ParGolf Magazine (July 2015)

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Contents july 2015 â—? www.pargolfmagazine.com

the open championship returns home

Features 22 The Open Championship

Home Again

28 Kyi Hla Han

My Open Memoirs

32 Charley Hull

A Proper Charley

36 Golf In Scotland

Scottish Swing

40 Jordan Spieth

Weapons Of Masters Destruction

52 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia

Version 6.0

72 Marrakech, Morocco

Allure Of The Red City

40 jordan spieth: in the bag

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Contents july 2015 ● www.pargolfmagazine.com

36 scottish swing

32 get to know charley hull

Instructions & Golf Tips 55 Health Chat With Dr Glenn Cameron Ageing & Flexibility

56 Golf Foreladies With Kuriko Tsukiyama

Line Your Putts Properly

58 Fit For Golf With Rick Currin Homework-Out

Events 85 Malaysian Amateur Open 86 MPI Saujana Amateur Championship 88 Malaysian Ladies Amateur Open

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Contents july 2015 ● www.pargolfmagazine.com

Columns 30 38 49 50 66

Reading The Lines Bunker Mentality Almost OB Nick's Knacks Asian Angles

Departments 14 16 18 20 42 51 62 68 78 79 80 80 81 82 84 89 94 98 100

Editorial Line-Up Freeze Frame First Tee In The Bag Essentials The Golf Scene Around Asia Pro News Young Guns Pot Shots Subscription Calendar Of Events Style Lounge Cars + Pars In The Spotlight Golf Course Directory Final Tee Great Golf Holes

72 fall under the spell of marrakech

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from the pargolf team Turn It Up, Turn It Loose Alrighty folks, you can all breathe a sigh of joyful relief – cos’ the wait is finally over.

Returning to St Andrews in Scotland, the Home of Golf, this month is the 144th edition of the esteemed Open Championship. The best of the best in world golf will make their way to the iconic Old Course to contend for the coveted Claret Jug in a transfixing war of the fairways.

Will reigning champion Rory McIlroy be dethroned as the King of the Open? Who will defy the odds and hoist the much sought-after Claret Jug? Well, back to make bold predictions is our European correspondent Mike Wilson; join him in ‘Home Again’ as he examines the field at this season’s British Open and lists his best

bets – preview on page 22.

A few pages in, Asian Tour front man Kyi Hla Han takes us on a walk down memory lane as he reminisces his Open odyssey more than a decade ago – look out for his ‘Open Memoirs’ on page 28.

Then, Mike returns with an insightful interview with England’s brightest young star in women’s golf – Charley Hull. Join him as he gets to know the 19-year-old golfing sensation from Kettering, England as she prepares to take on the world’s most extraordinary female golfers in the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Trump Turnberry’s famous Ailsa course – story on page 32.

Equipment junkies, listen up. We’ve got the deets on Masters champ Jordan Spieth’s

bag of ’golf weaponry’. Check out the young Texan’s tools of a champion on page 40.

Then much later, it’s time to buckle up cos’ we’re taking you on an exhilarating ride to a land far, far away that’s not only a treat for the senses but also a golf destination like no other. Discover the charm and mystique of Marrakech as we journey to the exotic North African country of Morocco, which borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea – catch the ‘Allure of the Red City’ on page 72.

Plus a whole lot more in this issue, so y’all better get to it!

Here’s wishing all our Muslim readers ‘Selamat Hari Raya’. Happy Golfing!

Facts & Stats

Open Championship Multiple Winners Harry Vardon (ENG) 6 (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914) James Braid (SCO) 5 (1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910) John Henry Taylor (ENG) 5 (1894, 1895, 1900, 1909, 1913) Peter Thomson (AUS) 5 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1965) Tom Watson (USA) 5 (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983) Tom Morris Sr (SCO) 4 (1861, 1862, 1864, 1867) Tom Morris Jr (SCO) 4 (1868, 1869, 1870, 1872) Willie Park Sr (SCO) 4 (1860, 1863, 1866, 1875) Walter Hagen (USA) 4 (1922, 1924, 1928, 1929)

Bobby Locke (RSA) 4 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1957) Jamie Anderson (SCO) 3 (1877, 1878, 1879) Bob Ferguson (SCO) 3 (1880, 1881, 1882) Bobby Jones (a) (USA) 3 (1926, 1927, 1930) Henry Cotton (ENG) 3 (1934, 1937, 1948) Gary Player (RSA) 3 (1959, 1968, 1974) Jack Nicklaus (USA) 3 (1966, 1970, 1978) Seve Ballesteros (ESP) 3 (1979, 1984, 1988) Nick Faldo (ENG) 3 (1987, 1990, 1992)

Tiger Woods (USA) 3 (2000, 2005, 2006) Bob Martin (SCO) 2 (1876, 1885) Willie Park, Jr (SCO) 2 (1887, 1889) Harold Hilton (a) (ENG) 2 (1892, 1897) Arnold Palmer (USA) 2 (1961, 1962) Lee Trevino (USA) 2 (1971, 1972) Greg Norman (AUS) 2 (1986, 1993) Pádraig Harrington (IRL) 2 (2007, 2008) Ernie Els (RSA) 2 (2002, 2012)

Tom Watson

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freeze frame

Back on

TOP

In The Bag Driver Fairways Hybrids Irons Wedges Putter Ball

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XXIO 8 (8.5°) with Graphite Design Tour AD MJ-5 shaft (R-Flex) TaylorMade RBZ Tour #3 (14.5°), #5 (18°) TaylorMade SLDR #4 (22°), #5 (25°) XXIO Forged (#6-P) Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Black Pearl (46°, 50°, 58°) Odyssey White Ice Sabertooth Srixon Z-Star

©Scott Halleran/Getty Images

New York, June 14: Inbee Park celebrates her emphatic win in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her sixth Major title, which saw her regain the World No 1 ranking from Lydia Ko. The 26-year-old South Korean was in imperious form en route to her third straight win in the event, carding rounds of 71, 68, 66 and 68 to finish on 19-underpar at the par 73 Westchester Country Club course – five shots ahead of runnerup Kim Sei Young. Park is also now the most decorated South Korean in terms of Majors, surpassing the legendary Pak Se Ri who won five from 1998 to 2005.

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first tee

Australian rookie Minjee Lee served notice that she is at the crest of the new wave of talented teens on the LPGA Tour with a come-from-behind victory in the Kingsmill Championship.

Following a weather delay on Sunday, the 18-yearold made five birdies and an eagle to take a four-shot lead before darkness halted play with her ball on the fringe of the 16th green. Lee survived a three-putt bogey from there the next morning to par her way home for a closing 65 and a two-shot win over Korea’s So Yeon Ryu. “Definitely this gives me confidence that I can play out here and win. Hopefully I can get a couple more wins,” said Lee, who turned professional last September after spending seven months as the top-ranked lady amateur in the world.

“I’ve had a pretty good start to the season but I didn’t really see this coming – I was actually trying to get “Definitely ready to play the US Open this gives me qualifier but I don’t have to confidence that I anymore,” added the Perth native. can play out here Lee became the third and win. Hopefully rookie to win on tour this I can get a couple season, joining Koreans more wins.”

Kim Sei Young and Kim Minjee Lee Hyo Joo.

©Hunter Martin/Getty Images

Aussie on the rise

Vintage Singaporean second in seven months.

Mardan won the event with an impressive 14-under-par total at Kurmitola Golf Club in Dhaka, two shots clear of Khalin Joshi of India and Soomin Lee of Korea – both less than half his age at 23 and 21 respectively.

©Asian Tour

Mardan Mamat may be 47 but he is enjoying another purple patch in what is already an impressive career. The Singaporean veteran claimed his fifth Asian Tour title at the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open in May, which was his third victory in his forties and

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“This win is extra special because Singapore celebrates 50 years (of independence) this year and I hope it will inspire the youngsters in Singapore,” he said.

And if you notice Mardan talking to himself on the course, don’t worry – he’s not going crazy but is motivating himself. “I talk a lot to myself to motivate myself to play well,” he revealed.

Mardan’s recent success is ironic as he had contemplated quitting the game last season. He decided to continue after getting an earful from wife Naz and that paid off in an emotional victory at the Resorts World Manila Masters last November.

“I’ve proven myself wrong for wanting to quit before my win in the Philippines. I have to credit my wife who told me that I love this game so much that I mustn’t walk away from it.

She always inspires me and feeds me with positive thoughts,” noted Mardan, adding that he will continue competing in Asia and then attempt to get on the Champions Tour when he turns 50.

ParGolf july 2015

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©Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

“I have never been as nervous as this in the other tournaments I have won.”

Soren Kjeldsen

©USGA ©USGA

You wouldn’t think that a final round 76 would be good enough to win a European Tour event – but that’s exactly what Soren Kjeldsen did in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open to end a six-year title drought.

The 40-year-old Dane went into the final round with a two-shot lead and wound up in a three-way playoff with Bernd Wiesberger and Eddie Pepperell in windy conditions at Royal Country Down. Kjeldsen kept his cool and birdied the first extra hole to claim his fourth European Tour title and first since the 2009 Open de Andalucía de Golf.

“Three weeks ago I was 112th in the Order of Merit and my game was not in good shape,” Kjeldsen said.

“With turning 40 (a fortnight ago) you wonder, was that it? Now I am standing here and it’s pretty remarkable really.

I have never been as nervous as this in the other tournaments I have won,” he added.

Kjeldsen became the third Dane to win the event, joining Soren Hansen (2002) and Thomas Bjorn (2006); this is the first time three different Danish players have won the same European Tour event.

©USGA

Long wait ends for cool Dane

The famous 'White Fang' putter

USGA Museum opens Jack Nicklaus Room Visitors to the United States Golf Association Museum in Far Hills, New Jersey can now view artefacts from the legendary Jack Nicklaus in a special room that celebrates the life and career of the 18-time Major champion.

The Jack Nicklaus Room was officially opened in late May, joining galleries that honour Bob Jones, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Mickey Wright. The 1,200-square-foot exhibit space contains more than 80 artefacts, many on loan from the Jack Nicklaus Museum in Columbus, Ohio.

“The USGA has had a great influence on my career, and helped shape my love of the game and for competition since I first picked up a club at age 10,” said Nicklaus. “For them to recognise my career and life with this addition to the USGA Museum is humbling and meaningful to me and my family.

“I hope this room provides guests the opportunity to share some of the cherished memories I have, but more important, I hope parts of it can help educate a new generation of golfers and golf fans about our collective work to grow this great game,” he added.

Among the notable items on display are the MacGregor Tommy Armour 3-wood used by Nicklaus in all his Major wins as well as both US Amateur victories, and the ‘White Fang’ Acushnet Bull’s Eye Putter he switched to with great effect before the 1967 US Open.

Rory McIlroy’s seven-shot win in the Wells Fargo Championship was his 11th on the PGA Tour, surpassing Gary Player as the nonAmerican with most PGA Tour wins before their 30th birthday.

Player had 10 while Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Seve Ballesteros each won seven before turning 30.

McIlroy’s 21-under-par total at Quail Hollow included a stunning third round 61, thanks to 11 birdies including nine in a 10-hole stretch.

He also won the event in 2010 for his first title on US soil.

©Jeff Gross/Getty Images

fast fact

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Home Again the open championship

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Presented By

As the Open Championship – or the British Open as those across the pond like to call it – returns for its five-yearly odyssey to St Andrews, Mike Wilson ponders the faves for the 144th edition of golf’s major Major

P

icking the winner of the 144th Open Championship (July 16-19), the 29th to be staged at St Andrews, is By mike wilson almost as unpredictable as the Scottish summer weather. On a golf course that has evolved over centuries rather than been created, with a few exceptions such as John Daly in 1995 and arguably Louis Oosthuizen last time it was a ‘home fixture’ for the R&A in 2010, the cream has invariably risen to the top.

In the modern post-war era, both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have won back-to-back Opens at St Andrews. Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, ‘Champagne’ Tony Lema, the late Kel Nagle, Bobby Locke and Peter Thomson all held the Claret Jug aloft on the Swilken Bridge against the backdrop of the brooding R&A Clubhouse.

All of which means there are scores of world-class golfers, amongst them Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Greg Norman, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Ben

Hogan, Sam Snead and five-time winner Thomas Sturges Watson, who may have experienced the joy of winning THE Open, some more than once, but never in the emotive cauldron that is the Old Course over four days in July.

Watson, who could and arguably should have written the sporting story of all time when needing a simple par on the last at Turnberry to lift a sixth Claret Jug at the age of 59 in 2009, was in St Andrews last month to be reunited with his five trophies and open a special exhibition at the British Golf Museum, a pitching wedge behind R&A HQ. Watson came close at St Andrews just once, tied-second, two shots behind Seve, but speaking in the R&A Clubhouse surrounded by his quintuple clutch of Claret Jugs – not to mention a record number of women – Watson, now 65 and with a special exemption to play the Open at the Old Course one more time, asked himself rhetorically: “Not winning the Open at St Andrews,

was that a big disappointment? No, I never really had the disappointment there.

"At the time it was disappointing, I was close, yeah, but it never lasted with me and I won my fair share of them, four of the five here in Scotland,” said Watson, still seemingly wearied and aged by his ignominious Ryder Cup captaincy capitulation a few miles and months away at Gleneagles last September.

Sport in general – witness the interminable valedictory appearances of jockey AP McCoy and Liverpool star Steven Gerrard of late – and golf in particular, egged on by an avaricious media, does enjoy emotional schmaltz like no other walk of life.

The ‘traditional’ (dating all the way back to 2005) Champion’s Challenge and the decision to stage the 2015 induction ceremony for the Hall of Fame could be likened to having One Direction perform the State Opening of Parliament or the Queen Trooping the

©Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

©Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Battle of the Big Guns – Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy (R) continue their tussle for the title of world's best golfer

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the open championship

Colour on a Harley Davidson.

Nicklaus’s final farewell on the Swilken Bridge in 2005 left not a dry eye in the house, equalling if not overshadowing Tiger’s second successive course victory and Watson’s long goodbye as he said his farewell back in 2010. Deserved though it may be, it smacks of the marketing men at the R&A setting up a fairy-tale narrative to rival the lead story, 156 of the best golfers on earth playing 72 holes on the most famous golf course on the planet.

One can only hope, given that his five victories and that epic defeat of 2009 at Turnberry are patently behind him, and with his son Michael on the bag for this one last time, Tom bows out on the Friday, leaving the Sunday stage for the champion.

But, who could that be?

Defending champion McIlroy is the bookie’s favourite despite two recent missed cuts at high-profile European Tour events, the BMW PGA Championship and the DDF Irish Open at which he was the host.

But the ‘Boy Wonder’ has never won at St Andrews as a professional and is

said not to much like the course, as evidenced in his rollercoaster scores, 63 – nine-under – for his opening round in the 2010 Open, 80, 17 shots worse on day two. But he is the class act in the field and would like nothing better than to cement his legacy by lifting the Claret Jug at the Home of Golf.

With normal service resumed and half the top-10 on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) comprising Americans, it’s hard to make an argument for any of them given the eccentricities of the Old Course compared to the stereotypical tracks they play the rest of the year.

Rickie Fowler and Jim Furyk finished tied-second and fourth respectively behind McIlroy at Royal Liverpool last year, but Jordan Spieth – second behind the Irishman in the betting – probably poses a more compelling case for the Claret Jug making what used to be a routine journey across the pond.

But one discounts Mickelson, 2013 champion and just inside the top-20 of the OWGR, at one’s peril. Same goes for Tiger, twice Open champion at the

Home of Golf, although his recent 85 at the Memorial and an almost unbelievable OWGR ranking just inside the top-200 suggests a third Claret Jug for Tiger over the Old Course could be a step too far for a man seemingly as troubled on the course as off it, but, it would appear, in denial.

A ‘home’ victory – meaning a Brit as opposed to a Scot – rests primarily on the shoulders of McIlroy although, having cut his teeth on links golf in his native Northern Ireland, compatriot Graeme McDowell is surely due a serious and sustained run at the title.

Meanwhile, those serial underachievers – Justin Rose excepted – usual suspects Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald and Paul Casey no longer even have a high OWGR position to justify their claims for a maiden Major. Indeed, young guns Eddie Pepperell, Tommy Fleetwood and Danny Willett are more likely to signal a changing of the guard, but a victory is probably beyond them this year.

South African Oosthuizen returns to the scene of his runaway win in 2010, a

©Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Back to St Andrews – Louis Oosthuizen returns to the scene of his runaway victory in 2010

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Presented By

©Harry How/Getty Images

Great Japanese Hope – Hideki Matsuyama will spearhead the Asian challenge at St Andrews

Major win he has failed to capitalise on and repeat. His friend and compatriot Branden Grace is a decent outside bet to become the fifth South African after Bobby Locke, Player, Els and Oosthuizen to hold the Claret Jug. Especially so with Zack Rasego (who was on the Oosthuizen bag back in 2010), whose deep understanding of links golf helped Grace win the 2012 Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, back on the South African’s bag.

On paper, the challenge from continental Europe looks strong – but then this year’s Open Championship is played not on paper but over the idiosyncratic Old Course at St Andrews.

Spaniard Sergio García, so often the Open bridesmaid – eight top-10s in 17 appearances and runner-up last year – would be a popular winner but, going down the stretch in a tight final round, it’s hard to imagine the Spaniard, with so much baggage, holding his nerve.

García’s compatriot Miguel Angel Jiménez may not quite be in Tom Watson territory in terms of age, but the quixotic Spaniard has been defying the odds of late, is offbeat enough to offer a challenge, whilst Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer could – arguably should – go well, but most probably won’t.

The chances of seeing an Australian holding the Claret Jug aloft for the first time since Greg Norman in 1993, and at

St Andrews following a 60-year hiatus after the epic win there by the legendary Peter Thomson should – again on paper – be good.

But Jason Day (OWGR #10) has an abysmal Open Championship record, whilst Adam Scott (OWGR #12), runnerup, T3 and T5 in the past three years, could be perceived as resting on his laurels following his major Masters breakthrough in 2013.

Meanwhile, the chances of a firstever Asian win at world golf’s major Major have never looked better, although, in context, that’s not saying too much.

But Hideki Matsuyama, who was going so well at Muirfield in 2013 when cruelly – many would say ‘unfairly’ – penalised on the penultimate hole on Saturday, eventually finishing T6, has both the game and the character to stand up to an Open Championship challenge.

And Thongchai Jaidee, like Jiménez, just gets better with age; at 45, Thongchai has transformed himself into a global golfer, as capable of winning in Europe as in Asia. He is in uncharted territory on the Race to Dubai (#6) and the OWGR (#32) and, despite a patchy record in the Open Championship has the mental and physical toughness to compete come Sunday afternoon if in contention.

McIlroy, Spieth, McDowell, Grace and Matsuyama, possibly – but not definitively – in that order would be this correspondent’s five-man-forecast, but don’t bet on it.

St Andrews Open Trivia • When Tom Kidd won the first Open at St Andrews in 1873, he shot rounds of 91 and 88 in the 36-hole event to win £11.

• Jack Nicklaus completed the career slam for the third time when he won the 1978 Open Championship at St Andrews.

• Tiger Woods famously avoided all of the bunkers on the Old Course en route to his record-breaking win in the 2000 Open, finishing on 19-under-par to beat Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn by eight shots.

• Only four men have won successive Opens at St Andrews – JH Taylor (1895, 1900), James Braid (1905, 1910),

Jack Nicklaus (1970, 1978) and Tiger Woods (2000, 2005).

©Andrew Redington/Getty Images

• During World War II, the Royal Air Force used the fairways of the Old Course as runways. The Open Championship was not played from 1940 to 1946.

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the open championship

Meanwhile, let’s hope the St Andrews weather is variable, the wind blows, the golf scintillating and sparkling, the head-to-head duels combative and cutthroat, overshadowing the schmaltzy sideshows that are Uncle Tom’s latest long goodbye, the pre-tournament Champions Challenge and the 2015

St Andrews Open Champions

Hall of Fame ceremony.

The Open Championship does not need, nor deserve to be adorned by baubles, bells and whistles. What next – first tee pyrotechnics, cheerleaders down the Road Hole, 18th green vertical flamethrowers and R&A boss Peter Dawson parachuting in with the Claret Jug? PG

Thongchai aims for Major glory at St Andrews

©Steve Powell/Getty Images

Thai legend Thongchai Jaidee hopes to write his own chapter in golf’s history books when he returns to the Home of Golf in St Andrews for the Open Championship.

As one of the most decorated players on the Asian Tour with three Order of Merit titles and 13 victories, the 45-year-old believes he can make an impact at the world’s oldest Major this July 16-19.

The Open Championship has been staged 28 times at the Old Course, providing the following winners:

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Tom Kidd (SCO)

1876

Bob Martin (SCO)

1879

Jamie Anderson (SCO)

1882

Bob Ferguson (SCO)

1885

Bob Martin (SCO)

1888

Jack Burns (SCO)

1891

Hugh Kirkaldy (SCO)

1895

JH Taylor (ENG)

1900

JH Taylor (ENG)

1905

James Braid (SCO)

1910

James Braid (SCO)

1921

Jock Hutchison (USA)

1927

Bobby Jones (A) (USA)

1933

Denny Shute (USA)

1939

Dick Burton (ENG)

1946

Sam Snead (USA)

1955

Peter Thomson (AUS)

1957

Bobby Locke (RSA)

1960

Kel Nagle (AUS)

1964

Tony Lema (USA)

1970

Jack Nicklaus (USA)

1978

Jack Nicklaus (USA)

1984

Seve Ballesteros (ESP)

1990

Nick Faldo (ENG)

1995

John Daly (USA)

2000

Tiger Woods (USA)

2005

Tiger Woods (USA)

2010

Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)

Thongchai’s last visit to St Andrews in 2010 ended with him missing the weekend cut. But much has changed since with the Thai continuing to make his impact on the global stage with two victories in Europe – Wales (2012) and Sweden (2014).

Thongchai will also be heading to St Andrews with a rich vein of form having enjoyed two runner-up finishes in Thailand and England this season already.

“I’m having a great year even though I haven’t won yet. But two runner-up finishes are just as great. I would like to keep that momentum going and see how far it will take me,” he said.

Thongchai believes his vast experience of playing under various conditions globally will put him in good stead for his Major campaign.

“I’ve been playing in Europe for a long time already and so the course and playing style wouldn’t be much of a concern,” said Thongchai.

But what will be vital for the veteran will be his approach to battling the gusty conditions expected to blow many off course.

©Warren Little/Getty Images

1873

“The Open is a very unique golf event because of its long history of golf.

Many legends were born here and no words can describe how excited I am to be heading back to St Andrews,” said Thongchai.

“Shot selection will be key as you got to make the right decision on what clubs to use. You've got to hit the ball low and adapt accordingly to the surface type,” said Thongchai.

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Presented By

Five Decisive Old Course Features Unusual, quirky, idiosyncratic and just downright eccentric are just some of the sobriquets that could be applied to the Old Course. Having been laid out – as opposed to designed and sculpted as is the modern way – by Old Tom Morris in Victorian times, it is the natural features that pose the dangers to those seeking Open Championship glory at St Andrews this month.

1

Hell Bunker There are 112 bunkers on the Old Course at St Andrews, many with mystifying monikers such as ‘Principal’s Nose’ and ‘Beardies’ or terrifying titles, such as ‘The Coffins’ and ‘Hell Bunker’.

In 1995, Jack Nicklaus all but blew his chances with an opening round 78 taking four shots to get out of Hell Bunker, lurking ominously on the 14th hole.

©David Cannon/Getty Images

“I guess that's why they call it Hell,” quipped the Golden Bear.

2

Costantino Rocca in the Valley of Sin during the 1995 Open

Double Greens ©Stephen Munday/Getty Images

Unique to the Old Course are the 11 double greens; indeed only four holes – 1, 9, 17 and 18 – have their own green, the rest sharing vast tracts of putting surface. The one shared by the 5th and 13th measures a fraction under 40,000 square feet, almost an acre in total – the largest green in world golf.

Hitting the greens in regulation at the Open Championship at St Andrews may be one thing, getting close to the correct pin another altogether. Hard, fast and true, players can easily end up with 75-yard putts, the strange configuration also upsetting the normal pace and rhythm of play.

3

The Swilken Burn

The iconic Swilken Bridge spanning the Swilken Burn on the last hole of the Old Course may be a favourite for photographs, but the innocent-looking stream that saunters leisurely across the 18th and first fairways is a place to avoid at all costs.

Off the first tee, with the pressure on, the Burn, as it makes its way out into St Andrews Bay, snakes back on itself creating a semi-circle-shaped watery grave into which it is not advisable to venture.

4

Road Hole Bunker

Lurking to the left of the 17th green on the penultimate hole of the Old Course lies the infamous Road Hole Bunker; deep and steep with its riveted face rising vertically to the same height as Rory McIlroy. This notorious sand trap has been widened by all of 500mm for this year’s Open, a devious ploy by the R&A to entrap even more golfers into this cavernous golfing grave.

Few will forget the misery of Japan's Tommy Nakajima as he took five attempts to extricate his ball at the 1978 Open Championship; 22 years later, US star David Duval got off relatively lightly, taking ‘just’ four to escape the most feared bunker in world golf and his chances were blown.

5

The Valley of Sin

Sheltering at the front and left of the 18th green, the Valley of Sin is the final hurdle to be overcome on the Old Course, a deeply undulating swale that messes with the minds of the best in the world.

To putt, or to pitch, that is the question and with the tricky terrain on the 18th green; older readers will remember Doug Sanders missing a three-foot putt to win the Open Championship in 1970.

In the 1995 Open, Italian star Costantino Rocca initially opted to pitch out of the Valley on the 72nd hole. He fluffed it, his ball rolling back down to his feet, but then holed a 70-foot putt to force American John Daly into a play-off – which the Italian lost.

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©Asian Tour

My Open kyi hla han

Memoirs With the world’s oldest Major heading back to the birthplace of golf in St Andrews this month, all eyes will be on the elite field at the 144th edition of The Open Championship.

Asian Tour chairman Kyi Hla Han shares his experience of featuring in The Open at St Andrews in 2000, the year after he won the Order of Merit title in Asia 28

T

he Open Championship is rich in history and for me to play at St Andrews 15 years ago was a great honour.

I was exempted into the tournament after winning the 1999 Order of Merit in Asia which was also a career highlight.

The Old Course is pretty straightforward and I remember we had fantastic weather throughout the week, considering the Scottish weather. It was a very sunny and warm week.

Tiger Woods ran away with the Claret Jug that year and his strategy was basically to stay away from the notorious pot bunkers. I recall him teeing off with irons on almost every hole and he didn’t find a single bunker during those four rounds.

In my first round, I didn’t find any bunkers but the greens were not particularly kind to me. I three-putted on about four holes but during the opening day still managed to shoot oneunder, which was very encouraging.

Kyi Hla Han (R) playing a practice round at the 2000 Open with Seve Ballesteros and Vijay Singh

On the second day, I was still standing at one-under after eight holes.

I tried to take my chances by driving the greens on some of the shorter holes but I landed in the bunkers on eight and 10 and made a double and a triple bogey on those two holes.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience to be playing in a Major and especially so with the Open Championship being held that year in St Andrews.

That really destroyed my chances of playing well and I ended up missing the cut. But overall, it was a fantastic experience to be playing in a Major and especially so with the Open Championship being held that year at St Andrews.

I recalled playing alongside Jeff Sluman and Frederick Jacobson and I

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also enjoyed a fantastic practice round with Bernhard Langer. I was paired with him during the Malaysian Open a few months earlier and so it was nice to have a practice round with him.

Another good memory was that I also played a practice round with Vijay Singh and the late Seve Ballesteros.

Vijay and Seve are old friends of mine and we just got on together really well.

This year, we’ve got a good mix of Asian Tour players who are really strong and experienced at The Open.

Anirban Lahiri and Thongchai Jaidee are fine examples and all our players who are competing at The Open have enjoyed great performances over the past one year.

They have played their way into the Open Championship and are all playing extremely well right now.

Thongchai won his second title on European soil in Sweden last year while Anirban won twice in Malaysia and

©Paul Severn/ALLSPORT

Tiger Woods ran away with the Claret Jug that year and his strategy was basically to stay away from the notorious pot bunkers.

I recall him teeing off with irons on almost every hole and he didn’t find a single bunker during those four rounds.

India in February to break into the world’s top-50 which has been fantastic for him.

American David Lipsky, who won the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit last year, will be in the field at St Andrews and I expect to see him playing well there as he’s a solid player. His type of game suits St Andrews and I would not be surprised to see him and our other players performing well.

The main thing for them will be to map out the course and come out with a

clear strategy and one of it would be to stay away from the bunkers as they can be very penal and treacherous.

The weather could also play a big role in the tournament that week, so our guys must be prepared to play in all kinds of weather conditions.

I’m sure it’s going to be another nostalgic walk down memory lane when I return to St Andrews. Even though I’ll be attending as a tour official now, I’m sure it’s going to be a surreal feeling all over again! PG

©Stanley Chou/Getty Images

About The writer One of the icons of Asian professional golf, Kyi Hla Han joined the paid ranks in 1980 and quickly established himself as one of the region’s top professionals. He won his first professional title in the 1983 Malaysian PGA Championship and would go on to amass a total of 10 titles all over Asia.

In 1999, Kyi Hla won the prestigious Volvo China Open en route to claiming the Asian PGA Tour Order of Merit title. Following his retirement from competitive golf in 2004, Kyi Hla was appointed chairman of the player-led Asian Tour and continues to helm the region’s premier professional circuit.

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reading the lines jonathan ponniah Singapore Sling

28th SEA Games proves to be a good outing for Malaysia, though not in golf

called.

Sixty-two gold, 58 silver and 66 bronze medals in Singapore ranks as one of the best performances by Team Malaysia since the regional meet started out as the SEAP Games back in 1959 – exceeding, for once, official targets and public expectations. Indeed, it was the second best performance by our athletes in a SEA Games outside Malaysia next to the 68-gold haul in Korat, Thailand in 2007.

Unfortunately, golf did not contribute a single medal in Singapore. The Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) decided to send a young and inexperienced men’s team to take on the region’s best at Sentosa Golf Club, on the premise of gaining exposure for the players – with a view to securing gold on home soil when the 29th edition comes to Malaysia in two years' time.

Criticism has been plentiful. Should we have sent a more experienced team instead of using the event to ‘blood’ young players, so to speak? Or should the quest to win medals and add to the overall national tally be the primary objective? I for one believe that the latter should be the case for regional meets, especially multi-sports events such as the SEA Games. There are many other tournaments that can be used for development purposes.

Having said that, in the absence of Gavin Kyle Green – who ironically turned professional during the week of the SEA Games golf event – even if more experienced players such as Low Khai Jei and Ervin Chang had been sent to Singapore, there’s no guarantee that we would have come back with a medal. The strength of the other sides was a revelation, especially the dominant Thais, fast-improving Singaporeans and surprising Indonesians.

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©Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images

I

t was by no means a poor outing for Malaysia in the 28th South East Asia Games, or the SEA Games as it is affectionately

The selection of the women’s team was not as contentious and they actually did pretty well considering the depletion of golfing resources within the fairer sex, due to a spurt of recent ‘defections’ to the paid ranks. Led by 20-year-old ‘veteran’ Nur Durriyah, playing in her third SEA Games, the girls just missed out on a team bronze by one shot to the hosts.

In the meantime, the Thais continued to rule with a clean sweep of all four golds in golf. The rise of Thailand as a regional golfing force continues unabated with a conveyer belt of new talent each year, a top-down phenomenon inspired by the international success of the likes of Thongchai Jaidee, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Pornanong Phatlum. They’ll be hard to beat in two years’ time, even with home ground advantage, so the MGA really has its work cut out.

The last time Malaysia struck gold in the SEA Games golf event was on home soil in 2001, when the quartet of Shaaban Hussin, S. Sivachandhran, Airil Rizman and Mohd Sahal Saedin beat a strong Thai side 3-0 in the team matchplay final at Sungai Long.

Gold again in 2017? Unlikely, but stranger things have happened in golf. PG

Malaysia's last SEA Games golf gold in 2001

28th SEA Games Overall Medal Tally COUNTRY GOLD Thailand 95 Singapore 84 Vietnam 73 Malaysia 62 Indonesia 47 Philippines 29 Myanmar 12 Cambodia 1 Laos 0 Brunei 0 East Timor 0

SILVER 83 73 53 58 61 36 26 5 4 1 1

BRONZE 69 102 60 66 74 66 31 9 25 6 1

TOTAL 247 259 186 186 182 131 69 15 29 7 2

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©David Cannon/Getty Images

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A Proper Charley Hull

Charley

As the Ricoh Women’s British Open heads to Trump Turnberry at the end of this month, Mike Wilson talks to one of the young guns expected to take aim at the title – English starlet Charley Hull

F

or English golfing prodigy Charley Hull, it has all happened pretty quickly – her angle of ascent towards the upper echelons of the game as steep as any in recent years with the obvious exception of New Zealand wunderkind Lydia Ko. Born on the eve of Euro ‘96 in her native England, Hull enjoyed strong sporting genes and supportive – yet not pushy – parents.

“I first swung a golf club when I was around two or three because my dad played, so I just did it too, and I think I was nine years old when I thought I could make a career out of it,” recalls the poster girl of British ladies golf. ”Golf was just such a big part of my life and I couldn’t see myself being anything else.

“My mum used to play tennis and I hear that she was pretty good when she was younger and my dad is pretty decent at golf but was also really good at football – he actually had trials for Leicester City. My parents were very, very supportive, but never put any pressure on me,” adds the 19-year-old.

Aged nine, Charley was blown away – literally and figuratively – winning the national ladies age group championship at a windswept Turnberry to where she returns this month, a decade later in search of her first Ricoh Women’s British Open crown.

She went on to win a clutch of prestigious amateur events on both sides of the Atlantic, against girls far older than her, reaching No 3 in the

World Amateur Rankings.

Hull played in the winning GB&I Curtis Cup team as a 16-year-old, winning the 2013 Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year accolade as a 17-year-old after 10 runner-up finishes in her debut season, five-on-the-spin to get her career in the paid ranks off to a flying start.

By the age of 18, Charley was a Ladies European Tour winner, becoming the youngest ever member of the successful European Solheim Cup team where she took the scalp of Paula

Creamer, 5&4 in the singles.

So, has her meteoric rise taken her by surprise, exceeded her expectations?

“It’s hard to explain,” she reflects. “I kind of just went with the flow and ended up doing well pretty quickly, so just tried to continue doing what I was doing.

“I don’t think there is a secret to the success besides working hard, having fun and living your life, so I just try and enjoy it! Hopefully I can carry on that form this year.”

Ah, the joys and freedoms of youth.

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charley hull Confident, but without a hint of arrogance or self-absorption that can afflict those who get too much too soon, Hull’s philosophy is pretty simple, explaining: “I’m just a kid who goes out to play golf, then go to meet my friends afterwards, enjoy life.” She distils what she does and how she does it by saying: “Golf is my job and I’m pretty good at it.”

Hull is attached to the same Woburn Golf Club as one Ian James Poulter, of whom she says: “I have played quite a bit of golf with Ian and I really enjoy seeing how he plays the course. Ian is a really nice person and he’s always been great to me, he’s so determined and I love his mind-set.”

Hull’s own professional SWOT analysis goes: “My strengths were definitely my putting and chipping and my weaknesses were occasionally letting it go with my driver [but] this year my driver has been in good shape, so hopefully I can build on that.”

Interestingly, when asked to rank her first LET win – after a nerveless play-off in the 2014 Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco – and her Solheim Cup

success, Hull revealed that singleminded, ruthless streak required to make it to the top and stay there.

“I would actually say that claiming my first victory on the LET was the pinnacle of my career so far, because it felt so good to get my first win out of the way and because I had had quite a few second-place finishes,” she insists.

Largely eschewing the ‘Gym Bunny’ tendencies of the modern golfer – male and female – Hull is once again straightforward and comfortable in her own suntanned skin.

“I always see myself as being a golfer first because that is the sport I play” she says. “I have been doing a little bit of gym work recently but the strong points of my game aren’t based around my athletic ability or strength in the gym.

“In terms of preparation, I tend to focus more on eating healthily and stretching by doing yoga and now with my new trainer, I should be able to do this more effectively.

Charley isn’t one for getting too far ahead of herself either although there is

a clear, deep-rooted ambition in the philosophical teenager. “I obviously want to be the best in the game at some point and that has to be one of my longterm goals but I don’t tend to set myself goals and instead just try to take one shot at a time and if it comes, it comes,” she says.

But, at some stage, in order to fulfil her dreams, Hull will need to concentrate on the more prestigious and financially-rewarding LPGA Tour – or will she?

“The LPGA Tour is not essential for any talented golfer but it is extremely

FACT FILE

Name Charley Hull Height 5ft 6in Birthdate March 20, 1996 Birthplace Kettering, England Residence England Turned Pro January 1, 2013 Home Clubs Woburn Golf & Country Club,

Kettering Golf Club Family Father – David Hull / Mother –

Basienka Pernak / Sisters –

Lisa (35) and Nicole (28) Fave Movie Pirates of the Caribbean Fave Music Arctic Monkeys Fave Food Pizza Fave Drink Orange juice Dream Foursome Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros,

Chris Brown and herself Charley Hull is a Ricoh Ambassador

©David Cannon/Getty Images

“It would be a dream come true to win the Ricoh Women’s British Open especially at Turnberry because I played here 10 years ago as a nine-yearold and it brings back good memories.”

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competitive at the moment and it’s certainly somewhere that you need to be to get to the top of the game,” the feminist in her surfacing on the subject of the vast differential in prize money between the men’s and women’s game.

“It would of course be nice if the women’s game was on the same level as the men’s, like in tennis, but we need to continue to work hard as a tour and hopefully it will happen in the near future.”

Looking ahead to next year and the Rio Olympics, Hull is clearly not in the Adam Scott camp of recalcitrant Olympians

– she would just love to be there.

“It would be amazing, I’ve never been to Rio, so for starters, so that’s one good reason,” says the teenager.

“Obviously to represent my country in something as prestigious as the Olympics would be a great feeling.”

But her default position of refusing to get too far ahead of herself soon kicks in. “I’m not even thinking about winning a medal ... I just want to make sure I make the team first!”

As to the immediate priority, the job in hand, the Ricoh Women’s British Open, and, as the ‘poster girl’ for

both British golf and the title sponsor, Hull is unequivocal.

“It would be a dream come true to win the Ricoh Women’s British Open especially at Turnberry because I played here 10 years ago as a nineyear-old and it brings back good memories,” she recalls. “Ricoh have been a fantastic supporter for me and for women’s golf over the last couple of years too, so to win their event on home soil would be pretty special.

“I guess there is a bit of pressure on me, but I actually like the feeling of pressure.” PG

Women’s British Open Past Winners & Venues 2014 – Mo Martin (USA), Royal Birkdale 2013 – Stacy Lewis (USA), St Andrews 2012 – Jiyai Shin (KOR), Royal Liverpool 2011 – Yani Tseng (TWN), Carnoustie 2010 – Yani Tseng (TWN), Royal Birkdale 2009 – Catriona Matthew (SCO), Royal Lytham 2008 – Jiyai Shin (KOR), Sunningdale

2000 – Sophie Gustafson (SWE), Royal Birkdale

1987 – Alison Nicholas (ENG), St Mellion

1999 – Sherri Steinhauer (USA), Woburn

1985 – Betsy King (USA), Moor Park

1998 – Sherri Steinhauer (USA), Royal Lytham 1997 – Karrie Webb (AUS), Sunningdale 1996 – Emilee Klein (USA), Woburn

1986 – Laura Davies (ENG), Royal Birkdale 1984 – Ayako Akamoto (JPN), Woburn 1982 – Marta Figueras-Dotti (a) (ESP), Royal Birkdale

1995 – Karrie Webb (AUS), Woburn

1981 – Debbie Massey (USA), Northumberland

1994 – Liselotte Neumann (SWE), Woburn

1980 – Debbie Massey (USA), Wentworth

2006 – Sherri Steinhauer (USA), Royal Lytham

1993 – Karen Lunn (AUS), Woburn 1992 – Patty Sheehan (USA), Woburn

1979 – Alison Sheard (RSA), Southport & Ainsdale

2005 – Jeong Jang (KOR), Royal Birkdale

1991 – Penny Grice-Whittaker (ENG), Woburn

1977 – Vivien Saunders (ENG), Lindrick

2007 – Lorena Ochoa (MEX), St Andrews

2004 – Karen Stupples (ENG), Sunningdale 2003 – Annika Sorenstam (SWE), Royal Lytham 2002 – Karrie Webb (AUS), Turnberry 2001 – Pak Se Ri (KOR), Sunningdale

1990 – Helen Alfredsson Woburn (SWE), Woburn 1989 – Jane Geddes (USA), Ferndown 1988 – Corinne Dibnah (AUS), Lindrick

1978 – Janet Melville (a) (ENG), Foxhills 1976 – Jenny Lee Smith (a) (ENG), Fulford The 2015 Ricoh Women’s British Open takes place at Trump Turnberry on July 30- August 2 with a prize fund of U$3 million. www.ricohwomensbritishopen.com

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Golf In Scotland

Scottish Swing View of Royal Aberdeen Golf Club during the 2014 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open

Driven by Aberdeen Asset Management investments in the game, golf hits a high in bonnie Scotland this month with five events offering total prize money of more than US$19 million By mike wilson

T

hose who predicted a surfeit of the smelly stuff more associated with ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ for Scotland following last year’s Ryder Cup must be, if not eating humble pie, then at least a few of those prophetic words of doom.

This month alone not only sees the US$9 million Open Championship, admittedly a shoo-in for Scotland five out of nine years, but also the US$5 million Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, the richest tournament on European soil apart from the Open and the flagship BMW PGA Championship.

In addition, there’s the US$1.25 million Paul Lawrie Match Play which makes its debut at his home course near Aberdeen, the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open with a 100% increase in prize money up to £500,000, and ending with the US$3 million Ricoh Women’s British Open at Trump Turnberry. Five events in a month offering a cumulative US$19 million, not to mention the US$5 million Alfred Dunhill Links Championship occupying its usual berth in October.

Much of the credit for Europe’s 36

strongest portfolio of professional tournaments is down to a Scottish Government which sees the benefits accruing from and generated by the five events this month alone – 55% attributed to actual additional spend, 45% to the media value with live coverage on NBC in the US a significant bonus. Some estimates suggest a combined economic value to the Scottish economy in excess of US$100 million.

But the long-term investment of

Aberdeen Asset Management, the global fund managers with almost US$500 billion invested worldwide – over half in Asia – is also a cornerstone in the success story that is Scottish golf.

Directly, through title sponsorship of the country’s men’s and women’s open championships and indirectly with an ambassadorial stable of a dozen Scottish golfers – from established stars Paul Lawrie and Catriona Matthew to emerging talent such as Carly Booth and Aberdeen Asset Management has title-sponsored the Scottish Open since 2011

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Aberdeen Asset Management CEO Martin Gilbert (right) at the 2014 Ladies Scottish Open Pro-Am

David Law, and a significant investment in Scottish junior golf, the company’s annual spend on the royal and ancient game north of the border is thought to be approaching US$15 million.

The man at the helm is Malaysianborn Scot Martin Gilbert, the 59-year-old CEO of Aberdeen Asset Management and himself a low-handicap golfer “until work got in the way”. Gilbert combines a keen eye for business opportunity and an altruistic ambition “for the company to be a good corporate citizen.”

On the flagship Scottish Open, to be played this year at Gullane close to Muirfield – but rumoured to be heading to a long-term permanent home at the spectacular Trump International links near Aberdeen – Gilbert is proud of what has been achieved in just four years.

“When Barclays didn’t renew its sponsorship in 2011, it’s fair to say, following the global economic crisis, interest in the property wasn’t strong. So we looked at it, evaluated it and decided it was something we could assist with Gilbert with American star Rickie Fowler during a golf development event last year

and which could help us too in our global brand-building programme,” he explained.

“We didn’t want to overpay for it and we managed to tap into the powerful commitment to golf demonstrated by the Scottish Government, and a model public/private partnership was created where everybody, including the European Tour and Scottish golf – with the Ryder Cup on the horizon – gained, a classic ‘win-win’ relationship,” added Gilbert.

A shrewd yet down-to-earth business leader, Gilbert continues: “There are two key factors with the Scottish Open, first, the date, the week before the Open Championship with the world’s best players, including Rory [McIlroy], Phil [Mickelson] and Rickie Fowler, all keen to get some links golf under their belts.

“Secondly, we need to keep investing in the tournament, keep the prize money competitive, which we have managed to do with the on-going support of the Scottish Government. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, like her predecessor, is cognizant of the economic benefits and international image gains for Scotland arising out of a vibrant golf events portfolio.”

Two weeks hence, the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open takes place at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, with a number of the leading ladies including World No 1 Lydia Ko, two-time Major winner Suzann Pettersen and Scotland’s own Matthew throwing

down the gauntlet to the rest a week ahead of the Ricoh Women’s British Open at nearby Turnberry.

“The model and rationale remain the same,” explained Gilbert, “key strategic date and increased investment, so it makes for a fantastic month of golf in Scotland, for Scotland, in July.”

Generous through the 100% increase in prize money for the Ladies Scottish Open may be, the winner of the men’s event at Gullane will bank in more than the total prize fund for the ladies championship and that fact is not lost on the Aberdeen Asset Management CEO. “It’s fair to say we still have a long way to go with the women’s open, but we’ll take it a step at a time in closing the gap, long term like everything we do,” said Gilbert. “We are already investing significantly in ladies golf at the junior level and through our female ambassadors, but, yes, there remains a great deal of work to be done on this front.”

Explaining the rationale of Aberdeen’s root-and-branch support for Scottish golf, Gilbert stressed: “Golf is all about integrity, tough competition but with fair play, strength and stability, the game demonstrates good governance, all of which chime with the way we do business. It is an ideal vehicle to drive, develop and define our brand.”

Aberdeen’s other main sponsorship activity is the sport of sailing – it is title sponsor of the prestigious Cowes Week in the UK – and Gilbert has retained a foothold in the region of his birth, supporting the Singapore round and local team in the Extreme Sailing Series.

“Asia is huge for us,” he says. “We have over US$300 billion of funds under management in Asia and with the developing economies of the region, would expect that to continue to rise going forward.”

But, given the juxtaposition of golf in Malaysia, Gilbert’s country of origin, and Scotland, his adopted home, there will be those wishing he had stayed put in KL rather than chasing an ultimately successful dream 10,000km to the west. PG

Golf Events in Scotland for July 2015 Date Event Venue Prize money Jul 9-12 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open Gullane Golf Club US$5 million Jul 16-19 The Open Championship Old Course, St Andrews £5.4 million (approx. US$9 million) Jul 24-26 Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open Dundonald Links £500,000 (approx. US$800,000) Jul 30-Aug 2 Ricoh Women’s British Open Trump Turnberry Resort US$3 million Jul 30-Aug 2 Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play Murcar Links £1 million (approx. US$1.6 million)

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bunker mentality mike wilson

ParGolf’s European correspondent Mike Wilson vents his views in this ‘no-holds-barred’ column

Why Nine Is Fine

Initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic aim to arrest the decline in golf participation and a dearth of new recruits by promoting the nine-hole form of the game

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© Tyler Lecka/Getty Images

A

s he comes to the end of his two terms in office, US President Barack Obama is – or is reported to be – playing more golf than ever, perhaps preparing for life after the Oval Office.

But, with a few exceptions, he is one of the few doing so.

Playing golf in America is down almost 18% since 2006, the flood of youngsters into the game has become a trickle, almost 200 golf courses and clubs have closed in a decade, whilst in Scotland, the ‘Home of Golf’, the number of regular golfers has fallen below 200,000 for the first time since 1993.

It’s the same story in those traditional golfing heartlands such as Sweden and England, both down 25% in a decade. It’s a double-edged sword – first, existing aficionados playing less frequently, second, a nett loss with far fewer kids taking up the game to replace the older generation as they give up or die off.

Some countries, most notably France, Germany and China are bucking the trend and it is said that the game being in the Olympics next year will fire the silver bullet the sport requires.

Unlikely, at least in the short term, so what’s to be done?

Various weird and wacky schemes have been tried and failed, from doubling the size of the hole to make the game easier to play, to PowerPlay Golf which was launched in a blaze of publicity in 2011. The latter, which was played over nine holes with two cups on each green (easy and difficult), vanished after only a year.

But now, nine-hole golf in the US and Europe, if not in Asia, is gaining in popularity with half the time to play a round; some UK clubs experiencing increased participation as players – and families – are playing nine more than once a week, rather than 18 every fortnight.

This month, the United States Golf Association (USGA) is promoting its second successive ‘PLAY9 Day’, a million-

“Of paramount importance to the USGA is researching solutions and promoting initiatives to encourage participation while sustaining the health of golf for future generations.”

Mike Davis, executive director, United States Golf Association

dollar-plus multi-channel campaign aimed at younger audiences and families in an attempt to staunch playing and viewing losses in what appears to be the post-Tiger era.

“Of paramount importance to the USGA is researching solutions and promoting initiatives to encourage participation while sustaining the health of golf for future generations,” said USGA executive director Mike Davis.

“PLAY9 Day addresses the time barrier to the game that some face, affirming the merits of playing golf when time does not permit an 18-hole round.”

But the road to Hell is paved with good intentions and it will take more than a glitzy campaign and a designated day each year to reverse a decline that could threaten the very fabric of the game, professional and amateur as the baby boomers who so embraced golf reach the end of their playing days.

Meanwhile, in Europe, despite a surfeit of stars in the upper echelons in world golf and successful Ryder and

Solheim Cup campaigns, traditional golf markets are leeching regular club golfers and not replacing them with the so-called millennials.

Recent research from Syngenta, the golf course turfcare specialist, shows that 31% of golfers are leaving the game because it takes too long to play, and a nine-hole option would encourage them to play more often.

Golf Express is part of an England Golf project which is trialling innovative ways of increasing golf club membership and participation in the sport, critically recognising that most people’s leisure time is reducing and for many it can be as little as two hours a day.

England’s Justin Rose is helping promote Golf Express, describing it as “a great way to play all the game in half the time” but, again, it will take more than a celebrity endorsement to arrest the trend, let alone turn the tide.

So, the clear message is that to Play Nine is fine, help halt the decline. PG

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JUNE 8, 2015

LINGMERTH LEADS 4-WIN WEEKEND

LINGMERTH HAD 1 OF 3 VICTORIES WITH THE G30 DRIVER, GOLF’S #1-SELLING MODEL IN 2015* *GOLF DATATECH, LLC

putting keys victory

S55

G30

i25

Rhapsody

David Lingmerth broke through with his first PGA Tour win at the Memorial on Sunday, one of four victories on the weekend for PING pros. Mark Calcavecchia, Peter Fowler, and Shiho Oyama prevailed on the Champions, European Senior, and Japan LPGA tours, as well. The 27-year-old Lingmerth won with a par on the third sudden-death playoff hole, sinking a putt of just under 5 feet. For the week, the Swede was perfect – 51 of 51 – on putts inside of 5 feet with his Cadence TR Ketsch putter. He made 10 putts from outside 10

feet, five more than the field average. He also relied on a G30 driver, i25 irons, and Glide wedges. “Playoffs are exciting and my heart was beating but I think I handled it pretty well,” Lingmerth said. “I’ve been in a few playoffs. You win some, you lose some but I didn’t feel that it was my turn to lose this time.”

The victory earned him more than $1.1 million and comes with a three-year tour exemption. He also qualified for this year’s PGA Championship, two World Golf Championship events, and next year’s Masters.

PING DEMO/FITTING DAYS SCHEDULE FOR JULY 2015 JULY

Sole Distributor:

WINSTON’S SDN BHD (15202-W)

36, Jln Pemberita U1/49, Temasya Industrial Park, Seksyen U1, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Tel : 03-5569 2623 Fax : 03-5569 2639 Email : winstons@wingolf.com.my Available at leading golf shops, pro shops and department stores.

039•PING.custom.Jul15.indd 39

DAY VENUE

TIME

2/Jul/15 Thu

UPM Golf Club Driving Range 4.30pm to 7.30pm (Custom Fitting with latest nFLIGHT Fitting System)

7/Jul/15 Tue

Danau Golf Club Driving Range 5.00pm to 8.00pm (Custom Fitting with latest nFLIGHT Fitting System)

9/Jul/15 Thu

Klang Executive Club Driving Range 5.00pm to 8.00pm (Custom Fitting with latest nFLIGHT Fitting System)

28/Jul/15 Tue

Monterez Golf & Country Club Driving Range (Custom Fitting with latest nFLIGHT Fitting System)

5.00pm to 8.00pm

Thu 30/Jul/15

Extreme Park Golf Driving Range Kota Damansara (Custom Fitting with latest nFLIGHT Fitting System)

5.00pm to 8.00pm

JUL’15 DAILY Winston’s Sdn Bhd Showroom (Indoor) EXCEPT - Sat, Sun, (Custom Fitting with latest nFlight Fitting System) & Public Holiday (PLEASE CALL FOR APPOINTMENT)

10.00am to 5.00pm

6/25/15 11:18 AM

©Andy Lyons/Getty Images

jordan spieth

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In The Bag: Jordan Spieth

Weapons of

Masters Destruction So, what does it take to win the Masters wire-to-wire and in record-breaking fashion? (apart from oodles of talent of course) Here’s a look at the weaponry that Jordan Spieth used to decimate the opposition at Augusta National.

Loft: 9.5° Shaft: Aldila Rogue Black 60 TX Hailed as Titleist’s best-ever driver with a 460cc pear profile clubhead that provides confidence, distance and stability. Delivers a higher trajectory and more dynamic face closure compared to the 915D3.

Fairway

Titleist 915F Loft: 15° Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD

D17 X Designed for forgiveness, distance and great overall performance from the tee and off the turf. Larger profile provides confidence and a slightly higher flight compared to the 915Fd.

Hybrid

Titleist 915H.d Loft: 20.5° Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD

D195 X The slightly offset 915Hd profile delivers distance along with control and workability. Has a more compact head that generates a flatter trajectory and less spin compared to the 915H.

Irons

Titleist 714 AP2 Set Composition: 4-9 Shaft: True Temper Project X 6.0 Forged 1025C steel body with co-forged tungsten weights.

Progressive CG creates highlaunching long irons and flatter short irons. Long to mid irons have higher MOI for more consistent distance.

Wedges

Titleist Vokey Design SM5 Loft/Bounce: 46°/08°, 52°/08°, 56°/10°, 60°/04° Shaft: True Temper Project X 6.0 Proprietary Spin Milled technology provides superb short game control through deeper TX3 grooves. The wedges come in tour-driven shapes with the industry’s most extensive range of bounce and grind options.

Putter

Scotty Cameron 009 prototype Length: 35" (Cut) Lie: 71° Loft: 4° Small, compact head with a flat topline, rounded heel and distinctive toe weight bumpers.

Finished in Scotty Cameron’s glare-resistant 3X Black with a single sight line milled into the top.

©David Cannon/Getty Images

Driver

Titleist 915D2

Ball

Titleist Pro V1x Four-piece ball with a new thermoset urethane elastomer cover that delivers excellent short game spin and superb feel. Higher launch and lower long game spin than the Pro V1.

Shoes

Under Armour Limited-Edition Drive One ArmourVent and Outdry technologies help keep the shoe cool and dry. Cleat-inspired carbon heel counter improves stability, while Micro G foam cushion enhances comfort.

Fitted with Champ’s Zarma Tour spikes with SLIM-Lok.

Facts & Stats Jordan Spieth may not be the longest hitter on tour but his excellent approach play, short game and putting were the keys to his dominating Masters victory. Here are his numbers from that remarkable week at Augusta National.

Driving Distance 282.62 Yards (Rank – 43) Driving Accuracy 69.64% (Rank – 22) Greens In Regulation (GIR) 75% (Rank – 2) Putts Per GIR 1.4 (Rank – 3)

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in the bag

www.mstgolf.com

Yamaha Forged Irons

Feel The Distance Yamaha Inpres RMX Forged Irons The Yamaha Inpres RMX Forged Iron is a fully-forged iron made from 1020C steel for soft feel and excellent responsiveness at impact. The wide cavity design lowers the CG and moves it closer to the contact point, which increases initial velocity for more distance.

Weight distribution in the heel and toe creates a high MOI for increased stability and consistent distance control, which makes it forgiving enough for club golfers but with feel and performance that is appreciated by professionals.

SRP (4-9, P): NS Pro MX95 / 85 – RM6,360

Yamaha Inpres RMX Tour Model CB Irons A stylish cavity back forged from 1020 steel, Yamaha’s Inpres RMX Tour Model CB is one of the popular choices among touring pros.

The refined clubhead features clean lines with minimal offset, promoting control and excellent feel. Feel is further enhanced by the inner structure behind the centre of the face. A honeycomb face milling structure increases spin for more control.

SRP (4-9, P): NS Pro Modus S3 shaft – RM4,950 Note: with original rubber J200 grip (M60 with backline) – RM5,650

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www.cobragolf.com

Cobra Fly-Z+ Driver

The Z+ Factor Distance, forgiveness and adjustability come together in Cobra’s Fly-Z+ Driver, which boasts new FlipZone weight technology – a moveable weight system engineered to provide two different flight paths in one club that enables maximum distance for any swing and any golfer.

The FlipZone offers front-to-back CG adjustable through a moveable 15g weight on the sole. The front CG position provides a mid-launch angle with low spin and a penetrating ball flight with more roll, while the back CG position delivers a mid-launch angle with more spin for a higher ball flight and more carry distance.

Cobra’s Speed Channel Technology, which is an engineered trench around the perimeter of the face, minimises thickness for increased ball speeds across the face. Forged E9 Zone Face Technology removes weight from key areas behind the face and hosel to increase the size of the sweet zone for more distance on off-centre hits.

Advanced multi-material construction in the new Titanium 6-4 body and carbon fibre crown maximise discretionary weight, which is strategically positioned low in the head for more distance and forgiveness.

The Fly-Z+ driver also features Cobra’s proven MyFly8 and SmartPad, allowing golfers to select from multiple loft/ trajectory settings to tune their game.

Loft Settings: 8.5° - 11.5° Head Colours: Black, white, blue, orange, green SRP: Asian Specs (UST Attas 6 shaft) – RM2,169 / Global Specs (Matrix VLCT ST shaft) – RM1,749

On Tour Flamboyant American star Rickie Fowler used his orange Cobra Fly-Z+ Driver to power his way to an amazing comeback victory at The Players Championship. Trailing by five strokes with just six holes to play, Fowler birdied 13, 15, 17 and 18 and eagled 16 before beating Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner in a dramatic playoff at TPC Sawgrass. Fowler’s longest drive of the week measured an impressive 336 yards.

In rickie fowler's bag Driver Fairways

Irons

Wedges

Cobra Fly-Z+ (10.5°) in orange with Matrix Prototype 70X shaft Cobra Fly-Z+ #3 (14°) in orange with Aldila Tour Blue 73X shaft Cobra BioCell+ #5 (18.5°) in orange with Aldila Tour Blue 70X shaft Cobra Fly-Z Pro MB Irons (4-9) with MB Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100 shafts Cobra Fly-Z+ Forged (3-iron) with Matrix hm2 shaft Cobra Tour Trusty (47°, 51°, 57°, 62° / RF Grind) with Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

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©David Cannon/Getty Images

in the bag

on tour www.taylormadegolf.com

TaylorMade AeroBurner Driver

Burning speed

TaylorMade’s sleek AeroBurner driver is all about speed, featuring an improved Speed Pocket and advanced aerodynamics to promote effortless distance for all players.

The most striking feature of the AeroBurner is the ‘Aero hosel’, a small fin located at the heel of the club to reduce drag. This combines with a raised centre crown and rounded toe section to improve aerodynamics and lower drag force.

The new Speed Pocket is twice as big as the JetSpeed, the first driver to feature the technology. Unlike the JetSpeed, AeroBurner drivers do not have loft sleeve technology which allows the length of the Speed Pocket to be extended across the entire sole.

The AeroBurner also features Inverted Cone Technology, which is milled into the inner side of the clubface and promotes higher ball speed on off-centre hits. The new matte white pearlized paint finish with black PVD face provides a stark contrast and helps in alignment.

Available in three lofts (9.5°, 10.5° and 12°) and the Asian version comes with an ultra-light 50-gram TM1-215 Mitsubishi Rayon shaft in S, SR and R flexes. The longer, lighter shaft and light grip add up to less than 295g in total club weight, promoting faster swing speeds. A slightly higher swing weight improves the feel of the club and promotes faster ball speed.

The global specifications driver comes with a Matrix Speed Rul-Z shaft and weighs in at less than 300g in total. A Tour Preferred (TP) version is available with a longer hosel to allow for a wide range of TP shaft offerings.

The AeroBurner driver chalked up two highprofile wins in the USA recently, thanks to Steven Bowditch in the AT&T Byron Nelson and Anna Nordqvist in the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Using a TP version (9.0°) with Fujikura Pro Series shaft, Bowditch opened with a stunning 62 and followed up with rounds of 68, 65 and 64 to win by four shots at the TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas.

Sweden’s Nordqvist meanwhile claimed her fifth LPGA title using an AeroBurner TP driver (9.5°), carding rounds of 67, 69 and 60 for a one-shot win at Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club in New Jersey.

TaylorMade was the No. 1 driver in play at both events.

In Anna Nordqvist’s Bag

Driver TaylorMade AeroBurner TP (9.5°) with Mitsubishi Diamana B Series shaft Fairway TaylorMade #3 (17°) with Mitsubishi Diamana S shaft Hybrid TaylorMade SLDR (21°) with Mitsubishi Diamana S shaft Irons TaylorMade RSi TP (6-9, PW)

TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB (4-5) Putter TaylorMade Kia Ma Rossa Daytona Ball TaylorMade Tour Preferred X

SRP: Asian Specs – RM1,690 / Global Specs – RM1,490 44

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www.odysseygolf.com

Odyssey Works Big T Putters

The Next Big T

The new Big T Putter line from Odyssey merges the new Fusion RX insert with the revolutionary dual alignment of the Versa range and the Marxman alignment system.

Standing over a putt, golfers look down on the Big T which makes it easier to line putts up. The Fusion RX insert combines the proven White Hot insert with ultra-thin stainless steel mesh and Odyssey’s patented Metal-X roll pattern. The result is a faster roll that reduces skidding and gets the ball into a pure roll faster.

While the V-Line mallet with its high MOI and pleasing symmetry was the catalyst for the Big T design, the range also includes other tour-proven head shapes such as the #5, V-Line Centre Shaft and the new Big T Blade model.

The Big T putters come with a black powder coat shaft that reduces glare and is popular with tour players.

Features: • Quicker Roll with Fusion RX: Superb White Hot feel with quicker roll.

• Dual Alignment: The ultimate set-up with Big-T alignment using Versa and Marxman technology.

• Tour Proven Shapes: A V-Line model, #5, V-Line Centre Shaft and a new Big T Blade model • Black Powder Coat Shaft: Reduces glare and provides a stylish, contemporary look.

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©Hunter Martin/Getty Images

in the bag

www.clevelandgolf.com

Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Wedges

Spin Makers

Cleveland’s 588 RTX 2.0 series wedges are making waves on tour and with club golfers, boasting advanced spin technology for excellent short game performance.

Golfers can choose one of two models – the 588 RTX 2.0 which is a blade-type design for mid- to high-level golfers who value workability, and the 588 RTX 2.0 CB featuring a cavity-type design suitable for a wide range of golfers. Both are offered in either tour satin or black satin finishes.

The 56˚ and 58˚ wedges are available in low bounce angle, standard bounce angle, and high bounce angle. There are four types of heads – blade-type with tour satin finish, bladetype with black satin finish, cavity-type with tour satin finish and cavity-type with black satin finish – with 11 variations for each head.

In all, the new RTX 2.0 series provides golfers with 44 variations of head type to suit all playing styles and preferences.

RTX stands for Rotex, a breakthrough face design technology that delivers stable spin performance even with the clubface open and the direction of the grooves changed. The curving face pattern creates deep, rough lines for improved spin performance, while the Tour Zip Grooves provide more width with greater volume to channel debris more effectively.

This also decreases the groove angle and groove shoulder radius, creating a more effective edge for improved spin performance.

Laser milling parallel to the score lines employs computer-controlled, precision processing to achieve a depth that approaches the maximum allowed by the rules. The distance between the lines has also been varied to accentuate the milling.

Loft/Bounce: 56˚/Low, 56˚/Standard, 56˚/High, 58˚/Low, 58˚/Standard, 58˚/High SRP: RM490

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On Tour The Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 wedges have raked up a number of wins on tour, highlighted by Australian teenager Minjee Lee’s breakthrough win in the Kingsmill Championship. The 18-year-old prodigy captured her first LPGA title by two shots after a final round 65.

Danish veteran Soren Kjeldsen also used the RTX 2.0 wedges en route to his playoff victory at the European Tour’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Royal County Down.

In Minjee Lee’s Bag Driver Fairway Hybrids Irons Wedges

Ball

XXIO8 (9.5°) XXIO7 #3 (18) Srixon Z H45 #3 (21) Srixon Z 745 (5-9, P) Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 (50°, 54°, 60°) Srixon Z Star

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www.honmagolf.co.jp/en

Honma Tour World TW727 Drivers

Tour-Performers

Honma’s high-performance Tour World line offers four superb new drivers in distinctive shapes and sizes to suit a wide range of golfers.

The 460, 455 and 455S models feature Honma’s proprietary W-Forged Technology which enhances feel and increases forgiveness. The W-Forged process is a highdensity forging method that gives greater design flexibility by maintaining hardness but increasing strength by about 15%. This saves 2g off the weight, which allows a new variable thickness face design that creates an expanded sweet spot.

Shaft options for the TW727 range consist of Honma’s highlyacclaimed new Vizard series.

TW727 460 Driver The most forgiving an easy-to-use model of the TW727 driver series with a deep and low CG location. Featuring a forged KS100 crown and ELF Titanium forged cup face structure, the TW727 460 generates medium spin and a high launch for more distance.

TW727 455 Driver Designed for golfers who want forgiveness with workability, the TW727 455 generates low spin and a mid-trajectory. The 455cc clubhead features a forged KS100 crown and ELF Titanium forged face structure.

TW727 455S Driver This is essentially an easier-to-use version of the 455 with a deeper and lower CG location, providing golfers with an ‘in-between’ option for those who prefer a smaller head than 460cc but want more forgiveness. With a forged KS100 crown and ELF Titanium forged cup face structure, the 455S generates medium spin and a mid/high trajectory.

TW727 430 Driver This compact ‘player’s driver’ is designed for accomplished golfers who want low spin and a penetrating trajectory off the tee. Featuring a Ti5N forged face, the TW727 430 has a shallow and forward CG location which generates a strong trajectory and allows better players to shape their shots. Comes in a tour-inspired black IP finish.

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in the bag www.nikegolf.com

Nike Golf Vapor Speed Driver

Vaporising Speed One of the most striking drivers is Nike’s Vapor Speed with its black crown and distinctive volt in the cavity back and Compression Channel.

Designed to promote a higher launch angle with lower spin, the Vapor Speed blends three key technologies – Nike’s new FlyBeam-reinforced Covert Cavity Back design, a reengineered Compression Channel and FlexLoft 2. The FlyBeam design stiffens the cavity back of the club, while the Compression Channel accentuates the spring-like effect across the face.

FlexLoft 2 allows the golfer the functionality of five lofts and three face angles within 15 different settings. The new, improved system is five grams (30%) lighter without compromising function. The redistribution of mass creates more stability, better launch conditions and faster swing speeds.

Another benefit of FlexLoft 2 is its forward and backward compatibility. Golfers with previous generations of Covert can use shafts with the original adaptor in the new head or vice versa.

Loft Range: 8.5°-12.5° SRP: F ubuki Z 50G shaft – RM1,590 / Asian Specs Fubuki shaft – RM1,790

On Tour

©Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

Swedish star Suzann Pettersen used her Nike Vapor Speed driver with great effect in the Manulife LPGA Classic, birdieing two of her last three holes for a one-shot victory at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Ontario. The victory marks her 15th on the LPGA Tour and the first since 2013.

Averaging 278 yards off the tees, Pettersen recorded two eagles and 21 birdies over four rounds and finished on 22-under-par.

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In Suzann Pettersen’s Bag

Driver Nike Vapor Speed Fairway Nike Covert #3 (15°) Hybrid Nike Vapor Speed #2 (17°) Irons Nike Pro Combo (4-5, 7-9, P)

Nike VR Forged (6) Wedges Nike VR Pro (48°)

Nike Engage

(52°, 59°) Putter Nike Method MOD 30 Ball Nike RZN Black

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almost ob loo keng yip

Intrepid photographer and long drive proponent Loo Keng Yip gives his rather slanted view on all things golf

Balanced Balls

A stray shot could be, amongst a list of causes, the work of a poorly balanced ball

E

ver launched a draw or a fade that mysteriously strayed off track in spite of the stroke having felt just about perfect off the clubface? We rightfully anticipated a splendid arcing shot on target only for the ball to swing more or fly straighter than it should have.

What about the time on the green when you thought you had made sweet contact and had expected to see the ball markings rolling smoothly end over end blurring into nice neat lines but instead they seemed to tumble and stagger head over heels in some drunken dance?

Luckily, these instances usually do not also result in vast deviations from the intended ball path. Your drive didn’t balloon out into a full-blown hook nor a vicious slice. Your wobbly putt may have turned a little but it probably still held its line well enough.

Truth be said and in all likelihood, the majority of these slightly wayward shots materialised because we didn’t actually hit the ball quite as purely as we had thought.

But what if we had and the balls still strayed? There could be a variety of causes. A cut ball. Sand or grass caught between the ball and clubface. It is also plausible that the error was caused by a poorly balanced ball. And obviously mis-hitting a ball with poor balance only compounds the problem.

Try this. Dissolve two heaped tablespoons of salt into a cup of water, then float a ball in it. It will rotate and bob around for a bit, then come to rest. Mark the topmost point – the ‘North Pole’ if you like. Set the ball in motion again and you will find that it always settles with the mark on top.

This indicates that the ball is not

perfectly balanced. If it were so, a different, totally random point would emerge on top each time.

Of course it is quite unrealistic, perhaps even impossible to expect anything even approaching perfect spherical balance in golf balls. Is it even necessary? Perhaps not but as it stands in our less than perfect world, the salt water test shows the ‘North Pole’ to be the lightest part of the ball; the ‘South Pole’ the heaviest. There is an imbalance. Each time we induce some side spin and/or roll to our shots, or indeed even if we were to absolutely flush a ball with no spin at all, poor balance could cause a ball to wobble and stray from the intended line. We are familiar with the ill-effects of driving on badly balanced car tyres.

Something similar applies here. Whilst ball imbalance doesn’t seem to be a major issue, what if we are unlucky enough to play a ball that is badly out of whack?

Of course, marking a ball doesn’t improve its balance. What marking does allow for, however, is that we can help to ensure that by always placing the mark in a certain orientation (‘North Pole’ always facing up for example) that we might help to minimise the effects of one cause of shot inconsistency.

Testing about 20 balls I had on hand I was surprised by how quickly the majority of them came to rest in the salt water test. That would indicate a relatively large differential between the heaviest and lightest portions of the ball. The faster and more assuredly a ball comes to rest, the greater the imbalance.

Just how prevalent is ball imbalance? Well, my tiny survey is surely not a true indicator of all the balls out there but there is at least one Japanese company that floats, marks and charges a premium for their “specially selected” balls. Looks like a good excuse for some DIY then.

Pass the salt please …

Drive long and prosper. PG

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Nick’s Knacks NICK GOH

News and views from the wide, wide world of golf equipment by ParGolf contributor/tester Nick Goh

Bouncy Wedges

How to use the bounce of your wedges effectively

C

an you remember the last time you were looking to buy a wedge? Ever wondered why there are so many options available? First there is the loft (52°, 54°, 56°, 58°, 60° & 64°) and then there is the bounce (6° to 14°).

So what do these options mean and do they make any difference at all?

It is quite obvious that loft creates height to the ball flight. The higher the loft, the higher you can launch the ball.

You can add loft to the club at impact by simply opening the clubface as well but that would take some practice and guts to hit the ball with the clubface wide open.

Bounce is used to help the player slide or glide the clubface on the surface of the ground. As its name suggests, bounce is used to prevent the leading edge of club from digging too deep into the surface by bouncing the club upwards when it touches the surface.

It is especially useful in bunker play.

There are different textures of sand on each course. For soft and fine sand,

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which normally is white in colour, more bounce will be needed to ensure you can slide the club across the surface.

Anything greater than a 10° bounce should be the preferred club. Be sure you open your clubface, swing smoothly and accelerate through the sand. If you have insufficient bounce, the club will dig into the sand and more often than not your ball will still be in the bunker.

Selecting the right wedge with the right bounce will make each shot easier once you understand the lie that you have.

If the sand is rough and coarse (looks like brown sugar), you would want to get the club to enter the sand about two inches behind the ball with a little deeper blow to splash the ball out.

An 8° to 10° bounce club with a slightly steeper swing path would do the trick here. You may want to square your

clubface with this technique and accelerate through your shot.

For hard and clay-like sand, usually found in low-rated courses, you may want to chip the ball out with a highlofted club that has minimal bounce (6° to 8°). The idea is to get the leading edge a little into the sand and prevent the club from bouncing up too quickly.

It may not be a good idea to splash it out with a 10° bounce club because you would most likely skull the ball over the green.

I see many golfers using their sand wedges (56°/10° or 60°/10°) for chipping around the green regardless of the turf condition. In wet or soft conditions, bounce can be your friend by helping your club slide through the surface of the turf. However, on a dry and hard ground, bounce might work against you if you happen to hit behind the ball.

Just like in hard bunkers, the club will bounce up too quickly resulting in a thin shot.

Be sure you examine the turf and gauge the hardness of the ground. If the ball is on a tight lie with a hard surface, use less bounce. If it’s a tight lie on soft turf, use a higher bounce.

This is why many good golfers have a variety of wedges and they would use them according to the lie and condition of the sand or turf. Wedges are supposed to be your scoring clubs or at least to be used around the greens to save some strokes. Selecting the right wedge with the right bounce will make each shot easier once you understand the lie that you have. Play the safest and easiest shot that you can execute to minimise errors around the green. I am sure it will save you a stroke or two in each round!

So use the bounce of your club to your advantage and remember – bounce will make your club behave differently in different conditions.

Happy Golfing! PG

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essentials

Fashion + Function GolfBuddy

Stylish Evo One Ecco

Designed to deliver performance as well as great looks, the Ecco Evo One shoes exemplify the performance and style tour players require and desire.

Strategically wider toward the rear, with a midsole that incorporates a specialised shank piece, it is made from camel and kara leather, creating a sophisticated and functional golf shoe.

The E-DTS Hybrid Technology incorporates a two-tone TPU outsole with 800 traction angles, while the Eccodeveloped Hydromax treatment delivers premium quality water repellence; this special process actually keeps the leather from hardening after repeated wetting and drying, keeping it strong and durable, yet soft and breathable.

Available at all Transview outlets.

The new GolfBuddy WT4 GPS watch fuses fashion and function – apart from offering a sleek watch with digital/ analogue features you can wear on and off the course, the WT4 is also equipped with GolfBuddy’s advanced features to improve your game: full targets and hazards information, Dynamic Green View and Pin Placement features. The WT4 also sports a digital scorecard, GPS tracking and shot distance measurement.

It uses a Lithiumpolymer battery (good for 13 hours in Golf Mode and a huge 20 days in Time Mode) and weighs in at a lightweight 65g ensuring optimum comfort throughout your swing.

Available at all Transview outlets.

Two-Toned Enamel Bag Titleist

Designed and developed to enhance the avid golfer’s experience from tee to green, the Titleist Two-Toned Enamel Bag (ref: TB5CT531) is constructed from PU Leather material with a brushed nickel tower ring, dry grip bottom and matching zippered rainhood.

It also features a string of pockets, including a front large zippered ball pocket; full-size, side saddle ball pocket; additional zippered accessory pocket; and insulated beverage pocket.

Available in two colours – Navy and Black/Red.

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©Stanley Chou/Getty Images

Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum in action at the 2014 edition

sime darby lpga malaysia

VERSION 6.0 Revamped qualification criteria for Malaysians and enhanced spectator facilities set to take the 2015 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia to a new level

T

his year’s Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia will boast a number of new initiatives designed to maintain its position as one of the region’s leading golf events while ensuring a great day out for spectators.

The initiatives include new qualification criteria for Malaysians, which could see as many as seven locals teeing off in the sixth edition of the event at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) this October 8-11.

Additional public facilities and even more spectator activities are also on the cards for the US$2 million tournament, which will once again be played at KLGCC’s East Course.

‘Women with Drive’ continues to be the tournament slogan, encapsulating the ethos of the tournament, the

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“Now into its sixth year, Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia has established itself not just as one of Malaysia’s leading golf tournaments, but also as one of Asia’s preeminent events.”

Tun Musa Hitam, chairman, Yayasan Sime Darby

dedication of its players and the battle against breast cancer in Malaysia.

“Now into its sixth year, Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia has established itself not just as one of Malaysia’s leading golf tournaments, but also as one of Asia’s preeminent events,” said the chairman

of the Sime Darby Foundation (Yayasan Sime Darby), Tun Musa Hitam. “Over the years, the tournament has provided an excellent platform for the development of women’s golf in Malaysia which continues to show real progress and promise for the future, while making a very valuable annual contribution to the essential work undertaken by our charitable partner CARIF (Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation)."

Malaysian Angels

The qualifying tournament will now see one spot awarded to the winner, from any nation, and a further two places to the top two Malaysians. If the tournament is won by a Malaysian, then three Malaysian players will qualify.

The top-three ranked Malaysians in

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the Rolex World Rankings will gain automatic entry. If Malaysian No 1 Kelly Tan earns her place through the LPGA ranking, then there could be as many as seven local professionals in the field.

“The Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia has played an instrumental role in the development of my game and my ability to reach the LPGA Tour,” said Tan. “The combination of the match practice within an elite field and the support I received earlier in my career from the Sime Darby Foundation gave me the skills that are necessary to compete at this level.

“One of my main targets for this year will be to qualify for the tournament through the LPGA and to fly the flag for Malaysia yet again,” she added.

Spectator Specials

This year’s tournament will see the introduction of the Courtyard Marquee, a covered area open to all spectators overlooking the practice putting green and the 18th hole. With food stalls, ‘live’ DJ music, views of the giant TV screen and a Players’ Corner where they can meet the stars, it promises to be THE social hub during tournament week.

The marquee will also be the venue for the ‘Big Makan’ Challenge, a daily eating competition from 4pm onwards. To participate, a donation of RM50 is required which will be channelled to the event’s Official Charitable Partner, CARIF. Foodies will be glad to know that food trucks will be stationed at key points, offering authentic Malaysian cuisine produced by some of KL’s best chefs. Prices will be capped at RM10

Food trucks will be a new feature in the 2015 event

with a free dish included within the ticket price.

Friday, October 9 has been designated Ladies Day with women enjoying not only free access but also health, beauty and fashion activities. On Pink Saturday, special activities will be organised to raise funds for CARIF – since its inaugural year in 2010, more than RM2.5 million has been raised for the charity through the tournament.

Rising Star Juniors

2015 also sees the launch of a new talent search initiative, the ‘Rising Star Juniors’ programme targeting underprivileged boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 17.

Run by KLGCC in partnership with Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) and MST Golf, the operator of the KLGCC Golf

Malaysia's Kelly Tan aims to spearhead the local charge

Academy, the two-year programme kicked off in May with 18 children who were chosen from 240 applicants from 30 children’s homes in the Klang Valley.

The participants will undergo a comprehensive training programme with complimentary training equipment, professional coaching and transport.

“Golf is often perceived as a sport for the elite in Malaysia and the programme will extend golf training to disadvantaged youths with limited resources – an initiative we believe has never been introduced before,” said KLGCC general manager Steven Thielke. “The objective of Rising Star Juniors is not only to train these youths in golf but also to develop skills and uplift their lives to become good, wellrounded and successful citizens contributing positively to society.

©Robert Laberge/Getty Images

(L to R) Sime Darby Property deputy MD Dato’ Jauhari Hamid, Yayasan Sime Darby chairman Tun Musa Hitam and KLGCC general manager Steven Thielke performing the launch gambit on June 10

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The Rising Star Juniors with coaches and KLGCC general manager Steven Thielke

Feng-Show Shanshan Feng is looking forward to returning to Malaysia to defend her title in the 2015 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.

The bubbly Chinese star noted that she will be under more pressure as the defending champion and will therefore her goal is “just to have fun”.

“Because I’m going to be the defending champion this year, I think there will be more pressure, so I don’t want to set any goals. I’m just going to enjoy my time in Malaysia,” said the 25-year-old, who became the first Chinese golfer – male or female – to win a Major at the 2012 LPGA Championship.

MST Golf's director of instruction Dean Hartman with one of the Rising Star Juniors

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“Besides golf, there will also be other activities including leadership development skills, life skills and community engagement.”

Thielke highlighted the importance of involving the homes and the children’s families in the project.

“KLGCC will not only work with the individuals but will also be a support structure for the homes providing assistance financially, physically, morally and emotionally.

This is important for the individuals under the Rising Star Juniors programme so they do not feel isolated from the homes."

Tun Musa said the foundation believed that all children, regardless of their background, should have equal access to developmental opportunities.

“Golf is a sport that can help develop character as it requires high standards of behaviour and sportsmanship,” said Tun Musa.

“Honesty, integrity and self-regulation

©Hunter Martin/Getty Images

sime darby lpga malaysia

are pre-requisites of character-building and we believe that the programme will greatly impact the lives of the selected youths.

“With the training in golf, they will be exposed to positive developmental opportunities and potentially turn this sport into their vocation someday.” PG

“Speaking on behalf of all the players in tour, we love coming to Malaysia – it’s one of the best tournaments that we play in all year,” added Feng.

Feng won last year’s tournament by three shots from Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum, closing with a tournament low 63 to finish on 18-under-par. A spectacular eagle by Feng at the par-five 16th hole was the pivotal moment, thanks to a stunning three-wood second shot that hopped onto the green and stopped 10 feet from the flag. Overnight leader Pornanong meanwhile found water at the par-three 15th and made double bogey for a four-shot swing.

TOURNAMENT FACT FILE

East Course, KLGCC

Date

October 8-11, 2015

Venue Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (East Course, par 71) Prizemoney US$2 million

©Kuala Lumpur GCC

Winner’s Share US$300,000

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Format

72-hole strokeplay, no cut

Field

75 players comprising the following:

- Top 63 available players from the LPGA Tour

- Top 3 Malaysians in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings not otherwise qualified

- Qualifying Tournament winner and top 2 Malaysians - 7 sponsor’s invites

Former Champions

2014: Shanshan Feng (CHN) 2013: Lexi Thompson (USA) 2012: Inbee Park (KOR) 2011: Na Yeon Choi (KOR) 2010: Jimin Kang (S. Korea)

Website www.simedarbylpgamalaysia.com Facebook SimeDarbyLPGAMalaysia Twitter @SimeDarbyLPGA Instagram #SimeDarbyLPGA / #WomenWithDrive

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health chat dr. glenN cameron

Glenn Cameron D.C (doctor of chiropractic) (USA) is a chiropractor formerly with the Tonik Asia Group of Malaysia.

He is currently based in Miri, Sarawak. Email: homewhereibelong@gmail.com

Ageing & Flexibility Can flexibility increase? Yes! Are ageing and distance compatible? Yes!

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ll of us will get older and will one day play our last round of golf (unless you know something I don’t).

Since we’ll all get older it’s also universal that we’ll lose our flexibility and some distance on our drives in general. This article is all about ageing gracefully while retaining flexibility and distance.

Maintaining flexibility with age Do the spinal rotation exercise with fish oil; the standard dose is 1000 mg/day.

However, you’ll likely need more depending on your age, pre-existing co-morbid conditions, etc. In order to determine the right dosage, email me info pertaining your age, gender, current diagnoses, current symptoms, your favourite food (usually something you must have), current supplements and dosages, allergies, recent lab findings, X-ray or MRI findings/reports.

Also I need to know what activities you commonly participate in and to what degree. For example, playing semi-professional badminton once a week on solid concrete/sprung wooden flooring after seven minutes of brisk walking. I’ll be serious – and accurate.

If it sounds like you’ve got one foot in the grave and you’ve played your last game, I’ll tell you.

You must be able to walk (normally) and must have played recently. If you cannot walk, are diabetic and your last game was months ago, the likelihood that I can help you drops off precipitously. All I need is someone covered in psoriasis with Parkinson’s disease, age 120, who cannot walk writing to me hoping that I can help them; I likely can’t. You may sound to me as though you’re circling the drain, so I’ll be brutally frank.

Do the spinal rotation exercise – 25 times each side, always seated, always with your eyes open, always keeping the normal arcs in your lower back and neck never trying to “crack your own

back”. Never attempt this exercise while standing – dizziness and falling over may occur! You may end up with a sacroiliac lesion with a lot of lower back pain, buttock or leg pain and either or both knees may be hurt by exercising while standing. Doing it seated both before bed, after bed and before activity (like golf) should make you more flexible unless you’ve been previously diagnosed with an anti-flexibility syndrome like PMR (polymyalgia rheumatica), Parkinson’s or SPS (Stiff Person Syndrome).

Put your hands at nipple height, arms bent, then rotate to one side for about one second, then without stopping rotate to the opposite side. Take your elbows back with each rotation.

Psoas Stretch Position yourself with one leg bent at the knee, with this knee facing straight down, your opposite leg bent. Lean forward, into your kneeling knee so that you are stretching the front of your pelvis on the side you are kneeling on.

You should feel this on the front of your pelvis. Hold for 35 seconds and repeat on each side at least three times. Do this three times per week.

more complete range of motion (ROM).

The reason it’s been included here is the kettlebell’s contribution to flexibility, strength and beauty of the posterior chain of muscles going up the entire posterior body. If you want a nice firm butt and great upper arms – hinge your body at your hips and swing the kettlebell firstly between your legs and then to eye level, or higher in front – you will be stronger and looser and you’ll look good.

Performing while taking fish oil (molecularly distilled – ideally small fish from Norway) should increase your flexibility and distance, given time, thrice a week, while spinal rotation should be done twice daily when first arising in the morning and at bedtime.

The key word is consistency – and remember to take your fish oil. PG

Russian Kettlebell Swing This should be performed twice a week for 15 to 20 minutes for many weeks (prior to breakfast each day). Essentially it’s an exercise of Russian origin involving the use of a cannonball with a handle welded to it (thus the name).

The swing has two versions: up to eye or shoulder level, which is called ‘Russian’, and overhead, called ‘American’. Neither is more superior, both build muscle. The ‘American’ version, however, is believed to use a ParGolf july 2015

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raise your game

Golf Foreladies with Kuriko Tsukiyama

Line Your Putts Properly

Making sure you line up your putts correctly is the first step to better putting

The two components that make up putting are line and speed.

Getting the speed right is a skill learnt through hours of practice on the greens.

However, you can start lining up the ball correctly today!

There are two things you'll need to acquire before we start – a permanent marker and a tool to draw a straight line on your ball. Once you have these, use them to mark straight lines on several golf balls.

Before using the ‘lined’ balls on the golf course, try practicing with them.

To start with, pick a relatively straight uphill putt of about five feet and stand behind the ball in line with the hole.

Adjust the line on your ball so that it is pointing to the centre of the cup.

After putting in 10 balls or so, you will find that you will be able to adjust any inconsistencies in your stroke. As any misses will come from your stroke and not your alignment (you have already lined up the ball in the correct manner), you will find that your stroke will improve as well.

Practicing in this manner will help boost your confidence that will translate to better putting on the golf course.

If your caddie lines up the ball for you, take a moment to double check the alignment. If you find that it is not correct, don't be afraid to re-mark the ball and line it up yourself. All tour professionals line up their golf balls themselves.

Once you have the alignment down, make a confident stroke and watch the ball roll into the hole!

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Practicing in this manner will help boost your confidence that will translate to better putting on the golf course.

Based at the K’s Island Golf Academy in Kuala Lumpur, Kuriko Tsukiyama was born and raised in the United States and took up golf at age seven. She has worked with renowned coaches such as David Leadbetter, David Glenz and Don Law and was a prolific junior golfer with an impressive record – including a victory in the 2010 New Jersey Women’s Amateur.

Kuriko still dreams of playing on the LPGA Tour and continues to work towards her goal while teaching in both English and Japanese at K’s Island, utilizing the proven teaching methods of one of Japan’s top tour coaches, Keita Uemura. For more information, call 03-6411 6656 or log on to ksisland.asia.

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raise your game

Fit For Golf with Rick Currin

HOMEWORK-OUT

How some simple exercises can improve your strength and flexibility and ultimately your golf game

Being fit and healthy will without a doubt give you an edge – no matter what level of golfer you are.

Fitness in golf ... what's all the hype about?

Since Tiger Woods arrived on tour in the late 90s, it became evident that the game was shifting gear. Tour professionals now replace the 19th hole with treadmills and dumbbells.

Does it really affect your game that much? In a nutshell – yes, it really does. A round typically takes between four and six hours. This is already considered an endurance event due to the time you're out on the course.

To make things worse, in Malaysia you're 58

guaranteed to be playing in high heat. This means an elevated heart rate and an increase in energy and hydration requirements.

Being fit and healthy will without a doubt give you an edge – no matter what level of golfer you are. This is especially so coming towards the middle to end of your inward nine. Adding a couple of exercise routines into your week may just be your ticket to a better game.

Golf instruction and exercise programmes are similar in that everyone is

different and thus both may require some fine-tuning to suit the individual. For example, some players will benefit from certain exercises more than others.

If you're new to this, it is a great idea to find yourself a professional who understands the biomechanics of the golf swing, and knows how to best work with your body type.

Here are some easy exercises that you can do at home or in the office to improve the strength and flexibility of key muscles for golf.

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The Squat Why should you do this exercise? If you feel like you have more moves than Elvis Presley, this is possibly the exercise you want to put at the top of your list.

Many mishits come from excessive movement in the lower body. Strengthening your quadriceps (thigh muscles) will stabilise your lower body on the backswing, therefore allowing more torque to be created from a shoulder turn against a solid base.

The ‘legsy’ swing of old has been replaced by a tighter action with less moving parts. Without over-rotating your pelvis on the backswing, you'll no doubt find it easier to turn your hips towards the target on your downswing. It may also take away that back pain you've been having.

With your feet shoulder-width apart, and your toes pointed outwards for balance, place a club on your shoulders and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your chin high to maintain an open airway, and allow your weight to shift to the heels to take the strain off your knees.

Start with three or four sets of 10, and then increase as they become easier.

Good Morning, Hamstrings!

The biceps femoris or hamstring muscles (located at the back of the leg, above the knee) have the ability to tighten up and cause all kinds of havoc with your golf swing.

They are effectively massive springs that have the ability to show their power at exactly the wrong time in your golf swing. Having elasticity in your hamstrings will allow you to create angles in your set-up that will help you to maintain correct spinal tilt throughout the swing. This of course leads to solid ball-striking.

Remember that your little golf ball is only 1.68 inches in

diameter. Keeping a consistent spine angle helps you to consistently strike the ball. End of story.

Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. Grab a club and slowly slide the shaft down your thighs until you feel a comfortable stretch in the hamstring. Hold for a couple of seconds, and slowly slide the shaft back up your legs.

Start with 10 reps and increase as they become easier. It's important to exhale as you head downwards. Your lungs need to be empty to achieve maximum possible stretch.

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raise your game

The Forearms The forearms are a complex set of muscles that are responsible for the feel in your hands, so you should show them some respect!

First, grab a club and hold it overhand with your arms extended in front of you. Now flex and extend your wrists until the burning sensation is too much to bear (usually around 30 to 40 reps).

Next, hold the grip of the club with your arm extended out in front of you. Flex and extend your wrist 15 to 20 times with each arm. You should find new-found whip in your swing as your forearms begin getting stronger.

The LILA Exogen sleeves are a great way to educate your new-

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found muscles to release the golf club through impact. The weights are placed on the compression sleeves to literally force the pronation of the right forearm. Using as little as 400g of weight will make the club feel as light as a feather after a 15-minute session. This is a great way to add a new dimension to your practice sessions and add new-found speed to your golf swing.

Top Malaysian athletes are using these sleeves with great effect in their chosen sports. It’s about time golf found a piece of equipment that can be used whilst swinging your own club. The load is ON your arm, not IN your hands.

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The LILA Exogen sleeves are a great way to educate your new-found muscles to release the golf club through impact.

Building Torque Another exercise you can do in the office is a simple shoulder rotation exercise that will improve your upper body flexibility and hence your ability to rotate the shoulders during the golf swing.

Take a chair and sit up straight. Take your left arm and grab your right shin just below the knee. Your right elbow should be draped over the back of the chair. Look over your right shoulder and slowly reach down your left leg towards the ankle. You'll feel a nice stretch across your torso.

Hold for a couple of seconds, and then repeat on the other side. Do this a couple of times in your work day. You'll be amazed at how much further you can hit the ball with a little more flexibility.

South African Rick Currin is a Class AA Member of the PGA of South Africa, an ETA Personal Trainer and a specialist in biomechanics for golf. He can be contacted at indoorgolfpro@gmail.com.

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the golf scene

Tourism Malaysia lauded for IAGTO Diamond Award

Tourism Malaysia's Saidi Bundan (centre) with members of the Malaysian delegation at AGTC 2015

Plaudits have flown in for Tourism Malaysia’s recent success in becoming the first national tourism office to receive a special Diamond Award during the International Association of Golf Tourism Association (IAGTO) Awards.

The award was presented by IAGTO chief executive Peter Walton during the 4th annual Asian Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) held in Jakarta in April.

“Tourism Malaysia is very proud to receive this inaugural award confirming the earlier World Golf Award as Asia’s Best Golfing Destination. This accolade is testimony to the effort of the entire team of stakeholders supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture under the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan (MTTP),” said Tourism Malaysia’s director general Datuk Mirza Mohd Taiyab.

Malaysia Golf Tourism Association president Ng Eu Shen lauded the tourist body for their leadership. “The acknowledgement of their achievement being given to Tourism Malaysia by IAGTO is truly fitting and shows the success of golf tourism as one of the National Key Economic Areas as it continues to be a player within the Economic Transformation Programme. I can’t think of another tourist board which supports the private sector so much in allowing it to lead the way.”

Golf industry stalwarts have lauded Tourism Malaysia’s as well as the country’s achievements in golf.

Asian Tour chairman Kyi Hla Han was one of the first to convey his congratulations, saying: “I would like to congratulate the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board on winning the inaugural Diamond Award for Excellence as well as the Best Asian Golfing

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Destination award (during the 2014 World Golf Awards).

“The Asian Tour stages a high number of world-class golf tournaments in Malaysia every year and we are absolutely delighted that the wide array of golfing experiences

“Having been involved with every Malaysian Open since the ground-breaking European sanctioning in 1999, I am truly delighted that what was once perhaps Asia’s best-kept secret has finally been recognised as one of the world’s best golfing destinations.”

David Garland, director of tour operations, European Tour

and facilities available across the country from both a professional golf and social golf perspective have been recognised by the IAGTO.” LPGA commissioner Mike Whan, who has been to Malaysia numerous times for the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, noted: “My sincere congratulations and I very much look forward to a continuing relationship with Malaysian golf in the years ahead as all our players and officials love to visit your amazing country.”

Todd Rhinehart, the vice president and executive director of the CIMB Classic who is based Malaysia, sent a similar message: “My warmest congratulations and I very much look forward to extending the relationship with Malaysian golf in the years ahead as we all strive to develop golf in this beautiful country”.

The European Tour’s director of tour operations, David Garland, who has been coming here since the Malaysian Open became a co-sanctioned event in 1999, was particularly delighted.

“Having been involved with every Malaysian Open since the ground-breaking European sanctioning in 1999, I am truly delighted that what was once perhaps Asia’s best-kept secret has finally been recognised as one of the world’s best golfing destinations,” he said.

“My heartiest congratulations to all the stakeholders on the recent awards and I very much look forward to continuing to strengthen our ties in the years ahead with Malaysian golf and the Asian Tour, where all our members and supporting staff so much enjoy the warm hospitality and facilities of your fascinating country,” added Garland.

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New MGA committee elected at AGM All the main office bearers for the Malaysian Golf Association executive committee were returned unchallenged during the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) on May 24.

Over 40 delegates made the trip to Kuching to attend the AGM, which coincided with the final round of the Malaysian Amateur Open at Sarawak Golf Club. The posts of president, honorary secretary and honorary treasurer saw incumbents YB Senator Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor, Dato’ Zulkifli Dato’ Ismail and Andrew Bryan Perera returned unopposed for a further two-year term. Meanwhile, Tan Sri Mohamad Nor Abdul Rahim succeeded Low Teck San as one of the two vice presidents following the latter’s retirement and the absence of any other nominees.

There were no contest for the state representative posts, except for Selangor and Melaka. Manibalan Kutty of Templer Park Country Club won the Selangor post against Dr Ronnie Yeo, while Mohd Rom Muslim of Ayer Keroh Country Club was voted as the Melaka representative ahead of Datuk AS Khamis.

In his address during the AGM, Tan Sri Anwar urged the association’s affiliates to open their doors to juniors. “They are our next generation of members and golfers.

The MGA’s ‘Golf in School’ programme that we introduced in January 2014 has progressed well with the expansion of the programme to Kedah and Sabah. We shall launch this programme soon in Sarawak, Pahang and Johor and we hope eventually to all states in the country.”

Delegates were also introduced to a new programme by the associate membership subcommittee, designed to promote the game and assist the growth of the industry to grow and bring the much-needed revenue to their affiliated clubs.

MGA Committee (2015-2017 unless otherwise noted) Executive Committee President: YB Senator Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor Vice Presidents: Tan Sri Mohamad Nor Abdul Rahim Datuk Mohamed Zain Yusuf (2014-2016) Honorary Secretary: Dato’ Zulkifli Dato’ Ismail Honorary Treasurer: Andrew Bryan Perera State Representatives Kuala Lumpur: Datuk Mahat Bahari (2014-2016) Selangor: Manibalan Kutty Melaka: Mohd Rom Muslim Negeri Sembilan: Zainal Mohamad @ Ghazali Perak: Teoh Piek Kee Penang: R. Perumal (2014-2016) Kedah: Yuzmi Mohd Yusoff Pahang: Dato’ Jaafar Abdullah (2014-2016) Kelantan: Ahmad Bahri Hassan (2014-2016) Sarawak: Shahary Alias Sabah: Datuk George Bandusena Note: No nominations for Perlis, Johor and Terengganu

Malaysia Disabled Golf Association aims for Paralympics The Malaysia Disabled Golf Association (MDGA) hopes to send a team for the golf event of the Paralympics in the near future.

“We are looking for disabled golfers who will be able to compete in future Paralympics, perhaps in 2024. This will be a first for Malaysia,” said MDGA president Genesan Subramaniam during the first-ever

golf clinic for disabled people at Penang Golf Club on June 1.

“I am sure that clinics like this will help us identify disabled athletes with the potential to represent the country in a few years’ time. Training disabled athletes requires a lot of patience and we have two coaches who are able to handle this,” he added.

The clinic was attended by around 20 participants of various ages, consisting of visually impaired residents of the St Nicholas Home for the Blind and autistic folk from the National Autism Society of Malaysia. They were shown the fundamentals of the game by coaches from the MDGA in the five-hour session.

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©ParGolf

special > ippudo

Golf, Ramen, Sake & More

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©ParGolf ©ParGolf

It is customary for golfers to finish off their games with some drinks at the “19th Hole”. Throw in good food and a great environment, and you have the perfect mix.

For lovers of Japanese cuisine, ramen in particular, along with fine sake and premium whiskies from the Land of the Rising Sun, there’s a hip place to hang out – Bar Ippudo@ Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC).

Located on the ground floor of the mall opening out into the nicely-landscaped concourse area, this is the worldrenowned ramen specialist’s third outlet in Malaysia and the first with a full bar.

The first thing that grabs your attention when you stroll in is the wellstocked bar, followed by the relaxed yet classy ambience. All it takes is half an hour here – helped perhaps by a drink or two – to wind down and get totally chilled out.

One of the great things about Bar Ippudo@BSC is that it is neatly segmented – there’s the open bar area for those who prefer to have their drinks and food in a semi-alfresco environment, and the air-conditioned section where diners can enjoy their

©ParGolf

Bar Ippudo@Bangsar Shopping Centre is a great place for after-golf meals and drinks

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©ParGolf

©ParGolf

meals while watching the Ippudo chefs in action in the kitchen. There’s even a private room that seats up to eight should you want a cosy meal with family, friends or clients.

Bar Ippudo@BSC serves the Hakatastyle ramen dishes that the franchise is renowned for worldwide, along with a wide selection of delectable appetizers and other Japanese specialties – musttries include the tonkotsu ramen and the pork buns, both of which are sinfully good.

Liquor aficionados will be bowled over by the superb selection of sakes, whiskies and wines, while those who feel a little adventurous can try some of their unique cocktail concoctions, with alluring names such as Kiss of Geisha, Nigori Coco Punch, Wasabi Martini, Kyori Mojitos and Samurai Rock.

Gekkeikan Sake Cocktail Party Sake lovers enjoyed a rare treat during the Gekkeikan Sake Cocktail Party at Bar Ippudo@BSC on June 4, featuring

premium sake served traditionally and as cocktails paired with tasty appetizers.

The party started out with two Sake cocktail concoctions – the invigorating Smoked Pineapple that blends Gekkeikan Traditional Sake with smoked pineapple, lime and honey, followed by Traditional Barrel, which is a simple yet heady mix of Gekkeikan Traditional Sake and the awardwinning Nikka From The Barrel whisky.

Then came the Sake Tasting Notes, first pairing the full-bodied Gekkeikan Traditional Sake with deep fried squid.

This went really well together, the mellow aroma of the sake complementing the seafood starter nicely.

Next up was the Gekkeikan Josen Karakuchi Sake paired with sushi pinchos. The dryness of this full-bodied sake was evident at first sip and it should go well with most mains.

Last but by no means least came Gekkeikan’s top-of-the-range Horin

Junmai Daiginjo, served with Ippudo’s delicious pork buns. Made from select rice polished to 50% of its original size, Horin Junmai Daiginjo is slowly fermented at low temperatures resulting in a mild, fruity flavour. It’s a refreshing drink and is best savoured on its own or with light food and dessert.

Founded in 1637 by Jiemon Okura, Gekkeikan is a manufacturer of sake and plum wine based in Fushimi, Kyoto.

About Ippudo Ippudo was founded in 1985 in Japan’s ramen capital of Hakata by Shigemi Kawahara, an internationally-renowned ramen master chef and CEO of Chikaranomoto Company which owns some of Japan’s finest restaurants.

Today, there are over 65 Ippudo outlets in Japan, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and Shanghai. Dubbed the ‘Ramen King’, Kawahara holds a place in the Ramen Hall of Fame after winning the ‘TV Champion Ramen Chef’, a Japanese reality show produced by TV Tokyo, three times between 1995 and 1998.

©ParGolf

©Ippudo Malaysia

Using his very own ‘Tao’ or way of ramen, Kawahara’s philosophy is to continuously innovate to remain true, reinventing and redefining recipes for a dish that emerged over 300 years ago. Kawahara’s reinvention of the Hakata-style tonkotsu (pork-based) ramen with its signature delicate, creamy broth, earned Ippudo its global acclaim.

Contacts Ippudo@Pavilion Lot C4.07.00, Connection Level 4, Pavilion KL 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-2110 6233 Operating Hours: 11am - 10pm (daily)

©Ippudo Malaysia

©Ippudo Malaysia

Ippudo@The Gardens Lot-T218, 3rd Floor, The Gardens Mall Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-2201 6238 Operating Hours: 10.30am - 10pm (daily) Bar Ippudo@Bangsar Shopping Centre Lot G110, Ground Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre Jalan Maarof, 59000 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-2011 6238 Operating Hours: 11am – 12midnight (daily) www.ippudo.com.my ParGolf JULY 2015

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asian angles chuah choo chiang

A thought-provoking column on Asian golf by Chuah Choo Chiang, recognised worldwide as one of Asia's top golf writers. Chuah is the communications director of the Asian Tour, based in Kuala Lumpur.

Scottish Fancy

Anirban Lahiri

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great desire to land a Major title – YE Yang of Korea is the only Asian to have won a Major – and into his mid-40s now, Thongchai knows that time isn’t exactly on his side these days.

“The Open is a very unique golf event because of its long history of golf.

Many legends were born here and no words can describe my feeling of how excited I’m going to be heading to St Andrews,” said Thongchai. “I’ve been playing in Europe for a long time and the course and playing style wouldn’t be much of a concern.”

The decorated Thai finished equal 52nd in the 2005 Open at St Andrews and missed the cut in 2010 when the championship was last staged at the famous Old Course.

A strong outing at The Open will also go a long way in securing Thongchai a debut appearance at The Presidents Cup for the International Team in Korea later in October.

“I’m having a great year even though I haven’t won yet – but two runner-up finishes are just as great. I would like to keep that momentum going and see how far it will take me,” said Thongchai.

Lahiri, who is the current leader of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit following two wins in Malaysia and India this season, cannot wait to step foot at the hallowed turf of St Andrews.

The British Open holds great memories for the 28-year-old Indian as during his maiden appearance in 2012, he finished a creditable 31st and shot a magical hole-in-one in the third round.

With both parents and wife flying up to St Andrews to lead the cheering squad, the young, tenacious seven-time Asian Tour champion is expecting a wonderful week both on and off the golf course.

“It’ll be very special. Everyone wants to play the Major championships and everybody wants to do well. Not everyone gets the chance to play The Open at St Andrews and that itself is a very special feeling. I’ve never been

Thongchai Jaidee

©Christian Petersen/Getty Images

T

he old phrase ‘four seasons in a day’ probably best describes a fickle Scottish summer. And this would likely pose the biggest test to the Asian Tour stars such as Anirban Lahiri and Thongchai Jaidee when the British Open returns to St Andrews Golf Club’s Old Course in July. Such is the quirkiness of the weather in Scotland that it can dramatically switch from clear blue skies to torrential rains and strong winds at the drop of a golf ball.

The Major championships tend to separate the contenders from the pretenders through its challenging course set-up but at The Open, the luck of the draw will have a big say especially when the elements bare its teeth.

For all his training as a paratrooper during his youth and experience of competing on European soil, Thongchai, whose best finish at The Open was tied 13th in the 2009 edition, will fly into St Andrews as one of Asia’s top bets for glory. Through his decadelong experience of competing on European soil, which was initiated through his success in the co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour events during the early 2000s, the affable Thai has indeed transformed himself into a man for all seasons.

One of his two European triumphs in Wales three years ago was achieved under torrential conditions while he was also victorious in Korea some years ago when the tournament was held in abysmal weather. More recently, the 45-year-old, the only man to win three Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns, achieved a top-10 finish at the Irish Open, under conditions as brutal as it could possibly have been for a links test. Add to a runner-up finish at the May-held BMW PGA Championship, Europe’s flagship tournament, Thongchai’s form could well be worth a quid or two at St Andrews with the bookmakers.

He regularly speaks now of his

©Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Thongchai Jaidee and Anirban Lahiri gear up for the much-anticipated British Open at St Andrews

there, so it’s very exciting for me,” he said.

Like Thongchai, Lahiri is also in the frame to make the International Team for the Presidents Cup and needs to string together some solid results to lock in his place in Nick Price’s squad.

He has enjoyed an extended stint in the United States and Europe over the past few months, with a tied 49th finish in his Masters debut being the highlight thus far.

Other Asian Tour stars already in the elite field for St Andrews include big-hitter Scott Hend, Marcus Fraser and Jonathan Moore. PG

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around asia

“The Korean golf community will embrace the tournament and hopefully more young kids will start dreaming about playing golf and reaching the top. Also, other countries in Asia will attempt to host the Presidents Cup in the future, which will lead to the elevation of the game in the region.”

Korean legend KJ Choi believes the staging of the Presidents Cup for the first time in Asia this October will be a huge boost for the development of the game across the region.

Choi, who is vice captain of the International Team, said he was looking forward to the event which pits the United States against an International Team in his home country at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Seoul from October 8-11.

“This will bring big changes to golf not just in Korea, but all around Asia,” said Choi, who is the first Asian Tour graduate to find success on the PGA Tour.

“The Korean golf community will embrace the tournament and hopefully more young kids will start dreaming about playing golf and reaching the top. Also, other countries in Asia will attempt to host the Presidents Cup in the future, which will lead to the elevation of the game in the region,” added Choi, who started his career in Asia and has six Asian Tour victories. He has eight titles on the PGA Tour, including the 2011 Players Championship.

While the US has won eight of the 10 Presidents Cup since the biennial tournament was launched in 1994, Choi and captain Nick Price are hopeful that the International Team will be able to turn the tables on the Americans this year.

Currently, Asian Tour stars Anirban Lahiri of India and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand are in the top-10 of the International

Team listings. The qualifying cut-off is in September while Price will have two wild card picks.

A rice farmer’s son, Choi grew up on Wando Island on the coast of Korea and didn’t pick up a golf club until he was 15.

He initially trained as a powerlifter but switched his attention to golf upon the suggestion from his athletics team coach.

Choi famously coined the phrase, “To be the best, you’ve got to play with the best” – hence his determination to play his way onto the PGA Tour which he succeeded at the end of 1999.

Anirban Lahiri

Thongchai Jaidee

KJ Choi

Presidents Cup Standings (June 8, 2015) USA (Top 10) Rank Player 1 Jordan Spieth 2 Jimmy Walker 3 Bubba Watson 4 Jim Furyk 5 Dustin Johnson 6 Patrick Reed 7 Chris Kirk 8 Matt Kuchar 9 Rickie Fowler 10 Charley Hoffman

Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, Seoul

Jordan Spieth

©Scott Halleran/Getty Images

©David Cannon/Getty Images

Jason Day

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Points 7,274 6,542 5,049 4,604 4,530 4,518 4,508 3,971 3,922 3,863

Asia (Top 10) Rank Player Av Points 1 Jason Day (AUS) 5.89 2 Adam Scott (AUS) 5.19 3 Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 4.38 4 Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 3.08 5 Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 3.01 6 Branden Grace (RSA) 2.82 7 Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 2.64 8 Anirban Lahiri (IND) 2.58 9 Byeong-Hun An (KOR) 2.44 10 John Senden (AUS) 2.36

©David Cannon/Getty Images

©Robert Laberge/Getty Images

©Hunter Martin/Getty Images

Presidents Cup set to boost Asian golf

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Korea reign supreme in Queen Sirikit Cup Korea underlined their superiority in women’s golf with their eighth Queen Sirikit Cup title in nine years, winning the 37th Asia-Pacific Ladies Golf Team Championship at Hong Kong Golf Club in late May. The Korean trio of Park Hyun-kyung, Jang Eun Soo and Lee Joung Eun combined for a three-day total of 422. They won easily by 14 shots from the Philippines, represented by Princess Mary Superal, Pauline Del Rosario and Yuka E Saso. The New Zealand team of Julianne Alvarez, Munchin Keh and Wenyung Keh took third spot on 437.

Park was the standout performer during the week, winning the individual title with a seven-under-par 209 total. Jang made it a 1-2 for the Koreans by taking runner-up honours four shots behind.

The Malaysian team of Loy Hee Ying, Ashley Lau and Qistina Balqis finished their campaign in 11th place. Fifteen-year-old Lau was the best Malaysian, ranking eighth in the individual standings on 221 (73, 76, 72).

Results Team (Top 5) 422 – Korea (140, 141, 141) 436 – Philippines (147, 143, 146) 437 – New Zealand (145, 151, 141) 438 – Japan (148, 142, 148) 439 – Thailand (144, 150, 145) Individual (Top 10) 209 – Park Hyun-kyung (KOR) 70-70-69 213 – Jang Eun-soo (KOR) 70-71-72 215 – Princess Mary Superal (PHI) 73-69-73 216 – Minami Hiruta (JPN) 75-67-74, Lee Joung-eun (KOR) 70-71-75 217 – Onkanok Soisuwan (THA) 72-75-70 220 – Tiffany Chan (HKG) 70-75-75 221 – Ashley Lau (MAS) 73-76-72, Tian Qi (CHN) 74-74-73, Isabella Leung (HKG) 69-76-76, Hannah Green (AUS) 73-71-77

Tournament Results Hong Kong Ladies Open (Ladies Asian Golf Tour / Taiwan LPGA) June 5-7 / Hong Kong Golf Club / US$120,000 213 – Lee Jeong-hwa (KOR) 70-72-71; 214 – Muangkhumsakul Kanphanitnan (THA) 71-71-73; 217 – Lee Chia-Pei (TPE) 75-72-70, Chen Chih-Min (A) (TPE) 70-73-74; 218 – Chen Ssu-Chia (TPE) 69-79-70 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open (Asian Tour) May 27-30 / Kurmitola Golf Club, Dhaka / US$300,000 70 – Mardan Mamat (SIN) 66-67-68-69; 272 – Soomin Lee (KOR) 70-70-65-67, Khalin Joshi (IND) 71-68-65-68; 273 – Carlos Pigem (ESP) 67-67-73-66; 275 – Janne Kaske (FIN) 68-67-71-69 PGM Port Dickson Championship (Asian Development Tour / PGM Tour) May 27-30 / Port Dickson Golf & Country Club, Malaysia / RM200,000 (approx. US$50,000) 273 – Sean Riordan (NZL) 71-62-69-71; 274 – Paul Donahoo (AUS) 71-71-66-66; 275 – Oskar Arvidsson (SWE) 74-68-67-66, Shaaban Hussin (MAS) 70-68-69-68, R. Nachimuthu (MAS) 68-71-68-68, Kemarol Baharin (MAS) 68-70-67-70

Kiwi Sean Riordan carded a second round 62 en route to victory in the PGM Port Dickson Championship

SK Telecom Open (OneAsia) May 21-24 / Sky 72 Ocean Course, Incheon / KRW1,000,000,000 (approx. US$890,000) 278 – Jinho Choi (KOR) 68-68-70-72; 279 – Soomin Lee (KOR) 73-72-63-71; 280 – Dimitrios Papadatos (AUS) 74-69-69-68, Gareth Paddison (NZL) 70-73-68-69, Jaebum Park (KOR) 72-69-69-70, Kyungtae Kim (KOR) 73-69-68-70, Jeunghun Wang (KOR) 70-74-63-73 Ambassador ADT (Asian Development Tour) May 21-23 / Hsin Feng Golf & Country Club, Taiwan / US$120,000 204 – Chan Shih-chang (TWN) 69-67-68; 208 – Lin Wen-tang (TWN) 70-67-71; 212 – Hsieh Tung-hung (TWN) 72-72-68; 213 – Micah Lauren Shin (USA) 72-70-71, Sam Cyr (USA) 72-69-72 Note: Final round cancelled due to inclement weather Caltex Maekyung Open (OneAsia) May 14-17 / Namseoul Country Club, Korea / KRW1,000,000,000 (approx. US$890,000) 284 – Moon Kyongjun (KOR) 71-66-74-73; 286 – Kim Dohoon 76-67-75-68, Ryan Fox (NZL) 73-73-68-72, Jason Norris (AUS) 68-69-72-77, Gareth Paddison (NZL) 69-73-70-74 PGM MNRB Sarawak Championship (Asian Development Tour / PGM Tour) May 13-16 / Sarawak Golf Club, Kuching / RM200,000 (approx. US$55,000) 276 – Janne Kaske (FIN) 72-67-72-65; 280 – Erwan Vieilledent (FRA) 69-68-71-72; 281 – Masaru Takahashi (JPN) 70-72-69-70, Airil Rizman (MAS) 67-69-74-71, Casey O’Toole (USA) 70-68-72-71

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Djemaa El Fna, Morocco's most famous square, at dusk

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Marrakech, Morocco

Allure of the

Red City

Like a bewitching siren song, Marrakech beckons with its potpourri of wonders – and that includes outstanding golf in the Moroccan city

C

northeast of Agadir. Like many Moroccan cities, it enjoys a mix of architectural styles, combining the old fortified city (the Medina) with more modern neighbourhoods. Menara International Airport is conveniently located to the south of the city, while there are rail links to Casablanca and the north, and a very good road

infrastructure connecting Marrakech to other major cities such as the capital Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Essaouira, Fez and Tangier.

With many golfers now looking for something a little different to the classic Southern European golf destinations, but without wanting to commit to the long-haul flights that can eat into both

©Assoufid Golf Club

ommonly called the ‘Red City’ on account of its distinctive orange-red clay city walls, Marrakech is Morocco’s third largest city, annually attracting millions of tourists and visitors. It lies in the country’s midsouthwestern region, 149 miles southwest of Casablanca, and 153 miles

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©Assoufid Golf Club

marrakech, morocco

holiday time and energy levels so much, Morocco, with its excellent year-round temperatures and rapidly expanding golf offering, is now perfectly placed to bridge the gap and entice them beyond European shores.

GOLF IN MARRAKECH Golf in and around Marrakech has been growing particularly rapidly. Just two decades ago, there was only one course of note – Royal Golf Club, Marrakech created in 1933 by France’s only Open champion, Arnaud Massy. Two more arrived in the mid-90s before an unprecedented boom over the last five years, which has seen the arrival of seven more prestigious clubs, with Colin Montgomerie, Jack Nicklaus and Kyle Phillips among the famous designers. Assoufid Golf Club is the latest – and indeed finest – new course 74

to open in and around a Moroccan city that is now a perfectly viable golf destination in its own right, with all the culture and history that Marrakech can offer merely adding to its appeal.

Assoufid Golf Club Situated close to the Red City, Assoufid Golf Club is set against the backdrop of North Africa’s snow-capped Atlas Mountains. Just 10 minutes’ drive from the Menara International Airport, the desert-style 6,440-metre, par-72 golf course, complete with a luxury golf clubhouse and international-standard dining, is a debut design for Scottish PGA professional and former European Tour player Niall Cameron.

The eco-friendly course was sympathetically designed to be integrated into the existing landscape and to encourage the site’s indigenous

flora and fauna to thrive, whilst minimising water consumption. This uniquely designed golf course, which opened for play last October, was voted Africa’s Best New Golf Course 2014 at the inaugural World Golf Awards.

Guy Maxwell, golf director at Assoufid GC, said: “Winning a World Golf Award so soon after opening underlines the positive impact Assoufid Golf Club is already having in the North Africa and European golf markets. Our objective is to provide the finest golfing experience by delivering a beautifully maintained golf course and exceptional levels of service, whilst protecting the integrity of the indigenous natural landscape.”

Assoufid GC forms part of an exquisite 222-hectare development that includes a five-star hotel and residences, and offers golfers an

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“Winning a World Golf Award so soon after opening underlines the positive impact Assoufid Golf Club is already having in the North Africa and European golf markets.

Our objective is to provide the finest golfing experience by delivering a beautifully maintained golf course and exceptional levels of service, whilst protecting the integrity of the indigenous natural landscape.”

Guy Maxwell, Golf Director, Assoufid GC

excitingly diverse challenge across a rolling desert landscape featuring cacti, palm and olive trees.

According to Cameron, the original objective was to “design a golf course that would be fun to play by all, regardless of their age or ability. It was not to create an overly difficult, long or championship test. This said, the course has four sets of tees which measure from 5,099 to 6,440 metres, so one can choose a comfortable or long distance of course to suit.

“The course is designed and laid out as a walking course and we support a strong local caddie programme. It presents an unrivalled experience of being at one with nature while strolling through the most unique and natural golf landforms in Marrakech. The gently rolling terrain offers direct views towards the Atlas Mountains on every

©Assoufid Golf Club

Hole 4, Assoufid GC

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marrakech, morocco

Must-Dos

There’s so much to see and do in Marrakech, whether bustling market squares and souks, or historic buildings and sites, that it’s simply impossible to cram everything into one visit. n Koutoubia Mosque & Tower – The city’s largest mosque is in the southwest Medina quarter.

Its distinctive red stone and brick Umayyad-style minaret stands some 253ft tall.

n City walls and gates – The hugely impressive ramparts, originally built for protection in the 12th century, run for 12 miles around the Medina of the city. They rise to a height of 19ft in places, and boast some 20 gates and 200 towers. n Menara Gardens – These gardens to the west of the city were built around 1130 by Abd al-Mu’min. The name derives from the 16th century pavilion with its small green pyramid roof, which was renovated in 1869. There are orchards, olive groves and a lake that was created to irrigate the gardens via a ‘ganat’ – a network of sophisticated underground channels. n Markets & Souks – Marrakech is home to the largest traditional Berber market or souk in Morocco – Djemaa el Fna, one of the busiest squares in Africa and indeed the world. The square bustles with acrobats, story-tellers, dancers and musicians, and by night large numbers of food stalls open up turning it into a vast open-air restaurant. Between Djemaa el Fna and the Ben Youssef Mosque you’ll find a labyrinth of shops selling a wide range of crafts, gifts and essentials.

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An elderly man passing by the Bab Agnaou gate, built in the 12th century

hole,” adds Cameron.

“Our Signature hole, the par-three 17th, is played across the ravine. This hole drops over eight metres from tee to green and playing into the wind it appears that the ball hangs indefinitely against the Atlas Mountains in the background before reaching terra firma safely.”

He continues that even though the fairways are generous in width, they do appear to be a smaller target than they are because of the target style of ‘desert golf’.

“The scraped waste area on both sides of the fairways and primary rough is playable, Koutoubia Mosque

©Assoufid Golf Club

n Saadian Tombs – The rulers of the past were treated to some very grand burial chambers with about 60 members of the Saadi dynasty laid to rest in this 16th century mausoleum.

The Saadian Tombs were lost for many years before being rediscovered by the French in 1917 using aerial photographs.

©Assoufid Golf Club

n Bahia Palace – Set in two acres of gardens, Bahia Palace was built in the late 19th century by the Grand Vizier of Marrakech, Bou Ahmed. Its name means ‘brilliance’, and it was designed to meld the best of Islamic and Moroccan architectural styles.

so I have created a fair, wide playing area but one that looks narrow and difficult due to the optical illusion of the sharp grassing lines against the wide open desert environment.”

The tees, fairways and roughs are Bermuda Grass 419 and are overseeded for winter play with cool weather Rye Grass. The USGA specification greens are Penn G2 Bent Grass which gives a perfect putting surface and allows a fast, true and consistent putting green to be maintained.

BEYOND GOLF With its stunning location in the foothills of the rugged Atlas Mountains, it’s no surprise there should be such a wealth of activities on offer for those with a taste for the outdoors in and around Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Trekking and climbing – With snowcapped peaks and lush valleys to explore, the Atlas Mountains offer excellent terrain for both gentler and more demanding hikes. Boasting several 4,000m+ peaks and some dramatic, beautiful landscapes, the Atlas Mountains are most easily reached from Marrakech and probably the most spectacular – it’s around a two-hour drive to the town of Imlil around which many of the trails are centred.

Horse-riding – There are plenty of equestrian centres around Marrakech offering treks and trails for experienced riders, as well as introductory riding classes for newcomers and lessexperienced riders.

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Eat, Drink, Love n Marrakech is surrounded by lemon, orange, and olive groves, and the city’s cuisine is typically rich and heavily spiced but not hot, relying on spices such as cinnamon, monk’s pepper, nutmeg, and turmeric. n ‘Tajine’ is a classic Berber stew prepared with chicken, lamb, beef or fish plus vegetables, slow-cooked with steam in shallow earthenware dishes with conical lids that are also called tajines. n Tanjia Marrakshia is a local speciality – a tajine prepared with beef meat, spices and smen, a salted, fermented butter common in North Africa and the Middle East. Shrimp, chicken and lemon-filled briouats (a sweet puff-pastry) are another Marrakech specialty. Rice is cooked with saffron, raisins, spices, and almonds, while couscous may have added vegetables.

Exploring the souks of Marrakech is a must-do

n Other local delicacies include pastille (a filowrapped pie stuffed with spiced meat), harira soup, kefta (minced meat) and liver in crépinette, merguez and tripe stew. n Green tea with mint is a popular drink, served with sugar from a curved teapot spout into small glasses. Alcohol is not universally available in the Medina and the cafés around Djemaa el-Fna, but is sold in many hotel bars and restaurants.

FAST FACTS

Kefta

Harira Soup

Skiing – Oukaimeden in the Atlas Mountains, 45 miles from Marrakech, is Africa’s highest ski resort with chairlifts taking you from the village at 2,600m up to the peak of Jebel Attar at 3,258m. There are five runs ranging from nursery to intermediate, the longest of which is 3km.

Cycling/Mountain Biking – The countryside around Marrakech lends itself to the pursuit of cycling for both the energetically minded and those

Classic tajine

after a more leisurely experience. Rides of varying lengths and difficulty abound.

Quad Biking and 4WD Tours – The desert terrain is ideal for quad biking and four-wheel drive excursions, with several companies offering day and half-day tours through the surrounding countryside and Berber villages, taking you where the tour buses simply can’t go.

Ballooning – An early morning balloon flight can be an exhilarating way to savour the city, countryside, villages and mountains around Marrakech, with a half-day experience seeing you glide for 15-25km before gradually descending and retiring to one of the villages for refreshments.

Watersports – A wealth of energetic watersport activities such as jet-skiing, water-skiing and kayaking await at Lalla Takerkoust, a man-made lake dating back to the 1930s. PG

Getting There British Airways, EasyJet, Iberia, Royal Air Maroc, Transavia, Lufthansa, Air Berlin, KLM, Norwegian, Ryanair and Swiss all operate out of Marrakech Menara International Airport, providing many services into and out of Marrakech from all over.

When To Go Marrakech has a semi-arid climate that typically produces mild winters (though the nights can be cold) and dry, very warm summers. The weather is mostly sunny and dry nearly all year round, with over 300 days of sunshine per year on average. The hottest months are July and August when the mercury can tiptoe over 40°C, although the average peak daytime temperature is 37°C, with night times a very pleasant mid-teens.

The coolest months are January and December when daytime temperatures are usually mild, but can sometimes dip to 6°C. Useful Contacts/Links Morocco Tourism Board www.visitmorocco.com (select ‘Marrakech’, then ‘Active’)

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malaysian professional news

Still going strong – Danny Chia

It was a battle of the 40-somethings in the final of the inaugural PGM Matchplay Championship, with Danny Chia registering a comfortable 4-and-3 win over R. Nachimuthu to win the event played at Impian Golf & Country Club on June 1-4.

Chia, 42, showed that he is still very much the player to beat in Malaysia with an impressive performance, winning all six of his matches relatively comfortably.

“I like this format and hopefully the tour can introduce another one or two next year,” said Chia.

“I played solid the whole week although I did have it tough at times, especially in the

first round where Khairul (Nizam Rasip) took the match to 17 holes.

“In the final today I made sure that I stayed focus on not giving anything away after I went in front and I’m happy with how it all turned out.”

In the final, Chia took the lead with a birdie at the par three 7th and never looked back. Two more birdies at 11 and 12 moved him three in front and Nachimuthu conceded the match after losing the 15th hole.

In third placing match, Sukree Othman defeated Kemarol Baharin after the latter withdrew due to a wrist injury at the 10th hole.

R. Nachimuthu

©PGM Tour

©PGM Tour

Chia wins battle of ‘oldies’ in inaugural PGM Matchplay

The matchplay stage featured a total of 64 players, made up of the top 36 players on the PGM Tour Order of Merit and the leading 29 players from a two-round strokeplay qualifier. There were some upsets in the early stages of matchplay, notably top seed Airil Rizman’s second round loss to Farid Rashid and Danny Chia’s route to the title: Round 1: Beat Khairul Nizam 3&1 Round 2: Beat M. Alwarith 6&4 Round 3: Beat Zen Dhamaratne 2-up Quarterfinals: Beat Farid Rashid 8&6 Semifinals: Beat Sukree Othman 5&4 Final: Beat R. Nachimuthu 4&3

Lee wraps up PGM Qualifier in Sarawak Qualifying School Circuit at Sarawak Golf Club in mid-May. The 45-year-old Lee fired rounds of 75,

©PGM Tour

Veteran amateur Lee Ka Tung chalked up another one for the ‘oldies’ by winning the sixth leg of the PGM Development

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68 and 73 for an even-par total of 216 and a four-stroke victory over fellow amateurs Lau Ching Leong and Abdul Rahim.

“I am quite familiar with this course. I play here a few times a year and have done so for some time now. This is a good course and besides my slow start this week, I played well here again,” said Lee, who hails from Sibu and has won numerous amateur titles including 10 Sarawak Opens and two Kuala Lumpur Amateur crowns.

“I hit the ball well, particularly after I tweaked my swing after the first round when I had a 75. The second round 68 was really nice and today I just tried to hold it together, which I did comfortably in the end,” added Lee, who is in the golf retail business.

Lee noted it was unlikely that he would spend “too much” time on the PGM Tour despite having secured his tour card with the victory. “I might play a few events towards the end of the year,” he said.

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©Miao Hua/Misson Hills

young guns

Winners with Mission Hills’ officials and other VIPs

contribute to the course's difficulty index of over 150, which is one of the highest in Asia.

So it was a fantastic experience and a great learning curve for junior golfers,” said Mission Hills Group vice chairman Tenniel Chu. “It is recognised that Mission Hills places great emphasis on junior golf and it truly fulfils our vision to grow the junior game in China and the region. While congratulating our deserving winners, my sincere thanks go out to all the players who have represented their countries and the game of golf with such

©Miao Hua/Misson Hills

Yin Fengru, boys’ overall champion with Mission Hills’ vice chairman Tenniel Chu

©Harry How/Getty Images

Stormy weather could not dampen the enthusiasm of 110 players from 11 countries who took part in the eighth edition of the Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship, played at the Norman Course of Mission Hills Dongguan in China.

After three days of great golf from some of the top juniors in the region, promising Chinese teenager Yin Fengru fired rounds of 74, 68 and 74 to take the boys’ overall champion title. Taiwan’s Chang Yachun meanwhile was crowned girls’ overall champion with an aggregate score of 218.

Yin’s victory guarantees him a place in the forthcoming Nanshan China Masters, while Chang’s success means she will be teeing off against some of the biggest names in women’s golf at the World Ladies Championship at Mission Hills Haikou next March. Yin and Chang will be invited to play in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final 2015 at Mission Hills.

China’s Zhang Zihong won the boys’ 15-17 age group while Chang Ting Shuo of Taiwan was the winner of the boys’ 11-14 category. In the girls’ competition, Lin Jiaxin from China was the 15-17 age group winner while Mikhaella Fortuna of the Philippines was first in the 11-14 age group.

The overall champions and the top three finishers in each age group also earn places in the Nicklaus Junior Championship at Bear Lakes-Links in the US and the Mission Hills Golf Series Junior Tour Grand Final 2015.

“It has been wonderful to see so many talented young players showcasing their skills on Asia’s most hard-to-conquer tournament course. The narrow fairways, surrounded by long grass and dense forest vegetation

©Miao Hua/Misson Hills

Yin and Chang rule at Mission Hills Jack Nicklaus Championship

Chang Yachun, girls’ overall champion

distinction this week,” Chu added.

Eighteen-time Major winner Nicklaus commented: “The game of golf is not about just winning or losing, it’s about playing the game, playing together, representing your country and representing the game of golf and its future around the world. I believe that all the boys and girls who participated in this tournament had a great time, played good golf, enjoyed camaraderie and had a lot of fun this week.”

“The game of golf is not about just winning or losing, it’s about playing the game, playing together, representing your country and representing the game of golf and its future around the world.”

Jack Nicklaus ParGolf july 2015

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potshots

Thanks, But No Thanks There aren’t many people out there, including golfers, who aren’t familiar with the Kardashians – or at least intrigued by their inexplicable popularity. One such young man is Masters champion Jordan Spieth.

Apparently back in 2013 when Caitlyn Jenner was Bruce, he tried to fix Spieth up with his teenage daughter Kendall (pic above) – but the Texan golfer turned down the offer; he didn’t even know who they were.

Well, either Spieth doesn’t spend any time outside of the driving range or the man is just way too contented with his high-school sweetheart, Annie Verret (pic below), to care about any other woman.

“Annie’s good for Jordan,” said Spieth’s mom, Chris. “He doesn’t need a celebrity girlfriend. He doesn’t want the attention.”

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©Tom Pennington/Getty Images

The Drake Effect Cheyenne Woods, the 24-year-old niece of Tiger, shot a course-recordtying 63 at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Ontario, Canada during the first round of the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic early last month; she hit 100 per cent of fairways on the day, averaged 276 yards off the tee, and only missed two of 18 greens.

And the reason for the impressive stats? Possibly hanging out with her favourite rapper, Drake, two nights earlier. Woods attended Drake’s concert, and met the rapper afterward. Drake even posted a photo of himself with her on his Instagram account – thrilling her, and getting her 500 new followers to boot!

“I’ve always been a huge Drake fan,” Woods said. “I listen to him when I warm up, off the course, everything. When I saw that he released his tour schedule, I looked at it to see if any of the cities matched up with our tour stops.”

Taking Five With Golf So what is Hollywood’s favourite pastime in between filming? Golf, it looks like!

A very buff Zac Efron (High School Musical and Hair Spray fame) was recently spotted playing a round of golf in Oohu, Hawaii while taking a break from filming his latest movie, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. The 27-year-old looked like a true pro sporting a pair of dark grey short pants, a cobalt blue polo shirt and a cap, complete with a glove and a pair of brown tinted Ray Ban aviators.

Fist-pumping the air as he celebrated a killer shot, Efron displayed his rippling guns in all their glory as he paraded around the lawn.

Cast as one of two brothers who place an online wedding date ad that goes viral, the new film will see the actor co-star alongside Pitch Perfect’s Anna Kendrick.

ParGolf july 2015

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0715

6/25/15 11:19 AM

Calendar of Events july - august 2015 MALAYSIAN AMATEUR EVENTS July 25

July 26 July 27 – 30 July 30 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 – 6 Aug 6 Aug 8 Aug 8 Aug 9 Aug 10 – 13 Aug 14 – 16 Aug 15 Aug 15 Aug 16 Aug 17 – 20 Aug 20 – 23 Aug 20 Aug 20 Aug 21 – 23 Aug 22 Aug 23 Aug 26 – 29 Aug 27 Aug 29 Aug 30

Prudential Astro Masters – 13th Leg

Carlsberg Golf Classic – 2nd Leg Penang Amateur Open (Men & Ladies) Prudential Astro Masters – 14th Leg Carlsberg Golf Classic – 3rd Leg Carlsberg Golf Classic – 4th Leg KL Amateur Open (Men & Ladies) World Amateur Golfers Championship Malaysia (Open) Prudential Astro Masters – 15th Leg Carlsberg Golf Classic – 5th Leg Carlsberg Golf Classic – 6th Leg World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship 37th Sandakan Amateur Open (Men & Ladies) Prudential Astro Masters – 16th Leg Carlsberg Golf Classic – 7th Leg Carlsberg Golf Classic – 8th Leg RSGC Ladies Amateur Open Negeri Sembilan Amateur Open (Men & Ladies) World Amateur Golfers Championship Malaysia (Open) Prudential Astro Masters – 17th Leg 24th Labuan Amateur Open (Men & Ladies) Carlsberg Golf Classic – 9th Leg Carlsberg Golf Classic – 10th Leg Pahang Amateur Open (Men & Ladies) Prudential Astro Masters – 18th Leg Carlsberg Golf Classic – 11th Leg Carlsberg Golf Classic – 12th Leg

Damai GCC, Sarawak Palm Resort GCC, Johor Penang GC Bukit Jawi GR, Penang Batu Pahat GC, Johor Monterez GCC, Selangor Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam, Kuala Lumpur Horizon Hills GCC, Johor Resort World Kijal, Terengganu Nexus Golf Resort Karambunai, Sabah Glenmarie GCC, Selangor/Sungai Petani GC, Kedah Kota Permai GCC/Impian GCC, Selangor Sandakan GCC, Sabah Dalit Bay GCC, Sabah Permas Jaya GC, Johor/Nilai Springs GCC, Negeri Sembilan Kelab Golf Titiwangsa PDRM, Kuala Lumpur/Pulai Springs Resort, Johor Royal Selangor GC, Kuala Lumpur Port Dickson GC Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, Selangor Kelab Golf Seri Selangor, Selangor Labuan GC, Sabah Penang GC, Penang/Kelab Rekreasi Angkatan Tentera, Kuala Lumpur Bukit Jalil GCR, Kuala Lumpur Royal Pekan GC Horizon Hills GCC, Johor Kelab Rekreasi Tentera Udara Butterworth, Penang/Ayer Keroh CC, Melaka Kuala Kubu Bharu GCC, Selangor

PROFESSIONAL GOLF OF MALAYSIA (PGM) TOUR July 22 – 25 July 29 – Aug 1 Aug 3 – 5 Aug 12 – 15 Aug 17 – 19 Aug 26 – 29

PGM Swiss-Garden Closed Championship PGM Taiping Closed Championship PGM Development Circuit – Q-School PGM Northpoint Glenmarie Championship (ADT) PGM Development Circuit – Q-School PGM Orna Closed Championship

Damai Laut GCC, Perak Taiping GCC, Perak Taiping GCC, Perak Glenmarie GCC, Selangor Glenmarie GCC, Selangor Orna GCC, Melaka

RM180,000 RM180,000 RM15,000 RM200,000 RM15,000 RM180,000

The Open Championship Omega European Masters WGC-Bridgestone Invitational PGA Championship Vascory Classic

St Andrews GC (Old Course), Scotland Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Crans Montana, Switzerland Firestone CC, Ohio, USA Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA Templer Park CC, Malaysia

US$9,200,000 €2,700,000 US$9,250,000 US$10,000,000 US$750,000

US Women’s Open Marathon Classic Meijer LPGA Classic Ricoh Women’s British Open Cambia Portland Classic Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic

Lancaster CC, Pennsylvania, USA Highland Meadows GC, Sylvania, Ohio, USA Blythefield CC, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA Trump Turnberry Resort, Turnberry, Scotland Colombia Edgewater County Club, Portland, Oregon, USA Vancouver GC, Vancouver, Canada RTJ Golf Trail, Capitol Hill, Prattville, Alabama, USA

US$4,000,000 US$1,500,000 US$2,000,000 US$3,000,000 US$1,300,000 US$2,250,000 US$1,300,000

ASIAN tour July 16 – 19 July 23 – 26 Aug 6 – 9 Aug 13 – 16 Aug 20 – 23

LPGA TOUR July 9 – 12 July 16 – 19 July 23 – 26

July 30 – Aug 2

Aug 13 – 16

Aug 20 – 23

Aug 27 – 30

Note: Calendar omits unannounced schedules of tours and associations at press time

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PGA TOUR July 2 – 5 July 9 – 12 July 16 – 19 July 16 – 19 July 23 – 26 July 30 – Aug 2 Aug 6 – 9 Aug 6 – 9 Aug 13 – 16 Aug 20 – 23 Aug 27 – 30

The Greenbrier Classic John Deere Classic Barbasol Championship The Open Championship RBC Canadian Open Quicken Loans National Barracuda Championship WGC-Bridgestone Invitational PGA Championship Wyndham Championship The Barclays

Old White TPC, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, USA TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois, USA RTJ Trail, Auburn/Opelika, Alabama, USA St Andrews GC (Old Course), Scotland Glen Abbey GC, Oakville, Ontario, Canada Robert Trent Jones GC, Gainesville, Virginia, USA Montreux GCC, Reno, Nevada, USA Firestone CC, Ohio, USA Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA Sedgefield CC, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Plainfield CC, Edison, New Jersey, USA

US$6,700,000 US$4,700,000 US$3,500,000 US$9,200,000 US$5,800,000 US$6,700,000 US$3,100,000 US$9,250,000 US$10,000,000 US$5,400,000 US$8,250,000

Le Golf National, Paris, France Gullane GC,Gullane, East Lothian,Scotland St Andrews GC (Old Course), Scotland Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Crans Montana, Switzerland Murcar Links GC, Aberdeen, Scotland Clube de Golf do Santo da Serra, Madeira, Portugal Firestone CC, Ohio, USA Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort, Farsø, Denmark Albatross GR, Prague, Czech Republic

€2,000,000 €3,250,000 US$9,200,000 €2,700,000 €1,000,000 €600,000 US$9,250,000 US$10,000,000 €1,500,000 €1,000,000

ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters

Buckinghamshire Golf Club, Denham, England

€500,000

Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open

Dundonald Links – Troon, Scotland

€500,000

Trump Turnberry Resort, Turnberry, Scotland

US$3,000,000

Golf Park Pilsen, Czech Republic

€300,000

EUROPEAN TOUR July 2 – 5 July 9 – 12 July 16 – 19 July 23 – 26 July 30 – Aug 2 July 30 – Aug 2 Aug 6 – 9 Aug 13 – 16 Aug 20 – 23 Aug 27 – 30

Alstom Open de France Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open The Open Championship Omega European Masters Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay Madeira Islands Open WGC-Bridgestone Invitational PGA Championship Made In Denmark D+D Real Czech Masters

ladies EUROPEAN TOUR July 2 – 5

July 24 – 26

July 30 – Aug 2 Aug 7 – 9

Ricoh Women’s British Open Pilsen Golf Masters

ParGolf july 2015

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style lounge

Irresistible White Cerruti

Cool Vision Fendi

Two decades ago, the original Cerruti 1881 for men was released, followed by the female version five years afterwards. This year a different pair makes its presence with Cerruti 1881 Edition Blanche – White Edition for men and women.

The White Edition for her is inspired by the powdery sweet taste of mimosa; it begins with notes of bergamot, black currant and violet leaf, developing to the centre of mimosa and heliotrope. The closing trace gives a soothing experience with hints of vanilla and musk.

The Pour Homme version, meanwhile, opens with notes of bergamot, mandarin and mint leaves, while the heart pulsates with lavender and rosemary as well as black currant. The warm final trail takes hold with notes of oak-moss, cedar wood and amber.

The new Spring/Summer 2015 Asian fitting eyewear collection by Fendi celebrates the maison’s elegance with sophisticated and geometric architectures, enhanced by bold lines and quality materials.

The FF-0086 acetate sunglasses look to the past with their retro-inspired silhouette, enhanced by a new colourblock interpretation, with an interplay between the havana colours of the front and the temples in ethereal shades.

The FF-0083 acetate cat-eye sunglasses feature temples in crystalcoloured Optyl (registered trademark for an ultra-light weight plastic material) decorated with the brand’s iconic black/tobacco striped Pequin.

Very light material combination of plastic and metal gives the FF-0095 model a minimal yet sophisticated appeal. Tailor-made to suit Asian women, the bi-layered acetate treatment allows interplay of full and transparent colours for a trendy and cool look.

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FF-00

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FF-00

Cobra Evolution Franc Vila The famous ‘Cobra’ collection by Franc Vila, the first evolution of the famous case that is so characteristic of the ‘Esprit Unique’ of the brand, is now available in a skeleton version.

The Cobra FV 18E Manual Suspended Skeleton combines titanium, steel and carbon fibre in the case. In order to appreciate the inner mechanical workings, the timepiece has eliminated the dial and replaced it with the glass for a better view of the movement.

While the movement is hand-assembled and finished, the watch’s prowess lies in the fact that the movement is in total suspension – held in place by an ingenious system of springs. The main plate and the bridges have been given a sandblasted and diamond finish, and have been chamfered and treated with an NAC technique.

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Vintage En Vogue Girard-Perregaux Girard-Perregaux celebrates its iconic Vintage 1945 with a gold and steel sculpted re-edition – a tribute to the original watch and the combination of materials so characteristic of Art Deco.

Like the case, the dial presents a doubly-curved shape and pink gold-coloured numerals, while the small second indication at 6 o'clock underscores its symmetry and balance. The dauphine-shaped minute and hour hands are faceted and delicately curved to follow the shape of the dial.

This aesthetic sophistication is completed by a Manufacture movement with automatic winding, the GP03300-0051, indicating hours and minutes with the small second at 6 o'clock. Equipped with a minimum 46-hour power reserve, the timepiece is complemented by a brown alligator strap mounted on a folding clasp.

Essential Companion Lenovo The Lenovo TAB 2 A8 caters to those who want to stay connected or juggle multiple needs using one device. It can handle the most frequent personal connectivity tasks with ease, from updating social media to video chatting.

Weighing just 360g, the 8” TAB 2 A8 lasts through an entire eight-hour work day without plugging in and features a dual SIM card slot for voice and LTE for data. It features Dolby Atmos, a 5-megapixel rear camera to take sharp resolution photos, as well as a MediaTek 64-bit Quad Core processor, with up to 32 GB of storage via a micro SD card.

Available in four distinctly fun colour options: Pearl White, Ebony, Midnight Blue or Neon Pink.

Enchanting Diver Ulysse Nardin The Lady Diver Starry Night timepiece by Ulysse Nardin shines with fresh aesthetics, fully honouring her maritime history. The unidirectional turning bezel as well as the rubber strap are edged with what appears to be cresting waves that seem to rhythmically rise and fall as if affected by the gravitational forces of the sun and moon.

Twenty-nine circling diamonds sparkle on the black or white mother-of-pearl dial pronounced by 12 diamonds on the bezel marking the hours and by more than 30 of this precious gemstone nuzzled between the lugs.

A fine jewellery watch and reliable diving instrument (water-resistant to 100m), the Lady Diver Starry Night is self-winding with the UN-815 calibre steering the hours, minutes and seconds, as well as the date at the 6 o’clock position.

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cars+pars

brawny Sophistication Isuzu MU-X

Powered by the highly fuel efficient 2.5-litre Variable Geometry System (VGS) diesel engine, the new Isuzu MU-X features a double wishbone up front and a five-link design in the rear, offering greater stability, comfort and handling.

Inside, the MU-X’s back seats fold in a variety of configurations allowing owners to mix and match their space either for people or cargo, and there are overhead air-conditioning vents for all three rows of passengers.

Available in both four by two (4x2) and four by four (4x4), the MU-X boasts one of the highest levels of safety in its class, featuring electronic aids such as Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and a Traction Control System (TCS).

The 4×2 variant is priced at RM151,945, while the 4×4 at RM164,970 (both OTR prices inclusive of GST and insurance).

Colour choices include Uluru Brown, Splash White, Titanium Silver and Cosmic Black.

generates 397Nm of torque even at a low 5,000rpm, and does the century sprint in 6.5 seconds.

It’s equipped with the latest technologies, including an advanced driver infotainment system, CO2 Cabin Sensor and Head-up Display, along with the Lexicon Discrete Logic 7 Surround Audio System with 14 speakers, Logic 7 Surround Sound processing and

12-channel digital amplifier.

Its safety features include Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), nine airbags, and anti-whiplash front head restraints, along with Pre-Safe Belt (PSB).

Available in Marble White, Platinum Silver and Onyx Black, the new Genesis retails at RM388,922 (including GST, road tax and hire purchase ownership but without insurance).

Redefining Luxury Hyundai Genesis

The all-new Hyundai Genesis delivers improved strength and performance, increased passenger comfort and cuttingedge safety and convenience technologies, whilst featuring a striking hexagonal front grille and a dynamic crease accent along the flanks of the car. Powered by a 3.8-litre V6 GDI engine complemented by Hyundai’s eight-speed automatic transmission, it

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Malaysian Amateur Open

Marc’s the Man

Singapore’s Marc Ong wins wire-to-wire in Kuching as the island republic’s golfers flex their muscles

T

he rising strength of Singapore amateur golf was reflected in the impressive performance of the republic’s national golfers in the 113th Malaysian Amateur Open, led by Marc Ong who powered his way to a wire-to-wire victory at Kelab Golf Sarawak (KGS) in Kuching on May 21-24.

The 19-year-old Singaporean carded rounds of 68, 70, 69 and 68 for a total of 13-under-par 275, using accuracy and a deft short game to tame KGS’s 6,394metre, par-72 championship combination of the Santubong and Matang Nines.

There were no less than five Singaporeans in the top 10 of the final standings.

The win was especially sweet for Ong as he finished runner-up to Australia’s Cory Crawford in last year’s edition at Royal Perak Golf Club. This time around, Ong finished five shots ahead of another Australian, Harrison Endycott.

“I had a very good tournament and my short game was really good all week.

I was second last year, so it feels really good to win this time,” said Ong. Trailing Ong by just one shot going into the final round, Endycott was unable to get his game going and settled for a distant second after a closing 72.

“It was a tough day. I was trying to catch up and go after him but I was running out of holes,” said the Australian.

Conducted by the Malaysian Golf Association, the Malaysian Amateur Open is one of the world’s oldest golf tournaments. This year’s event featured 126 players from 15 countries namely

Australia, Bahrain, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Iran, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Myanmar and Malaysia.

The tournament began as the Straits Championships in 1894 and the list of participants includes current stars such as Robert Allenby, Stephen Leaney, Mardan Mamat, Thongchai Jaidee and Michael Campbell.

It was a disappointing outing for the Malaysian national team members, none of whom featured in the top 10. The top local player was former national golfer Low Khai Jei in joint ninth position on Harrison Endycott

four-over-par after rounds of 73, 74, 70 and 75.

The chief minister of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Adenan Satem, attended the prizegiving ceremony and presented the challenge trophy to the champion.

Located in in the suburb of Petra Jaya about 8km from the Kuching city centre, KGS is the only 36-hole club in Sarawak. The club also hosted the Malaysian Amateur Open in 2009, when Thailand’s Thanyakon Khrongpa edged Malaysia’s Haziq Hamizan by one shot. PG

Results (Top 10 & ties) 275 Marc Ong (SIN) 280 Harrison Endycott (AUS) 283 Justin Warren (AUS) 284 Gregory Foo (SIN) 286 Sangchai Kaewcharoen (THA) 287 Jerome Ng (SIN) 290 Samarth Dwivedi (IND) 291 Kevin Caesario Akbar (INA) 292 Johnson Poh (SIN)

Joshua Ho (SIN)

Chi Huang (TWN) Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) Low Khai Jei (MAS)

68-70-69-68 70-68-70-72 70-72-73-68 71-68-75-70 69-72-73-72 74-67-72-74 70-75-73-72 74-74-70-73 78-70-74-70 72-73-76-71 73-74-71-74 72-75-71-74 73-74-70-75

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Best Man MPI Saujana Amateur Championship

Standing

Malaysian teen Daeng Abdul Rahman upstages the favourites in 28th edition of MPI Saujana Amateur text By jonathan ponniah photos By toha dol

I'm the champ – Daeng Abdul Rahman celebrates at the 18th hole of Saujana's Bunga Raya Course Johnson Poh of Singapore

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ore than 100 golfers from 12 countries.

Substantial world amateur golf ranking points on offer. Near flawless execution and excellent hospitality.

On all counts, the 28th edition of the MPI Saujana Amateur Championship played on May 26-28 was a great success with plaudits flying in from players, officials and sponsors alike.

And it had a great winner as well – promising Malaysian teenager Daeng Abdul Rahman, who outlasted a strong field to chalk up his biggest amateur win after four days of compelling action at Saujana Golf & Country Club’s Bunga Raya Course. Having just celebrated his 15th birthday on April 18, Daeng became the youngest ever winner of the event – supplanting compatriot Gavin Kyle Green who was 15 years and four months old when he won the first of his three titles in 2009.

Going into the event, favourite tags were pinned on Singapore’s Marc Ong and Aussie Harrison Endycott who were first and second respectively in the preceding week’s Malaysian Amateur Open in Kuching. But Endycott was never in the running and Ong blew his chances after a second round 78, leaving another member of the powerful Singapore squad, Johnson Poh, to take pole position going into the final round.

Poh, 23, played some impressive golf in the first two rounds, carding scores of 69 and 67 to take a three-shot advantage over Daeng and Kevin Caesario Akbar of Indonesia into the third and final day.

Fifteen holes into the closing round, Poh was favourite to close out the win as he led by two over Daeng – but what transpired over the closing three holes was totally unexpected. Poh dropped a shot at the short par four 16th after pulling his tee shot to the left and was

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just one ahead with two to go. Then came the decisive moment – a nervously pulled tee shot into the water at the par three 17th, resulting in a disastrous triple bogey six. The threeshot swing gave Daeng a two-shot cushion with just one to go.

Despite missing the green with his approach at the tough par four 18th, Daeng played a great pitch to save par and card a closing 72 for a three-day total of five-under-par 211. The flustered Poh meanwhile dropped another shot, three-putting from just off the green to sign in a 78 and a total of 214 – which allowed Akbar to slide into second place with a final round 74, two shots behind Daeng.

“I’m very happy as this is my first amateur title and it’s a big one,” said Daeng, who made history in April when he became the youngest winner on the local Professional Golf of Malaysia Tour with a one-shot win in the Danau Closed Championship.

“My game plan today was to just hit fairways and try to make birdies but somehow I couldn’t make any on the first nine – and it was the same story on the second nine. So I told myself to just make par and Johnson ended up blowing the last three holes.

“On the last hole I felt a bit of pressure as the pin placement was very tough – I pulled my second shot over the bunker on the left but managed to save par. My short game has helped me a lot these last few days,” added Daeng, who made his national team debut in the South East Asia (SEA) Games in Singapore two weeks later.

Daeng paid tribute to his father, Abdul Aziz, who taught him the game when he was four and has been his coach ever since.

“My father has played a very important role in my golf career. As I grew, my swing changed, my body developed and he helped me adapt and progress. He’s been a strong pillar of support,” said Daeng, who joins an illustrious list of past champions which includes PGA Tour star Robert Allenby of Australia and a host of top Asian professionals such as Taiwanese great Chang Tse-Peng, Filipino Jay Bayron, Sri Lankan Mithun Perera and last year’s winner Danthai Boonma of Thailand, who is already making waves on the Asian Tour.

While obviously disappointed, Johnson noted that he would take the loss as part of the learning process.

“I think I have to learn how to stay focused better as I lost a bit of focus during the round today. I guess it was because of the weather but that’s no excuse because we are from this part of the world. I just need to be stronger and treat this week as a good learning experience. I’ll need to get over this and move on and hopefully I’ll do better in the SEA Games,” said the Singaporean.

Daeng with his father, Abdul Aziz

“My father has played a very important role in my golf career. He’s been a strong pillar of support.”

Daeng Abdul Rahman.

Malaysia had double cause for celebration when the Malaysian Golf Association Team B – comprising Daeng and national team-mate Amir Nazrin Jailani – picked up the inaugural team title based on the first two rounds. Their combined score of 283 was just one stroke better than Singapore Team A, made up of Poh and Ong. Initially, the event was scheduled to be played on a composite course which included the front nine of Saujana’s Palm Course, expected to be ready for play following an extensive renovation and redesign exercise. Poor weather scuttled those plans but next year’s edition is expected to be played on the new and improved Palm 18.

Now that would be something to savour. PG Amir Nazrin Jailani combined with champ Daeng to win the inaugural team event for Malaysia

Results

Individual (Top 10 & ties) 211 Daeng Abd Rahman Abd Aziz (MAS) 213 Kevin Caesario Akbar (INA) 214 Johnson Poh (SIN) 216 Genki Okada (JPN) 217 Amir Nazrin Jailani (MAS) 218 Marc Ong (SIN) 219 Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA)

Abdul Hadi (SIN) 220 Sangchai Kaewcharoen (THA)

Harrison Endycott (AUS)

Runner-up Kevin Caesario Akbar of Indonesia

71-68-72 70-69-74 69-67-78 71-74-71 70-74-73 70-78-70 71-78-70 73-74-72 72-71-77 73-76-71

Team (Top 3) 283 Malaysian Golf Association B (Daeng Abdul Rahman / Amir Nazrin Jailani)

284 Singapore A (Johnson Poh / Marc Ong) 292 Thailand (Sangchai Kaewcharoen / Sadom Kaewkanjana)

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Malaysian Ladies Amateur Open

Pauline powers home Filipina teenager claims biggest career win at Templer Park

Royal company – champion Pauline Del Rosario with MALGA patron HRH Tunku Ampuan Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Najihah and MALGA president Tunku Puan Sri Dato’ Seri Jawahir

F

ilipina teenager Pauline Del Rosario claimed her biggest international title with a gutsy victory in the 32nd Malaysian Ladies Amateur Open, played at the spectacular Templer Park Country Club on May 26-28.

The 16-year-old from Manila finished on level-par 216 after rounds of 73, 70 and 73, three ahead of New Zealand’s Julianne Del Puerto Alvarez.

Rosario however had to endure a nervy finish as local hope Nur Durriyah Damian made a final day charge to tie her for the lead early on in the back nine. But the 20-year-old Malaysian sent her drive out of bounds at the parfive 15th and wound up with a triple bogey, leaving her to settle for third place on 220.

A shower for the champ from MALGA executive director Dato' Rabe'ahtul

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Durriyah, who equalled her finish last year, claimed a consolation for the hosts when she and SEA Games teammate Genevieve Ling I-Rynn emerged victorious in the team event.

The pair finished with a two-day total of 296, two strokes clear of runners-up New Zealand.

Pauline was elated to claim the biggest win yet in her young amateur career. “It was a tough contest out there today and I’m just delighted to have done enough to win the championship by a pretty good margin.

“My putting has been average all week and I really felt the pressure on the back nine when Durriyah began to make her move. But I kept to my conservative game plan and made a couple of clutch par saves to bring it home,” added the young Filipina, who began the final round with a two-shot cushion.

Durriyah meanwhile was understandably disappointed, saying: “I had a good round and my iron shots were good. In fact I was looking forward to etch my name on the trophy but I guess it’s just one of those days where I

made some costly mistakes. I tried to recover after that triple bogey but I lost focus after that.”

Dato’ Rabe’ahtul Aloya Abbas, executive director of the Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA), noted that the 32nd edition of the tournament was a great success with golfers from 12 countries participating.

“We scheduled the event immediately after the Queen Sirikit Cup held in Hong Kong Golf Club so that players from Queen Sirikit would come over and play in Malaysia. This year we also introduced the senior division to allow ladies aged 50 and above to participate in our event,” she said.

“We selected Templer Park Country Club for the event because the club is very supportive and the course is in good condition with beautiful scenery; it's also very challenging.” PG

Results (Top 10 & ties) 216 Pauline Del Rosario (PHI) 73-70-73 219 Julianne Del Puerto Alvarez (NZL) 75-73-71 220 Nur Durriyah Damian (MAS) 70-75-75 225 Michelle Cheung (HKG) 74-77-74 226 Inez Beatrice Wanamarta (INA) 76-77-73 227 Mun Chin Keh (NZL) 75-76-76 228 Amanda Tan (SIN) 76-73-79 229 Koh Sock Hwee (SIN) 80-75-74 Ashley Lau Wen Jen (MAS) 76-76-77

Genevieve Ling I-Rynn (MAS) 74-77-78

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in the spotlight

Vega Boys rock Templer Park More than 80 golfers teed off in the inaugural Prestige Vega Closed Championship at Templer Park Country Club on June 5.

The event was organised by Vega Golf distributors Prestige Golf and was open to all owners of Vega clubs, known as ‘Vega Boys’.

In the end, it was a young ‘Vega Girl’ who upstaged the men to win – 11-handicapper Norsyahirah Omar, who amassed 38 nett Stableford points, edged Wan Kamaruzaman Wan Yaakob (14) on countback. Rusdi Yusof (12) was third with 37 points. Meanwhile the A Medal and B Medal categories were won by Hassan Ali Beharom (12) and K. Soma (16) respectively.

During the prizegiving, Graham Webb of Professional Golf Europe and K. Vasudevan of Prestige Golf signed a 10-year agreement for the distribution of Vega Golf equipment in Malaysia. Co-sponsors of the event included Golfer’s Dock, Nike Golf, Crest Link, Mazda, Titoni, Golf Malaysia, Liberty Golf Services, Isomax, Cowa Coconut Water and Jetcoart Enterprise.

Amin leads third leg qualifiers in World Amateur Golfers Championship The third leg of the 2015 World Amateur Golfers Championship Malaysia presented

by Perodua teed off at Nilai Springs Golf & Country Club on May 21.

Seventy players took part in the event,

which saw five-handicapper Mohd Amin Haris taking the Category A title by scoring 73 nett. Mohd Shukri Awang (6) came out tops in Category B on 71 nett, while the Category C title went to Mohd Fazli Ramlan (15) with

an amazing score of 63 nett. Kwong Teng Keh (17) shot 66 nett to top Category D, while Dato Shamsuar Mahmood (22) emerged as the Category E champion on 76 nett.

The five winners qualify for the national final at Temper Park Country Club on October 22, from where the five category champions as well as the invitational team winner will earn the honour of representing Malaysia in the week-long World Final in Antalya, Turkey in late November. The Malaysian team will be joined by qualifiers from more than 40 other countries.

The 2015 qualifying round schedule consists of a mix of club, open and invitational events. For details, contact Delta Trend Golf & Leisure Holidays at +603 7931 9311 or log on to www.worldgolfers.com.my.

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in the spotlight

Hazali wins men’s title at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah The Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Golf & Country Club (formerly Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah) staged its club championship on May 29-31, attracting a total of 88 members. While this was technically the inaugural club championship for the newly-formed club, it was the 23rd overall including the previous stagings under the old entity and in the interim period.

In the men’s division (handicap 0-12), Hazali Mansor emerged as the champion with a three-round total of 242 (81, 75, 86). He finished just one shot ahead of 2014 winner Baharuddin Othman (82, 79, 82).

Roslan Ismail dominated the senior division with a two-round total of 164, finishing five clear of runner-up David Thong Young Fook (85, 84). In the intermediate division, the champion’s title went to Mohd Arifin Omar with a 175 total (89, 86) with Jalaluddin Abdul Mansor in second place on 179 (89, 90). Sue Wong Peng Hoon dominated the ladies division with a total of 187.

In the nett division, 10-handicapper Frankie Choo carded a three-day nett total of 218 to edge Azli Jamil (11) by one stroke.

The gross and nett champions will represent the club in the Prudential Astro Masters National Final at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club on September 17. This year’s event enjoyed the support of numerous sponsors including Mazda, Fujifilm, Kurnia, Transview, SeQu, Red Bull, Golf Malaysia and ParGolf.

2015 champion Hazali Mansor (L) with runner-up and predecessor Baharuddin Othman

Danau celebrates ‘A Decade Of Excellence’ Danau Golf Club celebrated the 10th anniversary of its rebranding with a golf game for business partners and the media on May 21. Located within the grounds of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), the club was established in 1991 as Kelab Rekreasi UKM and was renamed in 2005 when Saujana Scape & Greens (SSG) took over the management and maintenance.

“Danau Golf Club or Danau in short,

90

from its humble beginnings as a university golf club just a decade ago, is today highly regarded as one of the most preferred golfing destinations in the Southern Corridor of Selangor with world-renowned Tifeagle gracing our greens,” said Fairuzah Mohd Ahmad, director of SSG. “Since its establishment in 2005, the management and operation of Danau Golf Club have been guided by its objective of

developing and providing an affordable international standard golfing facility for golfers,” he added.

The Danau course underwent a major refurbishment in 2012-2013, with its greens being returfed with Tifeagle grass. The club was nominated for the Most Improved Golf Course 2014 award in the Malaysian Golf Awards organised by ParGolf Magazine and the Malaysian Golf Association.

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Palm Resort stages ninth round of Prudential Astro Masters Palm Resort CEO Jeff Kong flanked by winners Abu Samah Kechil and Khairul Nizam Othman

The ninth qualifying round of the 2015 Prudential Astro Masters took place at Palm Resort Golf & Country Club in Senai, Johor on May 14.

Abu Samah Kechil secured a spot in the grand final by winning the overall gross title, edging Khairul Nizam Othman on countback after both golfers carded identical 79s at Palm Resort’s Cempaka Course. Khairul, who plays off a 17 handicap, also made it to the grand final to be held in Bali later this year by winning the nett title, playing 10-under his handicap and finishing with the event’s low nett score cap of five-under 67.

The 18th edition of the popular series features 21 rounds for Astro subscribers, with the gross and nett winners qualifying for the grand final at Bali National Golf Club this October 4-7.

Additionally, there are 50 club rounds run in tandem with selected golf club events, from which the gross and nett winners make it to a national final at Kota Permai Golf & Country Club on September 17 to decide the top three gross and top three nett finishers who will join the subscriber round winners in Bali for the grand final.

Media meet at Horizon Hills

A total of 68 members of the print and electronic media from Singapore and Malaysia enjoyed a great day of golf in the Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club Media Game on April 23.

With the greens rolling at 11 on the Stimpmeter on a sunny afternoon, it was the Singaporeans who dominated with Lawrence

Young (9) from the Asia Pacific Golf Group emerging the champion with a System 36 nett Stableford score of 36 points. He won on countback with Sam Lim (22) from The Edge Singapore and Angelia Tay (24) from Singapore Press Holdings claiming second and third places respectively. The best Malaysian was ParGolf’s Melvin Poi (15) in

fourth place, also with 36 points.

The event was also attended by the top management of the Gamuda Group, including the chairman of Gamuda Berhad Dato Mohammed Che Hussein, along with other board members and Tang Meng Loon, group general manager of Gamuda Land Clubs.

Penang Golf Association raises RM90k for charity The Penang Golf Association succeeded in raising RM90,000 through a charity golf event on May 9. A total of 84 golfers took part in the event, held at Bukit Jawi Golf Resort.

“All proceeds from the event will go only to the Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital and the Penang Hospice Society,” said the association’s president Dato’ Phen Say Bah.

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the lobby

nilai springs resort hotel PT4770, Nilai Springs, 71800 Putra Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Tel: +606-850 2288 Fax: +606-850 2299 A 4-star resort hotel offering 183 spacious guest rooms and suites with full amenities, five F&B outlets, a grand ballroom and 13 meeting rooms to cater to your business requirements, private functions or even for a weekend escapade.

It's the perfect destination for: • Airline transit passengers • Meetings and seminars • Teambuilding/Family Day/Telematch/Mini Amazing Race • Challenging 27 Holes Golf Course

resort hotel P U T R A

N I L A I ,

M A L A Y S I A

★★★★

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golf course directory Kuala Lumpur BUKIT JALIL GCR (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 8994 1600 KELAB REKREASI ANGKATAN TENTERA (9 holes) Tel: 603 - 2141 1113/1881 KELAB GOLF PERKHIDMATAN AWAM (27 holes) Tel: 603 - 7957 3344 KELAB GOLF TITIWANGSA PDRM (9 holes) Tel: 603 - 2693 4964 KUALA LUMPUR GCC (36 holes) Tel: 603 - 2093 1111 KELAB GOLF MAKTAB TENTERA DIRAJA (9 holes) Tel: 603 - 9058 7212 ROYAL SELANGOR GC (45 holes) Tel: 603 - 9206 3333 putrajaya PALM GARDEN GC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 8213 6333 SELANGOR AMVERTON COVE GOLF & ISLAND RESORT (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 3123 3800 BANGI GR (27 holes) Tel: 603 - 8925 3728 BUKIT BERUNTUNG GCC (36 holes) Tel: 603 - 6028 1841 BUKIT KEMUNING GCR (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 5121 7188 BUKIT UNGGUL CC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 8920 2888/2188 DANAU GC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 8925 1010 GLENMARIE GCC (36 holes) Tel: 603 - 7803 9090 GUTHRIE GOLF ACADEMY PITCH & PUTT COURSE (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 7846 3505 ILSAS TENAGA NASIONAL RECREATIONAL GC (9 holes) Tel: 012 - 382 7475 IMPIAN GCC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 8734 4195 KELAB DARUL EHSAN (9 holes) Tel: 603 - 4257 2333 KELAB GOLF NEGARA SUBANG (36 holes) Tel: 603 - 7876 0381/0388 KUALA KUBU BHARU GCC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 6064 2887 KELAB RAHMAN PUTRA MALAYSIA (36 holes) Tel: 603 - 6156 6870 KELAB REKREASI TENTERA UDARA (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 7734 5535/45 KINRARA GC (18 holes) Tel: 03 - 8076 2100 KOTA PERMAI GCC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 5122 3700 LEMBAH BERINGIN GC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 6460 0016 MONTEREZ GCC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 7846 5989 PORT KLANG GR (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 3176 1323 ROYAL KAMPUNG KUANTAN CLUB (9 holes) Tel: 603 - 3289 1069 SAUJANA GCC (36 holes) Tel: 603 - 7846 1466 SERI SELANGOR GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 7806 1111 SULTAN ABDUL AZIZ SHAH GCC (27 holes) Tel: 603 - 5510 5872 SUNGAI LONG GCC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 9076 2233 SRI MORIB GC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 3198 1418 TASIK PUTERI GCC (27 holes) Tel: 603 - 6034 4721/22 TEMPLER PARK CC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 6091 9617 THE MINES RESORT & GC (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 8943 2288 TROPICANA GCR (27 holes) Tel: 603 - 7804 8888 THE CLUB @ BUKIT UTAMA (9 holes) Tel: 603 - 7725 5199 UPM GOLF COURSE (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 8947 1888 VALENCIA GC (9 holes) Tel: 603 - 6156 0021

JOHOR AUSTIN HEIGHTS GOLF & HOTEL RESORT (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 352 4300 BATU PAHAT GC (9 holes) Tel: 607 - 432 9221 BUKIT BANANG GCC (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 428 5431 DAIMAN 18 JOHOR BAHRU (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 351 6813/353 3100 GUTHRIE GCC (9 holes) Tel: 607 - 752 7107 HORIZON HILLS GCC (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 232 3166 IMPIAN EMAS GCC (9 holes) Tel: 607 - 552 2202 IOI PALM VILLA GCR (27 holes) Tel: 607 - 599 9099 KLUANG CC (9 holes) Tel: 607 - 771 8840 KOTA TINGGI GR (9 holes) Tel: 607 - 883 1162 KUKUP GR (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 696 0950 NAM HENG CC (9 holes) Tel: 6019-775 0055 ORCHARD GCR (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 897 7934/6470 PALM RESORT GCC (54 holes) Tel: 607 - 599 2000 PERMAS JAYA GC (9 holes) Tel: 607 - 388 6155 PONDEROSA GCC (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 354 9999 PORESIA CC (27 holes) Tel: 607 - 510 2033 PULAI SPRINGS RESORT (36 holes) Tel: 607 - 521 2121 JOHOR GCC (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 223 3322 SEGAMAT CC (9 holes) Tel: 607 - 943 5968 SEBANA COVE RESORT (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 826 6655/88 S.T. RHODES CLUB (9 holes) Tel: 607 - 926 1209 STARHILL GCC (36 holes) Tel: 607 - 556 6325 TANJUNG EMAS GC (9 holes)Tel: 606 - 952 1550 TANJUNG PUTERI GR (54 holes) Tel: 607 - 271 1888 THE LEGENDS GCR (27 holes) Tel: 607 - 652 4388

PERAK CLEARWATER SANCTUARY GR (18 holes) Tel: 605 - 366 7433 DAMAI LAUT GCC (18 holes) Tel: 605 - 685 9333 KINTA GC (18 holes) Tel: 605 - 365 2827 KUALA KANGSAR GC (9 holes) Tel: 605 - 776 2396 MERU VALLEY RESORT (27 holes) Tel: 605 - 529 3300/3333 ROYAL PERAK GC (18 holes) Tel: 605 - 542 3266 TAIPING GOLF RESORT (18 holes) Tel: 605 - 883 7500 TELUK INTAN GCC (18 holes) Tel: 605 - 623 7421

MELAKA A’FAMOSA GR (27 holes) Tel: 606 - 552 0888 AYER KEROH CC (27 holes) Tel: 606 - 233 2000/2001 ORNA GCC (27 holes) Tel: 606 - 521 0333 TIARA MELAKA GCC (27 holes) Tel: 606 - 231 1111/2366

PERLIS PUTRA PERLIS GC (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 976 9660 UUM GOLF & RECREATION CLUB (9 holes) Tel: 604 - 928 2684

NEGERI SEMBILAN GEMAS GR (18 holes) Tel: 607 - 948 2687 NILAI SPRINGS GCC (27 holes) Tel: 606 - 850 8888 PORT DICKSON GCC (18 holes) Tel : 606 - 647 3586/3123 ROYAL PALM SPRINGS GC (18 holes) Tel: 606 - 661 9599 ROYAL SERI MENANTI GCC (18 holes) Tel: 606 - 497 9600 / 900 SEREMBAN INTERNATIONAL GC (18 holes) Tel: 606 - 677 5277 STAFFIELD COUNTRY RESORT (27 holes) Tel: 603 - 8766 6117/8/9 THISTLE PORT DICKSON RESORT (9 holes) Tel: 606 - 648 2828 UTOPIA GR (FORMERLY ERA GCC) (18 holes) Tel: 017 - 336 0836

PULAU PINANG MOUNTAIN VIEW GR (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 583 3777 PENANG GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 644 2255 BUKIT JAWI GR (36 holes) Tel: 604 - 582 0759 PENANG GOLF RESORT (36 holes) Tel: 604 - 578 2022 PENANG TURF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 238 5226 KEDAH BLACK FOREST GCC (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 922 2790 /822 CINTA SAYANG RESORT (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 441 4666 DARULAMAN GCC (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 917 0001 GUNUNG RAYA GR (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 966 8148 HARVARD GCC (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 450 0323 KULIM GCR (27 holes) Tel: 604 - 403 2828 PERMAIPURA GCC (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 459 4000 ROYAL KEDAH GC (9 holes) Tel: 604 - 731 9405/733 0467 SG. PETANI GC (9 holes) Tel: 604 - 422 4894 THE ELS CLUB TELUK DATAI (18 holes) Tel: 604 - 959 2700 99 EAST GOLF CLUB (9 holes) Tel: 604 - 955 1153

KELANTAN GUA MUSANG GC (9 holes) Tel: 609 - 912 0010/11 KELAB REKREASI TENTERA DARAT (9 holes) Tel: 609 - 787 8200 KELANTAN GCC (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 748 2102 TERENGGANU BUKIT BESI GC (18 holes) Tel: 019 - 956 4760 DESA DUNGUN GC (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 848 1041 GREEN ACRES GCR (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 616 3500 KUALA TERENGGANU GR (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 666 6836 KELAB GOLF & REKREASI PETRONAS (9 holes) Tel: 609 - 804 0232 RESORTS WORLD KIJAL (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 864 1188 PAHANG AWANA GENTING HIGHLANDS GCR (18 holes) Tel: 603 - 6436 9037 BENTONG GC (9 holes) Tel: 609 - 222 2585 BERJAYA HILLS GCC (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 222 8882 CAMERON HIGHLANDS GC (18 holes) Tel: 605 - 4911126

FRASER’S HILL GC (9 holes) Tel: 609 - 362 2888 / 03 - 2691 6633 KELAB GOLF KEM UNGKU NAZAMUDDIN (9 holes) Tel: 609 - 312 2901 KELAB REKREASI SRI MAHKOTA (9 holes) Tel: 609 - 277 7831 KELAB REKREASI TUDM KUANTAN (9 holes) Tel: 609 - 538 4282 LANJUT GOLDEN BEACH & GR (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 414 5113 LIPIS VALLEY GC (9 holes) Tel: 609 - 312 1963/4/5 MAHKOTA GCC (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 573 9595 MARAN HILL GR (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 468 9187 ROYAL PAHANG GC (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 567 5811 ROYAL PEKAN GC (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 422 4139 SELESA RESORT (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 233 0039/42 TIOMAN ISLAND GC (18 holes) Tel: 609 - 419 1000 SABAH BORNEO GOLF RESORT (18 holes) Tel: 6087 - 861 888 DALIT BAY GCC (18 holes) Tel: 6088 - 791 333 HOT SPRING GC (18 holes) Tel: 6089 - 765 555 KENINGAU GCC (18 holes) Tel: 6087 - 331 113 KINABALU GC (9 holes) Tel: 6088 - 251 615 KUDAT GOLF & MARINA RESORT (18 holes) Tel: 6088 - 611 002 LAHAD DATU GCC (18 holes) Tel: 6089 - 867 288 MIMPIAN JADI GC (18 holes) Tel: 6088 - 787 122 MOUNT KINABALU GC (18 holes) Tel: 6088 - 889 445 NEXUS GOLF RESORT KARAMBUNAI (18 holes) Tel: 6088 - 411 215 SABAH GCC (18 holes) Tel: 6088 - 247 533 SANDAKAN GCC (18 holes) Tel: 6089 - 660 557 SHAN-SHUI GCC (18 holes) Tel: 6089 - 916 888 SUTERA HARBOUR GCC (27 holes) Tel: 6088 - 318 888 SIGALONG GCC (18 holes) Tel: 6016 - 830 3657 TAWAU GOLF CLUB (9 holes) Tel: 6089 - 765 990 TAMBUNAN GC (18 holes) Tel: 6087 - 773 114/115 SARAWAK BINTULU GC (18 holes) Tel: 6086 - 253 213 BORNEO HIGHLANDS RESORT (18 holes) Tel: 6019 - 828 0790 DAMAI GCC (18 holes) Tel: 6082 - 846 088 EASTWOOD VALLEY GCC (18 holes) Tel: 6085 - 421 010 KELAB GOLF SARAWAK (36 holes) Tel: 6082 - 444 791/440 966 MIRI GC (18 hole) Tel: 6085 - 416 787 PRISONS GC (9 holes) Tel: 6082 - 613 544 SAMARAHAN CC (18 holes) Tel: 6013 - 816 1876 SIBU GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: 6084 - 228 119 labuan LABUAN GOLF CLUB (9 holes) Tel: 6087 - 412 711 LABUAN INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB (18 holes) Tel: 6087 - 468 468

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golf course directory

Surprising Amverton

The Golfers Paradise

amverton cove golf & island resort

A‘Famosa Golf Resort

The Jungle Serenity

ayer keroh country club

PT 673, Jalan Pulau Carey, Mukim Jugra, 4290 Pulau Carey, Selangor Tel: +603-3123 3888 / +6019-383 2233 E-mail: enquiries@amvertoncove.com Website: www.amvertoncove.com Designer: Jason Winter, E&G Parslow Description: 18 holes, 5,875m

Tel: +606-552 0555 Fax: +606-552 8751 Email: operations.golf@afamosa.com Website: www.afamosa.com Designer: Ross C. Watson Description: 27 holes, Rocky - 3,182m, Crocodile - 3,154m, Palm - 3,215m

KM 14.5, Jalan Tasik, 75450 Ayer Keroh, Melaka Tel: +606-233 2000 Fax: +606-232 3578 E-mail: info@akcc.com.my Website: www.akcc.com.my Facebook: fb.com/ayerkerohcc Designer: Tun Dr. Abdul Ghafar Baba Accommodation: AKCC Hotel Resort Description: 27 holes - Governor, Tunku & Ghafar

Play the Best

Never Too Far From Anywhere

Public Golfer’s Paradise

Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resort

staffield country resort

Daiman 18 Public Course

Jalan Jalil Perkasa 3, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603-8994 1600 Fax: +603-8994 1542 E-mail: jalil@berjayaclubs.com Website: www.berjayaclubs.com/jalil Designer: Max Wexler Description: 18 holes, 6,228m, par 72

Batu 13, Seremban-KL, 71700 Mantin, Negeri Sembilan Tel: +603-8766 6117/+6018-222 1919 Fax: +603-8766 7173 Email: staffield@berjayaclubs.com Website: www.berjayaclubs.com/staffield Designer: Graham Marsh & Ross Watson Description: 27 holes, Championship Course

18, Jalan Pesona, Taman Johor Jaya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor Tel: +607-351 6813 / 353 3100 Fax: +607-351 6823 E-mail: daiman18@daiman.com.my Website: www.daiman.com.my Designer: Golf Oasis Sdn Bhd Description: 18 holes, 5,651m, par 71

Golfing At Its Very Best

Johor’s Hidden Jewel

Borneo's Golfing Haven

kelab darul ehsan Taman Tun Abdul Razak, Jalan Kerja Air Lama Ampang Jaya, 68000 Selangor Tel: +603-4257 2333/+603-4253 2333 Fax: +603-4257 6293 Email: kde@berjayaclubs.com Website: www.berjayaclubs.com/kde Designer: Ronald Fream Description: 9 holes

BUKIT BANANG GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB No. 1, Persiaran Gemilang, Bandar Banang Jaya 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor Darul Takzim Tel: +607-428 6001 Fax: +607-428 6801 Email: banang@berjayaclubs.com Website: www.berjayaclubs.com/banang Designer: Michael Coates & Associates Description: 18 Holes Championship Course

Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort & Spa Dalit Bay Golf & Country Club Pantai Dalit, PO Box 578, 89208 Tuaran, Sabah Tel: +6088-791 188 Fax: +6088-792 128 Website: www.dalitbaygolf.com.my Designer: E & G Parslow (M) Sdn Bhd Description: 18 holes, 6,369m, par 72

it's easy to book your tee time online!

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Play Exciting Golf

Danau Golf Club

In Pursuit of Perfection

Pride Of Nusajaya

Glenmarie Golf & Country Club

Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Tel: +603-8925 1010 Fax: +8925 5326 Website: www.danaugolf.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/DANAUGOLF Description: 18 holes, 6,340m, par 72 Managed by: Saujana Scape & Greens S/B

No 3, Jalan Usahawan U1/8, 40150, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: +603-7803 9090 Fax: +603-7803 2728 E-mail: ggcc@glenmarie.com.my Website: www.glenmariegolf.com Designer: Max Wexler Description: 18 holes Valley Course (6,412m, par 72) & 18 holes Garden Course (6,404m, par 72, Night Golfing) Accommodation: Holiday In Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie

No. 1 Jln Eka, Horizon Hills, 79100 Nusajaya, Johor Tel : +607-232 3166 Fax : +607-232 3919 E-mail: general@hhgcc.com.my Website: www.hhgcc.com.my Designer: Ross Watson Description: 18 holes, 6271m, par 72 Maintenance: Mon

Malaysia’s Best

Pride Of The Civil Service

Serene Beauty

Impian Golf & Country Club

Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam

Kota Permai Golf & Country Club

Batu 14, Jln Cheras, 43000 Kajang, Selangor Tel: +603-8734 4195/96/97 Fax: +603-8734 8133 Website: www.igcc.com.my Designer: Ross C. Watson & Tze To Kok Yia Description: 18 holes, par 72 Maintenance: Mon

Bukit Kiara, Off Jalan Damansara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur Tel: +603-7957 3344 Fax: +603-7957 7821 Website: www.kgpagolf.com Designer: Ronald Fream Description: 27 holes - Hill, Lake, Forest

No 1, Jalan 31/100A, Kota Kemuning Section 31, 40460 Shah Alam, Selangor Tel: +603-5122 3700 Fax: +603-5122 3701/2/3 E-mail : kpgcc@kotapermai.com.my Website : www.kotapermai.com.my Designer: Ross Watson Description: 18 holes, 6,396m, par 72 Maintenance: Mon

Tee Off With Mother Nature

Where Living & Leisure Come Together

A Golfer’s Paradise

labuan international golf club Jalan Sungai Pagar, 87000 Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan Tel: +6087-468468 Fax: +6087-468467 E-mail : reservations@ligc.com.my Website : www.ligc.com.my Designer: Parslow & Winter Golf Course Design Owned by Labuan Corporation, managed by SSGSB Description: 18 holes, 6,182m, par 72

Monterez Golf & Country Club No. 1, Jalan Merah Kesumba, U9/18, Seksyen U9 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Tel: +603-7846 5989 Fax: +603-7846 7881 E-mail: mgcc@monterez.com.my Website: www.monterez-golf.com Description: 18 holes, 5,699m, par 71

Nilai Springs Golf & Country Club PT 4770, Nilai Springs, 71800 Putra Nilai, Negeri Sembilan Tel: +606-850 8888 Fax: +606-850 3005/3388 Website: www.nilaispringsgolf.com.my Designer: DL Golf Development Sdn Bhd Description: 27 holes, Mango, Island & Pine Course

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golf course directory

Pristine Surroundings

Orna Golf & Country Club

Oasis For Golfing And Family Leisure In Johor

Palm Resort Golf & Country Club

Great Golf, Great Food

PENANG GOLF CLUB (formerly Bukit Jambul Country Club)

Batu 16, Jln Gapam, Ladang Gapam 77200 Bemban, Melaka Tel: +606-521 0333 Fax: +606-521 0222 Website: www.ornaresort.com.my Designer: Andy Dye Description: 27 holes, par 72 - East, West & North Course

Jalan Persiaran Golf, Off Jalan Jumbo, 81250 Senai, Johor Tel: +607-599 6222 Fax: +607-599 6001 E-mail: golfbooking@palmresort.com Website: www.palmresort.com Designer: Hiromasa Inagawa Description: 54 holes, Allamanda Course 6,855m, Cempaka Course 7,156m, Melati Course 7,205m

No. 2 Jalan Bukit Jambul, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang Tel: +604-644 2255 Fax: +604-644 9345 E-mail: reception@penanggolfclub.com.my Website: www.penanggolfclub.com.my / www.facebook.com/penanggolfclub Description: 18 Holes, 5,846m – Par 72

Excellent By Nature

The Family And Golfer's Paradise

Jewel Of The North

Palm Garden Golf Club

IOI Palm Villa Golf & Country Resort

PENANG GOLF RESORT BHD

IOI Resort City, 62502, Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Tel: +603-8213 6333 Fax: +603-8213 6388/99 E-mail: marketing@palmgarden.net.my Website: www.palmgarden.net.my Designer: Ted Parslow Description: 18 holes, Eugenia Course 2,960m, Bismarck Course 2,820m

PTD 44500, Jalan Indah Utama, Bandar Putra, 81000 Kulai, Johor Tel: +607-599 9099 Fax: +607-598 8101 E-mail: palmvilla@ioigroup.com Website: www.palmvilla.com.my Designer: Rick Robbins Description: 27 holes, Palm Nine 3,012m, Putra Nine 3,097m, IOI Nine 3,253m

No 1687, Jalan Bertam, 13200 Kepala Batas S.P.U, Penang Tel: +604-5782050 / +604-5782022 Fax: +604-5750226 E-mail: pgrb@tm.net.my Website: www.penanggolfresort.com.my Facebook: PGRB Kepala Batas Designer: Graham Marsh Description: 36 Holes, West Course 6,247m – Par 72, East Course 6,324M – Par 72

Close To You ...

An Oasis Of Relaxation

The Ultimate Challenge

Ponderosa Golf & Country Club

pulai springs resort

No. 3, Jalan Ponderosa 1, Taman Ponderosa, 81100 Johor Bahru Tel: +607-354 9999 Fax: +607-355 7400 E-mail: enquiry@ponderosagolf.com Website: www.ponderosagolf.com Description: Designed by Max Wexler; 18-holes; 6,467 meters Par-72

20km, Jalan Pontian Lama, 81110 Pulai, Johor Tel: +607-521 2121 Fax: +607-521 1818 E-mail: golf@pulaisprings.com Website: www.pulaisprings.com Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jnr & Peter Dalkeith Scott Description: 36 holes, Pulai Course 6,230m, Melana Course 6,019m

Saujana Golf & Country Club Saujana Golf & Country Club, Saujana Resort Seksyen U2, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Tel: +603-7846 1466 Fax: +603-7846 2316 E-mail: golf@saujana.com.my Website: www.saujana.com.my Facebook: www.facebook.com/saujanagolfandcountryclub Designer: Ronald Fream & Ted Parslow Description: PC 6,992 yds, BRC 7,034 yds

it's easy to book your tee time online!

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Good Views Of The Surrounding Hills

seremban international golf club

A New Era In Golfing

Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah golf & country club

Kelab Golf Seri Selangor

3 1/4 Miles Kuala Pilah Road, P.O. Box 88, 70710 Seremban Negeri Sembilan.

Tel: 06 - 677 5277/ 06 - 677 5787 Fax: 06 6772309 Email: Sigc@tm.net.my Website: www.sigc.com.my Description: 18 holes, 6,252m, par 72

Persiaran Damansara Indah, Off PersiaranTropicana Indah 47410 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan Tel: 03-78061111/1666 Fax: 03-78061777 Email: marketing@seriselangor.com.my Website: www.seriselangor.com.my Designer: Ross Watson Description: 18 hole Championship Golf Course

No. 1, Rumah Kelab, Jln Kelab Golf 13/6 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor Tel: 603 - 5519 1512/5510 5872 Fax: 603 - 5510 5860 Website: www.kgsaas.com.my Designer: Thomson, Wolveridge & Assoc.

Description: 27 holes - 9,565m, par 72

Play Where The Pros Play

Still the Best Golfing Experience in Johor!

Princely Charm

SUTERA HARBOUR GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort

TASIK PUTERI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

1 Sutera Harbour Boulevard, Sutera Harbour, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Tel: +60-088-243 471 Fax: +60-088-308 194 Email: golfadmin@suteraharbour.com.my Website: www.suteraharbour.com Designer: Graham Marsh Description: 27 holes, par 72, Lakes Courses 3,140m, Heritage Course 3,176m, Garden Course 3,176m

Jalan Tanjong Puteri 1, Tanjong Puteri Resort 81700 Pasir Gudang, Johor Tel: +607-271 1888 Fax: +607-271 1333 Website: www.tpgr.com Designer: Max Wexler and Akira Mamiya Description: 54 holes, Plantation Course 6,454m, Village Course 6,414m & Straits Course 6,163m

Bandar Tasik Puteri, 48000 Rawang, Selangor Tel: +603-6034 4721/4722, +6012-201 3375 Fax: +603-6034 4723 Website: www.tasikputerigolf.com Designer: Australian Golf Mgmt.

Description: 27 holes

Golf With Nature

Experience The Best Golfing

Because Life Is To Be Enjoyed!

TEMPLER PARK COUNTRY CLUB KM 21 Jalan Rawang, 48000 Selangor Tel: +603-6091 9111/9630 Fax: +603-6091 9807 E-mail: mani_sp@tpcc.com.my Website: www.tpcc.com.my Designer: Jumbo Ozaki & Kentaro Sato Description: 18 Holes 6,725 Yards

Tiara Melaka Golf & Country Club Jalan Gapam, Bukit Katil, P.O Box 473, 75760 Melaka Tel: +606-231 1111 Fax: +606-231 4122 E-mail: tmgcc1@gmail.com Website: www.lion.com.my Description: 27 holes, Lake Course 3,107m, Meadow Course 3,215m, Woodland Course 3,291m

Tropicana Golf & Country Resort Jalan Kelab Tropicana, Tropicana Golf & Country Resort, 47410 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel: +603-7804 8888 Fax: +603- 7804 3688 Email: gm@tropicanagolf.com Website: www.tropicanagolf.com Redesigned: E&G Parslow Description: 27-hole championship golf course

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final tee

Pondok Indah to host 2015 Indonesia Open The 2015 Indonesia Open will be played at Pondok Indah Golf Course in the heart of the country’s capital, Jakarta. The US$750,000 Asian Tour event will take place on November 12-15.

Murdaya Widyawimarta Po, president of Persatuan Golf Indonesia, the national golf association of Indonesia and organisers of the Indonesia Open, commented: “As this is our national open we feel that the tournament should move around and be ‘shared’ amongst the top courses in Jakarta. Everyone is very excited about the new venue for this year’s tournament. Pondok Indah Golf Course is a magnificent course and I have no doubt they will put on a great show for players and spectators.”

Opened for play in 1976, Pondok was designed by renowned American architect Robert Trent Jones and has hosted several professional events including the 1983 World Cup of Golf.

“With the Indonesia Open celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, we look forward to witnessing more defining moments from the tournament again,” said Asian Tour chairman Kyi Hla Han. “The tournament has been growing in stature each year and we look forward to seeing the return of the best players from the Asian Tour to the 2015 Indonesia Open.”

The 2014 event was won by Irish star Padraig Harrington, who edged Thai rookie Thanyakon Khrongpha by two strokes.

Pondok Indah GC

Mission achieved for footgolfers

In another first, the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen staged China’s inaugural ‘footgolf’ tournament in early June. Footgolf has the same basic rules as golf except players kick a football.

A total of 48 two-man teams took part in the event at the resort’s Pete Dye Course, which was the first of five rounds of the Mission Hills Footgolf Championship. The championship will culminate in a grand final offering places in the Footgolf World Cup 2016 in Argentina.

“We have seen that football and golf can be perfectly combined into an enjoyable pastime for players and fans alike. As a new and exciting way, footgolf can introduce even more people to golf. China has 26 million footballers and 200 million football spectators and fans, the most of any country in the world. So we are tapping into an entirely new audience with this venture,” said Mission Hills Group vice chairman Tenniel Chu. “While we are continuing to grow golf, there is no doubt that the sport of footgolf is here to stay.

We plan to have a permanent footgolf course at Mission Hills open soon to the public, which will provide the platform for players and fans to practice,” he added.

Gamuda’s Tang receives honorary Asian Certified Club Managers recognition

Tang Meng Loon, the group general manager of club operations & township for Gamuda Land, is one of 10 Asian golf industry personalities to receive the Honorary Asian Certified Club Managers certification (ACCM).

The recognition was bestowed by the recently-formed Club Managers Association of 98

Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (CMA-Asia), working in tandem with the CMA-Asia e-University.

“I'm really honoured to receive this honorary title. I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to the CMA-Asia for their great efforts in promoting the growth of the club manager certification for the Asian club industry,” said Tang, who oversees Gamuda Land’s golf and social clubs including the award-winning Kota Permai Golf & Country Club and Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club.

According to Mike Sebastian, president of the CMA-Asia, the recipients were selected based on their length of service and experience in club management along with related management experience. He added that the CMA-Asia e-University is currently working to finalise an online learning

programme to permit senior management personnel in clubs to earn their ACCM. “This will be through a combination of credits granted for work experience and the successful completion of a number of learning modules based on specific areas of club management competencies,” said Sebastian.

“The primary objective of our certification programme is to help create a level playing field for club management personnel so that they can obtain a professional certification that will recognise them for the job that they are doing,” he added.

The recipients of the Honorary ACCM certification will be formally recognised during the 2015 Asia Pacific Golf Summit in Singapore this October 14-15.

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©Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

EG27 Challenge

©Scott Halleran/Getty Images

This year’s HSBC Golf Business Forum will be staged at Pudong Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai from November 1-4 – the first time in its 12-year history that the forum is been held in Asia.

Organisers have dubbed the event as ‘the largest and most significant meeting of golf industry executives and decision-makers from all sectors of the golf business world’.

“For education, networking and professional development, this event has no equal. Participation is critical for those seeking new ideas, innovative thinking and future business opportunities for your organisation,” said a spokesperson for IMG, the event promoters.

“The primary objective of the HSBC Golf Business Forum is to help delegates meet new contacts and do business. The event enjoys a diverse representation of stakeholders from across the industry, creating outstanding networking and business development opportunities.”

This year’s forum is being staged in conjunction with the World Golf Championships - HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club.

Swedish golfing legend Annika Sorenstam will design her first course in Europe in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.

The 10-time Major winner has been commissioned to design a new 18 for the Estonian Golf & Country Club, to complement its existing Sea Course which is rated as one of Europe’s best courses. The new course is part of a major resort development which includes a 150-room hotel, spa and other leisure facilities overlooking the Gulf of Finland.

Annika will be working with European Golf Design (EGD), the golf course design company of the European Tour and IMG, for the project with groundwork scheduled to start in 2016. The 7,050-yard Annika Course will replace the club’s existing ninehole Stone Course.

“This is a naturally beautiful landscape, reminiscent of where I grew up, and it’s a privilege to be asked to design a golf course here,” said Sorenstam.

“My approach to course design is to capture the natural character of the landscape, blending golf holes into the surrounding environment. My goal is to create a versatile course that can be enjoyed by players of any age and skill level, using a variety of tees, landing areas and approaches. Ultimately, I want it to be both a strategic challenge and a memorable experience, whether you are an elite player competing in a tournament, or a young golfer enjoying a family holiday,” added the Swedish icon, whose visit to Estonia coincided with the club’s 10th anniversary.

PGA Championship

Malaysia’s only 27-hole endurance event returns to the newly-renamed Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Golf & Country Club.

Find out what you can expect in the second edition of the highlyanticipated event.

Laguna Phuket Following a major revamp by South African architect Paul Jansen, the Laguna Phuket Golf Club has been receiving rave reviews.

Jonathan Ponniah takes us to Phuket to find out why.

Mike Wilson previews golf’s final Major of the year, which returns to Whistling Straits in Wisconsin – scene of dramatic playoffs in 2004 and 2010 won by Vijay Singh and Martin Kaymer respectively.

©David Cannon/Getty Images

Sorenstam to design new course in Estonia

NEXT ROUND

Shanghai swing for HSBC Golf Business Forum

Chamber of Horrors?

Chambers Bay, venue for this year’s US Open, has come in for a great deal of flak from players and observers alike for what is said to be an unfair and unattractive set-up. Outspoken American architect Ronald Fream throws in his ‘Two Sen Worth’.

MAKE A DATE WITH PARGOLF’S AUGUST 2015 ISSUE!

TEE TO GRIN

If you're going to stay in the bar THAT long, you can't leave your clubs out in the hot sun!

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Golf’s Greatest Holes

Hole 17, Prestwick Golf Cub Par 4, 394 yards Formed in 1851, Prestwick is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world and was the venue for 24 Open championships including the first 12 from 1860.

Hole 17, known as the Alps, is said to be the oldest existing hole in championship golf. It was the second hole of the original 12-hole course laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1851 and essentially remains unchanged till today. Accuracy is needed to reach a narrow fairway, followed by a blind approach threatened by the infamous Sahara bunker. Players have to ring a bell as they leave the green to signal the flight behind to play their second shots.

Six of the original greens at Prestwick are still in use.

©David Cannon/Getty Images

www.prestwickgc.co.uk

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AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING OUTLETS: GOLF HOUSE / ROYAL SPORTING HOUSE: Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL Tel: 03-2092 4035 • Mid Valley Megamall, KL Tel: 03-2284 2241 • 1Utama (Old Wing), PJ Tel: 03-7726 3901 • Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya Tel: 035022 2058 • Gurney Plaza, Penang Tel: 04-228 1884 • Queensbay Mall, Penang Tel: 04-642 3552 • Sunway Carnival Mall, Seberang Jaya, Penang Tel: 04-380 8733 • Mahkota Parade, Melaka Tel: 06- 281 0452 • Plaza Pelangi, JB Tel: 07-332 4819 • Warisan Square, Kota Kinabalu Tel: 088-447 801

STADIUM: Suria KLCC, KL Tel: 03-2161 7199 • Pavillion, KL Tel: 03-2141 5903 • Mid Valley Megamall, KL Tel: 03-2284 6392 PRO SHOP: Tropicana GCC, PJ Tel: 03-7804 6348 • Monterez Golf & Country Club, 03-7845 1848 • Cinta Sayang Pro Shop, Sungai Petani, Kedah Tel: 04-441 9260 JAPAN ENGINEERED

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