PGPI accepts GIN role in local golf with caution

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Pro-Golf Association (PGPI) has adopted a cautious stance on PT GIN (Golf Indonesia Nusantara), a commercial body recently established by the PGPI's amateur counterpart, the Indonesia Golf Association (PGI).

GIN was set up only last June with its founders saying it carried the vision of promoting Indonesian golf through a commercial and professional approach.

PGI, which used to manage amateur golfing, has now expanded its scope of activities to professional golfing through its commercial involvement in GIN.

Apart from the controversy it brought with it, which resulted in the resignation of the then secretary-general Taufik Aziz, the existence of GIN has also raised suspicions among the pro- golfers.

However, the PGPI has adopted a soft stance mixed with caution. "As long as it complies with the PGPI's rules of the game in the recruitment of pro players, we don't need to be suspicious about GIN," Avie K. Utomo, the PGPI's executive director, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"Otherwise, any tournament it holds will be excluded from the golf tour PGPI has planned for 2002," he said.

Avie said that GIN would not pose any threat to golfing organizations.

"They are partners as well as competitors in the sense that we will have to compete in seeking sponsorship," Avie said.

He added, however, that his real concern was that GIN might reduce its role to a mere commercial carrier for personal interests and that it diverge from its golfing mission.

Meanwhile, the PGI brushed aside allegations of monopoly and violations of amateurism.

"That's not true. GIN has been established to help promote golf among the public as well as to boost the achievements of players," Haryanto Dhanutirto, the newly installed PGI chairman, told reporters here on Tuesday.

"They argued that by having GIN stage golf competitions, the PGI has violated the amateur code. We don't think so. Look at America. This is the way they manage the tournaments," Haryanto, a former transport minister, said.

Haryanto added that GIN would pursue sponsorship and seek profits, to be apportioned among the PGPI (Indonesian Pro-Golf Association), APLGI (Indonesian Golf Course Owners Association) and the PGI.

But he stopped short of explaining about the percentages involved in the profit sharing.

"No. We have not gone that far yet," he said.

Avie also admitted to not having been informed about the idea. "The subjects of our discussions so far have been how we arrange the tournament schedule so that tournaments don't clash with each other," he said, adding that the PGPI has planned between 8 and 10 international tournaments next season.