The 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit is truly living up to its mission which is an emphatic and declared commitment to help golf grow in Asia. While golf in most of the developed world is in a languid state, Asia, especially the emerging parts of this giant Continent, is showing tremendous promise of growth.
Living up to this promise is perhaps Asia’s golfing flagship – the Mission Hills Group. What this group is doing to grow golf in Asia is nothing short of being truly spectacular.
The group’s “golf and more” philosophy will be showcased at APGS 2014 by its vice-chairman, Tenniel Chu who will share his thoughts on how Mission Hills has invested heavily and is very bullish about the future. “No pain, no gain,” is how his brother, Dr. Ken Chu, chairman of the group views the future.
“Mission Hills is taking the lead role and promoting a new lifestyle, writing the rules and methodology for golf and leisure development. We are offering something for everyone. You don’t have to be a golfer to visit Mission Hills. If one member of the family chooses to go for a round, other members can find plenty of alternative things to do.”
So, the stage for the future of golf in Asia is set! It is an exciting future and yet another tangible sign of how Asia is leading the way for golf’s growth.
In keeping with the theme of APGS 2014 which is “New Directions. New Energy. A Re-vitalised Industry” – the programme has been structured to look at trends and solutions designed to help the industry in Asia stay ahead of its challenges.
“All of us in the industry know what the challenges are and we don’t need to be reminded of the problems. Instead, we need to get excited and engaged with the opportunities that abound to help all of us seize the moment and grow the game of golf in Asia,” said Mike Sebastian, chief executive officer of the Asia Pacific Golf Group, the producer and owner of APGS 2014.
“The Asia that we know today is young and vibrant and totally ready for change and growth and this is fertile ground for new ideas and innovative thinking to attract new players to the game and to keep the industry on the right path towards growth,” he added.
Innovations that will be launched at APGS 2014 include a revolutionary concept called “Stadium Golf”. Conceptualised and developed entirely in Singapore, Stadium Golf is the brain-child of golf entrepreneur Balwant Grewal, Managing Director of Stadium Golf. “Stadium Golf is a platform that brings golf indoors utilising advanced golf simulation techniques – the primary thrust of this concept is to create a realistic and immersive experience for all level of players, especially juniors and beginners using the best golf simulation technology in the market made available thru our exclusive technology and equipment partners.”
“Our concept creates a TOTAL golfing experience that is designed to be very accessible, affordable, fun, easy to learn and play and our commitment is to introducing golf to the masses and to ensure that it is sustainable.” Grewal added.
According to Director of Stadium Golf, Gane Ramachandra, “Stadium Golf will be a 24/7 facility and the plan calls for Stadium Golf to be available in areas of high population density and plans are in place to roll this business model out throughout the region very soon. In that regard we are seeking regional partners as part of our development and expansion plans.”
Central to Stadium Golf’s programme will be its method of teaching the game to juniors and beginners. “We have developed an accelarated teaching system that is guaranteed to help juniors and beginners play golf at our Stadium Golf facilities within two-hours of being exposed to the basic principles of the game,” said former LAGT professional, Nicole Liu Xiaoyan, a Director of Stadium Golf. Her teaching technique is based on her exclusive programme which enabled her to learn golf in 18 months prior to turning professional on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour.
Another innovative programme is AuthentiGolf, a Singapore high-tech company that is the first in the world to provide authentication of golf clubs.
The developers, Leonard Wee and Steven Tan, keen golfers themselves saw an opportunity to help put an end to counterfeiters producing fake golf clubs. “There are too many counterfeit golf clubs in the market. There is a need for a company to be the authentication bureau of choice for consumers to have peace of mind when purchasing new or used golf clubs,” said Wee.
The revolution that the Mission Hills Group together with Stadium Golf and AuthentiGolf have started are just some of the examples of the exciting trends that are taking place in the evolution of golf in Asia. “Everywhere in the region, exciting new ideas, innovations and change initiatives are being launched and this activity only goes to prove that golf is not only growing in Asia but is also serving as the beacon for the future of the game,” added Sebastian.
APGS 2014 Programme to be Announced on September 24, 2014
REGISTRATION IS OPEN AT:
https://secure.golfconference.org/event/asia-pacific-golf-summit-2014
We look forward to welcoming you and your key personnel at the 2014 Asia Pacific Golf Summit.
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