The CGTF welcomes Jazz Golf as one of the new companies offering benefits to our members. We are excited about this Canadian golf club manufacturer joining forces with us. They are based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and now offer a personal use program to CGTF members. Jazz Golf also manufactures a Sandra Post line of golf clubs for ladies. Please visit their website for contact details and complete list of CGTF benefits.

If you have never had the opportunity to play golf in British Columbia, WGTF members may want to make 2007 the year to do it. We will be holding the 2007 Canadian Golf Teachers Cup at beautiful Swan-E-Set Bay Resort & Country Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C. on October 1, 2007. A practice round will be available on September 30th for those wishing to play the course prior to the competition. The top three Canadian finishers will represent Team Canada at the World Golf  Teachers Cup in Las Vegas to be held later that month. We hope to see many old friends and new at this event. To register, please contact our National office at 905-849-7254 or by e-mail at info@cgtf.com.

We have recently introduced the Masters Certification Course. It will be offered in British Columbia July 16 – 18 at Newlands Golf & Country Club and in Ontario August 27 – 29 at Hidden Lake Golf & Country Club. This course is designed for members who currently have Level III  status and wish toobtain the highest level of Certification within the WGTF. Please visit our website for more details at www.cgtf.com.

Amy and Andrew have worked out of Whistle Bear for the past six years. Katie is the newest member of the Whistle Bear team, with some very impressive credentials. She played for Kent State University on a four-year scholarship, and each year the team won the Mid-American Conference championship.

Andrew is a graduate of the professional Golf Management Program giving him a degree in business administration. Amy has managed the Whistle Bear pro shop for the past six years. The three of them plan to open a junior golf academy as well as work with adults at the course.

All three of these fine young professionals have what it takes to be very successful, in my humble opinion. Good luck to all of you!

Furthermore, we all enjoyed some great discussions on issues such as how the Alexander Technique can improve one’s posture, the current political issues facing golf, marketing ideas for teaching professionals and customer care suggestions.

The week culminated with a seminar on The Golf Machine, the book written by Homer Kelly, which seems to be growing in status here in England, as a reference book for some of the world’s best coaches.

The entire week was a great opportunity to enjoy ourselves and celebrate the golf teaching profession.

There is an ever increasing number of golf courses that are now proprietary owned (over 30 percent) which are offering even more opportunities for employment of our members throughout Great Britain.

We have also negotiated with Young Masters Golf (a prominent leader in junior golf) for the use of our coaches to present their programs at schools and golf courses throughout England and Europe.

Our preparation for the World Golf Teachers Cup in Las Vegas, this October is gathering pace. Four members of the British team have already qualified for the event. Our final two places will be decided in the next three months when we will announce our full team. One of our team members Gavin Harvey has decided to bring along his fiancée and tie the knot while in Vegas. So if anyone would like to attend a wedding as well as a golf tournament it should be a lot of fun.

Thanks to all. Happy Teaching!

I am 44 years old and I have experienced a wide range of knowledge in sports, specializing mostly in golf. I attended the University of “Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln” in Cologne, Germany. I graduated with a major in sports education. The “D.S.K.” is one of the most recognized sports universities in Europe. Before I started my career as a golf teaching professional, I served with the “D.S.K” University as an assistant in physical education-science.

Austria certainly has great potential for the development of golf even though it is a relatively small country. We have 8 million citizens and approximately 100,000 golfers who are members of 150 different golf clubs. This is certainly a number that can be increased with the help of the Austrian GTF.

Our instruction base will be at “Dolomitengolf Osttirol” which is near to Lienz. Dolomitengolf Osttirol is approved as an official championship course with a great facility of 27 holes. Furthermore it is nestled in one of the most beautiful landscaped areas of Austria. Another big benefit is that the hotel is located right next to golf course. Tee #1 is only a few footsteps away.

I have hired the very best golf teaching professionals in the country to help me with the practical and educational aspects of the Austrian GTF. These individuals will be introduced to you in several upcoming editions of Golf Teaching Pro magazine. Furthermore, I will keep all members  informed of our special education program focused primarily on the development of Austria as a vibrant golfing nation.

It has been a long and painstaking process to launch the first USGTF Philippines certification course, and it started at the PAGC.

Philippines is a beautiful golfing country all year round, and it consists of more than 7,100 islands. It has beautiful beaches, night life and smiling Filipino hospitality. There are more than 100 well-maintained golf courses. Green fees are very affordable and include caddies and umbrella girls, starting from $40 on weekdays.

If any WGTF member and golf enthusiast want to visit the Philippines, you can email me at filgtf@yahoo.com, or call me at 201-724-7101 (U.S.) for basic information. You can also visit www.philippines.com.

I wish you all well in the WGTF.

Bennett Galloway is a native of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and is the director of golf for Gotemba Golf Club and Belle View Nagao Golf Club. He is also a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, as well as the sales and marketing director for Perry Golf Japan.

Gotemba Golf Club, home of our certification courses, is a challenging mountain course near the base of Mt. Fuji. Bennett says that playing Gotemba is in many ways like working in Japan as a foreigner – there is less room to play with, but if you work the field right, there are great opportunities to have a very rewarding experience. Bennett is looking to take his arguably narrow field of expertise, golf in Japan, and turn it into something bigger: international business for Japan.

In Japan, green fees have fallen to well within international levels, and years of heavy investment have left a legacy of beautiful courses built by the world’s top designers. Most clubs have evolved from private status to semi-private as their pool of members and green fees have decreased in a stagnant economy, making profits difficult to come by. Simultaneously, internationally, green fees have increased, and Bennett believes this presents a unique opportunity to open Japanese clubs to international players. As of today, there are only four clubs in Japan that cater to foreigners with English websites and online reservations!

To fill the void, he is working on the website www.golf-in-japan.com with the executive director of the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, Clas Bystedt. The Golf in Japan site already catalogues all 2,341 eighteen-holes or more courses in Japan in English, and simplifies not only finding a course, but gaining access. Bennett points out that, “For the most part, foreign golfers have been at the mercy of an invite from a Japanese business contact, and the embarrassing thing is that it has been impossible to reciprocate.”

Bennett sees the website as just the initial shot in marketing Japan’s courses to a wider audience. His work has paid off, as he’s already had Gotemba included in an episode of Ian Cross’ Adventure Golf television series. He was also selected to write the Japan chapter in the Adventure Golf book that followed the series. It was published in 2005 by Pilot Film & Television Productions Ltd. In the past year, Gotemba Golf Club has become the second most popular in Japan among international golfers.

As the industry evolves and courses begin to see international golfers and golf tourism as a viable market, Bennett, as one of the few foreign professionals working in the golf industry in Japan, is uniquely placed to take advantage of it. As he states, “When you plan your strategy based on your game, and keep your mind two shots ahead, then ultimately, you’re headed for the green!”

For those wishing further information on golf in Japan, Bennett can be contacted at
ben-galloway@gotembagolf.com.

The Zollmuehle is home of the German GTF. With an indoor center containing simulators and all kinds of training facilities and training aids, we have the ability to train our clients and prospective teaching professionals of the GGTF.

The 18-hole championship course is not only one of the nicest golf courses in the area, but at 6,163 meters it is one of the longest, too. It is a tough but fair course, with a lot of water and tricky holes. It is a competitive course for all kinds of players.

I have been the head professional for over 10 years and run the golf school. Also on staff are teaching professionals Wolfgang Friedel and Andreas Denkewitz, both members of the GGTF. The school runs all kinds of classes year round.

The Zollmuehle Golf Course is a public course and currently has about 1,200 members. Our prescription for succes is that golf is for everybody, and guests are welcome at the Zollmuehle.

Shane recently competed in the 4th Australian Amputee Golf Championship winning the Open Event for the 3rd time in a row. There were 33 competitors from UK, NZ and Australia and Shane won by eight shots over the field with rounds of 73, 79 & 79.

Shane lost his right leg above the knee when he was 15 years old to bone cancer. At that stage of his life he was playing off a 10 handicap.

One day while still on chemotherapy he asked his father to take him to the driving range. His father teed the balls up for him while he stood on one leg and hit the ball. To the surprise of his father and himself he never fell over. A determination arose to continue to play golf.

Today, he wears an Otto Bock’s C-leg (computer leg) which has an electronic knee joint system. He takes the leg off to hit the ball and only uses the artificial leg for his short game. He has tried to play golf with a prosthesis but found it restrictive and limiting on the follow through.

His average drive on one leg is around 260 metres.

In 2002 he played in the World Series Amputee Golf Championships competing against and beating players from all over the world. He was 5 shots behind the leader going into the last round. After the first 9 holes on the last day he was four shots in front and held the lead to two after the 18th.

He attempted the PGA tour school in 2004, played in the 2003 NSW Open and has played many other high level amateur events in Australia.

At one stage his handicap was down to 1 and he is currently playing off a handicap of 4.

After completing the certificate course (Level 3) Shane’s comment was “It has given me confidence to help more amputees into the sport. Hopefully the amputee will find the passion I have for the game of golf. I now feel equipped to help others, who are in similar circumstances, set goals for their own future. Golf is a sport that they can enjoy and it can be a great rehabilitation.”

Shane is a great example of how relevant the Golf Teachers Federation is to the sport and industry of golf here in Australia.

The WGTF organizations throughout the world consistently produce distinguished golf teaching leaders. The WGTF’s determination to maintain high standards and efforts to constantly improve teaching methods have consistently attracted thousands of new members each year worldwide. As an educational organization, the WGTF plays a valuable role in the development of golf theory and technique among first-class teaching professionals worldwide.

USGTF Korea Updates:

As winter comes to an end, we plan to hold our 45th event (playing ability test and certification course). As it always has been, regardless of gender or age, everyone is welcome to participate in this event. To qualify in the first round (one round of 18 holes): men (under 40 years old) must score at most 77, men (40-49 years old) must score at most 79, and senior men (over 49 years old) and women must score at most 82. After passing the first level, a test will be executed on enunciation, the swing and dictation, rules of golf, etc. Upon successfully passing this examination, the candidate will be acknowledged as a USGTF Korea and WGTF member. For more details, please visit www.usgtf.co.kr.

Following our 2007 kickoff 45th event, USGTF Korea plans to hold a plethora of tournaments: an Open Tour, Senior & Ladies Tour, and an Amateur Golf Tournament among individuals instructed by USGTF Korea teaching professionals. With anticipation, we eagerly await the activities USGTF Korea planned for 2007. We will continue to improve and push our standards to new highs. Please refer to the planned agenda below for detailed information.

3/10-11: USGTF Korea 2nd/3rd Education Test & Make-up Test
3/17-18: Seminar on Rules
4/16: Senior/Ladies Fixed Tour Sky 72/Ocean, Links
4/23: 45th Assembly – USGTF Korea Teaching Professionals Certification Sky 72/Ocean, Links
5/21-22: USGTF Korea Opening Tour – (Broadcasted on J GOLF Television) Sky 72/Ocean, Links
6/4: South division Pro-Am Tournament Acro CC
6/18: 46th Assembly – USGTF Korea Teaching Professionals Certification Sky 72/Ocean, Links
7/5-8: Spring 2nd/3rd Education & Test
8/18-19: Member’s Seminar Education

Golf industry in Taiwan

• Taiwan has a total of 64 golf courses (mostly semi-private) and 130 driving ranges, with the green fees ranging from 2000NT-5000NT (US$60-US$150).
• Taiwan has approximately 200,000 golfers.
• Taiwan has approximately 1,000 golf teaching professionals.
TWNGTF “USGTF Taiwan division” continues to grow substantially
each year.

For more details, please visit www.visitsingapore.com

Golf Industry in Singapore…

• Singapore has a total of 13 members country clubs, three public golf courses, and 20 golf driving ranges located all over Singapore, with the green fees ranging from SGD60 – SGD150 (weekdays), and SGD120 – SGD300 (weekends).
• Singapore has approximately 10,000 golfers.
• 120 golf teaching professionals provide coaching in Singapore:
• 50 foreigners from countries like USA, Japan, Korea, Australia, etc.
• 60 to 70 local professionals and 35 of them are members of USGTF
• Major tournaments organized in Singapore in 2007:
– Singapore Open 2007, with total cash prizes of $4.2 million (organized by European Tour, Asia Tour, and Singapore Golf Association)
– Singapore Master 2007, total cash prizes of $1.1 million (organized by European Tour and Asia Tour)
– Heritage SG Tour 2007. This tour consists of five tournaments. Members from the regional countries are welcome to take part! (Please visit www.heritagegolfing.com to know more.)
– Singapore Golf Association (SGA). The national golf body is showing its support of junior golf by providing free golf lessons to the primary and secondary school students.
– USGTF Singapore is working closely with Heritage Golf Academy in organizing events to support the local golfing community.
• WGTF members all around the world are welcome to visit Singapore. Do give me a ring when you are here!