ag171 dec2014

ISS

UE

171 DECEMBER 2014

COVER STORY

EQUIPMENT FOCUS

32

10The Great White Shark aka Greg Norman was scathing with

his response when asked for his opinion on the need to

renovate golf courses that have fallen into neglect. “I have

one word for this – sustainable. Shame on a lot of developers

and golf course designers in the 80’s and 90’s who built golf

courses with unlimited budgets,” was his sharp reply.

50 Singapore – A Force In Golf?Singapore has officially entered the world of golf with a home-grown product that is going to revolutionise the way people play golf. It is the perfect product with which to grab the game by the scruff of its neck and give it a mighty boost.

54 Welcome Back TaylorMade!2014 will not be remembered as being a good year for TaylorMade adidas Golf – the undisput-ed kingpin of the golf equipment world. Sales have been slumped. Its charismatic boss Mark King got moved out to the parent company

adidas and with his move, the bold initiative to

grow the game of golf, tagged as “Hack Golf”

seems to have lost its direction. It also shut

down the headquarters of its subsidiary Adams

Golf in Texas and moved all the staff to Carlsbad.

All told, 2014 has been a year that TaylorMade

would do well to forget.

58 Flip It And Rip It!COBRA Golf has introduced its first-ever front-to-

back FLIPZONE adjustable weight technology.

Flip the weight forward for a penetrating ball

flight that generates more roll. Or, flip it back for a

towering flight path and carry those hazards that used to get in your head. Its two settings deliver the perfect distance and trajectory for your swing. It’s like having two club heads on one shaft!

64 Wilson Rolls Out The Tour Proven V4 IronsThere is no better validation for a set of new golf clubs than being battle-tested in a major tourna-ment. Wilson Golf did just that by putting its brand new FG Tour V4 irons out on tour and the irons have since recorded three wins.

REGULARS6 Asian Golf Editorial Team 7 Shared Thoughts From Publisher 72 Next Issue

SPECIAL FEATURES 24

66

68

18 Glitz, Glamour And Game!When golf meets entertainment, you would expect Mission Hills Group to do it biggest and best – and this is exactly what the pioneering leisure and life-style conglomerate delivered with the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am.

24 APGS 2014 Registers High Marks!The 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit ended in Singapore on a high note with members of the golf industry giving the event the thumbs up for setting the tone and providing a positive outlook for the future of golf in Asia.

32 The “Big Easy” Aces It In Malaysia There’s no denying the fact that Ernie Els aka the “Big Easy” is ecstatic over the golf course he designed on the Malaysian island of Langkawi. It Is earning the golfer/designer top honours on a global scale.

36 Rose And Poulter – The Perfect MatchJustin Rose and Ian Poulter want golfers to enjoy themselves when play-ing on their new course at Mission Hills Dongguan in China – and the two Ryder Cup stars did just that when they christened the layout with a one-off Match Play challenge.

40 Will 2015 Be Westwood’s Year To Bag A Major?Asian Golf met up with Westwood after he shot a spectacular hole in one at the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic which was played in Malaysia in late October. In the exclusive interview which covered a wide range of top-ics, one area that was of special interest to both Westwood and Asian Golf was his commitment to teaching the game of golf to juniors.

44 The Year In Review: What Kind Of A Year Was 2014?For most of us in the golf industry, we’d rather forget 2014. It has been a rough year and we’ll unravel it for you, warts and all.

48 Special Report From The USRGA: Exciting New Golf Recreational Golf Equipment on the Rise Technology in general has made life so much better than just 50 years ago. Travel is safer, terrible diseases have been eliminated, comfort abounds… the list of advances is almost endless. The evolution of golf equipment technology is no exception, having made golf easier to learn and more fun to play. The advancement in golf equipment is one of the strongest traditions of the game.

66 Black Hat Tips-Tony Meechai: Black Hat Golf TipsLawyers have to pass the “bar” examination. Now, here’s the ‘bar’ exams I want you to pass and understand!

68 Pro Tour Golf College: How to Become a World Class Golfer: Building Your Golf Success Vision StatementImagine that you decided to become a great golfer—a world class golfer. You love playing golf so much that you want to make it your career choice, and you desperately want to be successful playing it.

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06 07 ASIAN GOLF

8 9 ASIAN GOLF8 9 ASIAN GOLFOLF

SHARED THOUGHTS From The Publisher

For some years now, we have been hearing

about and reading reports about the chal-

lenges faced by the golf industry in most

of the developed world. Perhaps the most

disheartening trend concerns the United

States of America where statistically speaking, one golf

course is said to shut down for good every 48 hours.

And now, this scourge has moved closer to

home. Down under in Australia, worrying new

research on the state of the golf industry has found

that the majority of golf clubs in that country are

now in financial trouble.

Therefore it is vital that we lead initiatives to

assist clubs and provide opportunities for them to improve their business and adapt in a very competitive sporting market.”

assist clubs and provide opportunities for them to

improve their business and adapt in a very com-

petitive sporting market.”

Meanwhile, the blood-bath continues on the re-

tail floor in the United States. Dick’s Sporting Goods,

the largest retail outlet for golf equipment reports

that “golf still appears to be a work in progress.”

“Everybody’s talked about that the (golf ) busi-

ness needs to shrink in order to be more profitable

and I think that’s what’s going to happen,” said

Ed Stack, chairman and CEO of Dick’s. “I think the

manufacturers are much more disciplined, the

retailers are much more disciplined and I think the

golf business is going to be an okay business. I

don’t think it’s going to be a great business but it’s

going to be an okay business and we’ll hit bottom

here in the next quarter probably and we think

that we’ll see increased profitability going into next

year. We think that it’s going to be a more profit-

able year next year.”

Stack told Wall Street analysts, “Our (golf ) inven-

tory is in great shape. I think the inventory at the

vendors (manufacturers) is in better shape than it

has been.

New work by Golf Australia details that Australia

may be the worst hit country in the world in terms of

the golf industry, and that more than one in two golf

clubs are suffering some form of financial stress.

Golf Australia director of golf development, Cam-

eron Wade, said: “Our research tells us that at least

50 per cent of the 1,600 golf clubs in Australia are

currently under some level of financial distress.

“Clubs are now facing a number of challenges

where consumers are time-poor and have an increas-

ing number of other recreational pursuit options.

“Therefore it is vital that we lead initiatives to

ISSUE 171 DECEMBER 2014

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10 11 ASIAN GOLF

COVER STORY Norman Goes On The Attack!

Shame on the designers for

putting us in this po-sition today because their total disregard

for sustainable prac-tices have been the

sole reason for these courses being in the

shape they are in today.”

The Great White Shark aka Greg Norman was

scathing with his response when asked for his

opinion on the need to renovate golf courses

that have fallen into neglect. “I have one word for

this – sustainable. Shame on a lot of developers

and golf course designers in the 80’s and 90’s who built golf

courses with unlimited budgets,” was his sharp reply.

In his tongue lashing, the Australian golf legend repri-

manded those responsible for the sad state of affairs with

many courses in the region and said, “Shame on the design-

ers for putting us in this position today because their total

disregard for sustainable practices have been the sole reason

for these courses being in the shape they are in today.”

With direct reference to the excesses of the past, Norman

explained that the “unlimited budgets” of the past did not

make developers and designers mindful of maintenance cost

which he feels has contributed immensely to the problem. He

explained, “This has created a situation for both developers

and golf course designers of today to be responsible and to

build golf courses that are sustainable.”

“Developers have to go back and re-invest to renovate

these courses – the past has been done – we have to think of

the future.”

Norman has been a very stout proponent for sustainabil-

ity for the past twenty-five years which pretty much spans his

entire career as a golf course designer.

According to him, many golf courses lose their unique

character and their original strategic elements over time.

“Playing conditions change and require reinvestment

in sustainable solutions. For some courses, trees and other

vegetation have overgrown and crowd fairways. For others,

extreme green contours limit pin placements, while outdated

design standards render hazards obsolete and cause safety

issues.”

“These once successful layouts are increasingly expen-

sive to maintain. They consume excess water and fertilizer


12 13 ASIAN GOLF


and struggle to fight disease and weed pressure. They’ve become

unsustainable with high operational costs and an inability to at-

tract and maintain repeat play. In many cases these courses have

diminished prestige and reputation,” Norman pointed out.

In justifying his case for renovations conducted on a sustain-

able platform Norman advocates the following:

Playing conditions change and require reinvest-ment in sustainable solutions. For some courses,

trees and other vegetation have overgrown and crowd fairways. For others, extreme green contours limit pin placements, while outdated design standards render hazards obsolete and cause safety issues.”

� Update the course to higher design and safety standards.

� Improve course conditions, playability, and pace of play.

� Reposition and differentiate the course in the market.

� Improve greens speeds, surfaces and pin locations.

Referring to the construction of new courses, Norman said,

“My advice to developers is not to look at the first year of opera-

tion but look for the long haul because this can help save a lot

of money from an operational standpoint – make damn sure

that the courses are sustainable!.”

On the future of golf in Asia and especially in China, Nor-

man predicted a huge future for golf in China after casting his

eyes over the next generation of talent while attending the

star-studded Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am.

Norman has China’s golfing destiny on his mind as the sport

prepares to feature in the 2016 Olympics. In his role as advisory

coach to the Chinese National Golf Team Norman said, “These

players are a fiercely proud group and they want to represent

China, to be the first in golf to represent their nation.” said Nor-

man. He continued, “There’s a lot of talent. It’s just a matter of

getting them to believe in it.”

Sharing Norman’s optimism for the growth of golf in China

is Tenniel Chu, vice-chairman of the Mission Hills Group, the

world’s largest golf resort. In delivering his keynote address at

the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit recently in Singapore, Chu


14 15 ASIAN GOLF


My advice to developers is not to

look at the first year of operation but look for the long haul because this can help save a lot of money from an operational standpoint – make damn sure that the courses are sustainable!.”

revealed that there are now 300 million middle class Chinese

and that by 2020, this figure is expected to reach 600 million.

This means 40 per cent of the population will be middle class.

“These astonishing growth figures are fantastic news for the

golf industry, since the expanding middle class is taking to golf

in rapidly increasing numbers, both as a leisure pursuit and as a

sign of status,” Chu explained

Given such statistics, it is no surprise to learn that China has

the world’s fastest growing golfing population – three million

and counting.

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18 19 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE Mission Hills – Growing The Game!


When golf meets entertainment, you would expect Mission Hills Group to do it biggest and best – and this is exactly what the pioneering leisure and lifestyle con-

glomerate delivered with the Mission Hills World Celeb-rity Pro-Am. By Viv Best

Staged at Mission Hills Haikou in

Hainan – China’s only tropical island –

from 24-26 October, the tournament

brought together Hollywood A-listers,

sporting superstars and some of the

greatest players ever to swing a club for a long

weekend of golf, glamour and gala events.

Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Morgan

Freeman, dazzling actress Jessica Alba and “Cap-

tain America” Chris Evans showed they had golfing

skills to go with their famed acting talent.

Music maestro Kenny G stepped up to the tee

and displayed exactly why he is acknowledged

as the best golfer in show business. Here was a

dedicated player who once got his handicap down

to plus-0.6 and played a Nationwide Tour event on

a sponsor’s exemption.

Russia’s Olympic legend Evgeni Plushenko

swapped his ice skates for golf shoes and ditched

his trademark triple toe loops for tee shots to the

delight of the galleries. And Dutch soccer great

Clarence Seedorf – the only player in history

to win the UEFA Champions League with three

different clubs – demonstrated he was equally at

home on a fairway as a football pitch.

Towering basketball icon Yao Ming led a

home contingent of Chinese celebrities that

included the country’s greatest film director, Feng

Xiaogang, and other mainland movie icons such

as He Ping, Chen Daoming and Wang Zhiwen.

Joining in the fun was the cream of Asia’s enter-

tainment talent including Taiwanese music su-

perstar Jay Chou, Hong Kong martial arts marvel

Donnie Yen and Korean music diva Jessica Jung.

The line-up of professional golfers was just as

mouthwatering, led by nine-time Major cham-

pion Gary Player, Ryder Cup heroes Justin Rose,

Ian Poulter, and Paul McGinley, and Major

American golfing great John Daly (second left) and music superstar Kenny G (far right) capture a moment at the Red Carpet welcome for the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament at Mission Hills Haikouon the Chinese tropical island of Hainan. Also pictured are (from left): Daly’s partner Anna Cladakis, Ladies European Tour golfer Danielle Montgomery, TV host Shi Linzi and acclaimed golf course architect Brian Curley.


20 21 ASIAN GOLF


20 21 ASIAN GOLF

winners John Daly, Greg Norman, Darren

Clarke, Ian Woosnam and Rich Beem.

World No.4 Suzann Pettersen spearheaded

an elite field of female players from the

LPGA Tour and European Ladies Tour.

In welcoming countless household

names to Haikou, Mission Hills Group Chair-

man and CEO Dr. Ken Chu was typically

forthright about his company’s ambitions.

“The aim of this Mission Hills World Ce-

lebrity Pro-Am is to bring together all the

superstars and famous personalities to

promote and popularize the game of golf

here in China,” he said. “This event posi-

tions China on the world map of golf and

showcases Mission Hills, and the country

as a whole, as a must-visit destination for

travellers, whether they are golfers or not.”

Besides promoting golf, charity was also

a driving force in the tournament, with pro-

ceeds being donated to the World Wildlife

Fund and Yao Ming Foundation.

The tens of thousands of fans who

flocked to Mission Hills Haikou showed their

affection for the tournament and resort and,

judging from the celebrities’ reaction, the

feeling was mutual. The spectacular, integrat-

ed 22 sq km resort left even the Hollywood

stars – accustomed as they are to luxury and

splendor – wide-eyed and full of praise.

“I’ve been to many, many places in the

world, some really awesome places in the

world, but I think what you have here at

Mission Hills tops it all,” said Freeman. “I’ve

never seen anything quite like it. I find it

tremendous, and I’m very honoured to

have been asked to come and to have the

opportunity to walk the links with the likes

of Gary Player.”

Kidman, who received an exclusive

Hollywood actress Jessica Alba and her playing partner, Major winner John Daly, are pictured during the first round of the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am.

Jessica Alba

The aim of this Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am is to bring togeth-

er all the superstars and famous personali-ties to promote and popularize the game of golf here in China. This event positions China on the world map of golf and show-cases Mission Hills, and the country as a whole, as a must-visit destination for travellers, whether they are golfers or not.” - Dr. Ken Chu

golf lesson from Norman and was coached

around the course by playing partner Poul-

ter, was equally effusive: “The theme park

is beautiful, the golf courses are beautiful,

everything here is beautiful. It’s a great

place to come and play golf or for a holiday,”

she told a packed press conference.

Alba, accompanied by thousands of

camera clicks everywhere she went, added:

“This is incredible. I wish I had brought my

kids. It’s the perfect place for families. The

golf course is one of the most beautiful golf

courses I’ve ever seen. It was so fun today,

and then there’s the water park to experi-

ence too. It’s just phenomenal. You guys

have really built something so special here.”

After a practice round to get proceed-

ings underway, the stars swapped their golf

gear for eveningwear for a dazzling Red Car-

pet and Opening Ceremony at Mission Hills

Golfing legend Gary Player and Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman share a joke during a practice round ahead of the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am golf tourna-ment at Mission Hills Haikou.

Ian Poulter & Nicole Kidman

Dr. Ken Chu with Nicole Kidman

Basketball great Yao Ming and his playing partner, Norwegian golfer Suzann Pettersen, are pictured with Mission Hills Group Vice Chairman Mr Tenn-iel Chu ahead of the first round of the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am.


tersen and the 7-foot-6 Yao laughed and

joked their way around the course while

Seedorf, a newcomer to the game, was eager

to learn all he could from his playing partner,

China’s rising golf star Wu Ashun.

While much of the focus was on fun and

entertainment, China’s golfing future was also

much to the fore with two-time Open Cham-

pionship winner Norman coaching young

female players from China’s Olympic squad

and “Mr Fitness” himself, Player – just a week

before his 79th birthday – giving a gym train-

ing workshop to promising young golfers.

Norman, in his role as advisory coach

to the Chinese National Golf Team, said he

shared Mission Hills’ support and enthusi-

asm for the growth of the game in China.

“These players are a fiercely proud group

and they want to represent China, to be the

first in golf to represent their nation,” he said.

“There’s a lot of talent. It’s just a matter of

getting them to believe in it. Mission Hills

has long supported the development of

young Chinese golfers and that is a great

thing for the game of golf in China.”

The theme of growing the game was

emphasised by Mission Hills Group Vice

Chairman Tenniel Chu, who said: “We

estimate that 95 per cent of the tens of

thousands of fans here have never been to

a golf tournament in their lives. Of course, it

requires tolerance with regard to etiquette.

You accept you will not have total silence

when a golfer is playing a shot, you know

mobile phones will be ringing and you will

see fans in clothing less suited to a golf club

than a night club.

“But you are reaching a new audience.

How many of these fans will return to Mission

Hills Haikou in March to watch our World

Ladies Championship? We believe many –

because they have seen golf for the first time,

they have been welcomed with open arms

and they have had a fantastic first experience.”

Golf fans or not, spectators witnessed

some scintillating action from world-class

professionals. As the highest-ranked golfer

in the field, 2013 US Open champion Rose

was always going to take some beating and

so it proved as he holed a long putt on the

final hole to be crowned the Professional

Individual champion, finishing one shot clear

of Pettersen.

In addition, Rose joined forces with

film director Feng – known as the Steven

Spielberg of China – to win the Pro-Celebrity

Team category while the Celebrity Individual

title was won by Chinese singer Sun Nan.

Mission Hills also awarded Freeman, Player

and Yao special “Spirit of Sport” awards for

their all-round commitment both to the

game and to the ethos of friendship the

tournament promotes.

Hollywood veteran Freeman captured

the mood perfectly as he brought down the

curtain on the World Celebrity Pro-Am, hail-

ing the tournament, Mission Hills Haikou and

tropical Hainan as a one-of-a-kind experi-

ence.

“I really appreciate having been invited to

this wonderful tournament, to this wonderful

place and to spend time with you wonderful

people,” he told the media. “I am amazed by

the facilities here, by the people and by your

country and I can’t wait to come back and

spend time with you again. The resort and

this island are among the most remarkable

things I have seen.”

Haikou’s giant new tourist attraction, Movie

Town. The Red Carpet extended more than

400 metres through Movie Town’s vintage

street settings, with the celebrities being

greeted by flashing bulbs from hundreds of

photographers and the cheers of thousands

of excited fans lining the walkway.

Kidman, bringing up the rear with Dr.

Chu, showed the poise and class of a true

professional as she stopped to shake hands

with fans and also triggered a photograph

that went around the world when she ac-

cepted a cartoon cutout of herself from a

star-struck onlooker and playfully carried it

the rest of the way.

The serious business of the golf got un-

derway the next day. The tournament, be-

ing held for a third time, teamed the celebri-

ties with professionals for two rounds on

Mission Hills Haikou’s signature Blackstone

Course – and the format gave organisers

a chance to use their imagination and put

together some truly unique pairings.

If it seemed natural to have Freeman,

who portrayed Nelson Mandela in the

movie Invictus, playing with South African

great Player, then it was less obvious to put

America’s sweetheart Alba with “Wild Thing”

Daly, but the duo got along famously and

proved hugely popular with the galleries.

Scottish golfer Carly Booth – no

stranger to celebrity given that her father

was a Commonwealth Games wrestling

silver medalist and a minder for the Beatles

– practically swooned when told she was

partnering Hollywood heartthrob Evans but

recovered to give him some handy hints

between shots.

Two-time women’s Major winner Pet-


22 23 ASIAN GOLF

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Banyan Golf Club is an 18-hole championship golf coursewith an International all day dining restaurant, a wine cellar and traditional pub overlooking the Burmese Mountains.

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BEST COURSE IN THAILAND (2nd Runner Up)TOP 3 IN ASIA: GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Stacey Walton

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WINNER: BEST CADDIE OF THE YEAR: Kannika Namthong

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE!

24 25 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE 2014 APGS Wrap-Up

Staged over November 14-15 at

the iconic world-class Marina Bay

Sands Resort Convention Centre,

APGS 2014 broke away from the

doom and gloom mood that hovers

over the global golf industry and instead

explored solutions to the problems faced by

the industry in general.

In his opening address, Mike Sebastian,

chief executive officer of Asia Pacific Golf

Group, the owner and producer of APGS 2014

called on the golf industry in Asia to become

more self-reliant and to strive to seek out innova-

tive ways to help grow the game of golf. “Let us

take charge of our own destinies and let us not fall

into the same traps that have resulted in the de-

cline of golf in the Western hemisphere – we have

a youthful population in Asia and we should seek

out ingenuous ways to attract and engage with the

youth of Asia to play the exciting game of golf.”

His call for innovation and Asian leadership to

grow the golf initiative in Asia was picked up by

Tenniel Chu, vice-chairman of the giant Mission Hills

Group who delivered the keynote address. In refer-

ence to adapting the game of golf to modern market

demands, he said, “If you are flexible, if you think

left-field and accept the world is a different place

now compared to when you were young, then golf

does not have to be hushed voices, rigid clothing


26 27 ASIAN GOLF

A superb, highly profession-al Summit. Congratulations.

You keep setting that bar higher and higher each year and then you clear it with ease. Well done. All your hard work paid off and you delivered yet again.” – Bill Sanderson |

The Golf Business Coach, Britain

regulations and clubhouse exclusivity. No. Golf can be invigorating,

challenging, innovative, entertaining and – above all – a lot of fun.”

Chu was especially bullish of China leading the thrust to grow

the game and keep it healthy in Asia. He said, “China’s booming

middle class – with its desire to travel, spend and enjoy new-found

leisure time – is the key factor.” There are now 300 million middle

class Chinese and by 2020 this will be 600 million, a 40 per cent of

the population will be middle class.

“These astonishing growth figures are fantastic news for the

golf industry, since the expanding middle class is taking to golf in

rapidly increasing numbers, both as a leisure pursuit and as a sign of

status. Given such statistics, it is no surprise to learn that China has

the world’s fastest growing golfing population – three million and

counting,” Chu added emphatically.

Combined with the growth of Southeast Asia and India, which

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You and your team have made big time sacrifices and out of

this could, should and will come monster strides in golf development. You and your team are the key to the machine. You did a fantastic job and won’t it be fun to watch it unfold!” – Joe Thiel | PGA Master Coach, Florida, USA

collectively account for a population base of more than 1.7

billion and a rapidly growing middle class, the stage is set for

the growth of golf in Asia.

More than 20 world class speakers addressed over 200

delegates over the two-day event. The highlight of APGS

2014 was the induction of the following luminaries into the

Asia Pacific Golf Hall Of Fame”:

Mr Murdaya Widyawimarta

Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid

Thongchai Jaidee

Top awards also went to Vietnam’s Mr. Le Van Kiem who

was honoured with the Asia Pacific Golf Personality of The

Year and the Asia Pacific Golf Philanthropist of The Year.

Madame Nguyen Thi Nga was bestowed the title of the Asia

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Congratulations on the successful staging of the Golf Summit. My

colleagues who attended had very good things to say about the quality of the pro-gramme and the good line up of speak-ers. I made some very good contacts too.” – Yeo Khee Leng | President, NTUC “U” Live, Singapore

The quality of the people attending the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit

was high. I thoroughly enjoyed the con-ference and the connection with so many leaders of the industry.” – Peter Morison

| Jacobsen, Australia

Pacific Woman Golf Entrepreneur of The Year.

Reaction from delegates to APGS 2014 were ex-

tremely complimentary. “I would like to thank you and

your team for organizing a very successful APGS 2014

in Singapore. We enjoy the conference every year and

the content of the programme. The message was very

clear from the event and we have a responsibility to

be one of the region’s change drivers with innovation,

creativity and fun for our customers and future custom-

ers,” said Stacey Walton, General Manager of the award-

winning Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand.

One of the stalwarts of Asian golf Jim Prusa, Direc-

tor of Sky 72 Golf Resort in Seoul, South Korea said,

“You and your team were awesome! The new award

categories were awesome and will build solid relations.

Keep up the great work.”

Perhaps the one comment that serves as a wrap up

of APGS 2014 came from PGA Master Coach Joe Theil

who remarked, “Many congratulations again for the

successful staging of the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit.

As I have said, what you are doing for Asian Golf would

forever be remembered and the way we stay united to

bring Asian Golf to the World is truly remarkable.”

All speeches, presentations and photographs of

APGS 2014 will be progressively loaded up to its web-

site at http//:www.golfconference.org


28 29 ASIAN GOLF


Asia’s Best Honoured At APGS 2014In a historic development, the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit set out

to recognize the best amongst the best in the Asian golf industry – a

milestone development that serves to showcase some of the most

exemplary people engaged in the business of golf in the region.

A total of five new award categories were introduced this year and

these include:

Best Club General Manager Of The Year

Best Director Of Golf Operations Of The Year

Best Food & Beverage Manager Of The Year

Best Golf Course Superintendent Of The Year

Best Club Caddie Of The Year

The award winners were recognized at the recently concluded

Gala Awards Banquet of the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit held in

Singapore on November 14-15.

“We believe that our industry is all about people and the quality of

service they offer to golfers and we feel that the time has come for us

to recognize the people behind the wonderful golf experiences that

we get to enjoy in Asia,” said Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer

of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the owner of the Asian Golf Awards

programme.

“This is a very special new category and the Best Caddie Of The

Year Award which went to our girl Kannika Namthong was a totally

overwhelming experience for her. To get on an airplane for the first

time in her life and fly to a venue like Marina Bay Sands Resort in Sin-

gapore blew her away – a life-time experience for her,” said Stuart Daly,

director of golf operations at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand.

The following are the individuals recognized in the respective

categories:

Best Club General Manager Of The Year1. Harald Elisson | Black Mountain Golf Club, Thailand

2. Han Zhishan | Mission Hills Dongguan, China

3. Stacey Walton | Banyan Golf Club, Thailand

Best Club Caddie Of The Year1. Kannika Namthong | Banyan Golf Club, Thailand

2. Abdul Najib Bin Yahya | Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Malaysia

3. Nurhasanah | Damai Indah Golf & Country Club, Pantai Indah Kapok Course, Indonesia

Best Food & Beverage Manager Of The Year1. Ricky Guo Jinwei | Mission Hills Haikou, China

2. John Gunn | Abu Dhabi Golf Club/Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, United Arab Emirates

3. Marten Karlsson| Black Mountain Golf Club, Thailand

Best Golf Course Superintendent Of The Year1. Minachai Srichanya | Banyan Golf Club, Thailand

2. Ali Macfadyen | The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip Golf Course, Vietnam

3. Ong Seng Kiat | Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Malaysia

Best Director Of Golf Operations Of The Year1. Stuart Daly | Banyan Golf Club, Thailand

2. Mohd Yusri bin Mat Isa | Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Malaysia

3. Harris Abdullah | Ria Bintan Golf Club, Indonesia

Ricky Guo JinweiBest Food & Beverage Manager Of The Year

Harald ElissonBest Club Manager Of The Year

32 33 ASIAN GOLF

ASIAN GOLF TOURISM The Els Club Teluk Datai


Named The Els Club Teluk Datai, the South African Hall-

Of-Famer and four-time Major Champion described it

as follows: “This is, without doubt, the most spectacular

golf course setting I have had the pleasure of working

on and I am incredibly excited about the prospect of

inviting the first visitors to come and enjoy The Els Club

Teluk Datai.”

In the presence of Malaysian royalty, the professional golfer cum golf

course architect was effusive with his praise for Malaysia’s newest golf course.

“The course is truly breath-taking and I am delighted with what we have

achieved here. I endeavoured to make the most of this unique location and I

believe that we have done just that.”

Els added, “It was an honour to hit the opening tee shot alongside Her

Majesty and I would personally like to thank all of those in attendance for

their support in what we are confident is set to become one of the world’s

most revered golf course designs.”

The Els Club Teluk Datai is his first ever-golf course creation in South East

Asia and it has already bagged the title as the ‘Best Golf Course’ at the 2014

Asia-Pacific Property Awards.

There’s no denying the fact that Ernie Els aka the “Big Easy” is ecstatic over the golf course he designed on the Malaysian island of Langkawi.

34 35 ASIAN GOLF

“This is one of the world’s most visually stunning golf courses,

so the early feedback we have achieved and the tremendous reac-tion we have experienced is really no surprise …. over the coming months we expect to welcome golfers from all over the world, who are eager to test themselves against Ernie’s mas-terpiece and take advantage of the incredible experience that can be had as a tourist in Langkawi.” – Ernie Els

ASIAN GOLF TOURISM The Els Club Teluk Datai


Nestled between ancient rainforest and the Andaman Sea on the iconic island location

of Langkawi, the 18-holes championship course serves as a focal point for the award-win-

ning Datai Langkawi resort, which is a favourite amongst international travellers.

The Els Club Teluk Datai will now play an integral role in realising the vision of resort

owners Destination Resorts and Hotels Sdn Bhd (DRH) in developing golf and bespoke tour-

ism experiences in Malaysia.

Charged with developing strategic tourism, DRH selected The Els Club Brand for three

Malaysian golf developments, two of which are currently under construction in the south-

ernmost state of Johor and will transform the nation’s golf offering over the coming years.

Commenting on the new golf course, Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin, managing di-

rector of Destination Resorts & Hotels, the owner of the property said, “Given golf’s position-

ing on a global stage and the demographic it attracts we have sought to redefine standards

in the region’s golf offering. The Els Club Teluk Datai will certainly become a flagship asset

for our business and give enjoyment for many more generations to come.”

Senior Vice President of The Els Club Malaysia, David Townend, spoke of his excitement

for the club and said, “This is one of the world’s most visually stunning golf courses, so the

early feedback we have achieved and the tremendous reaction we have experienced is re-

ally no surprise …. over the coming months we expect to welcome golfers from all over the

world, who are eager to test themselves against Ernie’s masterpiece and take advantage of

the incredible experience that can be had as a tourist in Langkawi.”

The course is managed and operated by Troon Golf, the global leader in upscale golf

management, who oversee operations at some of world’s pre-eminent golf resorts.

36 37 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE Mission Hills – Match Play

Justin Rose and Ian Poulter want golfers to

enjoy themselves when playing on their

new course at Mission Hills Dongguan in

China – and the two Ryder Cup stars did just that when

they christened the layout with a one-off Match Play

challenge. By Viv Best


The showdown

between two of golf’s

great mates on 28 Oc-

tober was more about

banter than bunker shots

as they traded quips, compliments and

good-natured barbs to the delight of thou-

sands of fans who followed their progress.

The mickey-taking started in earnest the day

before when the duo looked around the luxury

apartment at Mission Hills that would be award-

ed to the winner. In a video that has proved a

YouTube hit, the scenes included one of them

surveying their handiwork from the balcony and arguing

whether it was the Rose-Poulter Course or vice versa.

The Match Play saw the pair play the first nine holes

with Mission Hills’ best junior players and members before

going head-to-head on the back nine. Rose – fresh from

his victory two days earlier in the Mission Hills World Ce-

lebrity Pro-Am at Mission Hills Haikou on the tropical island

of Hainan – showed he was the form player by winning the first

three holes. Poulter pulled a shot back on 15 but the next hole proved

pivotal – and one neither player is likely to let the other forget.

Surveying the short par-four 16th, Poulter stood on the tee and

debated trying to carry the ditch 280 yards away guarding the green.

Egged on by Rose – “You didn’t come all the way to China to lay up,

did you?” – he went for it, came to grief and had to take a drop. A

wounded Poulter complained to the TV cameras, “He’s supposed to

It’s all about risk and reward.

There are five par-fives and five par-threes, you’re taking shots on, so it’s not easy but it’s great fun. Everyone who plays it is going to have a great time – they will make lots of birdies and they might make a few bogeys, but the course plays very well.” – Ian Poulter

14 15 ASIAN GOLF

be my mate!” as his friend calmly birdied

for a 3-and-2 success, although they still

played the final two holes to get a complete

overview of their new layout.

Both agreed that while Rose had

emerged victorious, the par-72 course

– sculpted to be especially suited to

match play golf – was the real winner. “It’s

designed to give you a lot of options,” said

Rose, the 2013 US Open champion. “You can

run the ball into the greens, you can work

the contours, but if you miss the contours

and end up on the side, then you have a

difficult recovery shot.

“We want players of all abilities to have

a good time, to get off the tee and feel like

they have a chance, but then the course

gets a bit more tricky around the greens.

A lot of the great courses, like Augusta

National for example, are generous off the

tee but then the skill is in the second shot,

the chipping and the putting, and I feel that

is what this golf course is about.”

Poulter added: “It’s all about risk and

reward. There are five par-fives and five

par-threes, you’re taking shots on, so it’s not

easy but it’s great fun. Everyone who plays

it is going to have a great time – they will

make lots of birdies and they might make a

few bogeys, but the course plays very well.”

The Rose-Poulter Course is one of 12 at

the giant Mission Hills resort – officially the

world’s biggest golf club – spread across

Shenzhen and Dongguan in southern

China. The duo, who designed the layout

in conjunction with renowned golf course

architect Brian Curley, join a Who’s Who of

golfing greats with course designs at the

complex including Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick

Faldo, Greg Norman, Ernie Els and José

María Olazábal.

“I would like to congratulate Justin and

Ian on a fabulous match and to thank all our

members and juniors who took part,” said

Mission Hills Group Vice Chairman Tenniel

Chu. “Not only was it wonderful to watch

two such great players in action, but to see

them working with our juniors, encouraging

them and sharing their experience, means

so much to these promising young players

and the people of China.”

SPECIAL FEATURE Mission Hills – Match Play

38 39 ASIAN GOLF

Long Thanh Golf Resort is a true paradise for any golfer.

Two world-class golf courses – one that traverses hilly terrain while the other meanders through spectacular lakes.

Both the Hill Course and the Lake Course are fascinating showcases of breath-taking landscapes

populated by a wide array of flora and fauna.

Golfing in Long Thanh Golf Resort is an experience of world-class golf combined with a unique brand of service and the warmth and friendliness of Vietnam.

All this delivered in a tranquil setting located in the southern economic triangle and just 40 minutes from Ho Chi Minh City’s centre.

National Highway 51, Tan Mai 2 Hamlet, Phuoc Tan Village, Dong Nai Province, Vietnam Tel: +84 61 3 512 512 Fax: +84 61 3 512 513

Long Thanh Golf Resort -A Golf Paradise Like No Other!

Come and Discover What Playing Golf in Paradise Really Feels Like

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h d

40 41 ASIAN GOLF

SPECIAL FEATURE An Exclusive With Lee Westwood


Asian Golf met up with Westwood after he shot a spectacular hole in

one at the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic which was played in Malaysia in late

October. From 226 yards out, Westwood whipped out a hybrid club

and saw his perfectly-struck tee shot land 10 feet from the pin and roll

inexorably into the hole. “Well that was a pretty special day,” he later

posted on Twitter. “It’s not often you see them go in from 226 yards!” If he keeps up

this form, you can bet on Westwood making the grade for a major in 2015!

In the exclusive interview which covered a wide range of topics, one area that

was of special interest to both Westwood and Asian Golf was his commitment to

teaching the game of golf to juniors. He is widely regarded as operating one of the

YEAR TO BAG A MAJOR?Most people would be both-

ered when they are repeat-edly asked a question that they are tired of hearing but this was not the case with top English golf professional Lee Westwood.

a golf major, he calmly and politely re-sponded by declaring that he hoped that his name will be called out soon. The way he handled the question demonstrated that Westwood is a pucka gentleman and a real credit to the game of golf.

42 43 ASIAN GOLF

My goals have been the same

throughout my career. Simply, I just want to do the best I can every time I push a tee peg in the ground. I am still moti-vated, keen and hungry to win.” – Lee Westwood

leading private golf academies in the world. “Students attend our

golfing college on a full-time basis and work within a structured,

continually assessed golf and education programme utilising the

latest training methods and techniques,” Westwood explained.

“With guidance and assistance from our qualified PGA coaches

and educational tutors, the students are able to obtain a high qual-

ity education whilst developing their golfing skills and abilities,” he

added

The following are excerpts of parts of the interview Asian Golf

had with Westwood:

Asian Golf: How has the move to Florida shaped up? Do you feel that you are past the adjustment period and ready to make your presence felt on the PGA Tour?

LEE WESTWOOD: Hindsight’s the thing. If I’d had it, I would

probably have made the move to Florida earlier. It’s been every-

thing and more the entire family hoped for and we are all fully

adjusted. The kids even went trick and treating last week. On a

personal level, all I can do is prepare the best I can and see where it

gets me.

AG: Just curious - what is it that prompted your move to North America?

WESTWOOD: There were several factors, but from a professional

standpoint I just needed to be able to practice in winter without

having to put on seven layers of clothing. The improvement in my

short game has been considerable

AG: You belong to an elite group of professional golfers who have played all over the world and you have experienced victory all over the world. This must come as a sense of great accomplishment to you.

WESTWOOD: The smaller the world has become through the

comparative ease of travel is heading golf towards a global tour

anyway. The PGA Tour has followed the European Tour in having

tournaments outside its own boundaries so many more Americans

are discovering there is more to the world than just 50 States. I’ve

enjoyed everywhere I’ve been and particularly Asia so I’m delighted

I’ve been able to win in many different places.

AG: You have always been referred to as one of the world’s best golfers without a major championship

victory. Do you feel that this is set to change?

WESTWOOD: Who knows, but it won’t be for the lack of trying. All

I can do is what I’ve been doing, put myself in position and hope that

my name will be called out soon.

AG: As a man who has been at the very pinnacle of the professional game, give us your assessment of the “new breed” of players playing on the professional tour - especially the European Tour and the PGA Tour?

WESTWOOD: The popularity of the game is growing all the time

and in many different places and it will only increase more and more

after golf has been in the Olympics in 2016. The newcomers all seem

to be getting younger so the competition is only going to get fiercer.

The common theme among the newcomers is how dedicated they

are to improving.

AG: The depth in the talent pool seems to be the best that the game has seen in a long time and this is evidenced by the number of new and young players winning virtually every weekend. With this as background, do you see any one player dominating the professional ranks the way

that bill?

WESTWOOD: I’m not sure we will ever see another Tiger although

Rory McIlroy is getting closer and closer to dominating the way he

did. You just never know in golf although I believe we are heading

towards an era where more and more players will be challenging for

the game’s top honours on a regular basis.

AG: Speaking of Tiger, given his extended lay-off and his numerous physiological challenges, do you see him coming back to regain his reign as the world’s number one player?

WESTWOOD: That’s almost impossible to answer because only

time will tell. Let’s just say it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tiger did get

back to No.1.

AG: Shifting gears, let’s look at the general health of the game. While the professional game is healthy, the same can’t be said for the club game. Golf is challenged and this year, more than any other year, seems to be one of

SPECIAL FEATURE An Exclusive With Lee Westwood


the most challenging. We have heard all the reasons for the slowdown in the growth of the game. Give us your perspective on what is causing this global malaise in golf?

WESTWOOD: If there is a slowdown then I am sure it is only tem-

porary. I am convinced that the Olympic Games will provide a surge

of interest in the game that will only prove a benefit.

AG: Do you feel that the game has to go through a radical change to be made more relevant to a multi-generational

WESTWOOD: Not sure it needs a radical change, but it could

do with a makeover. Something has to be done about slow play

because fining players doesn’t work. Docking shots will. The public

have also shown just how much they like match play golf so I can

see more moves in that direction,

AG: Is enough being done to bring in new players especially juniors to the game?

WESTWOOD: I think so especially since the advent of academies

and golf schools. They are the future so we have to invest in them.

AG: In this regard, give us an update on your effort to help juniors - how is your academy performing?

WESTWOOD: Things are developing very nicely indeed and

we are all delighted at the response we have had so hopefully it’s

onward and upward.

AG: You enjoy an excellent reputation in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia - do you have plans to expand your academy to this neck of the woods?

WESTWOOD: Watch this space. There may be an opportunity to

extend what we are already doing.

AG: Finally, what can we expect from Lee Westwood in 2015? What have you set as your personal goals for the New Year especially in competitive golf?

WESTWOOD: My goals have been the same throughout my

career. Simply, I just want to do the best I can every time I push a

tee peg in the ground. I am still motivated, keen and hungry to win.

Hopefully there is plenty more of Lee Westwood to come.

SPECIAL FEATURE The Industry Appraised!

44 45 ASIAN GOLF

For most of us in the golf indus-

try, we’d rather forget 2014. It

has been a rough year and we’ll

unravel it for you, warts and all.

Let’s start with the overall state

of the business. In the developed world,

golf is on the decline and this is evidenced

by the closure of golf courses, a drop in the

number of new players coming to the game

and a general trend which shows rounds

played to be trending southwards. In a

capsule, a bitter one at that, the industry is

not healthy and is not really showing strong

signs of any sustainable recovery.

Against this backdrop of spreading red

ink on profit and loss statements of golf

clubs, equipment manufacturers and related

down-stream industries, is there really hope

for golf to regain its glory moments of days

gone past? Your guess is as good as mine but

if you are a betting man, you would do well

to place your wager on things getter worse

before there is a turn-around.

There will inevitably be a swing towards

better times but that’s not going to happen

any day soon. There’s still a lot of blood-

letting that has to take place before we can

start seeing the silver linings. For example,

as this commentary is being written, news

has just come in that the self-proclaimed

leader in the golf equipment industry,

TaylorMade adidas Golf has had a miserable

third quarter.

It really depends where this question is posed and who

it is directed at. Well, the preceding sentence in itself

sounds like a cop out because it seems to come loaded

with pre-qualifications. To hell with all the innuendoes –

let’s get right down to brass tacks! By Mike Sebastian

Without access to reliable intelligence sources and mar-ket research, no one quite knows what is the true state of

affairs of golf in Asia. But we will stick our neck out and de-clare that it has not been too good a year for golf in Asia.”


In an address to shareholders, its chief execu-

tive officer Herbert Hainer said, “TaylorMade-ad-

idas Golf has clearly been our weakest performer,

sales declining 29% on a currency-neutral basis and

operating profit deviating by around 150 million

euros compared to the prior year level.”

Nine-month sales in 2014 stood at 673 million

euros, down 31.4% (308 million euros) from a year

ago when it boasted 981 million. Given the third

quarter sales level of 138 million euros, it’s highly

unlikely TMaG will surpass 800 million euros for its

2014 fiscal year. The fourth quarter is historically

the lowest for equipment sales in golf, except a

year ago when TMaG managed to see 304 million

euros in sales volume, thanks to the inclusion of

JetSpeed and SLDR drivers.

However, Hainer is confident of a dramatic

swing back to the black when he declared, “I am

confident we will stabilize and grow sales and mar-

gins in 2015, returning the segment to profitable

levels.”

The feedback from other manufacturers is

pretty much a variance of what Hainer has reported

but the cold hard facts point towards the major-

ity of the companies facing a tough trading year

because of the soft state of the market.

How about the bold initiatives to grow the

game of golf? Well, what about it you may ask?

There’s been quite a bit of spin-doctoring on this

matter but there have been virtually no concrete

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46 47 ASIAN GOLF

facts and figures forthcoming to substanti-

ate all of the efforts taken by the powers

that be.

One such effort to grow the game was

spear-headed by the charismatic Mark

King, the ex-President and CEO of Taylor-

Made adidas Golf. At the last PGA Merchan-

dise Show, King announced an ambitious

undertaking designed to give golf a much

needed shot-in-the-arm. Together with Ted

Bishop of the PGA of America, he spring-

boarded “Hack Golf” to help unearth some

out-of-the-box ideas from the public at

large. He even committed US$5 million dol-

lars of TaylorMade’s cash to get the project

rolling. Sadly, before we could see some

serious traction, King got kicked upstairs to

head up adidas North America while Bishop

got booted out from his job for making

some innocuous sexist comment.

So much for growing the game of golf!

There are on-going efforts but nothing signifi-

cant enough to generate the numbers to start

the cash registers singing the profit song!

Speaking about power-mongers being

moved or fired, Peter Dawson, the man

who has become an institution at the Royal

& Ancient (R&A) has announced his retire-

ment. A new man has already been hired

and let’s see if he has the courage and the

vision to change the stuffy image of the

R&A and make it more relevant to the rap-

idly changing times in which we live in!

Another guy who is stepping down is

George O’Grady, the CEO of the European

Tour. While O’Grady achieved a lot during

his tour of duty, golf historians are already

abuzz about his replacement needing

to succeed where O’Grady failed. These

pundits want the new CEO to find a way to

get Europe’s biggest stars to play more in its

traditional heartlands of Continental Europe

and the United Kingdom.

He is being faulted for singularly failing

to provide more big money tournaments in

Europe and the United Kingdom. Most of Eu-

rope’s top stars now call the PGA Tour home,

and make only occasional forays home to

fulfil the requirements of membership.

Looks like golf is a thankless game!

What about Asia? Again, what about

it? Western experts claim that golf is in a

growth mode in Asia and what they base

this assumption upon, baffles me. Perhaps

they know something about the growth

of golf that we in Asia are totally oblivious

about. Damn “experts” – these guys are no

better than street-side soothsayers!

From what we know and what we have

reported on during the course of this year,

there is sporadic growth in pockets in Asia.

Numbers are still down in Japan, golf’s big-

gest market in Asia.

The once frenetic growth of golf in golf-

crazy South Korea has reportedly tanked

and coupled with the slowing Korean

economy, at best, the state of the game will

remain in a holding pattern.

China, because of the Central Govern-

ment’s tough measures against corruption

and the blatant flaunting of wealth, legally

or illegally acquired, is having a negative

effect on golf clubs. Despondent golf course

architects stand by helplessly as contracts

dry up for new courses and some are even

witnessing the actual physical destruction

of their masterpieces by demolition squads

acting on the command of the Chinese

government.

Without access to reliable intelligence

sources and market research, no one quite

knows what is the true state of affairs of golf

in Asia. But we will stick our neck out and

declare that it has not been too good a year

for golf in Asia.

Without solid, reliable data on the

market, it looks like we are all set to fly by

the seat of our pants for another year in

2015. Reckon we just have to stick our index

fingers in the air to get a reading of what

the business mood is like going forward.

For golfers, continue to enjoy the game

because after all, golf is a wonderful game

and deserves better! Here’s to a Happy New

Year and happy golfing! And let’s all hope

for an improved 2015!

SPECIAL FEATURE The Industry Appraised!

Scenes of demolition work in progress in China.

SPECIAL FEATURE The Case For Non-Conforming Equipment

48 49 ASIAN GOLF

The first rules to govern the perfor-

mance of golf equipment were in-

troduced 105 years ago, relatively

recently for a sport that is more

than 500 years old. The USGA and

R&A work to limit the advancement of golf

technology for good reason – the governing

bodies of serious competitive golf want the

skills of the golfer rather than the technology

of the golf equipment to be the determin-

ing factor in identifying the champion in

serious competitive events like the Open or

the Masters. This strategy makes sense for

serious competitive golf, but is detrimental

to recreational golf. There is absolutely no

reason to limit the contributions equipment

technology can make to the scoring perfor-

mance of the recreational golfer.

The advances in golf equipment technol-

ogy have even made golf increasingly more

affordable over the years. A golf ball once

cost about a day’s wage for the average per-

son. Now the best golf balls costs less than

half the minimum hourly wage in the USA.

The drivers and irons of today use exotic

metals, high tech construction methods and

deliver far superior distance and control that

few imagined 30 years ago. In the past most

whom wanted golf instruction sought out

an accomplished golfer or PGA professional.

Now internet site likes Youtube are full of

well-prepared video lessons. Some incorpo-

rate smart phone apps that help the average

golfer measure and quantify their swing

performance in a way that was never before

possible and now enable golfers to improve

their game quite substantially while practic-

ing in their living room or back yard, without

the help of a professional instructor.

If you do not agree that the primary objective of recreational golf is to

have fun, then you probably don’t need to read any further.

Technology in general has made life so much better than just 50 years

ago. Travel is safer, terrible diseases have been eliminated, comfort

abounds… the list of advances is almost endless. The evolution of golf

equipment technology is no exception, having made golf easier to

learn and more fun to play. The advancement in golf equipment is one

of the strongest traditions of the game.

EXCITING NEW GOLF RECREATIONAL GOLF EQUIPMENT ON THE RISE

Where are the great innovations and

leaps in golf equipment performance

happening today? If you are talking about

equipment that conforms to the USGA and

R&A rules, step change improvements that

would benefit the recreational golfer are

not possible within the current rules. In

fact rules changes in the last 20 years have

been working against helping the recre-

ational golfer. Take for instance the recent

decision by the ruling bodies of golf to ban

the practice of anchoring a club. Appar-

ently long putter anchoring was providing a

performance advantage over the traditional

putter stroke, so they ruled out anchoring

starting Jan 1, 2016. Starting Jan 1, 2010

the USGA & R&A scaled back the ball spin

inducing performance of irons by regulat-

ing the dimensions of the grooves on the

face of irons with 24 degrees or more loft.

Technology that enabled slices and hooks

to be corrected by about 30% was outlawed

in 1981. The overall distance that a golf ball

can achieve under certain conditions of

spin, launch angle and velocity was limited

by the governing bodies in 1976. Today, the

USGA and R&A are seriously considering

implementing further distance performance

restrictions on golf balls. Don’t look for the

USGA to ever relax the rules for recreational

golfers – this is not part of their mission.

USGA or not, golf companies could

immediately make golf more enjoyable

for the recreational golfer if they simply

revived known technology from the past.

Recreational golfers could easily lower their

score by 5-20 strokes per game if they took

full advantage of the technology avail-

able today to hit the ball farther, hit the

ball straighter, stop the ball on the green

and sink more puts. If the golf companies

ignored the USGA & R&A performance limit-

ing rules, and made physics the only limita-

tion - golfers would score lower, play faster,

save money and have more fun. Exactly

what needs to be done is as follows:

Hit the ball farther - Increase the driver

size, moment of inertia (MOI) and coef-

ficient of restitution (COR). Make both the

club head and shaft more aerodynamic

(less drag). Increase the golf ball’s COR and

weight, while maintaining or lowering its

spin. Decrease the ball’s drag by making the

ball smaller and more aerodynamically effi-

cient. There are drivers available today that

exceed the USGA/R&A limitation, especially

when it comes to size, COR and MOI, but

none are made by the major golf manufac-

turers: Bang Golf’s Big Bang 525cc, Polara

Golf’s Advantage, and Diamond Golf’s DTG

Felon are just three of many that are now

available through internet stores. You can

even increase the COR of your current driv-

er by sending it to away to company like

World’s Hottest Drivers, which performs a

processes on your driver’s face called “driver

shaving”, which reduces the face thickness

on drivers to create a higher COR.

Hit the ball Straighter - Adjustable

drivers can help a fade or draw problem,

but the least expensive and most effective

technology solution to correct both hooks

and slices is to make the golf ball’s dimple

pattern asymmetrical, creating a ball with a

principle axis of inertia. This technology has

been advanced, patented and made avail-

able to recreational golfers with Polara Golf’s

Ultimate Straight and XD golf balls. The com-


the golfer to have more control over the im-

pact and direction and distance of ball travel.

Most of the equipment technology

changes suggested previously could be

accomplished immediately. They involve

known technologies, many of which were

commercially available before the USGA

decided to label them nonconforming and

all of these technologies are permitted by

the United States Recreational Golf Associa-

tion (USRGA.org).

The real opportunities for significant

advances in the state of golf equipment

technology will occur once golf companies

remove the artificial restraints they have

accepted for themselves and they start to

allocate meaningful amounts of money

to the research and development of new

equipment designs, materials and technol-

ogy that will enable recreational golfers to

hit the ball farther, hit the ball straighter,

stop the ball on the green and sink more

puts. When this happens, it will take 2 years

at most before golfers see refreshingly new

and demonstrably superior products that

will make golf less intimidating, more invit-

ing, easier to learn, more fun to play and as

a result the health and vitality of the golf

industry will improve again.

bination the Polara Ultimate Straight golf ball

and driver of 12 degrees loft or higher, will

reduce a slice by up to 80% - this cures even

the worst slice problem.

Stop the ball on the green - Make

the grooves more aggressive on wedges;

even more aggressive that they were when

the USGA reduced what was allowable in

2009. Today wedges with super aggres-

sive grooves can be easily ordered from a

number of golf companies on the internet.

If you combine more aggressive wedge

grooves with a special high spin ball made

that in general can be made with a hard

core and super soft cover, then most golfers

will be able to stop or at least check the

ball up on the green. Why limit yourself to

only playing one model ball for the entire

round of golf? You wouldn’t limit yourself

to playing just 1 club for the entire round,

would you? It would not only immediately

help golfers if they used a different ball for

wedge shots, but also for drives, long iron

shots and for putting.

Sink more putts - Allow anchoring of

long putters and make the face of the putter

softer than allowed by the rules – both of

these changes shift the stroke from eccentric

to concentric muscle action and thus enable

The real opportunities for significant advances in the state of golf equipment technology will occur

once golf companies remove the artificial restraints they have accepted for themselves and they start to allocate meaningful amounts of money to the research and development of new equipment designs, materi-als and technology that will enable recreational golfers to hit the ball farther, hit the ball straighter, stop the ball on the green and sink more puts.”

50 51 ASIAN GOLF

We knew that we’d get your attention with the headline. It’s intended to be an eye-ball grabber because what we are about to reveal is stunning news – it is news that will rock both the golf world and the world of technology!

g

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Rapsodo Personal Launch Monitor


Heck, when we found out

where this technology origi-

nated from, we nearly fell off

our chairs! We won’t keep you

in suspense any longer be-

cause the news that we are about to unravel

is too good to be kept under wraps!

Singapore has officially entered the

world of golf with a home-grown prod-

uct that is going to revolutionise the way

people play golf. The product has come onto

the market at the right time when golf is

experiencing a general decline especially as

it relates to new players coming aboard and

the number of rounds played. It is the perfect

product with which to grab the game by the

scruff of its neck and give it a mighty boost.

Meet the Rapsodo Personal Launch

Monitor, a cutting edge golf simulator

conceived, engineered and produced in

Singapore. It uses a high speed photometric

platform, and it can measure the launch of

a golf ball with an astonishing degree of

accuracy and precision comparable to any

device on the market.

So, what’s the big deal if it is only

comparable? We saw that coming and get a

load of this – the product is delivered to the

end-user at a fraction of the price that the es-

tablished big name brands charge for similar

features and basically the same performance.

It is the classic David versus Goliath fable

re-told to a new script written in Singapore.

With the Rapsodo Personal Launch Monitor,

a golfer can work on his or her game all year

round right in the living room. That’s how

versatile this new gismo is and it’s the sort of

device that no golfer can be without!

The Personal Launch Monitor is truly

revolutionary. It is a complete practice, play

and entertainment system for golf at home.

The device is only about the size of a

book and weighs less than two pounds. But

let not its size fool you! It is designed to accu-

rately capture thousands of data points from

a golfer hitting balls with his own clubs into a

net at home to simulate practice and play as

if he were on the course or practice range.

It must also be made clear that while

entertaining, it is not a toy, but a serious

tool that accurately reflects a golfer’s actual

skill level and shot results to provide year-

round practice, play and game improve-

ment without ever leaving home.

Combined with an App and iPad, the

Wi-Fi enabled system captures the follow-

ing vital information:

Actual ball speed

Launch angle

Back spin

Side spin

Side angle

It then packs all of this data to trans-

late the ball flight over a vivid 3D practice

range. “It also offers various challenges for

engaging practice such as closest to the

pin, longest drive and targets, along with

shot history tables, performance by club,

and helpful data screens,” according to a

company spokesman.

It’s easy to use, compact, totally portable

with no wires required, and highly accurate,

so improvements the golfer sees in his swing

at home or in his office are improvements he

can take to the course.

“Our goal with the Personal Launch

Monitor is to deliver commercial quality ball

flight simulations that reflect a golfer’s actual

performance for game improvement and en-

tertainment at a very affordable price – the

lowest possible to comparable alternatives,”

said Batuhan Okur, chief executive officer of

Rapsodo.

“In essence, we have created a way for a

golfer to take his or her passion past the 18th

green with what we see as the X-BOX of Golf,”

Okur pointed out. It’s been designed to de-

liver the reliability and accuracy required to

help golfers play better, play more and derive

more enjoyment from the game.

Rapsodo was founded in Singapore in 2010

by an experienced team of entrepreneurs.

Our goal with the Personal Launch Monitor is to deliver commercial quality

ball flight simulations that reflect a golfer’s actual performance for game improvement and entertainment at a very affordable price – the lowest possible to comparable alternatives.” – Batuhan Okur

The inaugural Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament is on the cards. Fathers and sons or direct related members of a family will do battle to see who emerges as the best of the best in the region.

This prestigious tournament will be staged on December 6 and 7, 2014 and the host venue is the award winning Long Thanh Golf Resort in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

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

The winning team will walk away with the Asia Pacific Father and Son Trophy presented by Vietnamese philanthropist Le Van Kiem.

In Celebration Of Fathers And Sons

DECEMBER 6 & 7, 2014LONG THANH GOLF RESORT, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Entry fee is set at US$450 per player and this will include: Daily two-way transfer from the Sheraton Hotel to the golf course. Lunch, refreshment and dinner on both days. Prizes and goodie bags. One practice round on December 5.

The Father and Sons Tournament is designed to promote greater family involvement in golf and clubs are encouraged to enter club teams to participate in that promises to become an annual tournament.

Organised by: Long Thanh Golf Resort

Come and be part of the region’s first ever total family golf event ... The Inaugural Asia Pacific Father and Son Golf Tournament!

ONLINE Registration is open at: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt2014

For enquiries, please contact Alice Ho at [email protected] or call +65-63232800

DOWNLOAD PDF – RULES & REGULATIONS: http://tinyurl.com/fsgt-rr2014

54 55 ASIAN GOLF

EQUIPMENT FOCUS TaylorMade RSi Family

However, TaylorMade is not the sort of

company that will lie down and sob over

its misfortunes. No way! Its pedigree has

been weaned on a fighting spirit to win

and never give up. Its DNA is hard-wired

to spring right back up and get right into the thick of

the action! And that’s exactly what the company has

done with the launch of three hot sets of irons.

Things have been relatively quiet at TaylorMade

adidas Golf for most of 2014. After a short self-imposed

period of exile in golf’s wilderness, the company that

Mark King built has come roaring back with a vigor and

vitality that holds a lot of promise for things to come.

With the year coming to an end, the company has

hit the road running with the launch of a brand new

family of irons branded as the RSi. Not content with just

one set of irons, TaylorMade has swamped the market

with three models under the RSi brand – the RSi1, the

RSi 2 and the RSi TP. And one trademark feature that all

of the irons in the family share is a “slot”.

Remember some two years back when TaylorMade

2014 will not be remembered as being a good year for TaylorMade adidas Golf – the undisputed kingpin of the golf equipment world. Sales have been slumped. Its charis-matic boss Mark King got moved out to the parent company adidas and with his move, the bold initiative to grow the game of golf, tagged as “Hack Golf” lost its direction. It also shut down the headquarters of its sub-sidiary Adams Golf in Texas and moved all the staff to Carlsbad. All told, 2014 has been a year that TaylorMade would do well to forget.

introduced the “Speed Pocket”, a feature

that involved slots on the soles of the irons?

Well, the RSi irons all have slots too. The “Speed Pocket”

if you recall led to longer, higher flying iron shots even

on mishits low on the face of the club. With the RSi’s the

slots have been engineered to further improve perfor-

mance, especially on mishits on the heel and the toe.

This is best explained by Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s

director of Product Creation for Irons. According to Byst-

edt, “Face Slot Technology provides greater consistency

across the face, giving players improved performance

on mishits.” He went on to add, “No golfer is perfect -

not even the best players in the world hit the centre of

the club every time. So with RSi, we’re giving all golfers

a technology that can help their mishits perform more

like pure strikes.” Now how wonderful is that - this is like

taking forgiveness to the absolute limit!

The slots, which are now referred to as “Face slots”

are used in the 3-8 irons of each of new iron models: the

RSi 1, RSi 2 and RSi TP. The polymer-filled slots, which

are cut all the way through the club faces, are located

just outside the score lines of the clubs. They allow the

heel and toe sections of the club heads to flex more

easily on mishits, which creates more ball speed on

mishits than TaylorMade’s previous irons.

EQUIPMENT FOCUS TaylorMade RSi Family

56 57 ASIAN GOLF

Asian Golf received

some sample sets of the RSi

family and of the three models, the RSi 1 irons

were by far, the largest and most forgiving of the three

RSi iron models. The 3-7 irons are cast from 450 stain-

less steel and have TaylorMade’s ThruSlot technology,

which cuts through the entirety of their soles.

Our Equipment Editor Lawrence Young took out

the RSi 1 and was very impressed with the irons. “The

RSi 1 have the thinnest faces of any of TaylorMade’s

new irons, and the company’s Inverted Cone Technol-

ogy, works well together with the face slots and Speed

Pockets to make the RSi 1 the longest irons in Taylor-

Made’s 2015 line,” Young explained.

The RSi 2 is the company’s most progressive

iron set, with five different constructions within

the nine-club set to offer the best mix of distance,

precision and feel. This set in the hands of a good

golfer can be a very lethal weapon. In tests the

RSi 2 generate ball speeds greater than that

of the famous SLDR irons which are noted for


No golfer is perfect - not

even the best players in the world hit the centre of the club every time. So with RSi, we’re giving all golfers a technology that can help their mishits perform more like pure strikes. Now how wonderful is that - this is like taking forgiveness to the absolute limit!”

generating startling ball speeds. The irons are also

very forgiving and this is largely attributable to the

added tungsten to the long irons (3-5).

The third set in the new RSi family is the RSi TP

irons. “The RSi TP irons were developed to deliver

launch, consistency and feel to take performance

to the next level for our Tour Professionals,” said

Bystedt. “The shapes of these irons will be instantly

pleasing to better players and will have the feel

and workability that golfers expect in a forged

product. It really is the best combination of per-

formance, look and feel that we’ve created for the

world’s best players,” he added.

The 3-7 irons have forged, 1025 carbon steel

hosels and faces that are plasma welded to 431

stainless steel backs. TaylorMade engineers say

the construction offers the best of both worlds —

the feel of a forged iron with the forgiveness of

a cast iron. The 8-PW are fully forged from 1025

carbon steel.

After checking out the RSi family, all that we

can conclude is that TaylorMade is back with a

vengeance and whoever counted them out due to

the temporary set-backs, beware. The most prolific

brand in golf equipment is in the hunt again and

it’s hungry to gobble up market share with some

cool products. Welcome back after a brief hiatus!

58 59 ASIAN GOLF

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Fly-Z Family


You’ve got to sit up and start paying attention when

certain industry observers start speaking about a

new product with tremendous exuberance. The

product that is the subject of all the positive buzz

that’s going around the golf industry (goodness, it’s

about time that we had some good news) is the new Fly-Z family

of drivers and metal woods introduced by COBRA Golf.

The irreverent and in-your-face self-styled watchdog of the

golf industry, My Golf Spy in a special review by Tony Covey

heaped a bucket-load of praise on the new clubs by declaring:

“Where versatility and total performance are concerned, I’m tell-

ing you right now that with Fly-Z, Cobra Golf has just announced

the most compelling full line-up of metalwoods for the 2015

season. In my mind, it’s unquestionably the one to beat, and I say

that without a hint of reservation”.

Wow! The young team at COBRA Golf must have popped

bottles of Moet & Chandon to celebrate this incredible endorse-

ment! The guy who must have led the celebration would have

been Robert Philion, “the big cheese” at Cobra Golf.

In an exclusive interview with Asian Golf earlier this year, Phil-

ion did provide a peek into what was to come in 2015 when he

said, “People want change and we think we offer that and it is also

60 61 ASIAN GOLF


good to know that our customers know that we are looking to the

future and are willing to do things a little differently.”

A “little differently” sounds like an understatement! The FZ-

Fly family seems to have raised the bar by not just a notch but a

whole bunch of notches. According to Philion, “We are not trying

to be the biggest in golf. We are trying to be the most desirable

and that’s what’s important to us!” And has COBRA Golf aced it

with what arguably will go down as a very desirable set of driv-

ers, fairway woods and hybrids.

At the top of the Fly-Z heap are three new drivers - Fly-Z+,

Where versatility and total performance are concerned, I’m telling you right now that with Fly-Z, Cobra Golf has

just announced the most compelling full line-up of metalwoods for the 2015 season. In my mind, it’s unquestionably the one to beat, and I say that without a hint of reservation.” – Tony Covey

Fly-Z and Fly-Z XL –and adjustability seems to be the focal point

for these clubs. What COBRA Golf has done is to release an ad-

justable weight technology with the FLY-Z+ Driver featuring the

FlipZone, a moveable weight system engineered to provide two

different flight paths in one club.

“The Fly-Z+ driver features the lowest CG of any adjustable

weight driver on the market,” said Tom Olsavsky, vice president of

R&D. “The new FlipZone provides golfers with two different flight

paths in one head - allowing golfers to play what is best for their

game. The result is one unique, performance and technology driven

golf club that is truly game changing.” It’s sort of like having one

driver with two heads!

Players have the ability with the new Fly-Z+ driver to move the

centre-of-gravity to the front or back position depending on their

swing. The FlipZone technology holds the key to promote faster

ball speeds, lower spin and optimal launch angles.

The FlipZone features a 15-gram weight that can be set to-

ward the front or back of the head located low on the sole of the

driver. Performance differs in the two weight settings, according

to COBRA Golf, allowing golfers to adjust to what is the longest

and straightest for them.

The Fly-Z+ driver also features COBRA’s new Speed Channel

Technology, which is an engineered trench around the perimeter

of the face that works to minimize thickness, resulting in increased

ball speeds across the face for incredible distance and more

forgiveness.

Besides the Fly-Z+, COBRA also has the Fly-Z Driver, which

is minus the FlipZone moveable weight system. The Fly-Z has a

low, back CG Zone Weighting, which delivers low spin, mid-high

launch and fast ball speeds across the face. “The Fly-Z Driver is

positioned as one of the most forgiving drivers currently in the


62 63 ASIAN GOLF


Players have the ability with the new Fly-Z+ driver to move the centre-of-gravity to the front or back position

depending on their swing. The FlipZone technology holds the key to promote faster ball speeds, lower spin and optimal launch angles.marketplace, yet it doesn’t sacrifice distance,” said Olsavsky. “The

460cc Driver offers a slightly larger address profile that enabled our

engineers to create the most forgiving driver that COBRA Golf has

ever made.”

The Fly-Z incorporates MyFly8 technology that allows golfers to

choose from eight simple adjustable loft/trajectory settings (9.0*-

12.0*) with SmartPad that delivers a square face at address regard-

less of loft setting.

And bringing up the rear of the new product launch is the Fly-Z

XL. This is for seniors, women and new golfers since it has a slightly

lower profile face combined with an offset hosel. It is engineered

to help through a higher draw-biased ball flights, according to the

company.

Along with the new drivers, COBRA has also a new family of

Fly-Z fairway woods and hybrids which feature the all-new Speed

Channel technology. Speed Channel, is an engineered trench

surrounding the face that helps to minimize face thickness and

provide increased ball speeds across the face that result in incred-

ible distance.

“Performance advancements in our fairways and hybrids also

come with Zone Weighting which delivered improved CG position-

ing both low and centered behind the center of the face area,” said

Jose Miraflor, director of product marketin. ”While these internal

technologies are not visible to the golfer, performance gains can be

easily noticed and easily attributed to the Speed Channel face.”

The metalwoods include the Fly-Z+ Fairway Woods, the Fly-Z

Fairways and Hybrids, Fly-Z XL fairways and hybrids.

Well, COBRA Golf you’ve given the golf world PERFORMANCE

FOR ALL LEVELS! As Philion told Asian Golf earlier this year, “We are

about having more fun and becoming more inclusive and this is

where golf is heading, and we feel like we’re perfectly positioned.”

The flood-gate to fun in golf is open – COBRA Golf, you rock!

EQUIPMENT FOCUS Wilson FG Tour V4

There is no better validation for a set of new golf clubs than being battle-tested in a major tournament. Wilson Golf did just that by putting its brand new FG Tour V4 irons out on tour and the irons have since recorded three wins.

64 65 ASIAN GOLF

UIPMENT FOCUS Wilson FG Tour V4

Wilson’s latest sign-on, Marcel Siem of

Germany, pulled off a stunning win in

a play-off at the BMW Masters on the

European Tour. The FG Tour V4s were

rigorously tested and are currently played

by Wilson’s Advisory Staff members, including PGA Tour profes-

sionals Kevin Streelman, Ricky Barnes and three-time major

winner Padraig Harrington. The V4s technological advance-

ments are designed to enhance the Feel player’s game, and

build off of the FG Tour V2 irons, which led Streelman to two

PGA Tour victories.

“It was important for the new FG Tour V4 irons to maintain

certain visual cues and specifications that our tour staff expects,

which based on their immediate positive feedback, we succeeded

in,” explained Global Director of Innovation, Michael Vrska. “Our

main goal however was to continue to innovate and improve

upon our great forged iron heritage, especially as it relates to

playability, versatility and optimal ball flight.”

The 18-gram tungsten sole weight featured in the 3- through

7-irons lowers the centre of gravity and increases launch angle

without increasing spin. This produces a higher peak height on long

and mid-iron shots, and thus a steeper angle of descent for holding

greens and attacking tough pins.

In addition, Wilson is also offering a of the FG Tour V4 utility iron.

Developed as a versatile alternative to hybrids and long irons for

tour staff members, the FG Tour V4 utilities are forged for precision,

performance and playability from the tee. What began as a tour-

specific project became a reliable option for all elite Feel players.

“The FG Tour V4 utility addresses the needs of our tour staff

in tougher wind and turf conditions,” commented Jon Pergande,

Global Manager of Hybrids and Irons. “It’s an extension of the FG

Tour line, helping to hit long shots into greens and to control ball

flight in the wind.”


Our main goal however was to continue to innovate and improve upon our great forged

iron heritage, especially as it relates to playability, versatility and optimal ball flight.”

The extremely thin, responsive face is made from Carpenter

Custom 455 maraging stainless steel – the strongest and most

premium available – which creates a high CT for improved

ball speeds and distance. This material freed up weight

so that mass could be moved low and to the toe for an

optimized center of gravity.

The FG Tour V4 utilities undertake similar

cosmetics as the new FG Tour V4 irons, but feature

a 7-gram adjustable weight positioned in the

centre of the sole, helping Feel players to fine-

tune ball flight through custom fitting. A 9-gram

tungsten weight placed in the toe eliminates

any draw bias in the head and provides the ideal

centre of gravity.

GAME IMPROVEMENT Black Hat Golf Tips

66 67 ASIAN GOLF

After many of my opening

workshops inside a classroom,

the teachings become crystal

clear when I bring the stu-

dents to the putting green and

explain to them the Swinging Motion.

Again, when golf clubs are bought, they

do not come with directions on how to use

them. Unfortunately, golfers who do not have

good mentors or coaches will eventually be-

gin a journey to learning how to use the club

that would include so many trial and errors.

In my workshops, the idea of Swinging is

demonstrated with a putter. It’s so simple to

change clubs using the same concept once

the golfer understands the idea of swing-

ing. And swinging a putter is a good way

to get the concept solid in your mind. The

common notion is to use the putter to hit,

poke, push, tap or strike the ball. Tour play-

ers, when putting well, will almost always see

them using the putter in a swinging motion.

Let’s take a closer look at the Swinging

Motion since the shaft of the putter is on an

incline (as opposed to vertical). Students can

observe that the club is swinging like a pen-

dulum but the swing is on an incline. Using

the putter bar, you’ll see me swinging the club

allowing the shaft of the club along the bar to

Lawyers have to pass the “bar” examination. Now, here’s the ‘bar’ exams I want you to pass and understand!


Born and brought up in the United States, Tony Meechai won his first golf tournament at the age of nine. He began working in the golf

industry when aged 15 and competed in various Mini Tour and PGA Tour qualifiers after turning professional in 1994. Armed with a Bachelor’s

degree in Business Administration from New Mexico State University and a degree in Marketing and Professional Golf Management, he has

made a name for himself in Asia over the past decade, during which time he has served as Director of Instruction at Thailand’s Heartland Golf

Schools and Springfield Royal Country Club as well as presenting tips on numerous region-wide golf television shows. Recently, he founded the

Tony Meechai Golf Academy that combines a curriculum including academics and golf education for aspiring Tour professionals. Programmes

are in conjunction with international institutions throughout the world. For further information, please visit www.tmggolfeducation.com

ABOUT TONY MEECHAI

www.tonymeechaigolf.com

It is common for players to be confused by the idea of ‘straight back, straight through.’ This idea is both correct and incorrect

depending on the point of reference. If they refer to the putter head and think it should remain square to the target line on the backswing and forward swing, their putting will be very problematic.”

travels outside the target line on the back-

swing and outside the target line on the

forward swing. (see picture).

You can see with the putter bar that

the putter face does NOT remain square to

the target line. However, the shaft does go

straight back and straight through. In the

photo, you can observe the shaft is resting

on the straight bar of the putter bar. That

bar is parallel to the target line. Since the

shaft is resting on the straight bar of the

putter bar. That bar is parallel to the target

line. Since the shaft rides along that rail, the

shaft is tracking the target line (if the putter

is not centre shafted, the shaft will track a

line parallel to the target line) and will move

“straight back and straight through.” The

face of the golf club has no relationship to

the target line other than at the address po-

sition. However, the club shaft does have a

relationship to the target line. The shaft tracks

the target line.

Swinging Motion DrillA simple but persuasive way to resolve confu-

sion about “straight-back straight-through” is

to use the following drill:

Take your address position for putting.

Slide the club from the hands and place your

hands in a praying position. Note that the palms

of your hands are perpendicular to the target line.

Leaving the left hand’s palm in place along

the centre-line, make a two-foot backswing

with the right hand and then a forward swing

returning the right hand flush with the left.

Repeat the motion and notice the fluidity,

simplicity and repeatability.

Remember to always create a swinging

motion with all your clubs and you’ll become a

more consistent player in no time! Trust me!

maintain the position. As I swing the shaft of

the club slides along the putting bar. This is

the correct Swinging Motion. The entire club

is swinging towards the target.

Despite the angle of the swing’s plane

(the longer the club the more acute the

angle), the swinging motion is circular and

still returns the club momentarily to a posi-

tion where both the shaft and the clubface

are square to the target line. From that

position, the ball always goes straight.

It is common for players to be con-

fused by the idea of “straight back, straight

through.” This idea is both correct and

incorrect depending on the point of refer-

ence. If they refer to the putter head and

think it should remain square to the target

line on the backswing and forward swing,

their putting will be very problematic. In

most cases, this idea results in a swing that

GAME IMPROVEMENT Pro Tour Golf College

68 69 ASIAN GOLF

You dream of winning big profes-

sional tournaments, you want

to earn lots of money, and you

want to walk the beautiful green

fairways of Augusta National

and many of the other famous golf courses

where major golf championships are played.

You possibly also want to win a major or

two.

Does that sound much like you?

Do you have a big and bold vision of what

you want to achieve in golf that is similar to

the one I’ve just described?

Are you a golfer who is deadly serious

about becoming a top ranked professional

golfer sometime in your future?

We hope that you do.

In this article we want to help you to

develop your vision of what you need to do to

HOW TO BECOME A WORLD CLASS GOLFER:

VISION STATEMENTImagine that you decided to become a great golfer—a world class golfer. You love playing golf so much that you want to make it your career choice, and you desperately want to be successful playing it.

develop your game to a world class standard,

and over the following weeks we will help

you to build your golf success bridge from

where you are to where you want to take

your game to.

All Success Begins with a Bold IdeaWhat do you want from playing the game of

golf? The definition of an idea is “a thought or

suggestion as a possible path to action.”

I’m sure you would agree that everything

“man-made” began with an idea first?

Everything you can see around you was

devised by a man or a woman (or a group of

men and women) who thought their idea was

good enough to put into action, and eventu-

ally through a lot of effort it became a reality.

This is a simple statement of fact, ideas

need action to exist. As such there are just

two main types of ideas.

1. Ideas that stay in your head.

2. Ideas that become a reality because you act

on them.

There are lots of ideas that you have had

that remain as ideas, and there are many

ideas that you have had that you turned into

reality.

REALITY

Ideas into Action

Here’s a simple way to think about it.

Much of your life is a product of your ideas

that became reality. Learning to drive a car

started with the idea that you wanted to drive

a car, which led to driving lessons, then passing

a driving test, and eventually earning a driver’s

license to legally drive a car on the road.

Learning to play golf started with the idea

that playing golf was something worthwhile

doing. The idea led you to go to a golf course

(or driving range) to try it out.

You either took some lessons formally,

with an instructor, or informally, by reading a

book, or possibly watching a DVD.

Or maybe a family member gave you some

tips to start you off.

Either way what started out as an idea

became a reality.

to make progress in their game is that very

often their vision is anything but clear.

In fact, in most cases it isn’t written down

anywhere. You cannot achieve unprecedent-

ed golf success by just “winging it.”

Winging it can and does lead golfers to

try a bit of this, and try a bit of that. In other

words they approach golf improvement

as a fragmented and jumbled process that

guarantees one thing; they are likely to give

up well before they reach their vision.

Why?

If you have an impoverished vision of

what’s possible in your golfing future then

you are likely to find it difficult to bring it into

reality. You will get a reality, but it won’t be

the one you really want.

Why would any golfer have the motiva-

tion to work really hard on their game if they

don’t have an inspiring vision of what they

want to achieve from playing golf?

Think about it like this.

MOTIVATION = MOTIVE (VISION) X ACTION (EFFORT)

Therefore a fundamental requirement of

long-term golf success is consistent action

towards worthy goals. Research backs this up

by suggesting that persistence of effort and

grit is directly related to a golfer’s passion for

achieving their long-term goals.

We find that a lack of vision is probably the

biggest stumbling block to elite golf success.

In summary, the path to golf success

begins with a well thought out vision of what

you want to achieve from golf. The clearer you

can be about the level of success you wish to

achieve playing golf, the easier it will be to de-

velop a relevant and purposeful plan of action.

Go to work today on your golf success vi-

sion statement. Imagine what your life would

be like as a top 100 golfer and everything

associated with that vision.

Lawrie Montague and David Milne - Pro Tour Golf College

GAME IMPROVEMENT Pro Tour Golf College

70 71 ASIAN GOLF

The Golf Success Vision StatementNow there are ideas, and then there are big

and bold ideas that you can develop a golf

success vision statement around.

You see the effort that moves you

towards your vision should come after you

develop enough clarity around your vision.

And only a vision that is truly inspiring

can influence you to become motivated

enough to sustain the long-term effort

required to achieve your vision.

You must be truly inspired by a bold

vision of what you believe is possible so you

can develop the motivation you need to fuel

the daily physical effort required to make it

come true for you.

You cannot be vague and general about

your vision, you must be very specific about

it, so you will need to continually render

your vision with as much detail as you can

imagine.

The clearer you are about what you want

from the game of golf, the easier it will be to

build a plan for turning it into reality.

A golf success vision statement is a sim-

ple declaration about what you want your

golf game to look like in the future (usually

around 5 to 10 years but can be longer).

It is your long-term vision of where you

will take your golf game to. The following

questions will help you to start formulating

your own golf success vision statement.

1. Describe Your Core Ideology (The What)E.g. I want to become a top 100 golfer in the

world (we consider a golfer ranked inside

the top 100 as a world class golfer).

2. Describe Your Core Value/s Behind this Ideology (The Why)E.g. I want to become a world class golfer be-

cause I want to play on a major professional

golf tour where I can play for large purses

every week so I have more opportunity to

become a financially independent profession-

al golfer by the time I am 40. I want to earn

enough income from playing professional

golf to support my family and pro-

vide them with a better life...

3. Describe What Your Game Will Look Like 5 Years From Today (The When and Where)E.g. 5 years from today I will be

playing full time on the European

Tour and my world ranking will

be inside 300.

4. Describe What Your Game Will Look Like 10 Years from

Today (The When and Where)E.g. 10 years from today I will have won at

least 3 times on the European Tour and my

world ranking will be inside the top 100.

Never forget that everyone at the top of

world golf was once at the bottom. All world

class golfers started out as ordinary golfers

with a vision that they could be a lot more.

Developing your vision helps you to formulate

your plan for getting yourself from where you

are currently, to where you wish to go.

Rory McIlroy’s Grand VisionThink about it, how do you think Rory McIl-

roy developed into a great golfer? It wasn’t

just hard work was it?

He must have originally started with

a bold idea that he could become a great

golfer from Northern Ireland. He would

have thought about this idea everyday as

he went to work on it.

Because he was continually inspired by his

bold vision, he was motivated to apply him-

self diligently to it. The result of this constant

mental and physical attention to the vision

was that it moved him closer and closer to it.

WARNING: Where There is No Vision...Here’s the rub though, and it’s important.

The biggest challenge we continually

face working with elite golfers struggling

ASIAN GOLF – A PRODUCT OF DISRUPTIVE INNOVATIONPushing The Boundaries Of Change Beyond The Limit! A member of the Asia Pacific Golf Group

Print Digital On-line Apps Video Streaming Conferences Education

It’s quite an achievement to have

landed exclusive interviews with

the men and women who are at

the pinnacle of the golf industry

today.

The movers and shakers of golf

who have spoken to Asian Golf

include Callaway Golf’s CEO Chip

Brewer, PING’s Chairman, John

Solheim Sr.; Bob Philion, President

of Cobra Puma Golf; Cindy

Davis, President of Nike Golf; Bob

Bettinardi President of Bettinardi

Putters and Tim Clarke, President of

Wilson Golf.

Powerful men and women who

have shared with us their thoughts,

views and perspectives of the

state of golf today. These are the

people who are moulding the

future of golf and no one can read

the pulse of the industry better

than these industry captains.

Only Asian Golf has been able to

bring you this treat – yet another

measure of our standing in the

global golf industry.

Look Who Is Talking To Us!

Only The Captains Of The Golf Industry – That’s Who!

www.asiapacificgolfgroup.comNo Wonder Golf’s Industry Captains Talk To Us!

John SolheimBob Bettinardi

Tim Clarke

JANUARY

For all the latest news and views from the Asian golf scene, subscribe to Asian Golf – Asia’s most powerful golfing voice! www.asiapacificgolfgroup.com72 ASIAN GOLF

ASIAN GOLF ISSUE 172

2015 – Good For Golf Or More Blood-Letting?2014 was arguably a tough year for golf and it’s time to move on. Moving on, what is

in store for 2015? More of the same or are there some signs of hope and promise. It’s

really a mixed bag – there are some in the industry who reckon that 2015 is going to

be a great year while there are others who beg to differ. We will bring you a full as-

sessment of what is in store for the New Year!

The year is coming to an end and the management

and staff of the Asia Pacific Golf Group would

like to thank all our readers for their continued

support and to also wish everyone a productive

and successful 2015.

New From The TitleistAsian Golf will bring you all you need to know about the

new Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x which made an impressive

appearance at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

A Game-Changing Driver?KZG, a name synonymous with club-fitting

has just released a driver that is reported to be

a game-improvement club. We will bring you

the low-down on this new product that is said

to be put back the fun in golf.

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