A privilege through memberships<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In the United States there are several private
\ngolf clubs that only allow up to 200 members and whose membership
\nand annual fee run into the millions of dollars and hundreds of
\nthousands of dollars, respectively.<\/p>\n
The clubs are indeed very exclusive as they do not allow
\nnonmembers to use their course.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, the story is slightly different.<\/p>\n
There is, for example, an old Japanese man who spends three to
\nfour months in a year playing golf in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Takenika, probably has realized that the air fare to Jakarta
\nplus accommodation during his stay here is still cheaper than
\nplaying one or two rounds of golf in his own country,\" said golf
\nobserver Avie K. Utomo.<\/p>\n
\"No wonder many Japanese think Indonesia and the other
\nSoutheast Asian countries are like heaven when it comes to
\nplaying golf,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Takenika is a member of the Jakarta Golf Club in Rawamangun,
\nEast Jakarta. It is probably the oldest golf club in town, going
\nback to the Dutch era.<\/p>\n
To become a member here is not easy, although its membership
\nfee of Rp 33 million (US$2,870) and monthly fee of Rp 110,000 is
\ncheap compared to other clubs.<\/p>\n
You are put on a waiting list before being interviewed by the
\nclub committee members. Once you pass the interview, you can
\nenjoy the luxury of holding its membership for the rest of your
\nlife. Yes, it is a lifelong membership here.<\/p>\n
Such process of selecting only the best golfers makes this a
\nquasiprivate club.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think there is a real private golf club here (in
\nIndonesia) as the membership fee will be very high. At best, the
\nclubs are semi-private,\" said Avie.<\/p>\n
\"The clubs also allow nonmembers to use the course, especially
\nduring weekdays. Members, however, are given priority.\"<\/p>\n
Clubs use different approaches in selecting members.<\/p>\n
Some clubs allow members to transfer their membership after a
\ncertain period of time, but a transfer fee is imposed.<\/p>\n
Some clubs only offer an annual membership, thus requiring
\nmembers to renew their membership every year. This type of
\nmembership is ideal for those who are on the move or expatriates
\nwith short-term contracts of employment here.<\/p>\n
The Imperial Klub Golf in Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang, is an
\nexample of a club with this type of membership. Imperial's sales
\nsecretary Sylvia D. Christina said their annual membership fee
\nwas Rp 10,294,500.<\/p>\n
\"Actually it's not a membership. We call it an annual playing
\nrights which is much cheaper, especially for golf maniacs who
\nplay every single day,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, it is not transferable as the playing rights have
\nto be renewed every year. With this type of membership, members
\ndon't have to pay green fees. Instead they will receive vouchers
\nand discounts for certain items in our pro-shop.\"<\/p>\n
\"Currently, we have some 170 members comprising both locals
\nand expatriates. Most of the expats are Koreans and Taiwanese.\"<\/p>\n
Long-term membership<\/p>\n
Not satisfied with a single-year membership? Why not go for
\nthe transferable, long-term membership. This system is suitable
\nfor those who intend to play golf regularly and for the long
\nterm.<\/p>\n
There are two types of such membership -- individual and
\ncorporate. In corporate membership, a company usually appoints a
\nnominee to use the membership on behalf of the company. The
\nnominee can be a high-ranking employee or a relation.<\/p>\n
The membership coordinator of Klub Golf Cengkareng, Soewarna
\nDhini Ariestyani, said her club offered both kinds of membership,
\nwhich, however, are only valid until 2018 when state-owned
\nairport operator PT Angkasa Pura could reclaim its right over the
\nland.<\/p>\n
\"Our individual membership cost Rp 73 million and corporate
\nmembership, Rp 75 million. Our monthly fee is
\nRp 350,000,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"After two years, members can transfer their membership,
\nhowever, a fee is imposed. For individual members the transfer
\nfee is Rp 15 million and for corporate members the fee is Rp 10
\nmillion, as long as the new nominee is from the same company.\"<\/p>\n
The club currently has nearly 900 members and is planning to
\nincrease it to 1,100 or 1,200.
\n\"I can't give you the exact number because it is increasing every
\nweekend as we are still accepting new members. Most of them are
\nindividual members, although we also have corporate members,\"
\nsaid Dhini.<\/p>\n
\"Most of our members are locals, but we also have expatriate
\nmembers, especially those who are working for multinational
\ncompanies here.\"<\/p>\n
The advantage of being a golf club member includes full access
\nto all the club's facilities and free green fee. The facilities
\ninclude the use of the locker rooms, swimming pool, clubhouse,
\ndriving range and sometimes even tennis courts and sauna.<\/p>\n
Members are given priority during weekends.<\/p>\n
Soewarna's sales and marketing manager Ayu Syahputri said the
\nclub was not only designed to cater for golfers, but also for
\nother functions.<\/p>\n
\"Our motto is \"Creating a new tradition\", so we try to give
\nour members and guests more than just a golf atmosphere. We have
\na bar which remains open until 9 p.m.,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"We also cater for functions such as birthday or wedding
\nparties. This year we will be holding a wedding reception here
\nevery month.\" (nvn\/yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-privilege-through-memberships-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}