ASEAN NOW Golf

It Is Not Only Golfers Who Want Clubs to Reopen

The Thailand government has recently told various businesses that they can reopen soon, as they hope the Corona Virus is under control, and this includes Golf Clubs.

But it is not only Thais and Expats golfers who are keen to get on the fairways, but also all the staff too. Remember many of the staff have been sitting around earning nothing for several weeks.

Naturally, the golf clubs had no choice but to lay off many of their staff, leaving only the essential maintenance staff on the payroll.

So, spare a thought for the 25,000 caddies who work at the 250 courses across Thailand. Most are self-employed, and therefore did not qualify for any government handouts. They relied on just their caddie fee and tips.

Then you have all the front of house staff and those working in the restaurants and on course food stations. Most of them did not get paid either.

So, as us golfers start enjoy our first round of 18 holes for some time, so will these Thai support staff be glad to be back at work.

Please remember to say Hi and try to give them a fair tip too. I know many retirees have to watch their expenditure even more now, but that extra bit of cash and a smile goes a long way.

However, one member of staff who most golfers try to avoid, is that guy who swims around after our ball disappears in the water hazard. He never gives back our ball unless you buy it from the secondhand shop on the way home!!!

Happy golfing!!!

Thailand’s golf courses face huge loss in revenue due to COVID-19

With over 250 courses across the country, Thailand’s golf vacationers normally bring in vast amounts of revenue. 

Golfers vacationers tend to stay at the top hotels, like to play at the best clubs, spend in the pro shops, and eat in the fine dining restaurants too.

However, with many borders closed and automatic 14-day quarantine periods required, it will be sometime before the international golf vacationer returns.

Some say the golf industry might as well write off 2020 completely.

Therefore, your local golf club will need to survive on any business from their existing members, locals and expat customers.

We have already witnessed incentives such as reduced green fees, and free carts. 

However, clubs will need to create non peak rates, tournaments and maybe even encourage schools to take lessons, just to keep the income ticking over.

They will also be carrying large stocks in the pro shops, so expect to see with special offers on polo shirts from the top brands.

However, the international golf vacationer is very familiar with playing golf in the tropics. And as Thai superstar Thongchai Jaidee often states, “Our secret weapon are the 25,000 caddies who make a golfing holiday in the land of the smiles very unique and enjoyable.’ 

The top golf courses will then be hoping that come December when hopefully international flights will be allowed to land in Thailand, that the Korean, Japanese, European and Australian golfers will return.

Hopefully common sense will prevail and in 2021 clubs will keep their rates the same all year round. Especially as I don’t think golf vacationers or expats will have the budget to pay high season rates for now.

Ryder Cup postponed due to coronavirus

This year's Ryder Cup, which was scheduled to be held in late September in Wisconsin, has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Many Golf Clubs Will Disappear?

Golf is available around the globe, and according to a recent R & A survey, there were 33,161 golf facilities in 208 of the world’s 245 countries. 

The majority of the worldwide supply is located in the western hemisphere. North and South America are home to 55% of world supply; The U.S. alone claims 45% of the world’s total courses. 

Europe has the second largest regional share with 22% of the world’s total, followed by Asia with 14% and Oceania with 6%. 

With 60% of the world’s population on 31% of the earth’s land mass, Asia is home to 4,570 golf facilities, representing 14% of the total count. 

Thailand Has 250 Courses

Here in Thailand there are around 250 golf courses, mostly privately owned across the country.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand golf vacations are the fourth largest contributor to the country’s tourism income.

So, golf is a big player, and employs thousands of Thais ranging from club house staff, maintenance crews and over 30,000 caddies.

Apparently at the end of 2019 Asia had 32% of all new golf course undertakings worldwide amounting to 176 new projects.

But that’s all changed big time, and since the Covid 19 Pandemic, many have been delayed or have stopped construction.

Here in Thailand, there is a premiere league of clubs that have first class facilities, and cater for locals, expats, and appeal to the golf vacationer.

They, with prudent cutbacks are likely to survive, even if their income for 2020 will come from locally based players.

However, if you are a country course, the tour operators are unlikely to include you on their customers itineraries. Golf vacationers like to mainly play the best 18 holes, and then enjoy the 5-star hotels in Thailand’s top resorts and cities.

How Many Will Survive?

Several courses in England have already gone into liquidation this week.

Expect many 2nd and 3rd division courses here in Thailand will also struggle to make ends meet. They, like the leading clubs, still have large upkeep costs in maintaining 18 holes and will have staff bills to pay as well.

Some courses in holiday locations maybe snapped up by savvy investors, with funds to upgrade the course and club house. 

But many, especially privately owned, my find the only option is to sell the land for development or to just shut the doors and let the grass grow.

Golf Ready for Tourists?

A quick survey around many Asia golf courses, and almost 100% in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are now open for business.

With locals plus foreign residents making up the main numbers, naturally golf clubs are at least welcoming golfers at last. And perhaps more importantly, the staff and caddies are at last earning some badly needed income.

During the shut down most clubs used their closures to upgrade their courses, so a lot of courses have never been in better playing condition.

When they did actually reopen in Vietnam at the end of April, and Thailand in mid-May, initially it was very hard to get a tee time at most of the golf courses. With no golf played for so long, both local and expats rushed to get out on the course after the long lock down period.

After the initial rush, business has now slowed down a bit and weekdays are relatively quiet, however some courses are still busy especially at weekends.

Executives Have More Leisure Time

Many foreign multi-national companies automatically include golf club membership in their employment packages particularly offered to senior staff. 

Therefore, with some large companies currently operating just a three-day week, many Korean and Japanese players based here are currently finding more free time to book a round of golf with colleagues.

Naturally golf vacationers still make up a large percentage of income in a normal year. So general managers at all the leading courses, are hoping that the Thai Government’s proposed travel bubbles with low risk neighbors, may be implemented soon. 

This may include, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. China was on the bubble list, but not many Chinese are coming to SE Asia to play golf yet.

Meanwhile with low green fee rates, promotions on golf carts, great course conditions and fine weather, locals and expats are able to enjoy almost millionaires golf!

Woods Is Back

FILE PHOTO: Golf - The 148th Open Championship - Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, Northern Ireland - July 19, 2019 Tiger Woods of the U.S. on the 18th hole during the second round REUTERS/Ian Walton/File Photo

Tiger Woods is back on the tee, and there is little need to overcomplicate the storyline beyond that.

The 82-time PGA TOUR winner and the world’s most talked-about player is set to make his much-anticipated return this week at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, his first appearance since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sport in mid-March.

When Woods launches his opening ball off the tee Thursday at Muirfield Village, it will be his first competitive start in five months, dating back to the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in February. Woods, who has won this event five times in his career, will be part of a featured grouping Thursday and Friday alongside Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka.

“It feels great to be back,” Woods said Tuesday.

“I hadn't played on a tournament venue in a while, and it's been since February, so it's been a long time for me. Then to get out there and to play with Justin Thomas today was a bunch of fun. It's certainly a different world, different environment that we're in. To play practice rounds like this and to watch as the Tour has evolved and started back and to see no fans, it's just a very different world out here.”

Golf has eagerly awaited Woods’ return since he first displayed a midseason form in May at Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Charity. Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Woods said that performance briefly left him considering an earlier return to competition before ultimately opting against it.

“I did consider playing, trying to figure out if I should play or not. But I just felt it was better to stay at home and be safe,” he said. “I’m used to playing with lots of people around me or having lots of people have a direct line to me, and that puts not only myself in danger but my friends and family. I’ve just been at home practicing and social distancing and being away from a lot of people.”

Woods watched from afar as the TOUR worked through its new health and safety protocols, which include no on-site fans and frequent COVID-19 testing throughout the week. Confidence in those measures are what ultimately brought him to Ohio this week. 

“That's the risk that I'm taking, that's the risk that all of us are now taking,” Woods said. “I know the TOUR has done a fantastic job of setting up the safety and trying to ensure that all of us are protected and are safe, but it is a risk that we are now undertaking when we walk on the property and are around individuals that you don't know where they've been or what they've been doing.

“But the screening, the testing we've done, the protections that we've tried to implement on the TOUR have shown that we've had to make adjustments, but it's a risk that I'm willing to take.”

Yes, there was ample time for Woods to practice during the hiatus at his home course, Medalist Golf Club, but there was also plenty of backyard tennis with his children, Sam and Charlie, and quiet moments to read horror novels by one of his favorite authors, Dean Koontz.