Golf Academy introduced at Serpong Country Club<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's first golf academy is aimed at
\nteaching beginners the fundamentals of the game.<\/p>\n
\"The purpose of the academy is to teach more people how to
\nplay golf and to improve their technical skills,\" said Jim
\nStanley, general manager of the Gading Raya Golf and Country Club
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The club, located at Serpong, Tangerang, was designed by
\nAustralian golf veteran Graham Marsh and, on its 85-hectare plot,
\nalso provides a special driving range, located next to the
\ncourse.<\/p>\n
About 60 students, from beginners to intermediates, can gather
\non the driving range, to practice their swing and stance.<\/p>\n
Ian Gibbons, the club's director of golf told The Jakarta Post
\nthat the academy focuses on teaching families of the club's
\nmembers, including their children.<\/p>\n
\"Teaching children is very important, because they will have
\nto be the good golfers of tomorrow,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Gibbons, who is a member of the PGA himself, said that golf is
\na new and very expensive sport here, which can only be played by
\na minority of people.<\/p>\n
\"It's important to open up the sport to more people,\" the
\nBriton said.<\/p>\n
\"We also provide video facilities for the students because
\nteaching golf is a very complicated and difficult job. When we
\nteach them, we use the video to capture their golf swing in slow
\nmotion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Gibbons said that the academy, which currently has only two
\ninternational-standard instructors, will design an exclusive
\ncourse of lessons, consisting of five or six people only.<\/p>\n
\"If we have a big class, with more than 20 people, we have
\ndifficulties in catering to the different standards,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The course, whose club house is a blend of Balinese and
\nJavanese architecture, will be officially opened on May 12. It
\nhas about 700 members, each of whom has to pay a US$19,800
\nmembership fee.<\/p>\n
Marsh designed the 27-hole course to have shelters which
\nrepresent traditional houses from all the country's provinces.<\/p>\n
\"The design will give a natural and traditional atmosphere to
\nmembers,\" Stanley said.<\/p>\n
The Gading Raya club intends to build an exclusive golf estate
\nand condominiums within the course. This will require another 240
\nhectares.<\/p>\n
PT Jakartabaru Cosmopolitan, a joint venture between the
\nSummarecon Group and the Batik Keris Group, has invested US$35
\nmillion in the whole estate.<\/p>\n
The club, which is under the management of CCA International,
\nallows its members to play at 160 other courses which are also
\nmanaged by CCA. (yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/golf-academy-introduced-at-serpong-country-club-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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