Golf another luxury most Filipinos cannot afford or ???

[scott h]

6 hours ago, Gratefuled said:

Thanks, but no, I think there must be other reasons. 

I can think of a whole raft of reasons.

1. Places to play: Yes there are quite a few courses in and around Manila. A lot of high end resort communities surrounding Manila have them also (Canyon Woods in Tagayatay comes to mind) But the really good courses are exclusive, would they allow a crew of teenagers to use it for practice on a daily basis? The amount of time that is required to become Professional or Olympic grade?

2. Economic: Golf is almost by definition a "Rich Man's" game. How many Filipino households can really afford to outfit a kid so they can really learn and become accomplished at the game. You really can perform well on a couple of irons and a hand me down putter. Add in green fees, a competent coach and all the other paraphernalia, its going to add up.

3. Time: How many parents are willing to devote the time needed to fight the traffic, sit around the club house and drive the kid back home on a daily basis, while the kid taking lessons, driving balls, messing around on the putting green, then playing 9-18 holes.

4. Dedication: In reading some Biographies on Wiki it appears that most of todays top young golfers started early, and just plain fell in love with the game and spent hours and hours developing and perfecting their natural born talents. Now those of us whole live in the Philippines how many young people do we know that will put down their phones for 3-6 hours a day just to practice?

So to sum up basically. What we are looking for is a child from a financially well off family, who's family lives near or owns a house in a high end subdivision, who has naturally ability, who's parents are just as driven for the kid succeed as he/she is and will devote the time, effort and financial support for the child to succeed, and a child who just loves the game so much that he/she is willing to for go all the other distractions kids have now a days.

I would suggest that the above really, really narrows the pool of potential golfers dramatically

Oh and #7: Its just to dang HOT

[scott h]

1 hour ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Here's a pic of some friends at one of the golf clubs in Cebu.  I guess this lays to rest the rumor that golf is a luxury most filipinas cannot afford 

I have to ask Dave, are they regular golfers? Or was it more of an outing thing?

[Mr. Bobo]

9 minutes ago, scott h said:

Oh and #7: Its just to dang HOT

It's never too hot to golf! When I started working in Abu Dhabi in 1997 there was only one golf course and it did not have one blade of grass. It was called "the sand course". Instead of "greens" the had what they called "browns". The "browns" was just packed down sand with oil on top so you could putt. The fairways were all sand. In the summer we would be out there with the temps in the 110F range. I always got a cart but a few of my friends would actually walk the course. It was only frequented by hard core expat golfers, not a local in sight. Needless to say my sand game improved dramatically. The expats that have access to golf courses here are lucky. The nearest one to me is in Clark Freeport which is about a 4 hour drive so I have given up golf in my retirement. I still enjoy watching it on TV though.     

[Dave Hounddriver]

16 minutes ago, scott h said:

I have to ask Dave, are they regular golfers?

Regular every week and often twice a week, but you've probably guessed that their spouses are foreigners and they likely would not be golfing if their significant others were not doing so.  Still, they seem to enjoy it.

[Gratefuled]

3 hours ago, Mr. Bobo said:

I think that outside of Manila one would be hard pressed to find a golf course, except maybe at a 4 or 5 star resort. I live in Nueva Vizcaya and there isn't a golf course within 100 miles of my house and I love to golf. I stayed at the Thunderbird Resort (5 star hotel) at Poro Point in La Union last year for a couple of days. They  did have a golf course on the grounds but I think that it is for hotel guests only and not open to the public. Most of the top professional female golfers are South Korean, and there are a few very good Chinese and Japanese female golfers. Asian female golfers swept the medals at the Olympics in Rio, Inbee Park (South Korea), Lydia Ko (New Zealand), and Shanshan Feng (China).  I follow women's professional golf (as well as men's) and I can't think of any female golfers from third world countries with the exception of Ariya Jutanugarn from Thailand, but I would put Thailand more in the "developing" country category rather than third world. I think that golf in the Philippines is only for the rich.

Thanks for your response but you did say "you think". Actually, there are many golf courses around but they may or may not be in the best condition.

I'm a former golfer as well and I follow both the female and male circuit. Yes, golf is expensive. I agree.

[Gratefuled]

44 minutes ago, scott h said:

I can think of a whole raft of reasons.

1. Places to play: Yes there are quite a few courses in and around Manila. A lot of high end resort communities surrounding Manila have them also (Canyon Woods in Tagayatay comes to mind) But the really good courses are exclusive, would they allow a crew of teenagers to use it for practice on a daily basis? The amount of time that is required to become Professional or Olympic grade?

2. Economic: Golf is almost by definition a "Rich Man's" game. How many Filipino households can really afford to outfit a kid so they can really learn and become accomplished at the game. You really can perform well on a couple of irons and a hand me down putter. Add in green fees, a competent coach and all the other paraphernalia, its going to add up.

3. Time: How many parents are willing to devote the time needed to fight the traffic, sit around the club house and drive the kid back home on a daily basis, while the kid taking lessons, driving balls, messing around on the putting green, then playing 9-18 holes.

4. Dedication: In reading some Biographies on Wiki it appears that most of todays top young golfers started early, and just plain fell in love with the game and spent hours and hours developing and perfecting their natural born talents. Now those of us whole live in the Philippines how many young people do we know that will put down their phones for 3-6 hours a day just to practice?

So to sum up basically. What we are looking for is a child from a financially well off family, who's family lives near or owns a house in a high end subdivision, who has naturally ability, who's parents are just as driven for the kid succeed as he/she is and will devote the time, effort and financial support for the child to succeed, and a child who just loves the game so much that he/she is willing to for go all the other distractions kids have now a days.

I would suggest that the above really, really narrows the pool of potential golfers dramatically

Oh and #7: Its just to dang HOT

I agree but where are reasons #5  and #6????

[scott h]

1 minute ago, Gratefuled said:

agree but where are reasons #5  and #6????

Spent to much time in High School on the golf course as a member of the golf team. Missed those math classes .

To add, I am a mediocre golfer, then and now. But as a member of the golf squad, we would ride in the coaches car EVERY school day after school, and hit a bucket of balls, then play 9 holes (45 min each way and the course donated the time. Another challenge here in the Phil.) ar. Did not help me much, but that was a fraction of what really good young golfers do.

[Gratefuled]

28 minutes ago, Mr. Bobo said:

It's never too hot to golf! When I started working in Abu Dhabi in 1997 there was only one golf course and it did not have one blade of grass. It was called "the sand course". Instead of "greens" the had what they called "browns". The "browns" was just packed down sand with oil on top so you could putt. The fairways were all sand. In the summer we would be out there with the temps in the 110F range. I always got a cart but a few of my friends would actually walk the course. It was only frequented by hard core expat golfers, not a local in sight. Needless to say my sand game improved dramatically. The expats that have access to golf courses here are lucky. The nearest one to me is in Clark Freeport which is about a 4 hour drive so I have given up golf in my retirement. I still enjoy watching it on TV though.     

Exactly. I've played golf barefooted and often in shorts. Played during the hot  Santa Ana winds, often in rain and fog, and once even when it started to hail. So, the heat never was a factor in So Calif.where temps exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit..

[Gratefuled]

6 minutes ago, scott h said:

Spent to much time in High School on the golf course as a member of the golf team. Missed those math classes .

So, were you still able to mark down all your strokes since Math was missing during your education? (  ) 

[scott h]

11 minutes ago, Gratefuled said:

Math was missing during your education

Only way I come close to breaking Par