For Sunday July 28<\/p>\n
;JP;
\nANPAc..r..
\nGolf-equipment-sales<\/p>\n
I. Christianto
\nContributor
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
It's not just hitting the ball in the fairway<\/p>\n
Playing golf is not just walking down the fairway and hitting
\nthe ball. It is a lifestyle that describes one's social status,
\nwhich is why money does not matter for most golfers in Indonesian
\nwhen purchasing golf paraphernalia.<\/p>\n
This has created a lucrative industry: the sale of golf
\nequipment and golf accessories. Although many golfers may not be
\nable to say exactly how their costly clubs, balls, gloves and
\nother accessories affect their play, such brand-name articles are
\nin high demand.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesian buyers are very keen on brands, as they like the
\nbrands they purchase to reflect on themselves,\" says Ratih D.
\nGianda, the golf division manager at PT Mitra Adiperkasa, the
\nprivate company that runs golf chain store Golf House.<\/p>\n
She said golf clubs from Mizuno, Wilson, Callaway, Odessey and
\nTaylorMade were very popular, and that customers also sought out
\ngolf apparel from such well-known brands as Greg Norman and
\nAsworth.<\/p>\n
\"Our target market includes both professional golfers and
\namateurs from a wide ranging age group,\" she said, adding that
\nGolf House, as a chain store, made it easy for customers to find
\nthe equipment they wanted.<\/p>\n
There are 59 Golf House outlets in 15 major cities across
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Sales of golf equipment and accessories have remained
\nrelatively stable, although the prices of the items, mostly
\nimported, have almost tripled since the financial crisis hit the
\ncountry in late 1997, said N. Murali of golf shop Hari Bros.<\/p>\n
He said the competition was also getting fiercer as more high-
\nquality, reasonably priced local products hit the market.<\/p>\n
\"But price does not really matter. If you sell good brands and
\noffer good service, you are still able to compete,\" says Murali,
\nwhose store sells imported brands like Tsuruya of Japan, Tiger
\nShot and Snake Eyes.<\/p>\n
Paul Sigarlaki of Transview Golf opined that Indonesian
\ngolfers were generally brand-minded. \"They only go to a shop that
\nsells their favorite brands,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Like other retailers, Transview Golf, a Singapore-based chain,
\nsells foreign brands such as SYard, Maruman and ENA, he said.<\/p>\n
Ratih acknowledged that the competition had gotten tougher as
\nmore and more retailers were selling golf equipment and
\naccessories.<\/p>\n
\"We have to keep improving the quality of services we provide
\nour customers. We always offer various good quality brands, as
\nwell as after-sales services to strengthen our position,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Golf equipment sales in the first half of this year were
\nstable, partly due to the more favorable weather conditions. The
\nweather in the first three months of the year slightly affected
\nbusiness, but things have been recovering since then.<\/p>\n
As has been well documented, golf is not an easy game. It can
\nmake players' hearts pound, their palms sweat and their muscles
\ntighten. It tests concentration, challenges talent and tries
\npatience. And it always makes the players want to come back for
\nmore.<\/p>\n
Valuable weapons such as clubs, balls and tees are believed to
\ninfluence the performance of players as they fight their way from
\ntee to green.<\/p>\n
Golf equipment is now produced using sophisticated technology,
\nand much thought goes into the various choices about such things
\nas shape and materials.<\/p>\n
For the makers of golf clubs, the perpetual goal is to create
\nan item using material that will be capable of dominating ensuing
\ngenerations of clubs.<\/p>\n
Golfers can now find equipment that uses such special
\nmaterials as liquid metal, metal matrix composites, titanium
\nalloy, titanium matrix and tungsten.<\/p>\n
When it comes to balls, discussion usually focuses on the
\nmaterials used to make the balls -- vulcanized covers,
\nmultilayer. And it's common to hear mention such brand names as
\nBen Hogan, Callaway, Dunlop, Maxfli, Nike Golf, Pinnacle,
\nPrecept, Slazenger, Srixon, Strata, TaylorMade, Titleist, Top-
\nFlite and Wilson.<\/p>\n
The sale of golf accessories is also big business. Golfer just
\nhave to have such items as travel covers or bags for their clubs,
\nheadcovers, shoes, shirts, wristbands, sunscreen, towels,
\ntraining aids, umbrellas, hats, rain gear, sunglasses. All are
\nusually expensive.<\/p>\n
No wonder so many people continue to see golf as a trivial
\nsport, regarding it merely as a leisure activity for ambassadors,
\nbusinesspeople and tourists. And others still believe golf is
\nonly good for closing business deals.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, golf became popular in the mid-1960s, when some
\nof the country's most prominent citizens began to knock the ball
\naround the course. These pioneers of golf in Indonesia included
\nformer president Soeharto and his associates, all of whom helped
\nkindle a passion for golf among the country's rich and affluent.<\/p>\n
For many people golf is simply out of reach, financially
\nspeaking. A single golf club may cost up to Rp 5 million (about
\nUS$550), while a box of balls can cost Rp 200,000. A player also
\nneeds a golf bag and shoes, which are expensive.<\/p>\n
\"Golf is a sport. It's true that to some extent it is
\nseen as a glamorous, expensive and high-class activity. But do
\npeople realize that fishing is a much more expensive sport?\" said
\nPaul Sigarlaki.<\/p>\n
Murali also rejected the notion that golf is an expensive
\nsport, only accessible to the rich.<\/p>\n
People can spend less money, about Rp 2.5 million, to buy the
\nequipment they need to get started in the sport. Just like
\nautomobiles, there are many types and classes of golf equipment.<\/p>\n
\"Some people feel they need to upgrade the brand or quality of
\ntheir equipment when they feel they can afford to,\" he said,
\nadding that there were now many golf products made in developing
\ncountries that were good quality and more affordable.<\/p>\n
A lower price is not necessarily an indication of lower
\nperformance, especially for players of average skill.<\/p>\n
There are players, however, who feel they have to try out
\nevery style, size, weight and design of club, because they need
\nto feel a perfect balance from the grip down to the head. They
\nwant to be in control of the shot from the moment they take their
\nstance.<\/p>\n
Many golfers choose higher priced equipment because they
\nbelieve the new discoveries and technologies in premium products
\nwill offer them greater performance benefits.<\/p>\n
And at some point, there are some players who may want to show
\ntheir social standing by wearing branded accessories and swinging
\ntop of the line clubs.<\/p>",
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