumpur City Centre. A 27-hole layout designed by renowned American course architect Ronald Fream. The championship course (Hills and Lakes) is a classic par 72 golf course measuring 5,989 metres with landscaped lush fairways culminating in manicured verdant greens. The third nine (Forest), measuring 2,711 metres is equally scenic and challenging, playing around the natural jungle environment.

www.kgpagolf.com

Call us to book your tee time: Bukit Kiara, off Jalan Damansara, Peti Surat 12137, Jalan Pantai Baru, Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur 50768, Malaysia

Tel: 03-7957 3344 Fax: 03-7957 7821

WHERE TO GOLF - MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE KUALA LUMPUR

TANJUNG PUTERI GOLF RESORT

KINTA GOLF CLUB

MIMPIAN JADI GOLF CLUB

KUALA LUMPUR GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(54 holes) Tel: (607) 271 1888

(18holes) Tel: (605) 366 7270

(18 holes) Tel: (088) 787 122

(36 holes) Tel: (603) 2093 1111

PULAI SPRINGS RESORT

TAIPING GOLF RESORT

MOUNT KINABALU GOLF CLUB

ROYAL SELANGOR GOLF CLUB

(36 holes) Tel: (607) 521 2121

(18 holes) Tel: (605) 883 7500

(18 holes) Tel: (O88) 889 445

(36 holes) Tel: (603 ) 9206 3333

PORESIA COUNTRY CLUB

KUALA KANGSAR GOLF CLUB

NEXUS GOLF RESORT KARAMBUNAI

KELAB GOLF PERKHIDMATAN AWAM

(36 holes) Tel: (607) 510 1812

(9 holes) Tel: (605) 776 2396

(18 holes) Tel: (088) 480 888

(27 holes) Tel: (603) 7957 1958

STARHILL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

BUKIT JALIL GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT

(36 holes) Tel: (607) 556 6325

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 8996 1468

IOI PALM VILLA GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT

BUKIT JAWI GOLF RESORT

LAHAD DATU GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

KELAB REKREASI ANGKATAN TENTERA

(27 holes) Tel: (607) 599 9099

( 36 holes) Tel: (604) 582 0759

(18 holes) Tel: (089) 889 288

(9 holes) Tel: (603) 2141 1113

THE LEGENDS GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT

PENANG GOLF RESORT

SABAH GOLF COUNTRY CLUB

KELAB GOLF TITIWANGSA PDRM

(27 holes) Tel: (607) 652 4388

(36 holes) Tel: (604) 578 2022

(18 holes) Tel: (088) 247 533

(9 holes ) Tel: (603) 2693 4964

AUSTIN HILLS GOLF RESORT

BUKIT JAMBUL COUNTRY CLUB

SANDAKAN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: ( 607) 352 4300

(18 holes) Tel: (604) 644 2255

(18 holes) Tel: (089) 660 557

SELANGOR

KEDAH

KENINGAU GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (087) 331 113

SHAN SHUI GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT

GLENMARIE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 428 6001

(36 holes ) Tel: (603) 7803 9090

DAIMAN 18 GOLF CLUB

HARVARD GOLF COUNTRY CLUB

KINABALU GOLF CLUB

KELAB GOLF NEGARA SUBANG

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 351 6813

(27 holes) Tel: (604) 458 8888

(9 holes) Tel: (088) 251 615

(36 holes) Tel: (603) 7876 0388

HORIZON HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

KULIM GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT

TAWAU GOLF CLUB

KELAB RAHMAN PUTRA MALAYSIA

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 232 3166

(18 holes) Tel: (604) 403 2828

(9 holes) Tel: (609) 765 555

(36 holes) Tel: (603) 6156 6870

KUKUP GOLF RESORT

BLACK FOREST GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

SAUJANA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 696 0950

(18 holes) Tel: (604) 922 2222

(36 holes) Tel: (603) 7846 1466

CHRISTINE RESORT

CINTA SAYANG GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

KELAB GOLF LABUAN

BANGI GOLF RESORT

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 387 3000

(18 holes) Tel: (604) 441 4666

(9 holes) Tel: (087) 412 810

(27 holes) Tel: (603) 8925 3728

ORCHARD GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT

DARULAMAN GOLF COUNTRY CLUB

KELAB GOLF SULTAN ABDUL AZIZ SHAH

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 897 7934

(18 holes) Tel: (604) 917 0001

(27 holes) Tel: (603) 5519 1512

PONDEROSA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

GUNUNG RAYA GOLF RESORT

(KELAB GOLF SARAWAK

TASIK PUTERI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 354 9999

(18 holes) Tel: (604) 966 8148

(36 holes) Tel: (082) 440 966

(27 holes) Tel: (603) 6034 4722

JOHOR GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

PERMAIPURA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

BINTULU GOLF CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 223 3322

(18 holes)Tel: (604) 459 4000

(18 holes) Tel: (086) 252 001

SEBANA COVE GOLF & MARINE RESORT

ROYAL KEDAH GOLF CLUB

DAMAI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 826 6655

(9 holes) Tel: (604) 731 9405

(18 holes) Tel: (082) 846 088

TIOMAN ISLAND GOLF CLUB

SG.PETANI GOLF CLUB

EASTWOOD VALLEY

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 419 1000

(9 holes) Tel: (604) 422 4894

GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

TROPICANA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (27 holes) Tel: (603) 7804 8888 BKT BERUNTUNG GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (603) 6028 1841 BKT KEMUNING GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT (18 holes) Tel: (603) 5121 6552 BKT UNGGUL COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (603) 8920 2888 DANAU GOLF CLUB

BUKIT BANANG GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

PULAU PINANG

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 8925 8953 KELAB GOLF SERI SELANGOR (18 holes) Tel: (603) 7806 1111 KELAB REKREASI TENTERA UDARA (18 holes) Tel: (603) 5513 0998 KINRARA GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel : (603) 8076 2100 KOTA PERMAI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (603) 5122 3700 KUNDANG LAKES COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (603) 6034 2725 MONTEREZ GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (603) 7846 5989 PALM GARDEN GOLF CLUB (18holes) Tel: (603) 8948 7160 PERANGSANG TEMPLER GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (603) 6091 0022

BATU PAHAT GOLF CLUB (9 holes) Tel: (607) 432 9221

PERLIS

(18 holes) Tel: (089) 916 888

LABUAN

SARAWAK

(18 holes) Tel: (085) 421 010 HORNBILL GOLF & JUNGLE CLUB

IMPIAN EMAS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

PUTRA GOLF CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (082) 577 930

(9 holes) Tel: (607) 552 2202

(18 holes) Tel: (604) 976 9660

KELAB GOLF SIBU

KLUANG COUNTRY CLUB (9 holes) Tel: (607) 771 8840

MELAKA A’FAMOSA GOLF RESORT ( 27 holes) Tel: (606) 552 0888

KELANTAN KELANTAN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (609) 748 2102

TERENGGANU

(18 holes) Tel: (084) 801 119 MIRI GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (085) 416 787

SINGAPORE SELETAR COUNTRY CLUB

AYER KEROH COUNTRY CLUB

AWANA KIJAL BEACH & GOLF RESORT

(18 holes) Tel: +65 6486 0801

(27 holes) Tel: (606) 233 2000

(18 holes) Tel: (609) 864 1188

CHANGI GOLF CLUB

ORNA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

GREEN ACRES GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(9 holes) Tel: +65 6545 5133

(27 holes) Tel: (606) 521 0333

(18 holes) Tel: (609) 616 3500

SEMBAWANG COUNTRY CLUB

TIARA MELAKA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

KELAB GOLF DESA DUNGUN

(18 holes) Tel: +65 6751 0320

(27 holes) Tel: (606) 231 1111

(18 holes) Tel: (609) 848 1041

SENTOSA GOLF CLUB

KUALA TERENGGANU GOLF RESORT

(36 holes) Tel: +65 6275 0022

(18 holes) Tel: (609) 666 6836

TANAH MERAH COUNTRY CLUB

NEGERI SEMBILAN NILAI SPRINGS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (27 holes) Tel: (606) 850 8888

PAHANG

(18 holes) Tel: +65 6592 0343 (Garden) / 6592 0345 (Tampines)

STAFFIELD COUNTRY RESORT

AWANA GENTING HIGHLANDS

WARREN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(27 holes) Tel: (603) 8766 6117

GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT

(18 holes) Tel: +65 6586 1240

ERA GOLF &COUNTRY RESORT

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 6436 9000

ORCHID COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 8734 4195

(18 holes) Tel: (6019) 255 3059

BERJAYA HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(27 holes) Tel: +65 6750 2111

SERENDAH GOLF LINKS

GEMAS GOLF RESORT

(18 holes) Tel: (609) 288 8180

RAFFLES COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 6081 1077

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 948 2687

KELAB GOLF SULTAN AHMAD SHAH

(36 holes ) Tel: +65 68617649

SRI MORIB GOLF CLUB

ROYAL PALM SPRINGS GOLF CLUB

CAMERON HIGHLANDS

SAFRA RESORT & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 3198 1419

(18 holes) Tel: (606) 661 9599

(18 holes) Tel: (605) 4911126

(27 holes) Tel: +65 542 8288

SSG BERINGIN GOLF CLUB

PORT DICKSON GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

ROYAL PAHANG GOLF CLUB

JURONG COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 6460 0016

(18 holes) Tel: (606) 647 3586

(18 holes) Tel: (609) 567 5811

(18 holes) Tel: +65 5 6560 5655

SUNGAI LONG GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

ROYAL SRI MENANTI GOLF CLUB

KELAB GOLF BENTONG

KEPPEL CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 90762233

(18 holes) Tel: (606) 497 9600

(9 holes) Tel: (609) 222 2585

(18 holes) Tel : +65 6375 1818

THE MINES RESORT & GOLF CLUB

SEREMBAN 3 PARADISE VALLEY

KELAB REKREASI TUDM KUANTAN

LAGUNA NATIONAL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 8943 2288

(18 holes) Tel: (606) 633 5033

(9 holes) Tel: (609) 538 4282

(36 holes) Tel: +65 5 62481 777

TEMPLER PARK GOLF CLUB

SEREMBAN INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB

LIPIS VALLEY GOLF CLUB

SINGAPORE ISLAND COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (603) 6091 9630

(18 holes) Tel: (606) 677 5277

(9 holes) Tel: (609) 312 1963

(81 holes) Tel: + 65 6466 2244

PERAK

SABAH

PORT KLANG GOLF RESORT (18 holes) Tel: (603) 3176 1323 IMPIAN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

PADANG GOLF UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA (18 holes) Tel: (603) 8946 7996 KELAB DARUL EHSAN (9 holes) Tel: (603) 4257 2333 ROYAL KAMPUNG KUANTAN CLUB (9 holes) Tel: (603) 3289 1069

JOHOR PALM RESORT GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (54 holes) Tel: ( 607) 599 6222

CLEARWATER SANCTUARY GOLF RESORT

SUTERA HABOUR GOLF COUNTRY CLUB

(27 holes) Tel : (605) 366 7433

(27 holes) Tel: (088 ) 318 888

MERU VALLEY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

TAWAU HOT SPRINGS GOLF CLUB

(27 holes) Tel: (605) 529 3300

(18 holes) Tel: (609) 765 555

DAMAI LAUT GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

BORNEO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (605) 685 9333

(18 holes) Tel: (087) 861 888

ROYAL PERAK GOLF CLUB

DALIT BAY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (605) 542 3266

(18 holes) Tel: (088) 791 188

MARINA BAY GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: + 65 6345 7788

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