Increase in beginners means good business for golf shops<\/p>\n
The growing popularity of golf in Indonesia has brought a
\npositive impact on sales of golf equipment, such as clubs, bags,
\ngolf attire and other accessories, in the country.<\/p>\n
Golf is now not only popular among business executives and
\nsenior government officials, but also among women and children.
\nThis trend has kept golf shops flourishing, although the national
\neconomy has yet to become promising.<\/p>\n
\"There has been an increasing number of women and children
\ntaking interest in playing golf over the last two years,\" said
\nGolf House's General Manager Ratih D. Gianda.<\/p>\n
Local golf shops are also able to survive thanks to the
\nincrease in golf tournaments. A number of local banks and major
\ncompanies hold golf tournaments at least once a year as part of
\ntheir sporting activities.<\/p>\n
Golf gloves are among those golf accessories in high demand.
\nCommonly, after being used in four or five time games, or about
\n90 holes, the glove will become worn and require replacement.
\nOther golf accessories in high demand include balls and plastic
\nand wooden tees, because the items are used in every game.<\/p>\n
The plunge in the rupiah against the U.S. dollar as a result
\nof the economic crisis of late-1997 had more than doubled prices
\nof imported products, including golf equipments.<\/p>\n
However, several golf shops managed to survive the crisis and
\nconduct business as usual. They include Golf House, Hari Bros,
\nRaja Sport, Garuda Sport, Jakarta Golf Club, Matoa National Golf
\n& Country and Moncol Golfusa.<\/p>\n
At Golf House, the sale of the Mizuno brand is on the rise due
\nto the wide range of golf equipment it provides to meet the need
\nof both beginners and professional golfers.<\/p>\n
Mizuno focuses on golf clubs, providing all clubs ranging from
\ndriver woods, fairway woods, utility clubs, irons, putters, to
\nwedges, as well as accessories including Boston bags, Boston golf
\nshoe bags, club cases, golf shoes, golf gloves, socks and caps.
\nMizuno also provides an incentive to golfers by organizing golf
\ntournaments, like the one held at Esmeralda Golf Club on June 15.<\/p>\n
\"The items that sell particularly well include special make-up
\nclubs (SMU Clubs) for beginners and average golfers, because the
\nclub is sold in a packaged set that includes a putter and a golf
\nbag,\" Ratih said.<\/p>\n
To date, Golf House has 48 outlets across 15 major cities in
\nIndonesia. In Jakarta, Golf House outlets can be found at Galeria
\nTaman Anggrek and Mall Taman Anggrek in West Jakarta, and
\nPasaraya Grande, Pondok Indah Mall and Plaza Senayan in South
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Hari Bros is another golf shop that is faring well. Located on
\nJl. Pintu Air Raya No. 36, you can find a wide range of golf
\naccessories such as swingers, putting practice sets, driving
\nmats, gloves and tees in various models. Callaway, Mizuno, and
\nTiger Shark are among the favorite brands at Hari Bros. \"For
\nballs, the favorite brands are Wilson, Callaway and Nike,\" said
\nMurali of Hari Bros.<\/p>\n
If you are a beginner, you are advised to use oversize models,
\nsuch as woods and irons, because they are easier to handle.
\nHowever, blades are recommended for professional golfers because
\n\"this model has a smaller club head and harder shafts,\" explained
\nMurali.<\/p>\n
Hari Bros is the sole agent for Tsurya of Japan, which
\nproduces axels and one-siders. \"We provide test trials for this
\nmodel, allowing our customers to test the equipment before
\npurchase,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other Hari Bros' outlets are located on Jl. Panglima Polim,
\nSouth Jakarta, and in Medan, North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Several golf shops have also initiated marketing strategies to
\nattract customers with running service and after-sales service
\nprograms. Golf House has a program called \"Demo Days\" at several
\ndriving ranges in the capital, offering free trials of new clubs
\navailable at their outlets.<\/p>\n
\"Several of our shops, like Pasaraya Golf House in Blok M, are
\nequipped with a simulator, which enables customers to test a club
\ninside the shop,\" said Ratih.<\/p>\n
In cooperation with several local companies, Hari Bros holds
\nits Longer Drive Contest, in which golfers compete to hit the
\nlongest drive. The winner is awarded a free golf club.<\/p>\n
Hari Bros also provides maintenance services for golf clubs,
\nshoes and shafts. \"We can also provide new shafts to replace the
\nold one,\" he said.<\/p>\n
If you find irregularities on a golf club just purchased at
\nHari Bros, customers may ask the shop to fix it or replace it
\nwith a new one, as long as the damage was caused during
\nproduction. \"We will send the damaged items to the factory for
\nreplacement,\" said Murali.<\/p>\n
With its slogan, \"Try First Before Buying\", Hari Bros let
\ncustomers borrow new clubs for a free trial. \"Customers can use
\nthem in three or four games before deciding whether to buy it or
\nnot,\" Murali said<\/p>\n
Commonly, golf shops also offer discounts in a bid to attract
\nprospective customers as well as to retain the loyalty of long-
\nstanding customers.<\/p>\n
At Golf House Pro Shops, golfers who are members of particular
\ngolf courses are entitled to a 10 percent discount on all items.
\n\"We also establish cooperation with companies to sponsor golf
\nevents. Quite frequently, we see companies eager to join a golf
\ntournament or event placing orders on primary golf equipment like
\ndriver woods, utility clubs, irons and putters, and accessories
\nlike club cases, Boston bags and caps, all emblazoned with the
\ncompany's logo,\" Ratih said.<\/p>\n
Customers who purchase equipment or accessories at Golf House
\nare also provided with a six-month guarantee, as Golf House is
\nthe official distributor of several top international brands.<\/p>\n
The shops can also make special orders for golfers searching
\nfor a specific model that is not yet available in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"We can help locate the equipment by directly contacting
\noverseas golf shop,\" Ratih said.<\/p>\n
The price for golf equipment varies, depending on the item,
\nbrand and model. But the average price for golf equipment ranges
\nanywhere from Rp 2.5 million Rp 40 million.<\/p>\n
The price for Mizuno golf clubs at Golf House range from Rp 3
\nmillion to Rp 5.5 million for drivers, Rp 9.7 million to Rp 13
\nmillion for irons, Rp 900,000 to Rp 1.3 million for wedges and Rp
\n500,000 to Rp 1 million for putters.<\/p>",
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