Golf makes an increasing swing in ancient Yogyakarta

By Israr Ardiansyah

YOGYAKARTA (JP): It was a nice day with lots of sunshine. A woman held a golf stick tightly in her hands as she concentrated on it to hit the ball in the right direction.

It was hole number two, and the hard strike she made took the ball straight to the green. She was very surprised as the ball fell right into the hole. A hole in one!

Managing director of the Jakarta-based Gas & Oil Service Company Geoprolog Intiwijaya, Diah Sulasmo Rizal, told The Jakarta Post., "It's unpredictable. I just started playing on course in May and only learned golf at a driving range before that."

"As a beginner, getting a hole in one was just an impossible dream for me. I never thought it would happen. Now I'm happy that I've made a hole in one in my lifetime," she added.

Diah was playing golf during her weekend leisure time. To her, it was a new challenge. Before she started playing golf, she only walked and did light aerobics.

And Diah plays golf not in greater Jakarta or Bali, where national golf competitions usually take place. She plays at Yogyakarta's Hyatt Regency Golf Course, a small golf course located six kilometers north of the city.

As one of Indonesia's prominent tourist destinations, Yogyakarta is mostly seen as a cultural tourist destination with Borobudur Temple, Yogyakarta Palace and the historical street of Malioboro as its main attractions. Many do not realize that the city's golf courses are just as enticing as the other attractive sites the city has.

Golf Superintendent/Golf Course Manager of Yogyakarta Hyatt Regency Golf Course, Supriyatna Setiawan, said, "That's true. Only about 25 percent of the golfers who play in Yogyakarta come from outside the city." Those who play often here include top government and military officials, he added.

"I sometimes feel 'itchy' realizing that we can, indeed, do something to optimize Yogyakarta as an alternative tourist destination for both Indonesian and foreign golfers," he said.

This might be true as only a few people seem to aware that Yogyakarta currently offers three unique golf courses: Adisutjipto Golf Course, Merapi Golf Course and Hyatt Regency Golf Course.

The first golf course established in Yogyakarta was Adisutjipto Golf Course. Located adjacent to the Adisutjipto military air base, the course spans a 60-hectare site. In the 1960s, only local Air Force officers exercised on the course, which was designed by Japanese architects who also built Ambarukmo Palace Hotel in Yogyakarta.

In line with the fast growing number of Yogyakarta golfers, Adisutjipto Golf Course was finally opened to the public on April 25, 1971, to coincide with the founding of the Yogyakarta Golf Association. The association is under the auspice of the Indonesian Golf Association.

The three-hole course gradually became a nine-hole course, and in early 1990 it became a modern 18-hole golf course in response to local and national competitions.

Now, with its strategic location near the airport, the windy golf course is well known for its beautiful scenery, with the mighty Mt. Merapi as its far backdrop.

In the middle of this year, in cooperation with the local golf association, Adisutjipto Golf Course started renovations to its bunkers. The black sand that previously filled its bunkers is now being replaced with white sand taken directly from Sadranan Beach in Tepus, Gunungkidul, 60 kilometers east of here. It is hoped the golf course will have its new look by the end of the year.

Merapi Golf Course was officially opened in 1996. Set in the foothills of Mt. Merapi, 800 meters above sea level, this privately run golf facility is located in Cangkringan village, 24 kilometers north of here.

The 18-hole golf course was designed by Australia's Thomson, Wolveridge and Perret, who also designed the Bali Handara Golf Course. Covering 65 hectares of land, it also has a clubhouse, a pro-shop and a restaurant.

A professional golfer said that the hilly golf course offered challenging and unpredictable rounds. "When I see the direction of the ball I hit, I think it will go straight into the hole. Unpredictably, it just evaded the hole," he said.

Hyatt Regency Golf Course was opened in September 1997 on the northern outskirts of Yogyakarta, along with the opening of the city's Hyatt Regency Hotel. Occupying 16 hectares out 24 hectares of land in the hotel compound, the golf course has nine holes.

Although the tracks are short, Supriyatna was convinced that the golf course offered a challenging field.

"An American golf player once told me that the golf course is very exciting for short games. What a coincidence, as most of our guests are very busy businesspeople. So, in just a two hour game, they can complete the whole game," he said.

The golf course is has complete fitness facilities for golfers' accompanying families. The course was designed by Hawaii's Fisette Golf Design and landscaped by Hawaii's Tongg, Clark, and Mc Celvey.

Besides these three courses, Yogyakarta also has four driving ranges. Two of them are located in the Adisutjipto complex and the Hyatt Regency Hotel compound. The other two are the Kenari Driving Range, in Timoho near Yogyakarta City Hall, and the Snap Driving Range, Jl. Magelang.

Many people believe that Yogyakarta's golf business has a bright future, especially with the expected strengthening economic condition under the new Cabinet of President Abdurrahman Wahid. Merapi Golf Course, for example, has at least 400 active members. Some of them come from outside the city, mostly Jakarta. The Yogyakarta Golf Association has at least 700 members.

According to Supriyatna, with rates of between Rp 50,000 and Rp 250,000 for an 18-hole game, Yogyakarta offers the best priced games. Most golf courses charge about US$150 a game.

Supriyatna further said that a special tour package of playing the city's three golf courses consecutively has been offered to foreign tourists. A positive response has so far come from Japan.