Golf makes an increasing swing in ancient Yogyakarta

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.