Legend Believes Golf Can Grow In RI

Laura Macintosh, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta - Golfing legend Nick Faldo believes that his beloved sport can make it big in Indonesia. The six-time major winner recently told The Jakarta Post that he felt positive about the potential for the success of golf, which was formerly viewed as an “elitist” sport in many Southeast Asian countries.

“I am particularly optimistic about the enthusiasm [for golf] in Southeast Asia and places like Indonesia where we can measure the growth and interest in the sport,” Faldo said.

The Englishman is not all talk. Faldo is responsible for founding the Faldo Series in 1996, in which 37 tournaments are held in 27 countries for over 5,000 up-and-coming golfers participating each year.

The series, which includes an Asian tour, aims to give aspiring golfers under 21 years of age competition and travel opportunities that they would often be otherwise unable to afford. As well as competitive experience, the participants and their parents are given mentoring sessions, to help them with the mental pressures of competitive and professional sports.

Through not only the Faldo Series, but also Faldo Design golf courses, which are being established throughout Southeast Asia, Faldo hopes to not only grow the game, but the opportunities that being involved in it can provide.

“I support the efforts of those introducing this game to new golfers on all levels,” Faldo says, “and through the Series in particular, with the help of our partners … we look to offer proper opportunities to the depth of talent we are seeing from new regions of the world.”

Faldo admits that the golfing world is entirely different now to when he was trying to break onto the scene.

“There are different opportunities and instruction and technology to improve your game,” he explained. “There are agents and marketing partnerships and swing coaches. In the end it is all about practice and focus and dedication and taking advantage of all the clubs in your bag, so to speak.”

The golfing great believes that the sport he is so passionate about needs to be made accessible to more people of all ages, because of the lessons such as sportsmanship and social skills can translate to all areas of life.

“There is always room to introduce the game to more people of all ages,” Faldo insists. “Making courses accessible and sharing the stories of role model players will inspire some [people to take up the game].”

The Indonesian leg of the Faldo Series was held at the Damai Indah Golf Course in Jakarta in January earlier this year, with the final scheduled at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China, from March 14-16.