More local professional players needed at golf clubs

More local professional players needed at golf clubs

By I. Christianto

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia boasts hundreds of golf clubs and
courses in Indonesia, including no less than 60 in Greater
Jakarta and dozens more in Banten. The nation, however, has
produced very few professional golfers; most of the people on the
country's courses are merely golf nuts.

A number of executives of companies which manage golf courses
agreed the government paid little attention to golf as a serious
sport, regarding it merely as a leisure activity for ambassadors,
businesspeople and tourists.

"Golf is a sport. It's true that to some extent it is seen as
a glamorous, expensive and high-class activity," said Suripno,
general manager of PT Krakatau Industrial Estate Cilegon, a
company which runs the Permata Krakatau Hotel & Golf Course in
Cilegon. The 18-hole golf course opened 26 years ago, making it
one of the oldest courses in the nation.

He said golf had not been well promoted in Indonesia because
of its image as "expensive".

Herman La Rante, operations manager at Imperial Klub Golf,
agreed that some people still believed golf was only for closing
business dealings.

"Actually golf can be introduced to any level in society,
allowing us to get more potential players and seeds. Then, just
like in any other sport, Indonesia could have world champions,"
Suripno said.

Nobody will deny that golf is a costly sport. A single golf
club may cost up to Rp 3 million, while a box of balls can cost
Rp 120,000. A player also needs a golf bag and shoes, which are
also expensive. There are also the green and caddie fees at golf
clubs and courses, which may reach up to hundreds of thousands of
rupiah. Plus, to get to the golf course with all of this
equipment you need a car!

"It's not totally true. People can rent or buy cheaper second-
hand stuff. In addition, we plan to hold golf lessons for
students. This is to encourage youth and other people to play
golf on our course," said Suripno, adding that it was hoped the
local authorities would help promote golf among the younger
generations and other people in the country who do not
traditionally play the sport.

He said a special program about golf on television would also
help promote golf as a sport for everybody.

He said the government could work with schools to make golf an
extracurricular activity.

"We're ready to work with the related associations whenever
possible," he said.

He also said touted the physical, spiritual and mental
benefits of playing golf. "Playing golf is exercise for the
emotions and patience."

Herman said that to attract players, Imperial regularly held
special events.

"There are also several programs to attract beginners,
including students. This is only a way to find the seeds," he
said, adding that some current professional golfers worked as
caddies when they were young.

Carrying the clubs

A caddie is a person who assists golf players on the course.
Caddies often have the opportunity to play the course when the
person they are caddying for takes a break. It is not unusual for
caddies to become very good golfers from the practice they get.

The exact origins of golf are somewhat vague and open to
debate. Some sources say golf evolved from several stick-and-ball
games popular in Europe in ancient times. Others hold that golf
was the offshoot of Paganica, a 14th century game in which
players struck a ball with a curved stick. Paganica is a Roman
word meaning a leather ball stuffed with feathers.

In Indonesia, golf became popular in the mid-1960's when some
of the country's most prominent citizens began to knock the ball
around the course. Some of these pioneers of golf in Indonesia
included Soeharto, Sudomo, Ibnu Sutowo, Subroto and Mohammad
"Bob" Hasan, who all helped kindle the passion for golf among the
country's rich and affluent.

As more and more people became hooked on the game, more golf
courses began to open. Overseas golf-course designers, including
Michael Wolveridge, Peter Thomson, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Arnold
Palmer, Jack Niklaus, Garry Player, Nick Faldo and Jeff Hoff,
have all made their mark on the country's golf courses.

Amid the golf craze, there were a number of incidents where
new golf courses ended up in a hazard, with developers violating
rules relating to investment, the environment and land
acquisition, as well as running foul of local residents none to
pleased to find a golf course where their homes used to be.

Indonesia has hosted several international golf events,
including the World Cup in December 1983 and the Johnny Walker
Super Tour in 1997.

Herman said that despite few qualified professional golfers in
the country, golf courses still had a bright future. "During the
economic turmoil, most of the golf courses survived with little
negative impact. I believe this is a good sign for the future."