With the pandemic encouraging more new golfers to take up the game and the American golf industry seeing a massive jump in rounds booked, it is ironic and incredibly sad to see courses across Asia struggling to survive.

As golfers, we know that many courses that were built years ago, especially those in urban areas, are now sitting on some very valuable real estate.

 

Under the guise of land scarcity, expensive maintenance, and exclusivity just for the rich, cash strapped golf club owners are succumbing to taking the fat cheques of the property developers, keen to build property on valuable real estate.

 

So as the pandemic has in some countries forced courses to either close or accept just local customers, the cost of still keeping up the maintenance of their 18 holes, has been eating into their cash reserves.

 

Malaysia in Lockdown Again.

 

According to The Malaysian Golf Association secretary Datuk Zulkifli Ismail, 

“With air travel literally coming to a grinding halt and with the movement control order (MCO) in force, it is our view that most golf clubs have been severely affected.”

 

Empty Streets in KL

 

The government has now extended the lockdown until the end of June.

 

Recently a ship management serviced company has filed a winding-up petition against Mines Excellence Golf Resort Bhd, the operator of the Mines Resort & Golf Club, in Kuala Lumpur over unpaid debts of RM1.502 million.

 

This course hosted the first PGA Tour event there back in 2010, and many big names have played there including Tiger Woods.

 

Singapore Also Sees Closures Too.

 

Singapore’s famous Raffles Country Club and Jurong Country Club have already closed, both to make way for the Singapore-KL High-Speed Rail project.

 

This comes on top of news in recent years that other leases will lapse. In time, Keppel Club, Marina Bay Golf Club and Orchid Country Club will go.

 

The Singapore Island Country Club (SICC), Tanah Merah Country Club and National Service Resort and Country Club are likely to also see parts of their courses reduced in size as well.

 

Vietnam Bucks the Trend

 

 

Over the past ten years the Vietnam government has actively encouraged developers to create golf clubs and resorts as it sees the value of the golf tourists and the spend. There are now nearly 80 courses across Vietnam, and although the country’s borders are currently closed, they see international golf vacationers coming back soon.

 

Japan Has Half of Asia's Golf Courses, However the Game's Popularity there Is Flagging.

 

America still has the largest golf industry in the world, by a long shot. But in Japan's economic heyday in the 1980s, it built up thousands of courses and the game became baked into its business culture. Unfortunately, those heady days are over as golf participation in Japan has dropped by 40 percent since 1996, according to the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper.

 

Private courses which make up about 90 percent of Japan's courses are starting to disappear. Initially their financial model relied on hefty membership and initiation fees. Back in the 1980s, when golf was booming, Japanese clubs regularly required a deposit of $400,000.

 

However, that deposit was supposed to be returned after a decade. But when the Japanese economy went bust after 1989, many private golf courses were unable to honor their commitment. Since then, dozens of courses have been bought out; others have been redeveloped, and some have closed down entirely.

 

Where are the Tourists in Thailand?

 

A Tourism Authority of Thailand survey conducted back in January stated that more than a third of the country’s tourism-related businesses has already shut up shop and gone out of business.

 

But industry players estimate the number is much higher. In regions almost solely relying on tourism for an income – Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Gulf and Andaman Islands and touristy areas around Bangkok – up to 90% of the front-line tourism businesses have closed.

 

 

With no overseas golf vacationers around, the Thai golf industry was having to rely on retired expats to book heavily discounted rounds to keep the course busy during the week, while Thais payed a bit more for a round over the weekend.

 

That seemed to work back in 2020, however now even the Thais are feeling the pinch, especially the middle-class sector, and with restricted travel bookings have dipped.

 

This time of the year is deemed Low Season, with tropical storms across Thailand when it is often also too hot to play. Therefore, traffic is low then anyway, but add on the problems with Covid 19 and the future is bleak.

 

It is highly unlikely that any club is actually breaking even at the moment, and those located out in the provinces are possibly lucky to see any customers at all.

 

With over 260 courses to maintain and many staff especially caddies leaving to head home, it is inevitable that clubs will either have to share staff with neighboring courses or there will have to be closures across the country.

To date we have not heard of any clubs closing permanently but expect some casualties over the next few months.

 

 

Golf isn't sustainable.  Too much impact on the climate and ecology.  They should keep a few open for the wealthy and close the rest.  Commoners should be working and not playing.

24 minutes ago, connda said:

Golf isn't sustainable.  Too much impact on the climate and ecology.  They should keep a few open for the wealthy and close the rest.  Commoners should be working and not playing.

Spoken like a person who has zero understanding of the game and the employment it provides. Golf is replete with the history of people who have become very rich, from humble beginnings, thanks to the game.

Perhaps it has escaped your notice golf courses are green spaces with trees and grass, converting carbon dioxide into oxygen any time the sun is shining. It's called photosynthesis, which is more creative than the analysis you've posted.

Please post a credible link that proves golf courses have an effect on climate. Ecology yes, perhaps we should give up farming as well because that alters ecology too.

Edited June 21, 20215 yr by Lacessit

12 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Spoken like a person who has zero understanding of the game and the employment it provides.

I think @connda  was poking a little fun at the "fat cats"  

kinda like one rule for us  and let the peasants eat cake.

41 minutes ago, connda said:

Golf isn't sustainable.  Too much impact on the climate and ecology.  They should keep a few open for the wealthy and close the rest.  Commoners should be working and not playing.

 

 

One step further please.     Why not have the commoners do all the maintenance on the golf courses for the benefit of the wealthy users?     

I love golf but at $200-300aud for 1 round....I never play here. Can I afford it sure....but why would I want to pay that much to play, 3-4 rounds of golf here is same as yearly membership in most aussie clubs playing 5 days a week....

2 hours ago, connda said:

Golf isn't sustainable.  Too much impact on the climate and ecology.  They should keep a few open for the wealthy and close the rest.  Commoners should be working and not playing.

You are obviously joking.

43 minutes ago, theonetrueaussie said:

I love golf but at $200-300aud for 1 round

You don't say where you are but the prices you mention are not typical for all of Thailand.

There are plenty of courses around Pattaya as an example where even with a cart/buggy deals are available for much less than 2000baht.......

If you walk then some good courses for less than 1500 baht including caddie tip........

 

Edit - ok just seen you are in Phuket. Even there I understand there has been some reasonable deals recently.

Edited June 21, 20215 yr by topt

2 hours ago, theonetrueaussie said:

I love golf but at $200-300aud for 1 round....I never play here. Can I afford it sure....but why would I want to pay that much to play, 3-4 rounds of golf here is same as yearly membership in most aussie clubs playing 5 days a week....

Best course in Chiang Rai is Santiburi, 1600 baht for golf, cart and caddie, excluding caddie tip. Happy City and Waterford Valley are also good courses, 1000 and 900 baht respectively.

And good riddance to those forest-clearing, water-wasting, chemical-splashing monstrosities. 

5 hours ago, topt said:

You don't say where you are but the prices you mention are not typical for all of Thailand.

There are plenty of courses around Pattaya as an example where even with a cart/buggy deals are available for much less than 2000baht.......

 

I don't golf, but I have wealthy European friends which are fervent golf players, and live in Tenerife.

 

When they were here 3 years ago, they went to a few courses, and told me that Thailand is way overpriced for the substandard courses that are around Pattaya

10 hours ago, theonetrueaussie said:

I love golf but at $200-300aud for 1 round....I never play here. Can I afford it sure....but why would I want to pay that much to play, 3-4 rounds of golf here is same as yearly membership in most aussie clubs playing 5 days a week....

Yes totally mad isn't it, golf in Thailand is more expensive than Oz and UK and other countries, most people haven't done the comparison calculations

4 hours ago, Susco said:

 

I don't golf, but I have wealthy European friends which are fervent golf players, and live in Tenerife.

 

When they were here 3 years ago, they went to a few courses, and told me that Thailand is way overpriced for the substandard courses that are around Pattaya

Yes most of the courses are poorly maintained, crab grass, rough around bunkers, bunkers not raked, greens inconsistent etc

My opinion is most public courses here are over priced.  I was playing in the South Carolina up until 2 weeks ago, $30-65 for 18 with cart/buggy. Manicured courses created by top designers. You could play $200-300 for the likes of Harbor Town or Palmetto Bluffs if you felt the need.

 

Golf should be easily affordable to middle class Thai's. It is played year round here, and maintenance costs are not that high with the wages paid here. Plenty of sunshine and rain. Two thirds of the caddies here while pleasant and polite are only capable of pulling your bag or driving. They should be fewer, better trained, better paid, and be optional. For golf to be sustainable here it needs to be basically supported by Thais and golf tourists should be surplus money.   

 

It is doubtful that business models will change and I will continue to enjoy my time here.

8 hours ago, Dtaw said:

And good riddance to those forest-clearing, water-wasting, chemical-splashing monstrosities. 

Careful now, the rice farmers  may be listening.

On 6/21/2021 at 4:25 PM, Lacessit said:

Spoken like a person who has zero understanding of the game and the employment it provides. Golf is replete with the history of people who have become very rich, from humble beginnings, thanks to the game.

Perhaps it has escaped your notice golf courses are green spaces with trees and grass, converting carbon dioxide into oxygen any time the sun is shining. It's called photosynthesis, which is more creative than the analysis you've posted.

Please post a credible link that proves golf courses have an effect on climate. Ecology yes, perhaps we should give up farming as well because that alters ecology too.

 

On 6/21/2021 at 4:39 PM, johng said:

I think @connda  was poking a little fun at the "fat cats"  

kinda like one rule for us  and let the peasants eat cake.

I wasn't expecting anyone to take that little slice of lampoonery hook, line, and sinker.  Lol