Thursday, February 24, 2011

Indonesian Masters Lends Charity Support

Jakarta, February 24: The inaugural Indonesian Masters will tie-up with non-profit organisation, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia with the goal of raising funds to build houses for the underprivileged in the country.

Apart from introducing world-class golf to the nation, the Indonesian Masters, slated at the prestigious Royale Jakarta Golf Club from April 21-24, 2011, is focused on playing an integral role in helping Habitat for Humanity Indonesia through a charity drive night and direct donations from sponsors during the tournament week.

World number one Lee Westwood of England will headline the full-field Asian Tour US$750,000 tournament which will be beamed live around the world to over 40 nations and 400 million homes for four days.

The Habitat for Humanity Indonesia was formed in 1997 and through the years has housed a total of 19,850 families in the country. National Director of Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, James Tumbuan, was delighted to tie up with the Indonesian Masters and the Asian Tour, which he believes will boost their efforts in providing better living conditions for the poor.

“It costs US$2,700 to build a proper home for a family and change their lives for the better. I would like to thank the organisers of the Indonesian Masters and Asian Tour for their tremendous support to our cause and we hope to promote on our mission more extensively through the Indonesian Masters,” said Tumbuan.

Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said it was important for the tournament to support Habitat for Humanity Indonesia and paid tribute for their dedication in improving the lives of the less fortunate.

“The Indonesian Masters is more than just a golf tournament. We will lend our full support through the Indonesian Masters and help with their mission. I salute the efforts or their organisation and dedicated volunteers,” said Han.

Sponsors of the elite and full-field Asian Tour event include the Royale Jakarta and Four Seasons Hotel. The Professional Golf Association of Indonesia (PGPI) will also sanction the Indonesian Masters, which will provide a great opportunity for the local players to compete against the best from the region.

Four Seasons Hotel, located in the heart of Jakarta’s central business district, will pamper the players and officials with its luxurious services and accommodation.

Its General Manager, Vikram Reddy, said they were looking forward to opening its doors to the likes of Westwood and Asia’s top stars.

“It is a great privilege for Four Seasons Hotel to be associated with Indonesia’s premier golf championship. The Indonesian Masters is positioned as a world-class event with world-class partners.

“We will be going out of our way to ensure that the players and officials enjoy their stay at Four Seasons Hotel and showcase Indonesia’s renowned hospitality to the world,” he said.

The Indonesian Masters is earmarked to become the country’s premier golf championship on the Asian Tour, with plans to raise its prize fund and attract other international stars to Indonesia in the coming years.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Exotissimo Launch New Golf Packages

Exotissimo Travel improves golf portfolio with new packages that team culture and relaxation with some of the most visually striking courses on the planet.

Premier Travel Company Exotissimo Travel have announced the launch of a number of new golf tours. Adding a twist to a Southeast Asia itinerary, the savvy golfer will testify to have been frequenting destinations not traditionally known for golf such as Cambodia and Yangon for some time.

Now, as the industry begins to gather pace Southeast Asia is fast building up a reputation as a golfing hub. With a host of world-class courses, affordable prices, impeccable service, first-rate accommodation and few crowds, it is not hard to see why.

Group Product Manager Louise Nathan said, “Southeast Asia truly is a golfer’s paradise. Great beaches and adventure pursuits you might equate with the region but not necessarily golf, which means the courses are relatively unsaturated. Our packages offer a unique combination of sightseeing, cultural exploration and time to relax and appreciate the quality spa treatments to be had here.”

Ideally, a golf tour in Southeast Asia should also offer travelers the opportunity to immerse themselves within the local culture and appreciate the heritage and traditions that make the place, as is the case with Angkor Golf Week in Siem Reap. While this is a town rightfully known for being the home to the magnificent Angkor temples, on this program participants can explore a well balanced itinerary that incorporates sightseeing alongside, boat trips, fine dining and a dynamic golfing itinerary.

Indonesia an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is vast and vivid with huge scope for a world-class golfing adventure through an epic landscape. On this day Indonesia Golf Tour participants will traverse the wonders of Java and Bali as they tee off amid mountains, crater lakes and ancient forests. Delve into the ancient wonders of the country with visits to ancient temples as well to local markets and some of the regions top tables. Starting in Jogjakarta, you’ll have time to explore Java before jetting off to the cultural heart of Bali, Ubud, before finishing on the south island beaches.

The perfect way to begin or conclude a Thailand tour, the Golf Package at Kirimaya, Khao Yai offers a less strenuous approach to the game, balancing an itinerary of golf and relaxation. Over 3-days travelers can soak up the cool, clean air of Thailand’s wine region, tee off on an 18-hole course and explore the country’s first national park.

Myanmar commonly referred to as ‘The Golden Land’ has ample scope for a good round of golf. On this day tour you will tee off at the Yangon Golf Club. Play a full 18 holes on an international-standard course, designed by professional golfer Gary Player. Opened in 1999, the greens are well-maintained and the course offers enough variety to challenge golfers of all levels.

From eTravel Blackboard

Friday, February 18, 2011

Empire Hotel And Country Club Brings Faldo Series To Brunei

It was announced today that the award-winning Empire Hotel and Country Club in Brunei will host the inaugural Faldo Series Brunei Championship in November 2011.

The first ever Faldo Series Brunei Championship will be an addition to the Faldo Series Asia season for 2011-2012. The 36-hole event will give talented young golfers from Brunei and neighbouring countries the opportunity to compete for a place in the sixth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by Sir Nick Faldo at Mission Hills Golf Club in China in March 2012.

“Brunei is an exciting new addition to our schedule and furthers Sir Nick’s commitment to grow the game worldwide,” said Tom Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of the Faldo Series. “13 countries now participate on the Faldo Series Asia schedule. I thank the Empire Hotel and Country Club for supporting this vision. The Empire is an ideal venue to host this event and the course is a true test for the country’s best young talent.”

“We are absolutely thrilled to be hosting the Faldo Series Brunei Championship in November and we fully support Sir Nick Faldo’s efforts to help grow the game in this region,” added Pg Abdul Rahman, Operations Manager for The Empire Hotel and Country Club. “Having just been voted Best Golf Resort in Asia Pacific by Asian Golf Monthly, this prestigious tournament presents a fitting tribute to the world class offerings here at The Empire Hotel and Country Club.”

A field of boys and girls born in 1990 or later will be divided into five age categories for the Brunei Championship (Boys’ Under-21, Boys’ Under-18, Boys’ Under-16, Girls’ Under-21 and Girls’ Under-16), with the winner of each category over two rounds of gross stroke-play qualifying for the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in China, an R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking event.

Younger children from the local community will also be invited to The Empire Hotel and Country Club during the tournament to enjoy a free golf clinic and watch the competitors in action, part of a drive by all parties to simultaneously create access to the game for a younger audience.

Launched by the six-time Major Champion in 1996, the Faldo Series now features 35 annual tournaments in more than 25 countries worldwide with former winners including Rory McIlroy, Nick Dougherty, Marc Warren, John Parry, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Yani Tseng, all winners on Tour.

The Faldo Series Asia, supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, was established in 2006 and currently visits 17 tournaments in 12 different countries including six in mainland China plus The Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia and Thailand.

Also backed by UFL, TaylorMade, the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the new 2011-2012 Faldo Series Asia schedule featuring Brunei will be announced following the fifth Faldo Series Asia Grand Final which takes place at Mission Hills on March 2-4.

For details on entering the Faldo Series Brunei Championship at the Empire Hotel and Country Club, email golf@theempirehotel.com or visit www.theempirehotel.com

For more information on the Faldo Series visit www.nickfaldo.com or follow the Faldo Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/faldoseries

Friday, February 11, 2011

Nirwana Bali Golf Members & Guests Golf Tournament

On Sunday, February 20th 2011 there will be a Members & Gusts Golf Tournament at Nirwana Bali Golf Club.
Shotgun start at 13.30hrs.
The tournament will be in Stroke Play competition format with USGA Handicap System for members and 36 Handicap System for non-members.
Tournament fee is IDR 1,000,000 net for domestic and KITAS holder | US$175 net for visitor or non-KITAS holder.
Fee includes Snack, Prizes and Dinner.
Dinner dresscode: Chinese New Year Theme.
Hole in one prizes are 1 unit Mazda 2 1.5SL SM/T, Off the road at hole #7 and 1 return ticket Economy Class DPS-SIN-DPS at hole #14.

For more information please contact:
Nirwana Bali Golf Club, tel +62 361 815900 fax +62 361 812151 golfreservation@panpacific.com

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Indonesia PGA Championship Launches OneAsia's 2011 Season

Jakarta, February 8: The inaugural Indonesia PGA Championship will raise the curtain on OneAsia this year as part of an exciting new initiative to raise the profile of golf in the country.
The US$1million tournament will be played from March 24 to 27 at Imperial Klub Golf - situated just outside of Jakarta.

A prolific field of top professional golfers from the region will compete in the event which will also feature all of Indonesia’s leading players.

The Indonesia PGA Championship is one of 13 tournaments on this year’s OneAsia schedule, which also features the Indonesian Open later in the year. OneAsia was launched in 2009 so that for the first time the region could boast a year long schedule of million dollar events featuring the elite players from Asia Pacific.

The success of OneAsia caught the eye of Indonesia’s tourism authorities who are lending their support to the Indonesia PGA Championship.

“The game of golf is once again finding its feet in Indonesia after over a decade of being in the shadows. The sport is of course a perfect vehicle to help attract tourists and as Indonesia has so many great golfing venues we feel it is timely to get involved. There is no better way than to help do this than by supporting top international golf tournaments like the Indonesia PGA Championship,” said Mr. Ir. Jero Wacik, Minister of Culture & Tourism in Indonesia.

The tournament will be showcased on OneAsia’s television platform with live coverage for four hours a day across all four tournament days, and broadcast to over 400 million homes in more than 40 countries.

Full coverage of the event will be available internationally on ESPN Star Sports, Jupiter Golf Network, SBS Golf Channel, Fox International, Sky Sports NZ, ESPN3, America One, ViaSat and Bloomberg Television among others in Europe.

The Indonesia PGA Championship is promoted by Rajawali Sports International who are planning to make a huge impact on the golf industry in Indonesia.

Their OneAsia tournament is their flagship event while they are also in the process of planning six other local tournaments this year. Three of these will be held on the ASEAN PGA Tour and three will be staged on the PGPI Tour.

“Our objective is to promote Indonesia and enhance its tourism industry through the game of golf. In particular we plan to do this by re-igniting professional golf in the country by setting up a strong back bone of tournaments,” said Martha D. Sidebang, President Director/CEO, Rajawali Sport International.

“We are in the process of finalizing details of these tournaments some of which will be held in Bali, Lombok, and Medan. However, our focus at the moment is on the Indonesia PGA Championship which will be one of the biggest and most lucrative golf tournaments held here,” added Sidebang.

OneAsia last visited Indonesia for its national Open in July of 2010 when New Zealander Michael Hendry triumphed. He finished ahead of second place Liang Wenchong from China - who went on to win the OneAsia Order of Merit title with earnings of US$560,737.

“We are thrilled to be returning to Indonesia especially and starting the year with a brand new tournament. This is just our third season and it is a measure of our success that we can quickly attract new sponsors and tournaments. We have increased our number of tournament to 13 this season compared with 10 in 2010 and we are very confident that we will announce even more events in this year,” said Mr Sang Y Chun, Chairman & Commissioner, OneAsia.

Last month OneAsia completed its first Qualifying School which saw 40 players earn their playing privileges for the season. Young Korean star Han Chang-won, aged 19, finished in first place. The 2009 Asian Amateur Champion will be one of the players to watch in the Indonesia PGA Championship.

The Founding members of OneAsia are the China Golf Association, the Korea Golf Tour, the Korea Golf Association and the PGA of Australia. The mission of OneAsia is not just to allow the region’s best players to gain access to more events, but to ultimately provide them with an alternative destination to the PGA Tour and The European Tour, thus retaining the best golfing talent in the region without compromising their development.

Imperial Klub Golf is one of Jakarta’s premier golf courses and boasts a championship course designed by British architect Desmond Muirhead.

The Club is located in the new town development of Lippo Karawaci and is 25 minutes from downtown Jakarta and 35 minutes from Jakarta’s international airport.

It has previously hosted two events on the ASEAN PGA Tour. Malaysian Danny Chia won the 2007 International Championship at Imperial while the following year Indonesia’s rising star Rory Hie claimed the same title.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

PGGC Monthly Tournament - 10 February 2011

The February 2011 edition of the Permata Gading Golf Club (PGGC) monthly tournament will be held on:
Date: Thursday, 10 February 2011
Location: Gading Raya Golf Club
Registration: 06.30 WIB
Tee Off: 07.00 WIB
Registration Fee: Rp 300,000 (members, all-in)
: Rp 600,000 (guests, all-in)
Jackpot: Rp 50,000 for all
There are many attractive prizes to be won in this tournament, including tours to Bintan and Bali as Hole-In-One prizes.

For registration please contact PGGC Secretariat at:
Graha Cempaka Mas, Blok B/9, Jakarta 10640, phone (021) 426 3758, fax (021) 426 3760, mobile 0816 148 3801.