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.