Young professionals dominate golf membership<\/p>\n
By Arif Suryobuwono<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Members at the undulating seas of grass called
\ngolf courses aren't lining up to buy Grecian Formula.<\/p>\n
The gray haired diehards, made up mostly of top government
\nofficials and top-notch businessmen, remain the predominant
\nmembers of the expensive pastures, whose membership fee can be as
\nhigh as Rp 150 million (US$67,537).<\/p>\n
But more and more younger professionals, from their late 20s
\nto early 40s, are grabbing at a larger share of the membership
\npie and the hobnobbing that comes with it.<\/p>\n
\"In the 1970s and 1980s every time I practiced I used to meet
\nthe same guys again and again. There are so many new faces around
\nat the driving ranges today,\" said Col. (ret) S.M. Baharson, who
\nfell in love with the popular pastime of the business community
\nin 1972 when he was 32.<\/p>\n
Roughly 30 percent of the 600 members of Riverside golf course
\nin Bogor are young executives, according to Yuli, a marketing
\nstaff member at the course. At Emerald One golf course in Tapos,
\nBogor, young executives make up half the members, marketing
\nmanager Kamilani Baniwati says.<\/p>\n
The regreening was also observed by Ninik Hartono, chairperson
\nof the women's commission of the Indonesian Golf Association and
\na member at Riverside, Pondok Indah and Rawamangun courses.<\/p>\n
Trend<\/p>\n
\"I think becoming a member of golf courses has become a trend
\namong many young executives, most of whom zero in on the status
\nsymbol for social climbing,\" Ninik explained.<\/p>\n
The trend, according to Baharson, is triggered by the tendency
\namong business circles to copy membership holders' success
\nstories after learning that membership fees, like land prices,
\ntend to increase every year.<\/p>\n
\"Given the extravagant fees, I suspect that most of them
\nobtain membership at their companies' expense,\" Ninik added.<\/p>\n
A 38 year-old director, whose company pays for his membership,
\ntold The Jakarta Post that members of the board of directors are
\nthe only ones privileged with company paid membership where he
\nworks.<\/p>\n
Certain private banks' vice presidents and general managers
\nare eligible, he added, which was confirmed by a 41 year-old
\ngeneral manager of a private bank.<\/p>\n
The general manager who, like the director, requested
\nanonymity, said his company pays for his membership because his
\nposition requires extensive lobbying with the bank's top
\ncustomers.<\/p>\n
\"If entertaining is part of your job descriptions, you'll have
\nto learn how to play golf, even though you may not really like
\nit,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said branch managers are not entitled to company-paid
\nmembership but if they are required to play golf with customers,
\nthe company will reimburse them up to Rp 200,000.<\/p>\n
The banker, who prefers jogging to golf, finds it senseless to
\nfork out large sums of money to be a member of a golf course.
\n\"Why must I spend, say, Rp 100 million? I'd rather deposit the
\nmoney and get the interest,\" he argued.<\/p>\n
The director, on the other hand, said that although he already
\nhas a free membership from his company, he was so fascinated by
\nthe sport that he bought two other memberships.<\/p>\n
\"You can now pay the fee in installments of just Rp 2 million
\na month,\" he said. This conforms to Riverside's monthly
\ninstallments, which range from a low of US$900 for three years to
\na high of $1,900 for one year.<\/p>\n
He belongs to the Jagorawi, Riverside and Gunung Geulis
\ncourses and believes that more and more young executives will buy
\nmemberships themselves.<\/p>\n
\"Tight competition forces golf course owners to lower
\nmembership fees and offer attractive payment programs. This
\nenables and encourages us to become members,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Modern golf course in Tangerang follows this marketing
\nstrategy and makes paying easier with an interest-free
\ninstallment plan over 48 months. They offer night golfing and
\nfree access to 150 golf courses in the U.S., Canada, Spain,
\nFrance and Malaysia to attract more golfers.<\/p>\n
Peer Grouping<\/p>\n
\"Playing at just one course is boring. I based my decision on
\nwhich courses to be a member of on who I regularly play,\" the
\nmanager said.<\/p>\n
\"That's why I bought memberships to golf courses where my
\nfriends are also members,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Membership solidarity is also shared by 53 year-old Baharson
\nand Rudy Kuswantoro, a 48 year-old contractor.<\/p>\n
Baharson said he felt most comfortable among his old friends
\non the Rawamangun golf course while Rudy said he felt at home
\nsurrounded by friends at Modern course.<\/p>\n
Young business executives, who are among those savoring
\neconomic growth in Indonesia, tempt developers to build more golf
\ncourses, despite the already fierce competition.<\/p>\n
\"The fact that golf course developers now offer installment
\nplans shows that supply has begun to outgrow demand,\" Baharson
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The secretary of the Rawamangun-based Jakarta Golf Club said,
\n\"developers who venture to build golf courses without coupling
\nthem with residential estates are reckless.\"<\/p>\n
Golf courses are an effective tool to jack up the price of
\nland in adjacent residential estates. They, in turn, become an
\neffective tool to quickly cover the costs spent on building the
\ncourses, he added.<\/p>\n
Matoa International golf course in Ciganjur, South Jakarta,
\nfor instance, is taking a risk. It was built without a housing
\ncomplex as a financial back-up, Baharson said.<\/p>\n
Timber tycoon Moh. \"Bob\" Hasan and Minister of Transmigration
\nSiswono Yudohusodo, however, did not have to pay for the land,
\nwhich is owned by the Air Force, he added.<\/p>\n
However, it is only on weekends that all the courses are
\npacked to capacity. Baharson, who initiated the construction of
\nHalim golf course in East Jakarta, the first par-72 public course
\nin Indonesia, said that it is common to wait for two hours to be
\nable to play at Halim on weekends. The same is true for Pondok
\nIndah course on weekends that those who want membership must buy
\nor lease it from one of the course's 1,300 members.<\/p>\n
On the other days, however, those courses remain less
\nproductive as they were once believed to be.<\/p>",
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