30 companies to participate in first corporate golf league

JAKARTA (JP): Thirty corporate teams, each with four players and four substitutes, have been invited to join the country's first corporate golf league.

Pri Sulisto, president director of PT Indo Multi Media MNC, told a press conference yesterday that the Ansett Australia Corporate Golf League Indonesia would be contested over the next six months on several of the city's golf courses.

"The purpose of the league is to build networking among businesspeople in the city," he said.

Only 30 teams are allowed in the league. Its matches will be held on weekdays, to make the event more enjoyable for senior managers from leading companies, Pri said.

The opening and closing matches of the league are to be held at the Imperial Golf Course in Karawaci on Oct. 24, 1996 and on March 27, 1997. Other matches are to be held at the Bumi Serpong Damai Course on Nov. 14, 1996, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course on Dec. 12, 1996, Bukit Pelangi Golf and Country Club on Jan. 9, 1997 and Riverside Golf Club on Feb. 25, 1997.

John Burgess, director of John Burgess and Associates, said that only 10 teams had confirmed that they will compete in the league. They include The Jakarta Post, Republika, Grand Hyatt, IBM and TNT.

"In the next three weeks, we'll confirm the participation of the other 20 teams," he said.

"The emphasis of the league is not on golf itself but the opportunities to build professional relationships among participants," he added.

Burgess said that Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong had similar leagues. And that hopefully, by the end of next year, the winners of each league would compete in a regional final at Bintan Resort, a resort being developed jointly by Indonesia and Singapore. (yan)