It's not just hitting the ball in the fairway ...

It's not just hitting the ball in the fairway ...

I. Christianto, Contributor, Jakarta

Playing golf is not just walking down the fairway and hitting
the ball. It is a lifestyle that describes one's social status,
which is why money does not matter for most golfers in Indonesian
when purchasing golf paraphernalia.

This has created a lucrative industry: the sale of golf
equipment and golf accessories. Although many golfers may not be
able to say exactly how their costly clubs, balls, gloves and
other accessories affect their play, such brand-name articles are
in high demand.

"Indonesian buyers are very keen on brands, as they like the
brands they purchase to reflect on themselves," says Ratih D.
Gianda, the golf division manager at PT Mitra Adiperkasa, the
private company that runs golf chain store Golf House.

She said golf clubs from Mizuno, Wilson, Callaway, Odessey and
TaylorMade were very popular, and that customers also sought out
golf apparel from such well-known brands as Greg Norman and
Asworth.

"Our target market includes both professional golfers and
amateurs from a wide ranging age group," she said, adding that
Golf House, as a chain store, made it easy for customers to find
the equipment they wanted.

There are 59 Golf House outlets in 15 major cities across
Indonesia.

Sales of golf equipment and accessories have remained
relatively stable, although the prices of the items, mostly
imported, have almost tripled since the financial crisis hit the
country in late 1997, said N. Murali of golf shop Hari Bros.

He said the competition was also getting fiercer as more high-
quality, reasonably priced local products hit the market.

"But price does not really matter. If you sell good brands and
offer good service, you are still able to compete," says Murali,
whose store sells imported brands like Tsuruya of Japan, Tiger
Shot and Snake Eyes.

Paul Sigarlaki of Transview Golf opined that Indonesian
golfers were generally brand-minded. "They only go to a shop that
sells their favorite brands," he said.

Like other retailers, Transview Golf, a Singapore-based chain,
sells foreign brands such as SYard, Maruman and ENA, he said.

Ratih acknowledged that the competition had gotten tougher as
more and more retailers were selling golf equipment and
accessories.

"We have to keep improving the quality of services we provide
our customers. We always offer various good quality brands, as
well as after-sales services to strengthen our position," she
said.

Golf equipment sales in the first half of this year were
stable, partly due to the more favorable weather conditions. The
weather in the first three months of the year slightly affected
business, but things have been recovering since then.

As has been well documented, golf is not an easy game. It can
make players' hearts pound, their palms sweat and their muscles
tighten. It tests concentration, challenges talent and tries
patience. And it always makes the players want to come back for
more.

Valuable weapons such as clubs, balls and tees are believed to
influence the performance of players as they fight their way from
tee to green.

Golf equipment is now produced using sophisticated technology,
and much thought goes into the various choices about such things
as shape and materials.

For the makers of golf clubs, the perpetual goal is to create
an item using material that will be capable of dominating ensuing
generations of clubs.

Golfers can now find equipment that uses such special
materials as liquid metal, metal matrix composites, titanium
alloy, titanium matrix and tungsten.

When it comes to balls, discussion usually focuses on the
materials used to make the balls -- vulcanized covers,
multilayer. And it's common to hear mention such brand names as
Ben Hogan, Callaway, Dunlop, Maxfli, Nike Golf, Pinnacle,
Precept, Slazenger, Srixon, Strata, TaylorMade, Titleist, Top-
Flite and Wilson.

The sale of golf accessories is also big business. Golfer just
have to have such items as travel covers or bags for their clubs,
headcovers, shoes, shirts, wristbands, sunscreen, towels,
training aids, umbrellas, hats, rain gear, sunglasses. All are
usually expensive.

No wonder so many people continue to see golf as a trivial
sport, regarding it merely as a leisure activity for ambassadors,
businesspeople and tourists. And others still believe golf is
only good for closing business deals.

In Indonesia, golf became popular in the mid-1960s, when some
of the country's most prominent citizens began to knock the ball
around the course. These pioneers of golf in Indonesia included
former president Soeharto and his associates, all of whom helped
kindle a passion for golf among the country's rich and affluent.

For many people golf is simply out of reach, financially
speaking. A single golf club may cost up to Rp 5 million (about
US$550), while a box of balls can cost Rp 200,000. A player also
needs a golf bag and shoes, which are expensive.

"Golf is a sport. It's true that to some extent it is
seen as a glamorous, expensive and high-class activity. But do
people realize that fishing is a much more expensive sport?" said
Paul Sigarlaki.

Murali also rejected the notion that golf is an expensive
sport, only accessible to the rich.

People can spend less money, about Rp 2.5 million, to buy the
equipment they need to get started in the sport. Just like
automobiles, there are many types and classes of golf equipment.

"Some people feel they need to upgrade the brand or quality of
their equipment when they feel they can afford to," he said,
adding that there were now many golf products made in developing
countries that were good quality and more affordable.

A lower price is not necessarily an indication of lower
performance, especially for players of average skill.

There are players, however, who feel they have to try out
every style, size, weight and design of club, because they need
to feel a perfect balance from the grip down to the head. They
want to be in control of the shot from the moment they take their
stance.

Many golfers choose higher priced equipment because they
believe the new discoveries and technologies in premium products
will offer them greater performance benefits.

And at some point, there are some players who may want to show
their social standing by wearing branded accessories and swinging
top of the line clubs.