The ClubHouse (Issue 19) Feb 2013 by The ClubHouse

INSIDE: THE CLUBHOUSE JUNIOR GOLF RANKINGS PRESENTED BY

PG 12

THE BEST KEEPS GETTING BETTER! What’s new with the Titleist Pro V1 franchise?

GAME CHANGER The call made by Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid recently for greater recognition of the PGM Tour did not come as a total surprise. Ahmad Sarji had concluded his speech during the PGM Peak Performance Academy launch by expressing his hope that the PGM Tour Order of Merit will be used as the criteria of selection for Malaysian professional golfers into tournaments such as the Maybank Malaysian Open, Worlwide Holdings Selangor Masters, Iskandar Johor Open and the CIMB Classic. The call, made in front of the powerful representatives of the Asian Tour and the ASEAN TOUR, would definitely be seen as another challenge to the authority of the embattled Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of Malaysia. While the bad blood between the two organisations continue to persist, Ahmad Sarji’s call should not be dismissed as mere grandstanding or a show of force. Indeed, while the burgeoning domestic circuit has had its fair share of flaws and growing pains, it cannot be denied that the PGM Order of Merit offers an accurate, transparent and publicly accessible ranking system for local playing professionals. The call is nonetheless a wake-up for the PGA. Much of the optimism and goodwill that I personally witnessed during the unveiling of the new entity by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in December 2009 has gone untapped and as an observer, I fear that the PGA is slowly slipping back into the days of malaise which engulfed its predecessor the Malaysian Professional Golf Association (MPGA). Three years after that historic night at the Sime Darby Convention Centre, the PGA remains in troubled waters, engulfed by bitter factionalism and lacking a clear direction to move forward. It is a sad state of affairs that a certain section of its members, while professing to be professionals, continue to stand in the way of any good development for the PGA, despite having nothing to better to offer themselves.

In the process, many senior tour and teaching professionals, who genuinely want to take the PGA to greater heights by supporting the newer batch of youngsters breaking into the paid ranks, have grown disillusioned and have chosen to remain silent on the sidelines. It goes without saying the level of disinterest amongst the younger professionals. The PGA should not and cannot fail - too many eminent personalities in the local golf industry have lent credence to its setting up and it would be a disservice to them and many of us who continue to belief that the PGA of Malaysia has a distinct role to play in the development of the Royal & Ancient sport in Malaysia, notwithstanding the emergence of a new and powerful player in the PGM.

CMY

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 19 6

SPOTLIGHT

9 BLOOMING CHAMPIONS EQUIPMENT FEATURE

21 24

TITLEIST PRO V1 TAYLORMADE R1 & RBZ STAGE 2

GEAR FEATURE

ADIDAS GOLF ADIZERO

REGULARS

13 18

INSIDE THE ROPES GOLF CLUB MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA 19 INDUSTRY TALK 20 ENTREPRONEUR 26 IN THE BAG 28 GEAR UP 30 AROUND THE GLOBE 44 TEE BOX 46 GOLF DIARY 48 WHERE TO GOLF

CMY

TRAVEL FEATURE

HUA HIN

COLUMNS

FIT FOR GOLF WITH SAMANTHA CEBRERO 34 RARE BIRDIE BY MARTIN VOUSDEN 36 UNCHARTED COURSE WITH NORMAS YAKIN 37 TOUR WATCH WITH ASIAN TOUR 38 BUILDING COURSES WITH JASON WINTER

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BLOOMING CHAMPIONS Edward Saminathan gets a first-hand view of the efforts by Cempaka Group of Schools in conjunction with the Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA) to transform a select group of aspiring girl golfers to become elite champions

while there is a lot of emphasis on golf for boys in the country, I felt that it was imperative that we focused our attention on the girls instead. “That is why when MALGA’s executive director Dato’ Rabeahtul Aloya Abbas approached me, I was enthusiastic to get this programme up and running. I had previous knowledge of their Golf for Girls programme but I felt that we needed a more wholesome strategy if our girls are to become elite players that reach the heights currently enjoyed by the Japanese, South Korean and even Chinese lady professionals. “The programme is less than a year old and while there were some teething problem initially, we are happy to see that the girls have settled in well to the boarding school environment. To be honest, it has been a pleasant surprise that I need not preach to the girls because they are

s I pulled up at the Cempaka International Ladies’ College (CILC) complex a few week ago, I could not help but feel a little overwhelmed with what I saw in the short minute-long drive from the imposing gates to its well-manicured entrance. The exclusive all-girl boarding school in Bandar Enstek, Nilai would easily give any local varsity a run for its money and is a testament to the passion and drive that Cempaka Group of Schools founder and mentor Dato’ Freida Pilus has for promoting good education.

Resembling a mini-university, CILC is equipped with facilities such as an Olympicsize swimming pool, indoor running track, gymnasium, tennis courts, equestrian stable as well as a luxurious residential block, which could easily be mistaken for a high-end serviced apartment if we were in the middle of the CBD. As I make my way past the huge brown oak doors - sounds like something taken out of a chapter of Harry Potter - I am welcomed by Freida herself, who quickly ushers me in to her cosy sitting room. A refined former diplomat, the elegant entrepreneur is gracious and engaging as she invites us to conduct this interview over a English tea session. “We have everything here except for a golf course of our own but we are very fortunate that Bandar Enstek has a small nine-hole facility. We have also entered into a partnership with Nilai Springs Golf & Country Club, which has been very supportive of this initiative,” explains Frieda, as she introduces the pilot scholarship programme initiated by Cempaka Schools and the Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA) for a select group of aspiring girl golfers. The first batch include namely Chong Yong (15 years old), Kimberly Nelson (15), Kelie Kan Kah Yan (15), Heather Tee Chuan Yeung (14), Samantha Chong (14), Siti Sarah Feizal Nor (13) and Winnie Ng Yu Xuan (13). “We wanted to give these girls an opportunity not only to play the game they love but make sure that they give equal attention to their studies. I think it should never be a situation

where golf becomes more important than studies or vice versa because we believe that it is not impossible for these girls to excel in both,” she adds. While CILC has previously encouraged its students to focus on the performing arts, golf is slowly but surely becoming a new highlight - even if Freida herself does not play the game. “I personally do not have time to play but I was introduced to the game at a very young age as my father was an active golfer. It was from him that I learned the many noble values that this game espouses. “Furthermore, one of our more famous Cempakans is young Natasha Andrea Oon, who has progressed brilliantly by winning tournaments both locally and abroad,” shares Freida, who notes that all five schools under the Cempaka banner have a policy of ‘Sports for All’ with have swimming as a compulsory sport. Why focus on just the fairer sex, one may wonder but its quite obvious that the mother of five boys has an endearing soft spot for girls. “I wanted something special for these girls because this is special school for girls and

so highly motivated, matured and very, very serious about their golf.” And what does the programme entail? The girls have access to all the facilities available at the campus but more importantly, they have

Cempaka Group of Schools founder-mentor Dato’ Freida Pilus (centre) poses with some of players from the Cempaka International Ladies’ College golf team

that “different coaches add value to their game and make them more technically astute.” The girls begin their mornings by pounding the running track and engaging in some fitness routines with their trainer before dispersing to their respective classes. Afternoons are spent at the driving range with specific training programmes having been drawn up for each golfer’s individual needs with practice rounds at the golf club. The girls then head back to the gymnasium for resistance and conditioning training before they are allowed to catch up on their assignments and studies in the evening and wind down with their fellow dormmates.

dedicated back-room team, comprising of a qualified British PGA professional, physical trainer, nutritionist as well as a counsellor to assist them in becoming elite players. The girls are also allowed to schedule training sessions with their own swing coaches as Frieda believes

But the biggest benefit yet comes in the academic programme. Cempaka’s proprietary virtual learning environment is designed in such a way that the girls are able to follow up with their schoolwork even when they are away for training camps and tournaments. They also have personal tutors to guide and coach them if they happen to fall off the pace due to their hectic golfing schedules. “We have been approached by a few big outfits such as The GolfHouse Academy, Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Peak Performance

Academy as well as the Pacific Golf Academy and we hope to leverage our programme with their world-class coaches and renowned training methods. “It is important for us that this elite group is given all the opportunities to become the best at their sport,” says Freida, who notes that the CILC students will make up a bulk of Negeri Sembilan girls contingent to the Malaysian Schools Sports Council National Championship in Sabah next month. “I hope that one of our girls will be in Olympics in 2020 because they have everything going for them. Besides the platform to excel at their studies as well as their game that we have provided, it is wonderful that the girls have supportive parents that sacrificed their time, money, heart and soul to see the girls excel at golf,” praises Frieda, adding that CILC is keen on growing its pool of golfers, especially from abroad. But she is quick to point out that the girls should not be overtly concerned if they do not make it as professionals. “Not everyone can be like Tiger Woods and even he has learned that life occasionally throws a curve ball at you. At the end of this, we do hope that the girls will go on to play golf professionally or become a teaching professional. “However, if they are unable to do so, they should know that their paper qualification and their love for the game will come in handy in the different branches of specialities existing in the golf industry such as design, fashion and even management. I keep telling these girls that golf is such a huge industry and there are endless avenues for them to pursue a career that they enjoy and love.” The Cempaka International Ladies’ College (CILC) runs the UK-based Cambridge International Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) curriculum at year 7-11. CILC also offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Year Program (IB-DP) and GACprogram. More information can be found at www.cempaka.edu.my

his collection of frequently asked questions (FAQ) provides brief answers to many common questions about The ClubHouse Junior Golf Rankings presented by

It aims to provide a better understanding of the purpose behind the introduction of the Rankings as well as the mechanism of the Rankings. More detailed information will be made available on The ClubHouse website. If you have any questions about the Rankings that are not covered here or elsewhere on the website, please send an email to juniorgolf@theclubhouse.com.my. What is The ClubHouse Junior Golf Rankings presented by Titleist? The ClubHouse Junior Golf Rankings presented by Titleist (hereafter referred to as the “Rankings”) aims to provide an independent and transparent annual ranking order for golfers below the age of 18 based on accumulated points earned from junior golf competitions and tournaments held in Malaysia.

What are the objectives behind the implementation of the Rankings? l To provide an objective and independent national comparison and ranking system for Malaysia’s top male and female junior golfers that will enable the golfers to compare themselves with their counterparts across Malaysia. l To promote healthy competition among the junior golfers in Malaysia and to spur them on to reach their full potential. l To encourage more junior golfers to participate in as many competitions as possible. l To act as a reference point for junior golf coaches as well as talent scouts from foreign universities. l To produce a list of ranking members based on their individual performance for selection to participate in overseas tournaments recognised by the Foundation of Sporting Excellence (SportExcel). l To select junior golfers for the Tournament of Champions presented by The ClubHouse in 2014. Who is eligible to be listed on the Rankings? The Rankings is open to all citizens and permanent residents of Malaysia between 7 to 18 years of age. Does a junior golfer need to subscribe to the Rankings? A junior golfer is included in the Rankings automatically upon participating in his/her first junior golf tournament of the year. Does a junior player have to pay a fee to be part of the Rankings? No. The ClubHouse is committed, with the support of our sponsors, to absorb the operational cost of the Rankings. Junior golfers will not be levied a fee other than the tournament fees which they are already paying. How many age-group categories are there in the Rankings? For a start, the Rankings will have 10 categories in 2013 as follows: l Boys’ 18 years and below l Girls’ 14 years and below l Girls’ 18 years and below l Boys’ 12 years and below l Boys’ 16 years and below l Girls’ 12 years and below l Girls’ 16 years and below l Boys’ 10 years and below l Boys’ 14 years and below l Girls’ 10 years and below

A player’s age for the purpose of the Rankings is calculated based on the YEAR of birth. Which are the junior golf tournaments that will be ranked? At press time, the list is not exhaustible as The ClubHouse is still engaging with various golf associations, event organisers, as well as golf clubs around the country (including Sabah and Sarawak) to have more tournaments subscribe to the Rankings. To date, the Rankings will award points for the following: l SportExcel National Junior Golf Circuit (Open and Premier Elite events) l State Junior Opens l The Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) National Championship l Junior Tournaments sanctioned by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) and the Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA) Regular updates on new events which will offer Rankings points can be found on www.theclubhouse.com.my or www.facebook.com/juniorgolfmy Are there set criteria for junior golf tournaments to be recognised by the Rankings? The set criteria are as follows: l A minimum 36-hole strokeplay competition. l A minimum participation of 50 junior golfers and above. l Administered under the current Rules of Golf as approved by R&A Rules Limited or USGA. l Sanctioned or recognised by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA), Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA), state golf associations and SportExcel. Will participation in foreign/overseas junior golf tournaments be recognised by the Rankings? While The Rankings will eventually recognise the participation of Malaysian golfers in international junior golf tournaments, it aims to focus on establishing its domestic presence in the near future. How does the Rankings point structure work? PLACINGS EVENTS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th CATEGORY 1 50 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 2.5 CATEGORY 2 40 32 28 24 20 16 12 8 4 2 CATEGORY 3 30 24 21 18 15 12 9 6 3 1.5 CATEGORY 4 20 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 1

All junior golf tournaments will be classified into one of the four categories listed above based on the quality of participation as well as the overall standing /importance of the tournament on the domestic junior circuit. How will the Rankings points be administered? The ClubHouse will work together with ShotStat, a United Statesbased junior tour solutions provider to administer the Rankings, which will be accessible for viewing via www.theclubhouse.com.my

INSIDE THE ROPES

cotsman James Byrne went from S regaining his playing privilege on the Asian Tour to claiming his maiden

professional victory in Asia by winning the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) CCM Rahman Putra Masters on February 3. The 24-year-old kept up his early season form, closing with a strong five-under 67 at Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia to finish two strokes clear of playing partner Quincy Quek of Singapore in the RM200,000 seasonopener on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). Quek’s compatriot Lam Chih Bing (68) took a share of third alongside joint overnight leader Malcom Kokocinski, who mustered a level-par 72 to finish three strokes adrift. Local hope R. Nachimuthu, the 2011 PGM Order of Merit champion, struggled with his putting en route to a 72 of his own to finish alongside Myanmarese veteran Zaw Moe (73) and Grant Jackson (67) of England. Two back at the start of the day, Byrne sounded his title aspirations with five birdies through seven holes to haul himself to the top of the leaderboard before dropping a double bogey on the eighth.

second professional title. “I’m feeling good. I’ve been playing well in the last couple of weeks. I carried on the confidence from the Asian Tour Qualifying School even though I had a bad last day. I tried to take the positives from it and was able to take some confidence into this week,” said Byrne, who pocketed US$11,375. “I remember last year Mardan (Mamat) won the first ADT event, and he won pretty soon after that on the Asian Tour. I’m not putting any pressure to win again but every time you win, it is a good feeling because you can draw confidence from that.” “I knew I could contend at this level, and if I played well I would be up there. I got off to a really good start. I was five-under after seven holes. From that point I was already in a good position and knew I could play it a little bit safer coming in. I did double bogey the eighth hole but I came back with three other birdies. It was important to stay positive,” added Byrne. The 25-year-old Quek rued the missed opportunity of winning his second ADT title but was delighted with his runner-up finish in his first tournament of the year. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start for the year after coming off cold from not playing for a month. James (Byrne) played great. He was pretty much in the lead after nine holes. He was burning the course,” said Quek.

It proved to be a temporary setback for the former Walker Cup champion as he bounced back resolutely with three birdies on a trot around the turn before easing to a mixed finish for an 11-under 287 winning total.

“I was feeling a bit down until the 14th hole because nothing was happening. I was hitting it well and giving myself realistic chances but not making the birdies. Then I hit it close to 14 and had a birdie there. Saved par on 16th and birdied again on 17 from close range. It is nice to finish off that way after a day that was kind of mundane,” he added.

Following a successful Asian Tour Qualifying School campaign, Byrne credited a hot putter and acute iron play for winning his

Nachimuthu was two-under at the turn but returned two shots on his homeward nine as his putter turned cold. “My putting was

BYRNE RIDES HOT FORM TO CCM CROWN

horrible, but my hitting was okay. Overall, my putter let me down, but I feel that I’ve been doing okay. I could have done slightly better, but on a whole I’m still happy,” he said. Leading final round scores 277 – James Byrne (SCO) 71-71-68-67 279 – Quincy Quek (SIN) 71-68-70-70 280 – Lam Chih Bing (SIN) 69-70-73-68 Malcolm Kokocinski (SWE) 71-68-69-72 281– Grant Jackson (ENG) 69-72-73-67 R.Nachimuthu 67-70-72-72 Zaw Moe (MYN) 72-69-67-73 282 – Edward Reyes (PHI) 69-74-69-70 Mitsuhiko Hashizume (JPN) 69-67-72-74 283 – S. Murthy 68-74-72-69 Mardan Mamat (SIN) 67-74-71-71

DROP ‘JAGUH KAMPUNG’ TAG, URGES DPM MUHYIDDIN

“To that end, we must congratulate PGM under the able stewardship of its chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid who has developed a conducive environment that would allow talented Malaysian golfers to transform into highly competitive golf professionals,” noted Muhyiddin. “Local professionals must look beyond local success or being a ‘jaguh kampung’. They must crave for international success and be driven to become regional and world beaters as well as be the best in the sport,” he added.

Muhyiddin had earlier witnessed the handing over ceremony of the training facility, which was built by I&P Group to the tune of RM2 million to PGM. The facility encompasses a purpose-built building eputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin lauded the role played fitted with a gymnasium, classrooms and driving bays equipped with by Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour in uplifting the standards of state-of-the-art training aids as well as a short-game practice area. local professionals but reminded that success on the burgeoning domestic Reigning PGM Order of Merit champion Nicholas Fung was also tour should not be the end. recognised for his achievements last year, receiving the Merit trophy “In certain aspects, efforts from various parties are needed to ensure and Tour jacket from Muhyiddin. Ahmad Sarji also announced that Malaysians are able to play in the right environment and produce talents Nicholas will be rewarded with a monthly stipend of RM5,000 in 2013, in professional golf,” he said during the official unveiling of PGM Peak courtesy of I&P Group. Performance Academy training facility at Kinrara Golf Club on February 4.

INSIDE THE ROPES

MANASSERO, SCHWARTZEL AND HARRINGTON CONFIRM MMO START

LOCALS GRANTED DIRECT ENTRY

itle sponsor Maybank’s commitment to the development of local players has come through with a large allocation of 22 invites to top local professionals and amateurs to participate in the tournament – including the top four finishers in the domestic qualifier, which took place from February 26-27. The local challenge will be once again spearheaded by Danny Chia, who is the sole Malaysian to qualify automatically by virtue of being placed in the top-65 of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit. The 40-year-old Maybank ambassador will look to make amends for his early exit last year, when he missed the halfway cut by two strokes.

Matteo Manassero

The 19-year-old Italian, who upstaged a remarkable recovery by Rory McIlroy to lift the Seagram Trophy in 2011, will return to the familiar layout of Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club with the clear aim of securing his record fourth European Tour title. Manassero will line up alongside Major winners Charl Schwartzel and Padraig Harrington as well as earlier announced Luke Donald in a star-studded field for the 52nd edition of the National Open. Maybank chairman, Tan Sri Dato’ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor expressed his delight in announcing the player confirmation. “The confirmation of these additional top-class players for this year’s Maybank Malaysian Open shows the strength of our event as well as Malaysia’s strong standing in the golf industry,” he said.

Also gaining direct entry are the quartet of Sukree Othman, R. Nachimuthu, Airil Rizman Zahari and another Maybank flagbearer Shaaban Hussin. They are joined by Akhmal Tarmizee Nazari, who booked his berth by winning the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) 2012 season-ending Maybank Tour Players’ Championship last December.

“Spectators will get to see a mix of stars, experience world-class action and be inspired at our own greens. With many renowned golfers who are expected to confirm their participation in the coming weeks, I foresee spectators are in for some spectacular golf action.” South African Schwartzel, who ended 2012 on a high note with back-toback wins at the Thailand Golf Championship and the Alfred Dunhill Championship, is looking forward to his Kuala Lumpur return. “It’s one of my favourite events of the year and I love Asia – the food, people, culture and golf course,” said the in-form 28-yearold, who shot to world fame after winning the Masters Tournament in 2011. Harrington last took part in the Malaysian Open in 2006 and the Iskandar Johor Open 2010 winner is relishing the chance to claim the top prize in the US$2,750,000 co-sanctioned tournament.

Akhmal Tarmizee

ast champion Matteo Manassero will bank on history repeating itself when the Maybank Malaysian Open tees off this March 21-24.

As expected, reigning domestic champion Nicholas Fung topped the list of Maybank invites for the US$2.75 million tournament. The 22-year-old Sabahan has grabbed headlines with his dominance on both the domestic and regional stage and will be determined to cement his status as the nation’s top professional with a good showing in his sixth straight appearance at the National Open.

Meanwhile, event promoter Global One has nominated veterans Md Rashid Ismail and S. Murthy as well as former nationals S. Sivachandhran, Mohd Azman Basharuddin and Kenneth De Silva. In addition to the slots for professionals, tournament custodians Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) have yet to name the six slots traditionally reserved for the nation’s top amateurs.

INSIDE THE ROPES

NATIONAL PRIDE ON THE LINE FOR MALAYSIAN & SINGAPOREAN PROFESSIONALS

Representatives from the Malayia and Singaporean PGAs pose with tournament promoters

arallel Media Group (PMG) and Laguna National Golf and Country Club have joined forces to replicate the long-standing football rivalry between Malaysia and Singapore on the golf course.

The inaugural edition of the Causeway Trophy from June 7-9 at the World Classic course of Laguna National Golf & Country Club will see established professionals and up-and-coming stars from both countries pit against one another in a three-day contest styled after the Ryder Cup. Co-sanctioned by the Singapore Professional Golfers’ Association (SPGA) and the Professional Golfers’ Association of Malaysia (PGAM), the event is set to be an annual affair with the dramatic Andy Dye-designed layout hosting the first three editions, with a possibility of alternating the event between the two countries in the future. The teams will be made up of the top10 players from the respective Order of Merit standings on the domestic circuits in Malaysia and Singapore with each country’s captain having two additional wild card picks to complete their 12-man squads. SPGA honorary secretary Lip Ooi will captain a strong Lions team, including seasoned pair Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing as well as young guns such as Quincy Quek, Lam Chih Bing, Koh Dengshan, Mitchell Slorach and Lam Zhiqun. Meanwhile, the Malaysian side will be skippered by veteran professional Nazamuddin Yusof. Parallel Media Group chairman David Ciclitira expressed his hope that the tournament will

World Classic course of Laguna National Golf & Country Club

not only capture the hearts and imaginations of golf fans from both nations but also play a crucial role in elevating professional golf in both countries. “To me, the greatest tournament in golf is the Ryder Cup. I have been promoting golf tournaments since 1987, and it has long been my dream to become involved in an event that generates the same passion and excitement as the Ryder Cup.” “I believe that the Causeway Trophy will tap into the traditional rivalry between Malaysia and Singapore and has the potential to become one of the region’s greatest golf tournaments,” said Ciclitira. “The Causeway Trophy is not about the game, it is about the relationship between the

countries. We are proud to have such great support from Laguna National, Parallel Media Group and the PGA of Malaysia in making the Causeway Trophy a reality,” said Singapore PGA president Murugiah Madasamy. His Malaysian counterpart Mohd Firuz Jaffril added that the competition provided another channel for players from both countries to show their prowess in an exciting format. “The PGA of Malaysia is delighted to be part of the inaugural edition of the Causeway Trophy. The competition is another channel for players from both countries to show their prowess in a unique format of play, and we look forward to a new impetus for the development of professional golf in the region through this tournament,” added Firuz.

INSIDE THE ROPES

LADIES TEE PARTY

A Change in Venue but still a Top Class Field for this year’s HSBC Women’s Champions by Justine Moss Sentosa Golf Club

2008

Lorena Ochoa

2009

Shin Jiyai

2010

Ai Miyazato

INSIDE THE ROPES

ingaporean golfing fans had plenty to cheer about when HSBC announced its title sponsorship extension of the HSBC Women’s Champion (HSBC WC) last October. A popular event on the local golfing calendar, the tournament has attracted the crème de la crème of women golfers for the past five years. This year’s sixth edition – to be played at Sentosa Golf Club - will be no different with a number of top players confirmed for the 63-player, 72-hole invitation-only no-cut strokeplay tournament. It attracted 49 of the top-50 players on the LPGA money-list in 2012 and those who are invited to play must either have won an LPGA tournament in the preceding year or finish that year in the top-20 in the Official Rolex Rankings. Therefore, the calibre of players is once again first class.

consistently firm bunkers, great fairways and rough. “We have not made any changes to the course since the 2012 Singapore open”, he says. Nevertheless, the players are looking forward to new scenery. “It’s a fantastic event and I always love coming back to Singapore. I’m looking forward to playing the new course and making a run at the 2013 Championship”, offers Kerr, while 35 year old Texan Stanford adds, “The HSBC Champions was the highlight of my year in 2012 so will definitely be back. The tournament is switching course this year which should shake things up a bit but I have very happy memories of Singapore so look forward to returning.”

Marquee names confirmed include defending champion Angel Stanford of the USA – who survived a playoff with Chinese Shanshan Feng and Jenny Shin and Na Yeon Choi of South Korea to claim her fifth LPGA title - world number one (just) Yani Tseng of Taiwan, Norwegian Suzann Pettersen (World No. 6), Japanese Ai Miyazato (No. 9 and 2010 HSBC WC winner) along with Americans Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer (No. 11 & 12 respectively). The popular event has been played on Tanah Merah Country Club’s magnificent Garden course for the past five years, each producing a different winner. The inaugural edition in 2008 was won emphatically by former world number one Lorena Ochoa of Mexico (by 11 shots over Annika Sorenstam). A year later it was young Korean Jiyai Shin who tamed the fairways, coming from six shots behind in the final round to finish two shots ahead of Australian Katherine Hull. Miyazato took the honours in 2010 winning by two strokes over Kerr, while veteran Australian Karrie Webb triumphed by one over Japanese Chie Arimura in 2011. While last year Stanford followed in the footsteps of previous winners Lorena Ochoa, Jiyai Shin, Ai Miyazato and Karrie Webb who all previously held the world number one spot, she has yet to do so herself. But there’s no doubt that this year it’s a whole new ball game with the players looking to tame the tight fairways of one of the most challenging layouts in Singapore – Sentosa’s Serapong course. And, according to Sentosa’s chief agronomist Andy Johnston, the players can expect firm fast putting surfaces, excellent tee conditions,

2011

Karrie Webb

Local qualifier Christabel Goh, who clinched a spot in the field after beating Su-Ann Heng in a playoff at the Host Country Qualifying Tournament in January, will be teeing it up for the second time (she qualified in 2011). “Back in 2011 it was quite daunting to compete against the world’s best female golfers, but now I have that experience behind me and having worked on my swing and my short game over the last year, I am hoping for a strong performance later in February,” she said. The HSBC Women’s Champions will take place on Sentosa’s Serapong course from February 28 to March 3.

2012

Angela Stanford

GOLF CLUB MANAGERS ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA

IS THERE A NEED FOR GOLF MANAGEMENT EDUCATION? In his first thoughts for 2013, Golf Club Managers Association of Malaysia (GCMAM) president Mohd Rom Muslim reiterates the importance of industry-specific education for the greater growth of game in Malaysia.

The National Golf Academy at Universiti Utara Malaysia

olf is a major industry worldwide. It’s a multibillion dollar a year industry. Golf is more than a game. Golf itself is a business. Most of us in the industry recognize that golf business is not rocket science. In fact, there are many similarities in management and golf. Both require planning, execution, control and long term strategic thinking. Golf clubs operate multiple businesses; golf itself, F&B, retail, events, other recreations and sports. They provide goods and services. All these products need to be marketed. Clubs must explore opportunities to promote their facilities. The knowledge and skills required to run clubs are often complex and challenging. We do need to educate people to acquire better skills at all levels of the industry. Club owners should constantly challenge their employees to develop new skills. They are responsible for the quality of service provided to their members and guests. The priority has to be the increase in members and guests satisfaction level. Golf business management is about selling the game and running the course. If golfers are satisfied with their experience at the golf course, they will return. One of the most important aspects of business is to know the customers better. In the golf club, the time the managers spend with members and guests is effectively building relationships with customers. They need to talk to members to know what they want. Like in any business it is essential to golf clubs that a clear strategic plan is developed,

implemented and continually reviewed. It is about trying to answer these questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to be? How will we get there? How will we know we are getting there? It outlines the basic purpose for being whilst defining the direction and operational nature of the business. Lack of direction will increase the risk factor. Many local golf clubs either don’t have the skills, commitment or desire to put together a plan. Today’s golf facilities and golf related businesses are seeking professionals with a good understanding of the golf industry as well as superior business skills. Golf club managers must understand revenue generation, operations management, employee supervision and customer service, be able to establish budgets, control costs and find ways to increase club profits. Managers must have the ability to read and analyse financial statements as they are always expected to look for ways to increase the bottom line. Most club managers in Malaysia come from various background and qualifications. Their experiences and many years in the industry get them to be managers. Yes, they need to update their skills constantly and equipped themselves with the latest in club management. Locally, not many institutions provide this very specialized training. The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) jointly with Golf Club Managers Association of Malaysia (GCMAM) organize a yearly international golf symposium where speakers from USA, Europe and Australia are invited to share trends and latest experiences.

Golf Course Superintendents Association of Malaysia (GCSAM) also regularly organizes talks on new and efficient ways of managing the golf course. Club managers should convince the owners and participate in these heavily subsidized workshops, not only to update their knowledge but to renew their networking with the other managers. Golf course owners should be supportive of these initiatives and make it mandatory for their employees to attend the courses. At the newly set up Universiti Utara Malaysia National Golf Academy (UUMNGA), they not only train top amateur golfers to excel but plan to provide the industry with knowledgeable and skilled personnel. UUM offers degree courses in tourism, communication and business management with minor in golf which includes subjects like club and golf course management, retail business, turf, events and managing golf lessons. The students are equipped with the needs of the golf industry. Most of the students with the academy want to be professional golfers, but with a degree they have other opportunities to serve the industry. The academy will be offering a Diploma in Golf Management soon besides other ongoing certificate courses. It welcomes proposals for postgraduate research in golf leading to a masters or PhDs.

Mohd Rom Muslim

is the President of Golf Club Managers Association of Malaysia and lectures at the National Golf Academy

INDUSTRY TALK

UM TO OFFER GOLF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

University of Malaya will offer a Diploma in Sports Management (Golf ) through collaboration between the university’s Centre for Continuing Education (UMCCED) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ Akademi Kemahiran Belia dan Golf (AKBG).

ne of the country’s oldest universities has taken a leap of faith in providing industry-specific programmes to address the human capital needs of the local golf industry.

The six-semester full-time diploma programme is scheduled to accept its first intake in September 2013 with a minimum requirement of five Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) credits. The programme is suited for young golfers who are keen on gaining an industry-relevant

PERANGSANG TEMPLER TO CLOSE DOORS

erangsang Templer Golf Club in Rawang will give way to an eco-themed premium development project, which will be jointly undertaken by Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Berhad (KPS) and SP Setia Berhad. In their February 6 announcement, KPS confirmed that they have entered into a joint venture agreement with the property

qualification, golf industry professionals who are seeking career improvement as well as current AKBG students, who want to pursue their studies after completing the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM). “This golf management programme will run under University of Malaya’s Centre for Continuing Education, complementing our existing sports development programmes,” said University of Malaya vice-chancellor Tan Sri Dr. Ghauth Jasmon during the official launch of the programme at the Ministry of Youth & Sports on February 18. “In line with the varsity’s self-accreditation status, the programme will be submitted to the university Senate for approval and subsequently forwarded to the Public Service Department (PSD) for recognition,” he added.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia, the state-owned KPS stated that a study to evaluate the redevelopment potential of the 18-hole golf course, which has a membership of 1,609, revealed that the land was “strategicallylocated” but “not fully optimised in its current form and utilisation”.

conglomerate to develop RM1.24bil worth of high-end residential and commercial properties on three parcels of leasehold land, where the 195-acre golf course currently lies.

While there was no indication of when the golf course will be officially closed, KPS has in a separate filing indicated that the yet-tobe named project is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2021 – six years from vacant possession of the land, subject to a rezoning approval from the relevant local authorities.

The land has a market value of RM100mil, including buildings, fixtures and furnishings; KPS is set to receive 16% of the gross sales value of the development or a minimum of RM200mil from SP Setia.

KPS also stated that it intends to utilise the proceeds from the project for the repayment of advances to Perangsang Selangor and payment for compensations (if any) to cease the operations of the club.

TWO ELS CLUB TAKES SHAPE IN MALAYSIA

estination Resorts and Hotels (DRH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional, have unveiled plans for two stunning locations in Malaysia which will feature Asia’s first-ever Els Clubs.

ON THE MOVE

The developments include a 18-hole championship course at the former Datai Golf Club Teluk on the island of Langkawi and a 27-hole design at the highlyanticipated Desaru Coast in south-eastern With over 25 years of hospitality experience in hotel, golf and club industry, Steven A. Thielke fits the bill as the general manager of Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.

Johor. The exclusive Els Club Teluk Datai is set for official opening in October 2013 to coincide with the resort’s 20th anniversary with Desaru following soon in the third quarter of 2014. Both golf courses have been created by Ernie Els Design, the esteemed design business set up by four-time major champion Ernie Els and will be managed by Troon Golf, the global leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing. One of Malaysia’s leading golf administrators, Ravindran Varnagopal takes over the reins as the general manager of the Samarahan Country Club.

“A project as high profile as this requires expertise of the highest order. We have undertaken much due diligence in identifying our partners. Ernie and his design team share our vision in creating one of the world’s most distinctive golf experiences. Troon will bring their industryleading services and expertise to ensure the product and experience fall in line with our vision,” commented DRH managing director Mohd Nadziruddin Mohd Basri. Newly appointed club manager Shoban Ramlu looks forward to putting the glitter back to Teluk Intan Golf Club.

P R I D E O F K O TA K I N A B A L U

A sense of ownership and a desire to serve her customers better saw Theresa Voon taking the bold step of co-founding The Golf Shop with her husband Jeffrey in 1997. Fifteen years down the road, she remains passionate and steadfast in her mission to equip Sabah golfers with the right tools for their game. gimmicks; indeed it is noteworthy that the only time we had a sale was during our tenth anniversary celebration a few years back.

Theresa Voon (second from right) is the proud owner of The Golf Shop Kota Kinabalu

Q: How would you describe your customer base and the golf market in Sabah as a whole? I do not think the golf market here is any different from that in Kuala Lumpur - it is relatively stagnant and the growth rate is slow, but I’m very pleased to see that many of our customers are now encouraging their children to pick up golf. From the business perspective, when we started off in the late 90s, there were about four establishments sharing the cake but now we have close to ten and the cake has not grown any bigger.

When and how did you get involved with golf retail? I had been involved in the golf retailing for close to a decade before I stumbled upon an opportunity to venture out on my own in 1997. I did not envisage that I would one day manage my own golf business, but my love for the business all but made the leap of faith much easier.

don’t concern yourself with things such as cash flow and revenue management, which are so crucial when you run a business of your own.

Q: How did you build your contacts with suppliers? I got along very well with the various suppliers during my employment, so the people were not new to me. Gaining their trust however was a different story altogether. Some said yes, others did not give us a positive answer at first because they wanted to see our performance. But I must credit Jennifer Bose of Winston’s Golf as well as the late Wong of PanWest for their trust and support during that critical start-up period. Q: Were there any obstacles you encountered in the early days? Initially I must admit that the financial challenges were the biggest hurdles. We had self-funded the business; hence we had to work around a small capital for some time before we could secure financing. We did alright as we kept our operations very lean - it was just my husband and myself at first. It was a learning experience nonetheless because when you work for someone else, you

Q: Any business philosophy you adhere to, which has helped you succeed? Patience and enthusiasm are very important virtues in the golf business because you have to spend a lot of time and make a lot of efforts to supply your customers with the right products based on their age, brand preference, handicap as well as swing type. And you have to remember, the same guy would not come in every day to buy something new. Q: Any plans for expansion? The golf retail landscape, as I mentioned earlier, is pretty saturated and highly competitive, so I do not think we would want to expand beyond our outlets at Wisma Merdeka and Lintas Driving Range at the present moment.

Q: Challenges as a stand-alone business compared to the industry’s big retail boys. Basically, the big boys stand out in the marketplace and it is a challenge not only to carve out a market share for yourself but also sustain it in the long run. We’re fortunate that our long-standing reputation of selling genuine products and good customer support have won us a strong base of customers. It is my regulars who always try to drive a hard bargain by saying that “the products are cheaper elsewhere” but we continue to enjoy their patronage. Q: Share your business model with us. I did not think then that we would grow in terms of floor space - we started off with a small 350 sq. ft. shop as compared with the 6,300 sq. ft. outlet we now occupy. If anything, our belief in a sustainable business model has not gone wrong. I do not believe in sales

Q: Is staffing a problem? I do not know if I am a good boss or not but I am very fortunate that my three assistants have been with us for a very long time. One of them was my first staff since 15 years ago and the other two have stayed with us for nearly seven to eight years. In the early years, I took the initiative to teach them about the business, how to get along with customers and today, I am proud that they are able to manage the business with much honesty and dedication, with minimal supervision.

The Golf Shop

B611-B615 Sixth Floor Phase 2 Wisma Merdeka 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Tel: 088-264498

TITLEIST IMPROVES THE PRO V1 FRANCHISE It easy to take for granted the continuing success attained by golfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular ball franchise but the folks at Titleist are not about to rest on their laurels just yet. Our correspondent Scott Kramer was at the 60th PGA Merchandise Show last month as the Massachusetts-based golf company unveiled its improved line-up of Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls.

EQUIPMENT FEATURE

any golfers feel that all balls are relatively the same. After all, if you removed the label from the various ball models, could anyone really tell them apart? Each of the major brand balls conform to the rules of golf set forth by golf’s governing bodies, the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient. In other words, they all have the same performance limits on them. So it’s truly impressive that in a world of equals, Titleist continues to dominate the ball market, getting golfers to pay top dollar for its flagship Pro V1 and Pro V1x models. This year, the company debuted new-andimproved versions of these two popular balls – as they’ve done every two years like clockwork since their inception in October 2000. In a nutshell, this year’s rendition aims to provide you more distance, softer feel and longer durability.

In fact, the 2013 Pro V1 is the softest Pro V1 yet. It’s manufactured with a “ZG process” core technology that gives it a softer compression. That also makes the ball travel longer, because it spins less off the driver and lands with a shallower angle of descent that produces more roll. Its 352-dimple pattern has five different dimple sizes and three axes of symmetry, helping generate a penetrating flight that holds its line in the wind. The 2013 Pro V1x delivers even more distance and more consistent performance. Its fourpiece multi-component design also includes the new, very soft “ZG process” center within its dual core that maintains lower driver spin for more distance while increasing iron spin for control into the green. It also produces a slightly different launch condition than its predecessor, and flies slightly lower with a tight ball flight, yet still maintain a deep downrange peak trajectory. With a responsive ionomeric casing layer and a spherically tiled 328 tetrahedral dimple design,

the new Pro V1x’s penetrating flight cuts well through wind. Both new models sport an improved urethane elastomer cover and paint system that results in longer cover durability that retains its whiteness over time. The new cover and paint system also helps make each ball more

EQUIPMENT FEATURE

Q&A with Bill Morgan Senior vice president - golf ball research and development Acushnet Company How can the average golfer distinguish which new ball to play? The best way is to go out and play. Start up by the green, try hitting both models by hitting a couple of different shot types with it. How does it land? Softly or roll out? Is it releasing the way you want it to? Then move back to longer shots. See where you find differences. There will be shots you can’t tell them apart. That’s okay. There will be times when there will be obvious differences and you will have a preference. By the time you move back to the tee, it will be an obvious choice. You won’t need to decide which one to play – you’ll know. It’s an easy decision. Talk about the compression of these new models. Pro V1x is a higher-compression ball than Pro V1. It’s a higher compression than Professional and Tour Balata ever were. But because of the changes we’ve made to the cover and the center of the dual core this year, people are telling us that Pro V1x feels softer than it did before. Yet it’s a high-compression ball.

aerodynamically consistent. Plus, they both still have the company’s touted “Drop-and-Stop” greenside control. Among the Tour pros quickly converting to the new balls are Adam Scott (Pro V1), Luke Donald (Pro V1x) and Brian Gay (Pro V1x), each of whom won soon after putting the 2013 model in play. In fact, more players (62) teed up the 2013 Pro V1 and Pro V1x models than any other ball at the Sony Open, the year’s first full-field PGA Tour event. “I like to see a slightly lower ball flight on my driver,” says Scott. “I feel like when I bring the ball flight down, I can control it a little better. And with this ball, I’ve been able to do that, but also keep plenty of distance on it. I also like to see the ball fly a little higher with my irons, so it’s very hard to balance that, but somehow they’ve managed to be able to do that with the new Pro V1.”

There’s good science behind it. The ZG Process center changes the sound of the ball. The cover composition change and the new paint system change the sound of the ball. Those two pieces together make the ball sound different than it did before. Same compression specification. Same surface hardness specification. However, it makes a different sound. We measured it at impact. It’s not just your ears, the scope confirms it. Is the new paint the same color as the previous Pro V1 and Pro V1x? The color of the paint change subtly. We weren’t trying to change the color. If you had the two side-by-side and measured it with a colorimeter, you’d get some numbers. But most golfers will pick the two balls up and say they’re both white. That wasn’t a design goal, but the color difference can be measured. Why no colored Pro V1 balls? Honestly, the interest in it isn’t that strong. If you look at who’s playing yellow golf balls on Tour, there might be one in a given week. Amongst better players we’ve talked with, they just don’t see much demand for it.

“I put the 2013 Pro V1x into play for the first time (at the Dunlop Phoenix) and won on a tight, demanding golf course. From tee to green, I felt I had total control of distance, ball flight and shot shape, and on and around the greens the ball performed just as I needed in order to shoot winning numbers,” said Donald.

We entered the colored golf ball market a year ago with the NXT Tour S yellow, the DT yellow has been around for years, we’ve had yellow Pinnacle golf balls. And we had projections for what percentage of our sales we thought those would be based on surveys we’ve done and inquiries we made with our accounts…the real demand for a yellow Pro V1 wasn’t really going to be strong.

You can buy standard dozens of the ball at a recommended retail price of RM224 with either low play numbers (1-4) or high (5-8), and can also custom order them with double-digit play numbers (00 and 11-99).

You might get a pulse at the beginning, but most golfers weren’t going to use it. It would be not an insignificant technological investment for us to do that.

EQUIPMENT FEATURE

168 24

DRIVERS IN With its radical new crown design and the ability to tune to any loft, any look and any flight, the TaylorMade R1 driver raises the bar once again

hey donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t call TaylorMade as the masters of adjustable drivers for nothing and the equipment makers are back at it again, offering an unrivalled range of adjustability in their new R1driver.

So how does the R1 measure up to its white-headed predecessors? Combining three separate technologies, which allows loft and face angle to be adjusted independently of each other as well as two movable shot-shape weights, the R1 can be tuned up to 168 different ways to specifically fit a playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swing, optimizing distance and accuracy. The new R1 driver retails for a recommended retail price of RM2030.

EQUIPMENT FEATURE What’s new with the R1 ? Loft adjustability

17+10 = ROCKETBALLZ-IER

TaylorMade’s internal research found that over 80% of golfers were playing the wrong loft in their drivers and that close to 35% were 2° or more away from their optimal loft. In response, the R1 features an improved loft sleeve, allowing the golfer to play anywhere from a 8° to 12° driver in seven standard lie settings as well as five upright lie angles.

Face angle adjustability

Increasing and decreasing the loft inadvertently closes and opens the face by 2°, hence the R1 offers seven face angle options: N/square, open, medium-open, maximum-open, closed, medium-closed and maximum-closed.

TaylorMade’s new Rocketballz Stage 2 family pushes the envelope of technology by offering increased playability and ease of launch

Newer aesthetics

Remember the fairway wood that gave you that extra 17 yards off the fairway? Well, the folks at TaylorMade are so bullish that they dare claim that their new Rocketballz Stage 2 3-wood will hit the ball 10 yards farther than last year’s highly-successful Rocketballz 3-wood - for an increased distance of 27 yards since 2011.

More forgiveness

How is this even possible, one may wonder but TaylorMade have accomplished just that by lowering the profile and moving the center of gravity location lower and further forward to promote faster ball speed, higher launch and lower spin.

Better aerodynamics

Enhanced aerodynamics reduce drag over the head combined with TaylorMade’s proprietary TM1-113 by Mitsubishi Rayon shaft promotes faster clubhead speed.

R1’s new crown graphic technology helps the player to see and square the face to the ball accurately at address while the black clubface and non-glare white crown help heighten focus.

Taylormade engineers were able to move more weight lower and closer to the face thanks to the R1’s thick-thin crown, which is as thin as 0.4 mm in certain areas, creating a driver that has faster ball speeds in the middle of the face as well as more forgiveness on shots hit below the sweet spot.

Movable weights

The R1 has two interchangeable weight ports that give golfers even more control over their trajectory. Golfers can adjust the driver’s two interchangeable weights (10g and 1g) to give their driver a draw bias (10g in the heel & 1g in the toe) or a neutral setting (10g in the toe & 1g in the heel).

This combined with a more flexible and faster TaylorMade Rocketsteel face as well as a shallower head profile contributes to increased playability and easier launch for

better distance. In addition, the metalwoods feature an improved TaylorMade’s Speed Pocket cut into their sole, which boosts ball speed and distance. The Loft-Sleeve technology also find its way into the Rocketballz Stage 2 lineup with the adjustable Tour versions for the fairway woods and hybrids allowing the golfer to raise or lower the loft of these clubs by as much as 1.5° in either direction. The standard version of Stage 2 fairway woods (RM1110) will be available in lofts of 15°,19° and 23° while the adjustable tour version (RM1280) will come in lofts of 13°, 14.5° and 18.5°. Meanwhile, the Stage 2 Rescue (RM920) is available in #3 (19°), #4 (22°), #5(25°) and #6 (28°) designations, meaning those are the irons designed to be replaced. The adjustable Tour Rescue (RM1080) will be sold in TOUR2 (16.5°), TOUR3 (18.5°), TOUR4 (20.5°) and TOUR5 (23.5°) designations.

RBZ STAGE 2 DRIVER Like the R1, the RBZ Stage 2 drivers have a striking paint job — a grey-and-yellow triangle design on the crown that points down the target line. It also features Loft Sleeve Technology but TaylorMade have elected to restrict it to 1.5° in either direction, and so multiple lofts (heads) are available. Two models - the standard and Tour - are available with the same 460cc head that has a larger face area and improved aerodynamics for faster clubhead speeds. The primary difference comes in the placement of weight, with the standard model being designed with a slight draw bias while the Tour model has a neutrally placed center of gravity. The standard RBZ Stage 2 driver is available in 9.5°, 10.5° and 13° while the Tour head is available in 9° or 10.5°. RM1569

IN THE BAG

2OXI GOLF BALLS www.nike.com./golf

ED! IMPROV

Features two times as much proprietary RZN material as well as a fourpiece urethane construction for tour-level performance off the tee and in the short game. l Larger and softer rubber-less RZN core improves feel on all shots while maintaining driver distance while the improved RZN mantle layer produces faster speeds off irons for longer distance while maintaining a softer short-game feel. l Lighter core combined with heavier upper layers promote balanced perimeter weighting for better stability and forgiveness in many golf clubs, reducing ball spin off the driver and to maintain spin as the ball lands on the ground. l Available in two versions - the 20XI which is designed for improved feel and enhanced short game control while the 20XI X delivers maximum distance and reduced spin for greater accuracy off the tee.

RRP: RM179

26 NIKE VRS COVERT FAIRWAY WOODS & HYBRIDS www.nike.com./golf

The world’s first High Speed Cavity Back fairway woods and hybrids exude innovation with an iconic look and high performance technologies. l Utilises the High Speed Cavity Back technology previously used in irons for greater distance and control by moving the weight of the club to the corners, raising the MOI for increased forgiveness and more distance to off-center shots. l The NexCOR face technology is designed to deliver faster ball speed and longer shots from a wider area of the face. This is done by employing variable face thickness which creates more speed at impact by increasing the ball speed off the clubface. l Comes in two models — a Tour version which features Nike’s new FlexLoft adjustability system and a Performance version which is glued with a fixed loft. l Fairways available in 3W (13°-17°) and 5W (17°21°) while hybrids come in 3H (17°-21°) and 4H (21°-25°), fitted with Mitsubishi Bassara Falcon shafts.

RRP:

Fairway - RM980 - 1080 Hybrid - RM880 - 980

IN THE BAG

COBRA GOLF BAFFLER T-RAIL+ FAIRWAY WOODS & HYBRIDS www.cobragolf.com

Unique alignment lines combined with tungsten rail technology as well as a a thin, high strength 455 steel face deliver maximum forgiveness and versalitiliy all longer approach shots. l Tungsten Rail Sole improves turf interaction and moves CG lower and deeper for longer carry distances. l Shallow face increases forgiveness and promotes an easy launch for higher trajectories. l A high strength 455 steel face is utilized to deliver a thinner and lighter face for increased ball speeds. l Fairways available in 3W+(13°), 3W(16°) 5W(18°) and 7W(20°)while hybrids come in 2/H (17°), 3/H (19°), 4/H (22°), 5/H (25°), 6/H (28°) and 7/H (31°)

RRP: RM890 (fairway) & RM790 (hybrid)

MP825 DRIVER

golf.mizunoeurope.com Five-piece construction allows for multiple technologies to be integrated into the sleek, new head design that offers balanced performance in terms of looks, distance, and forgiveness. l Square face angle and deeper face head design promote confidence behind the ball while multi-thickness CORTECH face delivers maximum ball speeds and explosive distance. l Ultra-thin crown significantly lowers the Center of Gravity to achieve an ideal launch and spin combination. l Ultimate Dynamic Stability (UDS) weight is strategically pushed lower and deeper into the head to increase stability on not only misses in the toe and heel direction but also up and down to minimise distance loss and promote straighter drives from across the face.

RRP: RM1,499

G25 IRONS

www.ping.com Offers game-improvement technology — high trajectory, distance, and extreme forgiveness — in a sleeker head that inspires confidence. l The Custom Tuning Port (CTP) is repositioned lower on the face, resting against the sole of the club to increase the efficiency of the irons by aligning the impact line with the club’s force line at impact. l Thinner face allows for more optimal redistribution of weight, promoting increased forgiveness in the long irons and flatter trajectory for short irons while maintaining the springiness of the face. l Support bars in the cavity stabilise the 17-4 stainless steel face to ensure a solid feel and exceptional distance control throughout the set. l Sole widths and offset are slightly larger in the longer irons to help launch the ball higher while the soles on the short irons to ensure versatility and control.

RRP: RM2,970 (NS Pro) & RM3,570 (TFC360 Graphite)

GEAR UP

CARDIFF MESH

NEW!

www.ashworthgolf.com A breathable, woven-mesh upper and spikeless outsole combine to provide lightweight comfort and off-course versatility l l l l

Abrasion-resistant rubber outsole provides full-length spikeless traction Dual-density EVA + foam footbed provides long-lasting comfort Super-durable toe overlay for improved abrasion resistance Canvas upper provides a sportier look with iconic Ashworth upper design and highlighted stitching.

RRP: RM399

DIVOT TOOL

SAN CLEMENTE CART BAG

www.ping.com

Designed to satisfy the convenience and organizational needs of the player, while also maintaining a lightweight and classic silhouette.

l Ergonomically shaped and made from a lightweight polymer that is plated utilising nano-nickel technology. l Removeable two-sided Ping ballmarker

www.taylormadegolf.com.asia/my

l Fourteen-way stadium design top with full length dividers and integrated putter tube. l Ten total pockets invluding dual velour-lined valuables pockets with internal key/ring clip and accordion expandable side pockets. l Complete with soft touch front handles as well as an integrated bottom trunk handle and one FASTEK receiver.

RRP: RM399

RRP: RM99

GEAR UP

SO LIGHT, IT FLOATS! The new high-performance adidas golf adiZero packs a steely punch despite its super-lightweight demeanour

t started with a design philosophy “Start with zero and add only what is essential.” And with that, adidas golf have delivered the adiZero Tour golf shoe - designed to be the lightest on the market. The adiZero shaves close to 38% of weight less than the previous adidas Tour 360 ATV golf shoe - thanks to an ultra-thin sole that measures only 1.2mm and a new Sprintframe outsole.

29 3 1 4

Yet support and comfort are not sacrificed: there is a new anatomical last and other shoe techs that address support, fit and resist water uptake while delivering promoting high, Tour-level performance. Sergio Garcia doned the adiZero Tour for his first competitive outing of 2013 at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and he came close to adding another title to his 18 European Tour wins when he finished a shot behind the winner Chris Wood. “I’m always looking to add comfort and lightweight elements to my game, rounds on the course get long and it’s vital to have footwear that helps you perform,” said Garcia. “The adiZero golf shoe gives me the tools to stay light on my feet and feel closer to the ground through each step and swing.” There are four color options for men, with a recommended retail price of RM599 while the women’s adiZero Tour shoes come in two colorways with a recommended retail price of RM399.

300g?

That’s roughly the same as

A can of Coke

344g

Six TaylorMade golf balls

276g

2 6 The science behind adiZero 1. SPRINTWEB Patent-pending internal TPU layer provides upper stability during lateral movements for unrivalled support throughout your swing.

3. INTERNAL WATERPROOF MEMBRANE Internal waterproof layer

2. SPRINTFRAME outsole Made from ultra-responsive Pebax material that delivers ultimate lightweight performance while providing support and flexibility where needed. The high-abrasion rubber heel crash pad offers better heel strike for walking throughout your round.

An Apple ipad Mini

308g

Two The ClubHouse Magazine

330g

4. eva insole Provides comfort and lightweight durability 5. internal eva sole Strategically placed internal EVA heel layer for added comfort 6. thintech with pins 10-spike configuration with THINTECH low-profile technology for improved traction and stability.

Three bananas

360g

A Burger King Whopper

290g

AROUND THE GLOBE

ASIAN TOUR PREDICTS GOLDEN DECADE OF GOLF BOOM

Asian Tour chief executive Mike Kerr (left) and executive chairman Kyi Hla Han with the anniversary commemorative logo

he Asian Tour, the official sanctioning body for professional golf in the region, will mark its milestone 10th season in 2013 with the unveiling of a commemorative logo and a 10-year vision for Asian golf. Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han and Chief Executive Officer Mike Kerr unveiled the celebratory Asian Tour logo in a press launch on February 15 which symbolises “10 Years of Excellence” and the official tagline, “The Players’ Tour”. Launched as a player-led organisation in 2004 and structured similarly to the PGA Tour and European Tour, the Asian Tour has succeeded in enhancing the careers of golfers across the region through the staging of 239 tournaments and a staggering US$290 million in combined prize funds up till the end of last season. Over 30 Asian Tour players have earned in excess of US$1 million in winnings over the past nine years. Han, one of the key guiding hands during the formation of the Asian Tour, said: “2013 will herald a new and exciting chapter for the Asian Tour as we enter our 10th season as a playerled organisation. “Through the support of our partners and stakeholders who include Asia’s elite players, Corporate Asia, event promoters and golf clubs, the Asian Tour has enjoyed a memorable journey over the past nine years and we look forward to our 10th season with great anticipation and excitement. “Throughout this journey, we have celebrated many great champions, welcomed our first Asian male Major winner in Y.E. Yang, written

ASIAN TOUR’S 10-YEAR VISION

l By 2023, Asian Tour members will compete

commemorative logo will reflect our core value that will define the Asian Tour is by the players and for the players.

for well over US$100 million a year through a full season of 38 to 39 events; l All major markets in Asia, including Vietnam, Brunei and Cambodia, will be represented with players and as host nations on the Asian Tour; l The Asian Tour will be represented by more than 10 members at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, with the Tour to produce one medal winner by the 2020 Olympics; l Asians will make up three to four players of the world’s top 10; l The Asian Tour will produce at least three winners at golf’s Majors; l A new innovative shorter form of the game will complement the ‘standard 72-hole, four-day tournament’ on the Asian Tour’s professional circuit; l Through development of young talent at schools and through specific training academies, professional golf in Asia will be dominated by young Asian players; l The next ‘golf celebrity’ will be a young Asian playing on the Asian Tour.

“Additionally, the Asian Tour is now televised globally through our TV arm, Asian Tour Media. As the Asian Tour holds ownership of our TV rights, our programmes, which include the Live Broadcast, Highlights Show and Asian Tour Golf Show, reach over 200 countries and 650 million homes which have increased our profile internationally and generated greater benefits to our partners and sponsors.”

new chapters in our history books and shaped the careers of our members, many of whom are now world-class stars. They include the likes of K.J. Choi, Thongchai Jaidee, Arjun Atwal, Jeev Milkha Singh, Charlie Wi, Noh Seung-yul and Thaworn Wiratchant, just to name a few.

“The foundation and fundamentals of the Asian Tour represent a very strong platform from which we are poised to grow. We are therefore delighted to outline our 10-year vision, in which I have every confidence,” said Kerr.

“In our inaugural season, we offered US$12.3 million in total prize money while last year, we offered US$44.5 million which reflects wonderfully on the growing strength of our Tour. We will continue to focus primarily on the careers of our members, hence our

“With the shift of the global economy East, coupled with the growing popularity of golf in Asia, we have every belief the Asian Tour will continue to develop over the next 10 years through the sustainable growth of existing tournaments and the expansion of the Tour into new markets.”

Han was also delighted with the success of the burgeoning Asian Development Tour (ADT), the secondary circuit run by the Asian Tour. It has grown from an initial five tournaments in 2010 to 13 last season and will offer Official World Golf Ranking points in 2013. Throughout the 2013 season, which kicks off next week with the staging of the Zaykabar Myanmar Open presented by Alpine, Han said the Asian Tour will celebrate its landmark season with various promotions and activities, including contests on the Tour’s social media platform for golf fans.

AROUND THE GLOBE

Dramatic win for Ko continues Wood in Doha climb to hris Wood claimed his stardom C European Tour breakthrough in brilliant fashion with an eagle on the closing par-five to lift the with NZ wi Commercial Bank Qatar Masters on January 26.

A nervy start turned his threestroke overnight lead into a twoshot deficit before the turn but Wood battled back to overtake Spaniard Sergio Garcia and George Coetzee of South Africa with a round of the three-under 69 and 18-under 270 overall.

Chris Wood’s Arsenal Driver: Mizuno MP650 (8.5°) Fairway: Ping G20 (15°) Irons (#3-PW): Mizuno MP69 (#3 & #4 - Mizuno MP64) Wedges: MP T-4 52°, 56° & 60° Putter: Yes! Golf Tracy Tour Ball: Titleist

“I knew it was going to be hard no matter how I played,” Wood said after collecting a first prize of just under £260,000. “Winning on the European Tour is not easy,” said the 25-year-old Englishman, who claimed the Thailand Open on OneAsia last August. “I felt like I was due to win for a couple of years but now there’s an enormous weight off my shoulders and I feel I can go on and win more.”

Woods earns 75th win at Torrey Pines

op-ranked amateur Lydia Ko picked up her third victory in a professional tournament after winning the New Zealand Women’s Open on February 9. In an outstanding 13-month spell, Ko has won the New South Wales Open to become the youngest player - male or female - to win a professional event as well as the Canadian Open to become the youngest-ever winner on the LPGA Tour and now, the youngest-ever Ladies European Tour (LET) champion with the home victory. “It was a pretty good day out there and I’m pretty excited to have my name on this trophy,” she said. “I didn’t cry at the Canadian Open so I’ve got no idea why I cried here, I guess it meant more. “It’s our national open so to win it means a lot. I’m not the sort of person who shows expression or feelings that much but I guess I did here.” The 15-year-old Korean-born New Zealander approached the last hole at the Clearwater Golf Club in a tie for the lead with American Amelia Lewis but Lewis, in the penultimate group, three-putted from 25 feet for bogey while Ko, playing in the last group, made par for a final round 68 and a 10-under-par 206 winning total.

Mickelson triumphs in Phoenix

ven a sloppy finish could not derail Tiger Woods’ stride as he opened his 2013 PGA season with a victory in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on January 28.

Despite two bogeys and a double bogey in the final five holes, Woods closed hil Mickelson held off a last-day charge by fellow American with an even-par 72 for a four-shot victory over defending champion Brandt and playing partner Brandt Snedeker to end a week of Snedeker and Josh Teater at the fog- plagued the event, which stretched into scintillating golf with a four-shot triumph at the Phoenix Open in Monday. TPC Scottsdale on February 3. “I’m excited the way I played all week,” Woods said. “I hit the ball well - pretty much did everything well and built myself a nice little cushion. I had some mistakes at the end, but all my good play before that allowed me to afford those mistakes,” said Woods, who is now seven wins from catching all all-time recordholder Sam Snead.

Left-hander Mickelson birdied three of the last six holes to close with a four-under-par 67 at the TPC Scottsdale, completing a wire-to-wire victory with a record-tying 28-under total of 256 to clinch his 41st PGA Tour title.

AROUND THE GLOBE

Sizzling Snedeker wins in Pebble Beach

GOLF BUSINESS

edExCup champion Brandt Snedeker finally reaped just reward for his red-hot early form on the PGA Tour this year when he eased to victory by two shots at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on February 10. Runner-up behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in his two previous starts on the U.S. circuit, the American six closed with a sevenunder-par 65 to post a 19-under total of 267 in the pro-am celebrity event. Sharing the 54-hole lead with compatriot James Hahn, Snedeker took control with an eagle on the second hole and never relinquished his grip on the tournament.

Sterne ends drought in Joburg

outh Africa’s Richard Sterne produced a faultless closing round to claim a sevenstroke victory over local boy Charl Schwartzel at the Johannesburg Open on Feb 10.

The 31-year-old from Pretoria, who had not won on the European Tour since 2009, sank eight birdies in his closing 64 to card a new record of 270-under-par 260. He never looked in real danger after overnight joint-leader Trevor Fisher Jr’s challenge collapsed with a one-over-par final round. Sterne has overcome injury problems, after missing most of the 2010 and 2011 campaigns because of a form of arthritis in his back. “It was a pretty special day. It is quite tough coming from a good week into another week; you kind of do expect to play well, but I got off to such a good start on the West Course and felt comfortable,” said Sterne after his recordbreaking display.

Prayad wins thrilling Singha Esan Open in four-man playoff

eteran Thai Prayad Marksaeng drew on his long years of experience as a professional to seal victory in the US$100,000 Singha Esan Open at the fifth playoff hole on February 17. The 47-year-old saw off challenges from two-time ASEAN Tour winner Thanyakon Khrongpha, Sattaya Supupramai and Thailand-based Korean Baek Seuk-hyun after the quartet finished regulation play tied on 14-under 274 at Singha Park Golf Club. Prayad, co-overnight leader with Antonio Lascuna of the Philippines, endured a difficult day but his even-par 72 proved good enough to get him into sudden death after Sattaya blew his chances of outright victory by bogeying the final two holes. Lascuna slumped to a 74 and finished joint sixth. Prayad birdied the fifth hole of the playoff - the par-five 578yard 18th - to edge Thanyakon after Sattaya and Baek were eliminated at the first and third playoff holes respectively. “I am exhausted but happy,” said Prayad, who is a six-time winner on the Asian Tour on top of his three victories in Japan. “Eventhough Sattaya was two ahead going into the closing stretch, I never lost hope.”

WORLD LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP TO RETURN TO HAINAN The highly acclaimed Sandbelt Trails course of Mission Hills Haikou will host the second edition of the World Ladies Championship from March 7-10. Defending champion Shanshan Feng is confirmed confirmed to defend her title at the US$600,000 event co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and China LPGA Tour. GOLFASIAN REPORTS A 52% GROWTH Asia’s leading inbound golf tour operator Golfasian have reported double digit growth in an economy where many other tour operators are closing their doors, buoyed by 43% increase in the number of golf travelers serviced throughout its destinations Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Bali. LEVET CLOCKS UP 500 APPEARANCES Frenchman Thomas Levet became only the 24th member of an elite list of players to have notched 500 European Tour appearances when he teed off at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Levet’s first event was the 1986 Peugeot Open de France when he was still an amateur before making his first professional appearance at the 1989 Open Renault de Baleares. PHELPS SIGNS FOR PING Multiple Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps has reached agreement with PING to play a full set of the company’s custom-fit clubs as he focuses his athletic efforts on the game of golf. Phelps will feature on Golf Channel’s reality show The Haney Project, documenting his efforts to improve his golf game under the guidance of renowned instructor Hank Haney. BRIDGESTONE ADD LYLE TO STABLE Five-time Ryder Cup star and double Major winner Sandy Lyle will use the highlyrated Bridgestone B-3330 golf ball on the European Seniors Tour this season after signing a two-year ball and club deal with the equipment maker.

FIT FOR GOLF WITH SAMANTHA CEBRERO

hen I am back in Manila, I can say that I’m on a break and relatively stress-free. I’m lucky enough to be able to enjoy green scenery in the middle of a busy city as I live two minutes away from Manila Golf & Country Club. When I’m not playing, I just lounge all day while watching and screening people teeing off. In a club of mainly ‘matured’ (60+ years old and above) golfers, I realise that a lot of these players have what I term as ‘C-Posture’. This can lead to severe loss of spinal rotation, which limits the ability to create a good backswing. Lifestyle change is the way! If your C-Posture is a result of muscle and joint imbalances, here are some exercises to correct the C-Posture or help prevent it. Exercise 1: In a prayer position with both arms on the Swiss ball, push the ball forward (away from your body). Using your right arm, roll your palm (facing the sky) and try to lift the arm off the ball. Then repeat the exercise on the other side. 5 sets of workout each side.

Exercise 2: In a prayer position with both arms on the Swiss ball, push the ball forward in front of you until you feel a big stretch. From that position rotate to the right to feel a bigger stretch on your right lat and hold for 2 seconds. Repeat the exercise on the other side. 5 sets of workout each side.

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 3: On top of the Swiss ball lie sideways. For support spread your feet with the ball alongside the rib cage. In that position reach the top arm over and across to stretch the lat. Hold for 2 seconds. Repeat the exercise on the other side. 3 sets of workout each side.

ELIMINATING

THE C-POSTURE

RARE BIRDIE

Martin

Vousden

experienced golf writer and editor, equally at home in print publications or online content. A 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.

Stephen Gallacher took 404 events to win his second European Tour title

he type of flair, charisma and style shown by the likes of Tiger, Seve and Rory will always get our attention but there is another virtue, shown by a different sort of pro golfer, which should be equally celebrated, and that’s persistence. Stickability does not generate the same headlines or produce quite the same crackle of electricity down your spine but is something I have always admired and which will, hopefully, bring its own reward eventually.

34 Quote of the Month

It is a law of nature that everybody plays a hole badly when playing through Bernard Darwin

Try to imagine what it is like to be a journeyman on a professional Tour. You almost certainly started playing golf as a young girl or boy, discovered an aptitude, applied yourself and quickly got down to a single figure handicap. You start playing local and then regional competitions, learning all the while and because

of your success golf starts to take over your life. On the rare occasions when you are not playing or practising you’re thinking about your game. You start to win regularly and local people take notice as you continue to rise, getting a plus handicap and then taking the momentous decision to turn professional and try to make a living from playing golf. Now comes the reality check. Until this point you have been among the best at what you do but suddenly, everyone around you is at least as good, and many are significantly better. Getting any kind of result is immeasurably more difficult but you are still learning and improving and eventually, after negotiating a couple of feeder tours you graduate to the ranks of the big boys, the European Tour. Worldwide there are 50 million golfers in 150 countries and you are in the top 0.01 per cent; officially among the elite.

VIRTUE OF

Jamie Donaldson

PERSISTENCE

RARE BIRDIE

It is difficult for most of us recreational golfers to appreciate just how skilled you have to be simply to get onto one of the major Tours of the world. Go to the practice ground of any big event and you will be astonished by the talent on display. Perhaps 10-20% will be fighting a hook or a slice but most will be striping the ball, hitting it unfeasibly long distances and manoeuvering it at will.

talent and application, staying there requires considerably more, and winning lifts you to a different level entirely. The world of pro golf is littered with the corpses of very able golfers who have never tasted that ultimate success. For this reason I celebrate the journeymen, the guys who refuse to give up and who plug away, often for years, to taste that sweet nectar of victory.

From 100 yards out they are disappointed not to get down in two and when they move to the putting green you can watch them hole a succession of 10-footers – the sort of putt you and I would be delighted to can once in 20 attempts. And our fledgling pro has to compete against 155 of these magicians every week.

This doggedness was exemplified last season by a man of whom you may have never heard. His name is Roger Chapman and he was best known in Europe for being runnerup six times yet never having won. He did finally breakthrough after 472 events, in 2000, winning the Brazil Rio De Janeiro 500 Years Open but even his most enthusiastic supporter would not regard that as a significant event.

Par golf will get you nowhere, and if you miss one of those 10-foot putts a round that earlier you practised so successfully, you’ll miss the cut. Professional sport does not do sympathy or hard luck or forgiveness. Week in and week out you are set the most serious examination possible of your talent, nerve and competitive fire and if you mess up one hole out of 36 you’re heading out of town before the real contest even begins. Getting to the Tour takes extraordinary

He retired from competition and worked as a rules official for a couple of years before being lured back to compete on the US Champions Tour. His first season was okay but then in 2012 he overcame a lifetime of near misses and won the first two majors on the Senior Tour - the US Senior PGA Championship and the US Senior Open. A few weeks ago on the European Tour we saw Welshman Jamie Donaldson win the Abu

Roger Champman with the US Senior PGA Championship and US Senior Open trophies

Dhabi HSBC Championship. In 2004 he was advised to give up the game at which he excels on medical grounds, having been diagnosed with what is sometimes referred to as Pars disease. It is, in fact, a variant of lumbar spondylolysis, a stress fracture of the spine that afflicts active sportspeople and causes considerable pain. It is treatable but not curable and, like the yips, once you’ve got it, you’ve got it for good. Donaldson, however, ignored his doctor’s advice and undertook a punishing regime of exercise involving endless hours in the gym in order to continue competing as a golfer. At the 255th time of asking he broke through for his maiden win at last year’s Irish Open and then, only 13 events later, took his second title. Two weeks later Scotsman Stephen Gallacher also won for the second time, at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic – eight years after his maiden victory. It had taken him 404 events to lift his second trophy and in a masterful piece of understatement he said: ‘These days you need to do something special to win out here.’ You do, and he did.

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

ne of the things I hate is paperwork. I mean, who doesn’t right? Ok, maybe some of us like self-torture too but don’t count me as one of them. Right after school, I was offered a government scholarship which would almost guarantee me a job with – not a ton – but two tons of paperwork in a week. I love the outdoors too much that I didn’t mind not going to the University of Lancaster in the UK to study, I instead chose to study in the Agriculture University of Malaysia in its Sarawak branch. In the first ‘real’ job that I had, which was as an assistant estate manager in the east coast of Sabah, most of the work was in the field; I had to look after a few hundred hectares of newly planted oil palm, a few hectares of cocoa trees and a small plantation of mature oil palm. There was little time to do paperwork since I spent most of the time in a fourwheel drive truck or a scrambler bike. We start work in the field from 7.00 am to 2.00 pm and then we had to be in the office from 3 to 5pm, though it’s not necessarily paperwork because in the plantation where I was, we had to deal with birth, death, arguments, crime, tribal, religious matters and the occasional cheating spouse on top of other mundane matters like budgets, accounts and other management stuff.

Pushing Paper

So when it was time to ‘move on’ to a new chapter of my life and start work in the golf industry. I wasn’t looking forward to any paperwork. As it turns out, there wasn’t much – at least, not in the beginning. Martin made me busy learning to do the field work on the golf course that there was very little time to do much else. It was not as exciting as driving (and actually using) a four-wheel drive or riding an off-road bike on dirt tracks but surprisingly, there were new stuff to learn almost every day for the next two years. There were different types of fairway machinery, different types of greens mowers and especially, there were just so many ways and types of cutting rough. Then one day it happened; Martin gave me a piece of paper that he said has to be filled daily. “What?!” I said “You want me to leave, is it? You want me to

resign?” Martin was taken aback, but when he said; “No, of course not. It’s only a one-page form, and it’s designed to be filled up just by filling in the blanks” I was relieved. Then suddenly, the following day, there was this stack of paper on my desk. Forms for chemical application, fertilizer application, mechanical works on top of the daily report and Martin was not to be found. I also discovered that the ‘blanks’ to be filled were mighty big blanks! I stopped talking to him for a couple of days. It was kinda hard to be angry with him for long, being the boss and all, plus he didn’t lie; they’re all one-page forms. Except that it’s a lot of one page forms. At around the time, computers were in vogue. Well, it was the trend back even when I was in an estate in Terengganu. I actually took a bank loan with my estate manager as my guarantor to buy a computer (no, I’m not kidding!). Of course, I could only use the computer from 5 – 7am and 6 – 10pm because that’s when we have electricity. My then computer was so more up-to-date than the one belonging to the estate company’s main office; it might have been beamed down from Star Trek’s Enterprise. However, a couple of years after that; my knowledge of computer was probably equal to the old Melaka Sultanate’s Hang Tuah’s and Hang Li Po’s combined when compared to the what-is-thencalled-IT knowledge in Glenmarie’s office. Computers simplified the paperwork; especially when you’ve mastered the art of copy and paste. The thesaurus helps too, so that it doesn’t seem like a copy-paste job. We also had a computer installed with a computer programme that was designed to track what went on a golf course and at what cost. It can print out reports and even track how much chemical are left in the stock after the spraying we just did. Paperwork was a cinch. After a while, after reading somewhere that ‘Management’ it said “is the art of getting something done through the efforts of other people”, I delegated the paperwork part to my subordinates. I still do; problem is, nowadays there are no subordinates.

TOUR WATCH WITH ASIAN TOUR

Calvin Koh and Doyle De Costa form part of the dynamic © Asian Tour

and globe-trotting media team Chan Kim

What are you looking forward to in the new 2013 Asian Tour season? Calvin Koh: Like every year, I’ll be monitoring the Order of Merit race very closely. Over the years, we have seen so many talented players on the Asian Tour and that has made it even tougher to win the Order of Merit. Many predicted that Thaworn Wiratchant would win the Merit list last year but there were so many scenarios which would have seen a different player overtaking him at the season-ending Iskandar Johor Open. Thaworn sealed his own fate with another consistent round and now all eyes will be on him again as he aims to become Asia’s number one for the second straight year. Doyle De Costa: I hope to see another Asian golfer contending or winning a Major tournament. Y.E. Yang’s victory at the 2009 US PGA Championship sent jubilant cheers across Asia and like many others, I hope that there will be a repeat Major success for an Asian in 2013. Who do you tip to shine this season?

CK: There are so many names to choose from and apart from Thaworn, I believe the Indian rising stars Gaganjeet Bhullar, Anirban Lahiri and Himmat Rai will enjoy another stellar season. They have won a combined total of seven Asian Tour victories and are regularly at featured at the leaderboard. Bhullar was obviously the star last season when he won twice and finished fifth on the Order of Merit. I expect this tenacious trio to up the ante and contend regularly in 2013.

DDC: Where do I start? Prom Meesawat, Arnond Vongvanij, Scott Barr and Shiv Kapur are my picks to shine but there are so many others like Manasanori Kobayashi and Jonathan Moore who are both talented and have the potential to win. Is it also a coincidence that we’ve had two Korean-Americans winning the Qualifying School for two straight years? If it is then I would expect Chan Kim to win this season and follow in the footsteps of David Lipsky, who enjoyed a solid rookie year highlighted by his win at the Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic.

at the Asian Tour. Known for their differing viewpoints on all things golf in Asia, the duo give their insights and thoughts on the happenings and developments on the region’s established Tour.

What about Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung, do you think he will be a next Asian Tour winner?

CK: He played very well at the Qualifying School and as we all know, that’s the toughest hurdle in every professional’s career. For him to make the grade is a huge achievement and I believe it will boost his confidence by several decibels. I think he has huge potential to win on the Asian Tour. DDC: He is the reigning Professional Golf of Malaysia’s (PGM) Order of Merit winner and now holds an Asian Tour card. He obviously has a wealth of talent and determination to excel. I think it is about time another Malaysian won an Asian Tour event after Ben Leong’s success at the 2008 Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters where he defeated Thongchai Jaidee. Do you think Malaysian golf is going in the right direction as Nicholas was the only Malaysian to earn an Asian Tour card at Qualifying School? CK: Malaysia has a lot of up-coming players. Even though Nicholas was the only player to graduate, we also saw glimpse of what young talent Arie Fauzi (who is still an amateur!) can do. If not for a bad last day, Arie would have joined Nicholas in the new 2013 season. I expect him to grow from the experience and become an even better player. DDC: Prior to the formation of the PGM Tour, the Malaysian golfers did not have many events to play in. Now, their tournament schedule is packed to the brink with Asian Tour, Asian Development Tour and PGM Tour events! Professional golfers can only grow and enhance their games with more playing opportunities. The events are laid up in front of them, all they need to do now is seize the opportunity. Ends.

2013 SEASON PREVIEW

BUILDING COURSES WITH JASON WINTER

Having lived for over 18 years in Malaysia, Jason Winter considers himself very much at home here as he does in his native majored

Tasmania. in

Having

Environmental

Design, the single-handicapper got his big break in golf course design when he joined E&G Parlsow and Associates in 1993, where he is a partner here. When he is not tackling quicksand and

the occasional wild animal in the pursuit of the perfect golf tract, he prefers the rough-andtumble of Aussie Rules footy.

uring my time here in Malaysia, I have heard many a person, and some clients, comment “what do you need irrigation for in Malaysia, it rains so much already!”. But how many times have you been walking down the street and the sun is so hot you are dashing towards whatever shade you can find? Now imagine that heat bearing down on the little blades of grass for up to a week on end without any water. As much rain as we get here in Malaysia, there are also times when it does not rain for long periods and these periods can be deadly to turf on the golf course, particularly the greens. Just as important as a good drainage system is to get heavy rainfalls off the course, a good irrigation system is critical to put the right amount of water back on when it is needed. These two systems, working together, help to create a consistently well presented golf course throughout the year. I remember in Australia many country courses without full irrigation systems used to have a “Summer run” index where the course rating (for handicap purposes) would actually be reduced to counter the “shortening” of the course, due to the hard, bouncy fairways, and the much lower scores returned on courses that played 20% or more shorter.

IRRIGATION AND PUMPING

The courses would be brown, the grass either dead or dormant, except for the usually still healthy tees and greens, which had to be kept alive to allow play. The courses would be dramatically different from summer to winter and have inconsistent playing conditions. However, a golf course with sufficient water supply and a good irrigation system, should really have no weather excuses for poor conditions during these dry periods as, without excessive water from heavy rain, they can put on exactly the right amount of water that the grass needs. During these times the course should be in the best possible condition. Another benefit of a full coverage

system is for the grow-in during construction. Large areas of rough and other out of play areas still need to be grassed, and need constant moisture for them to put out roots into the ground. All grassed areas will be watered lightly every 20 to 30 minutes for the first few weeks. As you can imagine this can be difficult to manage over large areas with only long hoses! Like the human body with a heart, arteries, and other blood vessels to carry blood around the body at a constant pressure, the golf course irrigation system has a pump house, mainline pipes and lateral pipes to carry water around the golf course. Various types of sprinklers and valves are then used to apply the water to the grassed areas. You will probably have seen the pump house, usually located on the largest lake, and have heard the low whirring noise coming from the pumps inside What you wouldn’t see is the pump system (usually with 2 or 3 separate pumps capable of moving up to 5000litres/minute) or the “wet well” and intake pipe. These are major construction items in themselves. The “wet well” is a large sump, up to 1.5 metre diameter and 6 metres deep that the pumps suck the water from. A large intake pipe will feed the well from the bottom of the lake, with a stainless steel cage around it to stop debris (and fish!) from being sucked in. From here the water is pumped out to the golf course, starting with largest mainline pipes (usually between 100 to 300mm diameter), gradually reducing down to the smallest lateral pipes (usually 25 or 50mm diameter) feeding the sprinklers. High pressure rated pipes (up to 200psi) are used, with

BUILDING COURSES WITH JASON WINTER cast iron joints and valves used on all mainlines. The entire system will be pressure tested after installation to ensure no leakages occur and the pressure can be maintained throughout the system at a constant level. Mainlines are generally around 750mm below ground and laterals around 300mm below. Sprinklers and Quick Coupling Valves (QCVs) are used to deliver the water to the grass. QCVs are valves that hoses can be easily connected to for manual watering, usually placed around each green and bunker and tee complex and bunker. Ideally they will also be placed every 50m down the fairway and for a budget installation these will provide the water during grow-in and also during dry spells.

Wetwell construction

Sprinklers will ideally placed in triangle patterns so that each sprinkler is the same distance apart. The distance will depend on how far the sprinklers can “throw” the water, and they should throw to each other (called ‘head to head’ spacing). This will ensure that all areas receive the same amount of water. Wind direction, slopes and other factors also need to accounted for in the planning and installation. Three types of irrigation systems are generally used - manual, semi-automatic and automatic. Manual systems, as expected, require that a valve be manually operated at the mainline to switch on a number of sprinklers attached to that particular lateral pipe, usually four at any one time. If you get sprayed by one of these you will see the guy laughing (or running) somewhere close by!

Pump System sitting above wet well

Semi-automatic systems will have a wire from each of these valves (or in some cases to every sprinkler) connected to a “satellite” control box up to a few hundred metres away. This guy will probably be just laughing, not running. This allows remote operation or automatic programs to be run, say overnight, from the satellite for all sprinklers connected to it, ideally in view. A fully automatic system will have all satellites connected to a computer at the maintenance office, from which everything can be controlled and data on all operations recorded and analysed. You won’t see this guy, and it was probably an accident, though these days he could be standing nearby operating from his mobile phone!

Mainline and valve connections

With the semi or fully automatic systems, rainfall sensors and/ or manual adjustments to the programs are needed to make sure watering is not done after (or during!) rain has fallen. Even with all the best systems in the world, there is still no substitute for the superintendent and his staff getting around all areas of the course regularly and checking the situation on the ground, and communicating!

Inside Control Box

Jurong sample board

Grow-in irrigation at KLGCC hole 18

TRAVEL FEATURE

Rolling Good Time Down South PANGKOR . HUA HIN . LANGKAWI . REDANG . TIOMAN

TRAVEL FEATURE

Nestled in the Gulf of Siam, Hua Hin has much to offer as Lina Abdul Wahab continues to find out during her recent visit to Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s royal resort city

YOUR SUN, SEA AND SAND GETAWAY STARTS WITH US!

TRAVEL FEATURE

Klai Kangwon Palace

ua Hin is no longer synonymous with the sleepy coastal fishing village it was once upon a time known for. This southern Thailand district has gained its well-deserved fame as one of Thailand’s famous beach resort, with much to offer, especially for the continental tourists escaping harsh winters.

The Hua Hin Arts and Craft Centre could probably satiate you. Situated in an old typical house on Naepkhehat Road, the center features a private collection of contemporary works of many Thai artists-paintings, sculptures and local handicrafts, as well as old furniture and many pictures about Hua Hin in the past. Needless to say, Hua Hin is a photographer’s haven. If golf is not your cup of tea, fret not. Hua Hin has more to offer. There are bike tours for the ardent cyclist where there will be guides conducting bicycle tours all around the Hua Hin district, Cha Am and Pranburi areas. Contact Hua Hin Bike Tours (www.huahinbiketours.com)

or Velo Hua Hin (www.velothailand.com) for more information as they have tours to suit riders of all levels and they would actually modify the tours to fit the riders’ preferences and fitness levels. In the past, Hua Hin was a sleepy fishing village. Although Hua Hin had come a long way from that era, it is still home to one of the best fishing lodge in Thailand. Fishing enthusiasts may want to check out Greenfield Valley Fishing and Cottage (www.greenfield-resorts.com), which has four lakes with thousands of fish, offering the biggest catch with a money back guarantee.

Wat Khao Takiab

Culture vultures, Hua Hin may give you just what you crave for. Beautiful old temples are aplenty in Hua Hin and the surrounding districts. The beach runs for about five kilometres southwards and at the end of it, you can find a beautiful temple perched regal and high on a cliff. There is also one in Khao Takiap where the temple once belonged to the Buddhist denomination founded by King Rama IV. Other than the temples, one cannot miss visiting the royal palace when you are already in royal city of Hua Hin. Named the Klai Klangwon Palace, which is literally translated to the Palace of No Worries, this palace is the permanent residence of the King. It is open to public from 8 am to 4pm. Still want more?

Wat Huay Mongkol

HUA HIN = FREE&EASY + GOLF + NATURE + SHOPPING + SPA + TEMPLES

TRAVEL FEATURE Not into fishing either? How about watersports? Watersports are popular in Hua Hin. If your hotels do not rent equipment, no worries mate. There are plenty of less expensive options along the beach. There are jet skis, windsurfers, HobieCats, boats and snorkeling tours available every day at sometimes dirt cheap prices. For the children and teenagers, a new waterpark had just opened in Hua Hin which would definitely occupy their time in a gleeful way.

Elephant trekking

Love spicy Thai cuisine and would like to replicate them at home? Join the Thai Cooking Course by Ratthreeya Buchabun (www.thaicookingcourse.com) at Petchkasem Road. You will get hands-on experience on how to cook authentically Thai from the scratch. Ladies, hear ye. When your men are off to the golf courses and golf is not your forte, let exotic Thai spa pamper you like a precious princess.

Enjoy fresh seafood cooked in front of your eyes at the night market

PlearnWan Vintage Village

Phraya Nakorn Temple

There are many spas in the Hua Hin and Cha Am area and they range from small spas in the town areas to specialty Thai Spa such as the Nirvana Day Spa Retreat, which offers morning or afternoon spa packages and antijet-lag relaxation massage in a quiet area near the beach in the southern part of Hua Hin. Spa packages are available, from basic to the more comprehensive and exclusive ones. What is a vacation without shopping? There are plenty to shop for in Hua Hin. There is the day market at Damnoenkasem Road where you can find all the local crafts. There is also the night market on Dechanuchit Road for local delicacies and souvenirs. In between, there are plenty of smaller unassuming shops which sell

everything and anything under the sun, from souvenirs to food to fabric and jewelry. You can even buy fabric and get it tailored here for a very reasonable and competitive price and tailor shops are in abundance here, offering great deals on custom – fit western or eastern dresses and suits. Hua Hin is home to weekend shopping paradise with the weekend night market at Grand Plaza with such a wide range of goods at very low prices. There is a new mall on Pethckasem Road to the south of Grand Plaza called the Hua Hin Market Village (www.marketvillagehuahin.com). Visitors

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard

would probably find themselves in a situation where they need to buy a new luggage for their shopping loot! With all the things Hua Hin has to offer now, ‘sleepy’ is history. The Hua Hin now is happening, up and coming and a place which has something to offer everyone.

FOR ENQUIRY & RESERVATION, LOG ON TO WWW.BERJAYA-AIR.COM

TEE BOX

AGN CLASSIC 2013

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per year

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olf privilege card operator Asia Golfing Network (AGN) recently joined forces with CommerceDotCom and Synergycentric to organise the inaugural AGN Classic golf tournament on January 31. The one-day Stableford System-36 tournament saw 92 participant teeing off in perfect conditions at Nilai Springs Golf & Country Club, comprising of AGN cardholders as well as invited guests from CommerceDotCom, Synergycentric, Pois, Bernas, Altel and Aturniaga. Gopinath emerged the nett champion while Azhar Mohd Nor took the honours in the gross category.

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hinese New Year celebration came early for 20 senior citizens of the Jenjarom Old Folks Home, thanks to the management and staff of Gamuda Lands clubs, namely Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, Botanic Resort Club and Jade Hills Resort Club. Led by general manager Tang Meng Loon, a team comprising of committee members and staff from the respective clubs paid a visit to the home on January 29 and handed over cash as well as in-kind contribution to the home’s caretakers. The senior citizens also received goodie bags as well as customary angpows before being feted to a delicious luncheon. Hair stylists from Ted Hair Studio were also on hand to provide free haircuts to the residents of the home, giving the seniors a brand new look to usher in the Year of the Snake.

TEE BOX

MAYBANK CORPORATE CHALLENGE Exclusive Maybank Malaysian Open invites for challenge winners

ine lucky Maybank corporate clients from Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia will be regaled to a red-carpet experience at the Maybank Malaysian Open 2013 after triumphing in the Maybank Corporate Challenge in their respective countries.

BECAUSE YOU DESERVE MORE!

The #1 Golf Card Just Got Better

The Maybank Corporate Challenge has been one of the regular customer appreciation programmes organised in the run-up to the national Open but the 2013 edition marked the first occasion that the challenge was contested regionally. In addition to the exclusive Maybank hospitality marquee invites, the winners will also be invited to play at the championship West Course of Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club during a corporate golf day on March 25.

Single-handicappers proved victorious during the Filipino challenge at Mount Malayarat Golf & Country Club on January 12. Andrea Borromeo (5) topped the standings with 41 Stableford points ahead of David Sobrepena (4) and nine-handicapper Simon Heo, who notched matching 39s.

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! Playing off a handicap of five, Chong Thim Pheng emerged victorious over 97 other Maybank Singapore customers at the Raffles Country Club on February 2 with a score of 37 points. Thomas Teo (13) was a point back in second ahead of Ong Chong Hua (16), who took third place on countback after garnering 36 points.

• 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

* Inclusive of mandatory 6% govt. tax

Sugiyama Yuichi claimed the main prize in the Indonesian leg, which was contested by 84 Bii Maybank clients at Emerald Golf Club on February 3. Sugiyama notched 42 points to finish ahead of Nasrun Baso (16), who scored 40 points with Andi Thung (16) booking the final berth with 39 points. The winners received their prize from Maybank chairman Tan Sri Dato Sri Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor (far left).

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

GOLF DIARY

Feb 26 - 27 Maybank Malaysian Open National Qualifier

Mar 28 - 31 Indonesia PGA Championship Emeralda GC, Jakarta, Indonesia

US$1,000,000

Kuala Lumpur GC&C, Kuala Lumpur

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

US$6,000,000

Mar 7 - 10 Perlis Amateur Open

Mar 7 - 10 Puerto Rico Open

Kelab Golf Putra, Kangar Perlis

Trump International GC, Puerto Rico

Mar 21 - 24 Maybank Malaysian Open

US$3,500,000

Kuala Lumpur GCC, Kuala Lumpur

US$2,750,000

Feb 28 - Mar 3 Honda Classic

Mar 7 -10 Cadillac Championship

Doral GR & Spa, Miami, Florida

US$8,750,000

Mar 14 - 17 Tampa Bay Championship

Innisbrook Resort - Copperhead, Palm Harbour, Florida

US$5,500,000

Mar 21 - 24 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida

US$6,200,000

Mar 6 - 9 Northport Glenmarie Masters (ADT) Glenmarie GCC, Shah Alam, Selangor

RM200,000

Mar 14 -17 Clearwater Classic

Clearwater Sanctuary GR, Batu Gajah, Perak

RM150,000

Feb 28 - Mar 3 Tshwane Open

Copperleaf Golf Country & Estate, Centurion, South Africa

€1,500,000

Mar 14 - 17 Avantha Masters

Jaypee Greens, Noida, India

€1,800,000

Mar 21 - 24 Maybank Malaysian Open

Kuala Lumpur GC&C, Kuala Lumpur

US$2,750,000

Feb 28 - Mar 3 HSBC Women’s Champions Sentosa GC, Singapore

US$1,400,000

Mar 14 - 17 RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup Wildfire GC, Phoenix, Arizona

US$1,500,000 Mar 21 - 14 Kia Classic

Feb 28 - Mar 1 The Open Championship International Final Qualifying - Asia

Avlara GC, Carlsbad, California

US$1,700,000

Amata Spring CC, Bangkok, Thailand

Mar 6 - 9 Northport Glenmarie Masters (ADT) Glenmarie GC&C, Shah Alam, Selangor

RM200,000

March 6 - 9 SAIL-SBI Open

Delhi GC, Delhi, India

US$300,000

Mar 14 - 17 Avantha Masters

Jaypee Greens, Noida, India

€1,800,000

Mar 21 - 24 Maybank Malaysian Open

Kuala Lumpur GC&C, Kuala Lumpur

US$2,750,000

Mar 7 - 10 Mission Hills World Ladies Championship

Mission Hills Haikou, Hainan, China

US$500,000

KGPA quarter.pdf

4/19/12

6:33 PM

103mm width

141mm height

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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 GLENMARIE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 428 6001

(36 holes ) Tel: (603) 7803 9090

DAIMAN 18 GOLF CLUB

KELAB GOLF NEGARA SUBANG

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 351 6813

(36 holes) Tel: (603) 7876 0388

HORIZON HILLS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

KELAB RAHMAN PUTRA MALAYSIA

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 232 3166

(36 holes) Tel: (603) 6156 6870

KUKUP GOLF RESORT

SAUJANA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 696 0950

(36 holes) Tel: (603) 7846 1466

CHRISTINE RESORT

BANGI GOLF RESORT

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 387 3000

(27 holes) Tel: (603) 8925 3728

ORCHARD GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT

KELAB GOLF SULTAN ABDUL AZIZ SHAH

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 897 7934

(27 holes) Tel: (603) 5519 1512

PONDEROSA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

TASIK PUTERI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 354 9999

(27 holes) Tel: (603) 6034 4722

JOHOR 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

(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) 8213 6333 PERANGSANG TEMPLER GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (603) 6091 0022

PULAU PINANG

KEDAH

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

SHAN SHUI GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT (18 holes) Tel: (089) 916 888 KINABALU GOLF CLUB

TIOMAN ISLAND GOLF CLUB

99 EAST GOLF CLUB (9 holes) Tel: (604) 955 1153 HARVARD GOLF COUNTRY CLUB (27 holes) Tel: (604) 458 8888 KULIM GOLF & COUNTRY RESORT (18 holes) Tel: (604) 403 2828 BLACK FOREST GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (604) 922 2222 CINTA SAYANG GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (604) 441 4666 DARULAMAN GOLF COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (604) 917 0001 GUNUNG RAYA GOLF RESORT (18 holes) Tel: (604) 966 8148 PERMAIPURA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes)Tel: (604) 459 4000 ROYAL KEDAH GOLF CLUB (9 holes) Tel: (604) 731 9405 SG.PETANI GOLF CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 419 1000

(9 holes) Tel: (604) 422 4894

GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

(18 holes) Tel: (607) 223 3322 SEBANA COVE GOLF & MARINE RESORT (18 holes) Tel: (607) 826 6655

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

PERLIS

(9 holes) Tel: (088) 251 615 TAWAU GOLF CLUB (9 holes) Tel: (609) 765 555

LABUAN KELAB GOLF LABUAN (9 holes) Tel: (087) 412 810

SARAWAK (KELAB GOLF SARAWAK (36 holes) Tel: (082) 440 966 BINTULU GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (086) 252 001 DAMAI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB (18 holes) Tel: (082) 846 088 EASTWOOD VALLEY (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

Help us keep this list accurate! Please send additions, corrections and updates to info@theclubhouse.com.my