Boom for Asian Golf

Following Yang's historical win, a few of my American suppliers have emailed me the last few days predicting a boom in golf industry in Asia. The golfing communities there are alive with talks about Asia being the major force in golf. It is widely acknowledged that the LPGA is a foregone conclusion, the Asians are there to stay.

they liken that its just like when tiger woods, then a young 20 something turned pro and influence a global trend to play golf. golf before that has sometimes being view as a game for overweight and overaged sportsmen.

what do you think? Will Yang prompt more to take up the sports and will it propel those in Asia to ply their game at the world's highest stage, The PGA of America.

i think so.....but i also think that competition is good and i am sure the likes of Paula Creamer have to work harder to fight the competition, now that the stage is set higher.

DGman

I think it kind of mirror the shift in economy and where is the dominant market....Across the 10years or so, the fact is Asia had been slowly but surely been a driving force behind many economies today...even in US.....thus, the IT companies, the finance institution etc in Asia will slowly be able to stand on par if not more with the same likes of the US.....this will also bring forth the sponsorship of the golf tourneys....so yes, it will be a big spike in the game

My cyrstal ball say, in 10 years time, the 4 majors will be held in where they are now....but the rest of the PGA tourneys will be held in Jeju Island, Kunming, Bali , Kerala and Okinawa

....DS

flipping a. more competition for me now.

I think the boom is a good thing but it needs momentum. Yang paved the way but if no other Asian golfers follow suit, it'll just be a blimp on the radar without much else. Now is that time to capitalize on Yang's success and encourage Asian golfers to aspire towards greatness. If Yang can do it, I'm sure others can.

In the meantime, however, Yang has put Asia/Korea on the map. The top notch Asian/Korean LPGA players have also done the same. This is certainly a blessing for Asian Golf but let's not rest on our laurels. History should remember this time as the beginning of the Asian Golf era

Saw lots of Koreans in Keppel last night.

Also, the Jap coach was grilling his Jap students.....I don't speak Japanese, but i am sure it goes along the lines of....' BAKA!! BAKA!! BAKA!!! You better train hard!!!! Our more inferior neighbors with a lesser golfing history just had someone beat the Tiger!! We need to train hard to reclaim our Bushido golf pride and make our country proud again!!!!"

dun you think it is still early?

for asian males, so far there have not been really a young, consistent star yet.... we need someone or a few who are capable of winning and with some marketing value....

so far, i think we are still years behind... question is - how many?

its believing that it can be done thats important....

NOW WE CAN............

YAN CAN COOK! SO CAN WE!
YANG CAN GOLF! SO CAN WE!

i certainly think more will be inspired to take up the sport. I also believe that for competition golf to boom (starting from the juniors), the support structures must be there. In Singapore's case - the funding, the opportunities for developing juniors, the resources, and the support from parents, golf organisations, schools, etc. We have these, but we can certainly do more. Golf, at this point in time, is still not a sport easily accessible to the regular joe.

Usually this kind to event (An asian winning major tournament) will increase the participation in the sport for a short period. If can have asian regularly in the top 5 (and with the right media coverage), then I believe the interest can be sustained for longer period.

nientsu wrote:

Saw lots of Koreans in Keppel last night.

Also, the Jap coach was grilling his Jap students.....I don't speak Japanese, but i am sure it goes along the lines of....' BAKA!! BAKA!! BAKA!!! You better train hard!!!! Our more inferior neighbors with a lesser golfing history just had someone beat the Tiger!! We need to train hard to reclaim our Bushido golf pride and make our country proud again!!!!"

Thats very 'him' Mal. Jun is very animated in his lessons but can't speak much English despite being in Sg for quite a while.

nientsu wrote:

Saw lots of Koreans in Keppel last night.

Also, the Jap coach was grilling his Jap students.....I don't speak Japanese, but i am sure it goes along the lines of....' BAKA!! BAKA!! BAKA!!! You better train hard!!!! Our more inferior neighbors with a lesser golfing history just had someone beat the Tiger!! We need to train hard to reclaim our Bushido golf pride and make our country proud again!!!!"

haha this one is funny....

I personally will not predict a huge surge in Asian demands for golf. Not in the next 10 years, may be in 25-50 years.

I think Yang's success has been factored in for quite a while. Either him or KJ Choi, if we exclude the Indians in our discussion. Most people knew that someday, an Asian will win a major, it's question of when.

All over Asia (east Asia - China, Korea, Japan, taiwan)....golf is an expensive game. It will not be popularised. Japan and Korea and Taiwan has started their golf industry long ago and are saturated now. Koreans are the exception because of their national traits, culturally they are feerless, hard working, stubbornly pursuing their goals. Thats why Korean women are successful in LPGA, after Par Sei broke the barrier.

You don't see that in Taiwan with Yani Tseng breaking the barrier. In fact she is considering migrating because Taiwan govt refused to fund her pursuit.

Japanese are too contended with JPGA because of their lucrative prizes, no need to go to USA to make money. They are also very isolated people, don't like to or uncomfortable to mix around other races.

That left China....statistically China has a huge population base, but golf is still an expensive and not common game in China. There is practically no public courses in China so no chance for farmers sons (like YE Yang and KJ Choi, both farmers sons) with hungry desire to break out of their poverty. Only rich kids in China have chance to play golf, and they are mostly little emperors with pussy cat personalities, no driving force to succeed since they are born with golden spoons. Besides, sports is never a prefered career in Chinese world by most parents. China is still a very corrupted place, look at their pro basket balls and soccer, all full of corruptions.

So no, I doubt golf in Asia will be given a kick by YE Yang's success. If it could happen, it should have happened already when KJ Choi won his PGA titles, no need to wait for a major.

There will be a slight pick up in interests, esp in Korea. But it will plateau after a while since golf is already enjoying that status in Korea for a while, almost saturated now. Korea is also land scarce. Average green fees is about USD200 weekdays.

Rest of Asia will for a moment celebrate YE Yang's success (I even doubt that....Japanese and Chinese will not celebrate Korean's success in golf due to nationalism), but which Asian country will start building more public courses? Countries with high GDP are all tiny land scarce red dots - Singapore, HK, Brunei....and not enough people statistically to make an impact.

Even Olympics.....if golf gets into Olympics, may be bigger countries with money to throw, like China who can spend stupid money on Bird Nest, can afford to do it, But I think China now realised that they have been duped into Olympics for 3 weeks of glory, and then left with huge white elephants. So I doubt they will start building golf courses just to get another gold medals in golf.

Kinda agreed with Bro freedrop....

Yes, Golf interest will be pushed up further... .no doubts...
As this will provide good inspiration for those already planning to go professionals
But it will not generate a craze like football where they is a big surge ..

As parents, should my sons wanted to go professional in Golf, it will be more palatable for us (wife and me) to accept

Golf is still expensive in Asia vis-a-vis other sports where you can play almost for free like football, basketball, badminton etcs......

Golf equipment , if i may add, is still relatively expensive though some here will say that price had gone down as compared to 5 years ago. To get a reasonable set, drivers + hybrids + SW + putter => it is still close to S$1K.

Greens - can say not enough greens in Singapore .... see how packed is the weekend and even weekdays at public courses (including NSRCC). That is why, when in Public holidays in Singpaore the JB courses pple is smiliing (all damn packed ).

However, as Asia become more affluent due to its economy and more exposure to Golf... I see Golf will be much more popular say 5 years from now.....

5 years is extremenly optimistic. But I respect your opinion of course.

We will just be climbing out of a recession, and golf is very much GDP related. Look at all the countries with top golfers - USA, Spain, UK, Swenden, Australia, Japan, Korea - they all have 2 things in common : high GDP and big population base.

Equipment price is not really an issue. In China kids can use locally made clubs fo a start until they show promising trends, then genuine club makers will happily sponsor them.

Green fees and availability are the 2 restrictions....both are GDP and land related.

And we tend to look at one or 2 major winners.....behind them, there are thousands of touring pros who scrap by daily. Chinese are not people who will be contended with such living. Between golf and a university degree, Asians wiull pick a degree. So golf is not really a good bet as a career, unless you are ang mo with hippie aspiration in life.

nientsu wrote:

Saw lots of Koreans in Keppel last night.

Also, the Jap coach was grilling his Jap students.....I don't speak Japanese, but i am sure it goes along the lines of....' BAKA!! BAKA!! BAKA!!! You better train hard!!!! Our more inferior neighbors with a lesser golfing history just had someone beat the Tiger!! We need to train hard to reclaim our Bushido golf pride and make our country proud again!!!!"

OK I am going to post this and risk getting flamed by many forumners

With a Korean on the top of the score board (and no prominant Japanese yet), perhaps it will be a Samsung golf club replacing the Ikasu soon.

Then we will really have samsung EVERYTHING...samsung cars, TV, handphone, aircon, washing machine, condominiums and perhaps even SAMSUNG underwear.....and Samsung wedges.

Didn't know Samsung make golf clubs, where can you get them? The only Samsung thing related to golf in my possesion is a boston bag., and some Samsung logoed balls that won't fly.

Yes, it is only a matter of time that Samsung will sponsor major Golf tournaments ....

most of SE Asia dont really relate to Korea as Asian. They are like Japan, a region on their own and culturally quite different. We dont really care much when S.Korea did so well in the World Cup, many were rooting for the other team, first Portugal, Italy then Spain (many for monetary purposes though)

Ironically the more famous male golfer is from Japan (potential for greatness), but the first major male winner is from S Korea.

but seriously, how cool can a game be to a youngster when its middle aged / older men are the ones drooling over equipments and tour players...plus the all important lack of female companions playing/watching the game (soccer or basketball can still have the ladies watching them act like macho men, but golf its only 4 guys watching each other)

I think there are more ladies taking up golf... ask those that always hang around MBGC driving range

which could one reason why the range is very popular, but actual golf game no so.

A lot of guys showing off their 250m drives at the range. Do you every notice when one guy starts bombing it, the others will follow suit. Its comparing 250++m p***s.

Also pretty lady near by, the driver comes out...alone, its practicing shorter irons.

weesern wrote:

I think there are more ladies taking up golf... ask those that always hang around MBGC driving range

Please lah...I am inclined to guess majority of the charbohs there pick up golf to pick up rich guys....

or pick up golf to share same topic with their boss to eventually play bedroom golf with them

Is there? I think I should start switching to MBGC to range..
but problem is I dun drive 250m.

Roystonnn wrote:

YAN CAN COOK! SO CAN WE!
YANG CAN GOLF! SO CAN WE!

I agreed with bro Roystonnn.....we ...Singaporean will one day too win a Major ! I will put my bet on it !

DGman wrote:

Following Yang's historical win, a few of my American suppliers have emailed me the last few days predicting a boom in golf industry in Asia. The golfing communities there are alive with talks about Asia being the major force in golf. It is widely acknowledged that the LPGA is a foregone conclusion, the Asians are there to stay.

they liken that its just like when tiger woods, then a young 20 something turned pro and influence a global trend to play golf. golf before that has sometimes being view as a game for overweight and overaged sportsmen.

what do you think? Will Yang prompt more to take up the sports and will it propel those in Asia to ply their game at the world's highest stage, The PGA of America.

i think so.....but i also think that competition is good and i am sure the likes of Paula Creamer have to work harder to fight the competition, now that the stage is set higher.

DGman

A. More TaylorMade Clubs sold?
B. Yes. Just like Badminton propel Asians to take it up and be successful.
C. Until Asian Male Golfers be a force to be reckon with by winning more titles, we will be like rodney dangerfields of golf.
D. If only Yang can win more majors and based in Korea. Else if he is an US resident, just like Vijay, its counterpproductive. No?. See E below
E. Suggest that we move PGA Championship event to be held in Asia, to give Asian pros home turf advantage. Yes?