What’s not apparent when we see good shots is that the majority of the players merely let the body do the work when underlying there must be full control in shot making…for greater satisfaction and longevity in the sport?

October 2018 Kulim: I’ve not heard of it before either…but I do know botuma, in the regional sub-dialect of a dialect of one of the languages of the country where I am, simply means ‘totally by chance’. Anyway…let’s talk first about the two groups of golfers who basically make us all up.

The first group refers to those ‘learned’ of oneself in the approach to make a calculated swing. The player has through practices ‘formulated’ a sort of rule of thumb for application to all types of ground conditions possibly encountered in the player’s experience.

Peculiar to the player only, this rule of thumb is tested and proven workable. Generally it combines the sense for target line (Almost always not a straight line) and physical adaptation to different inclinations to make the integral part of the swing thoughts on set-ups.

Players of this group generally tackle most situations and distances with equal ease and are usually only constrained by own physical incapability and conditions on the spot. Irrespective of the outcome, there’s always much control over the shot.

The second group refers to those who depend more, if not entirely, on own individual physical ability and giftedness – The Body playing for the Boss? They are generally quite clueless as to how the shot was done and as well when encountering unfamiliar terrain. Some tell-tale characteristics of players in this group:

1. “..I’m OK with 7 iron…but not so on 5 or 4”
(Typical of practice by conditioning, and not by knowing how)

2. Typically uses only one club, usually an iron, for a good spread of distance.

3. Ever on the look out for new clubs that ‘give extra distance’.
(There’s no free lunch, remember? Iron Byron has the optimum distance for each club and a predetermined flight path for a normal swing. An enforced hit will only change the flight path and affect landing/placing if not inevitably attracting greater risk for errors.)

4. Usually only practice short putts.
(Long putts test ability for overall control on all clubs).

5. Many older players (Those not yet reaching physical incapability) simply fade away prematurely when body constraints relating to aging begin to set in. They are lost as to why they were able to somehow do it before but not now suddenly, and are generally perplexed and much in a dark tunnel.
(In fact many young and talented actually lost interest because of this during their own ‘transformation’ processes. Remember? Golf is 80% a mind game!)

No data available, but you can safely assume the second group out numbers the first times over.

Fundamentally but certainly not physically apparent, what’s in the mind of the players in these two groups at setting up can be quite different. In the latter, ‘hoping for the best’ is by default the mantra, if divinity is somehow not in the golf bag!

Suddenly…BOTUMA Golf comes alive!

Golf is technically not an easy sport to begin with if you think it’s actually a premeditated move on a static object with self-initiated coordination. One has to be quite fully aware of why and how a shot was executed correctly or otherwise before one’s able to decide on what to do when next encountering some other ground conditions (If you like, it is as serious as the stone-faced snooker player ‘resting the balls’ on the table on set-up to hit the ball, something gentle golfers would not do, not in the rules book either.)

If you are able to ‘know thyself to know thy shots’, it can only be so much more interesting and enjoyable hitting balls…not least in finding the ‘tyranny of terrain’ becoming benign, if not the terrain itself becoming the subject of your command!

So…even after plodding along for a dozen+ years since the beginning as a tender .5 of a centenarian, one could still enjoy some very real golf…believe me?

At some stage, part of each of these cross path…sharing in their own ways the same origin to energy generation and maximizing effective delivery while being at a certain state of the mind and at peace with oneself

February 2019 Kaohsiung: According to Taichi (and my understanding of it), energy originates from the earth, transmits via our two legs and converge at the area of our body cupped by the pelvic and between the naval and the crotch called Dan Tian. With the legs firmly balancing the torso and knees as flexible joints, strong energy can be released by bodily movement starting from Dan Tian to the torso and out to the apparatus – the limbs. Otherwise or by mere coincidence, with the body well balanced at pause, a golf swing initiates with the collapse (turn) of the hips (pelvic) simultaneously followed by a corresponding turn of the torso (shoulders).

[Note: By coincidence or otherwise, Kundalini is located just right at the end of the spine – We probably do not require an “awakening of Kundalini” to hit a hole-in-one, but the existence of the three – the energy-generating hips, kundalini and Dan Tian – at the same location of the body might just help us understand more of how our body functions, if mere noticing that the sphincter should always be relax at set-up or at most of the Tai chi poses is not enlightening enough!]

Once a Taichi movement starts all limbs move in concert in various directions and poses, maintaining the body as a whole in perfect balance. Once the club head moves, the various parts of the body follow. In both, the eyes can only focus in one direction of choice. Other parts of the body go into the blind spot requiring the ability to ‘see’ what’s not seen, the lack of which is often reflected in a limp and disjointed movement in the former (as against a graceful one – otherwise defined as changing speed of a movement at a constant rate) and in the case of a golf swing, simply a less than satisfactory hit.

One must have for a time or two at least executed a good text-book swing; for only a brief second or so albeit, there’s a complete ‘view’ of the entire body in action…ample space between the club head coming down and the ball in sight…full concentration and control but relaxed…and as the club head follows through…a nice crisp sound of contact…exhilaration and, an awakening!

A set of Taichi movements takes many more minutes than an up-&-down of a golf swing but likewise it demands full concentration on the movements. At the end of it one ‘awakes’ with a feeling of having just returned from a certain state of the mind – a stroll in the clouds!

In both, there’s only one thing in the mind throughout the entire exercise, an experience not easily achievable in our everyday life. To get into the mood of a modern day meditation, one closes the eyes, concentrates and visualizes the tip of the flame of a burning candle as the only thing existing and in Zen meditation, one has simply to clear all ‘thoughts’ and think of ‘nothingness’, if mere thinking itself is not so much a ‘thought’ as such – something easier than trying a 2-inch putt for 200 times consecutively with none sinking?

To understand how a golf swing is made takes only minutes; to imitate the ‘dance steps’ of a Taichi movement is as simple. To actually do them right, it often takes a life-time!

To do it in short bursts of a golf swing or a longer time for a set of Taichi movements, or collectively over time in their own individual practices, the experience should be one in oneness in complete bliss.

…in appreciation of Loong De Taichi Group of Kaohsiung City Art Gallery for allowing the writer to mess around in the student group.

If there’s proper input, there’ll inevitably be fruitful output; how some with top facilities are not producing top players the way it should

July 2016 Siem Reap: Some time back we talked about how a mountainous country like South Korea with hardly any open spaces for proper driving ranges was able to produce so many top players within a relatively short span of time if you think, M. A. S. H. and the brillance of Samsung more or less stand side-by-side in the long spectrum of our memory. Some might say it’s ‘out of the blues’ but certainly practising in bird-cage-like driving ranges so ubiquitous in the country could not have contributed so much.

And now you have Thailand joining the rank…watching last night the very relaxed and confident Ariya Jutanungarn hitting the fairways on almost all of her t-shots and getting a prospect for a birdie or better on every green, memory flash back to her compatriot Pornanong Phatlum duelling to the last hole with Feng Shanshan of China at the CIMB European Tour event in Kuala Lumpur a few years back…and her sister Moriya is also performing well…whether she eventually wins the British Open tonight is actually quite irrelevant…Thailand has arrived!

While I do not have insight into the now well-known game plan of ‘manufacturing a success’ in golf as in the case of the South Korean (if having created the Haryu is not proof enough), my years of visiting Thailand can certainly vouch with certainty that much had been done over the years that resulted in the emergence of many fine players, both men and women, that stamp the mark of the country as a force to reckon with in golf…a case in point is the small gesture of encouragement in renting worn-out balls to school children at a much discounted price…day after day school kids, still in their school uniform, gather at driving ranges in the afternoon, practising enthusiastically.

If there’s proper input, there’ll inevitably be fruitful output.

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Nervousness?

February 2009 Chiangmai: Going into the final hole with a commanding two-stroke lead, you would think nothing could go wrong for leader Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, or for that matter if it was any of the professionals that we are so used to watching these days, especially if the last was a less-than-imaginative, lengthy 612-yard Par-5 with the grass on the green thick enough to leave traces of the ball, and certainly not giving much hope for anything more than a birdie, if not always a regular par at best. Already at the penultimate Par-4 17, Jaidee switched to safe-play mode by tee-ing off with an iron obviously hoping to just par the last two holes and the title would be his. The commentators of the TV channel certainly thought so even as the then very self-assured Jaidee was shown walking on the fairway to the ball for his third shot landing on the last green, smiling at the camera and waving to whoever was watching at home.

If you recall, Rocco Mediate of the US was more or less doing the same at the US Open 2008 going into the last hole where he unusually missed the putt and thereby having to enter a play-off with Tiger Woods to whom he found the trophy eventually slipped off his grip.

As it happenned on this New Kuta Golf & Ocean View Golf Course of Bali for the Jakarta Indonesia Open, what would have been a simple pitching shot to the hole for Jaidee, it went too long and nearly found the wall of the club house. The putt back to the hole for the 4th. – about 12-15 feet – again went too long for comfort – 5 feet off the hole.

Was Jaidee, who would have become the Asian player with the most wins ever on European Tour if he bagged this, nervous when found himself under the spotlight?

The story of this article is to highlight the need to maintain the level of concentration however assured it might seem of what’s on the scoreboard, at least till the last putt. It may seem self-concluding when the fast-approaching-40 Jaidee could well had been nervous after not winning big for the last few years. We leave you to come to your own conclusion based on your own golfing experience and judgement on what ought and ought not happen.

Jaidee, for all the confusion that must have surrounded him after finding his approach shot having gone unusually long and then immediately repeated it on the putt to the hole for a safe par must count himself lucky at this crucial moment of play having had to face a young if not extremely talented opponent in Alexander Noren of Sweden. Noren had just made an eagle followed by a birdie in the last two holes making him the only player that could have any chance of taking the title from Jaidee. It could have become another classic finish of the last US Open if Noren had not missed the birdie putt and Jaidee did not make the 5-foot putt for a par. But was it nervousness alone that caused the uncalled for ‘excitement for the spectators’, anxiety for Jaidee?

US Open 2008: Where Tiger Woods proved an ultimate magician in himself and Rocco Mediate unwittingly became a victim of his own vanity

June 2008 Chiangmai: Rocco Mediate said after his third round that to be paired with Tiger for the final round was his wish. It didn’t happen exactly that way but the magic touch of Tiger Woods on Sunday did make Rocco’s wish a reality on Monday, with an extra hole thrown in as well!

The final score on Sunday forced an 18-hole playoff between the two to be played the following day. A major golf site quickly predicted it would be an anti-climatic ‘fizzle’. Well, if you’d followed what happened during the 19 holes, you just might be out of a definition in that if you’d missed the unlikely and certainly memorable final putt by Tiger on the last hole on Sunday, you could witness a replay of the same magic again on the 18th. of the playoff! And, both were ‘life and death’ putts as far as the tournament was concerned for Woods. It only happens on golf instruction videos, did you say? Well, not for no reasons, Woods described it as the greatest victory he’d had so far.

But did they pit against each other during the playoff?

If you look back, Tiger was on his own to prove once again he was the ultimate magician of golf, and the result proved beyond doubt. Rocco was rather on a different plane of a battle ground. Likable as he was, he should have been himself – a professional golfer playing for winning the tournament. And for all his capabilities, he should have sealed it on the 17th. on Sunday on an easy putt that would have given him two clear of Tiger and Lee Westwood and not succumbed to the seduction of the crowd for the underdogs, albeit it would have been an anti-climax though for us all if that happened! If you recall, it happened to a few others in a similar situation as Rocco – suddenly finding himself in a psychological unpreparedness and under the spotlight playing with the favourite – and they all wilted. Responding to the roaring crowd by waving back and continuously having eye-to-eye contacts acknowledging cheers only split concentration. Heaven can wait, at least till after the last putt for the politeness, surely!

If you notice, when Tiger Woods plays, no one comes to watch, and there aren’t a single spectator in sight, no? Woods’ facial expression (or the total lack of it) tells it all!

An industry expert’s insight into the organizational aspect of the golf value chain in the ever evolving golf scene as managed in the country

January 2008 Manila: The analysis of the value chain can be split into 4 broad dimensions namely – P O T FIN. These are –Product, Organization, Technology and FINance.

This article tackles an instance of the ‘Organization’ dimension of the value chain and how it would lead to reduced costs hence greater profits, increased market share, better product development and how all these lead to better value for consumers. The story is weaved around a live example ofcoopetition (competition + cooperation) as an emerging new form of organizational structure in the golf industry in the Philippines.

As known, in a congested market place, a price war never creates economic value for the supply side, though we may say that it does in fair measures for the demand side. In the Philippines many golf directors and managers, who are the decision makers in a golf club, have opted to cooperate instead of undermining each other’s profits by a raging price war.

As a result of this, an industry structure was visualized, the history of which is beyond the scope of this article, as a result of increased influx of golf tourists, especially Koreans, to the Philippines. The structure is called GMAP (Golf Managers Association of the Philippines). To attract the incoming guests, the clubs, in a bid to attract the most number of people, were indulging in predatory pricing, at times bordering around break-even. As a result of this, the tourists were faced with two dilemmas: firstly, the feeling that they could have got a better deal; secondly the additional cost of dealing with multiple parties. As observed, no one gains and in a broader sense the perception of the country and the sport suffers along with the reduced foreign exchange being pumped into the economy.

The dynamics of this organization is such that when an offer from a contracting agent arrives, it is put on the table, in the open, for all the members to quote. This is sliced among all the members based on the requirements of the guests and the capabilities of the member courses. This is mutually agreed and the members then present this to their individual boards to take a decision. If a member prefers to opt out due to some constraints, the others are distributed the slice as per their capacity.

This has implications not only on the bottom lines of the participating clubs, but in a broader sense creates value not only for the visiting tourists but also for the image of the sport and the country in macro perspective. The tourists gain because they will be able to play in multiple golf courses without the hassle of dealing with multiple parties. They take back the pleasant perception of an organized and professionally run golf industry in the Philippines and thus recommend fellow countrymen. It’s no wonder that Koreans are thronging the archipelago in plane-fulls! The supply side i.e. the golf courses also gain because the damage to their bottom line has been saved and they are assured of a continuing patronage.

This mechanism also acts like a check on erring GMAP members by way of isolating them from further transactions till they agree to maintain the rules and the decorum of the forum. It also acts like a good feedback loop because the client complaints are taken seriously and the members each act like pseudo policemen for each other. Hence they compete with the intention of cooperation. It’s no wonder who will have the last laugh…the entire value chain!

About the Author:
Yash Makharia is writing his final thesis on the serious side of golf i.e. golf as an industry and the investment aspects of it, at the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines. The views as expressed in this article are entirely his. GOLFnTours.com is grateful to Yash for his kind contributions and sincerely hopes that his valuable insight into golf in the Philippines will greatly benefit not only golfers at large but those who may have an interest in golf as an investment.

A summary of the Volvo Masters of Asia 2007 and the muse over that perhaps the best kept secret of success of an eventual winner lies in the smile on the face.

December 2007 Chiangmai: It seems all you need to win a golf tournament is to keep smiling all the way to the last putt, and that includes smiling at times of adversities and high pressure. Tough things to do with a smile?

But that’s almost exactly what Juvic Pagunsan did during the entire Volvo Masters of Asia at the Thai Country Club, Bangkok this afternoon, 9 December, 2007.

Leading by 4 going into the final round and then more than losing it all in just the first nine would certainly not make a pleasurable Sunday golf for anyone, let alone one with a top price tag of $135,000! But if the secret weapon of this very skillful professional from the Philippines was the fast-becoming trademark smile he wears constantly on his face, it soon became clear after a couple of birdies from difficult positions finally found their way into his scorecard. Before mid-way on the home nine he had roller coaster(ed) back on top of the leadership board. It was as if the constant smiling brought all the good things and overwhelmed all that’s bad. It’s as easy as that!

And, smile more he did as one after another contender, all but one just one shot behind succumbed to the pressure more severe than the afternoon heat of the Bangkok sun. Chris Rogers of England needed the last putt to keep afloat but missed the cup.

Simon Yates of Scotland could not believe he misjudged on the approach third of the penultimate Par-5 seeing the ball going into the water. Scott Hend of New Zealand and Mark Brown of Australia fell a bit on the wayside a little earlier and never recovered.

But Pagunsan did not win finally. When it mattered most Pagunsan had delivered before; but that was in the Asian Tour he last won in October in Indonesia beating top players like Lee Westwood and some of the best in Asia. He did just the opposite this time: he missed the cup from a similar distance that otherwise would have kept his hope alive by going into a play-off.

It took no less than a quiet but superbly-playing Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand, who trailed all day with the pack and was at some point a joint leader on the board but never did become a serious challenge on his own until the last hole where a precious birdie ensured a play-off at least. Like Pagunsan, Marksaeng enjoyed no less a harrowing rollercoaster ride on this sunny final day if only the ride was a little smoother. A bogey on the back nine appeared to have ticked him off the list of contenders and later an apparent do-or-die attempt for a 2-on on Par-5 Hole#17 found water. A superb pitch shot from the lakeside to the hill-top green saved the day and that perhaps spurred greater inspiration leading to the birdie on the final hole which proved a $135,000-worth when he eventually won the tournament.

That’s how the story ended. And if you haven’t guessed it, Prayad Marksaeng was just about the only other player in the field with a constant smile on his face, come what may, throughout the entire play!

A display of nerves of steel that most golfers do not even have to hold their breathe in front of the television for the final winning putt!

October 2007 Chiangmai: It’s been a long time since I last followed play of weekend PGA tournaments anywhere, on course or live on television. I just did, and on two tournaments being played almost simultaneously. And, what a finish! If you missed it, I would like to share it with you.

Alternating between two different channels on television, it was hard trying not to miss some riveting putts here and an eagle there for the tournament.

First, it was Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines who came quietly from down the board on the final day of the Asian Tours’ Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational being played at the Damai Indah Golf Club’s BSD Course in Jakarta. With the young and up-and-coming Gaganjheet Bhullar of India at top of the leadership board, having finished and waiting anxiously in the club house, the diminutive Pagunsan, one stroke behind and the only man left with a chance to catch up, coolly…if you need the definition of ‘all eyes are on you’…sank the eagle putt on the last and thus winning the tournament by one…

And within less than an hour or so, Suzanne Pettersen of Norway, having played superbly for the first three days going into the final of the Honda LPGA Thailand being played at the Old Course of the Siam Country Club in Pattaya with a 6-stroke lead, suddenly found herself struggling to maintain par. It took no less than the massive experience and the driving power of Laura Davies to put pressure on the young Norwegian all the way to the very last hole (deja vu?), where a slightly miss judged right on the decisive second shot of the par 5 last took it’s toll on the English woman. Where Davies’ 20-foot putt from the lip and over a ridge just missed the cup for an eagle to ensure a play-off at least if not winning it outright, Pettersen’s 10-footer duly dropped into the hole triggering a sudden burst of cheers from the crowd and a double upper-cut punches from the latter celebrating in triumph!
Well, talking about nerves of steel, not since Phil Mickelson sank the last x0-foot putt to win his first major were there such exciting and nerve-wrecking finishes. With Tiger around, there’s always good golf; but there are plenty of good golf too without him.