News

Ty Votaw Executive Vice President of Communications and International Affairs, PGA TOUR and Executive Director of the International Golf Federation Olympic Golf Committee

NEWS THE R&A AND THE USGA ANNOUNCE FINAL APPROVAL OF RULE 14-1B Governing Bodies Issue Report Explaining Their Decision Following Comment Process. New Rule to Take Effect on 1 January 2016, Allowing for Transitional Period. Belly-Length and Long Putters Remain as Conforming Clubs READ ARTICLE USA GOLF Federation Announces Board of Directors and Launches Website ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – USA GOLFSM Federation, recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body that will officially name and manage the men’s and women’s U.S. Olympic golf teams, has announced the six members of its Board of Directors. READ ARTICLE THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TO FEATURE IN TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR VIDEO GAME St Andrews, Scotland, 26 March 2013: For the first time, golf fans will be able to play against some of the game’s greatest players in The Open Championship when the eagerly awaited new Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 14 video game is released today. READ ARTICLE George O'Grady and Tim Finchem to receive KPMG's Lifetime Achievement Award Each year, KPMG presents a special Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golf Business Forum, in recognition of outstanding achievement and leadership in both the game and business of golf. READ ARTICLE NEW FREE GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM LAUNCHED 22 January 2013, St Andrews, Scotland: A free and easy to use new online system that helps golf courses manage themselves more sustainably and efficiently has been launched by The R&A. CourseTracker was unveiled today (Jan 22) at the British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association (BIGGA) Turf Management Exhibition 2013 in Harrogate. READ ARTICLE THE R&A AND USGA ANNOUNCE PROPOSED RULES CHANGE TO PROHIBIT USE OF ANCHORED STROKES 28 November 2012, St Andrews, Scotland: The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), golf’s governing bodies, today announced proposed changes to the Rules of Golf that would prohibit anchoring the club in making a stroke. READ ARTICLE THE R&A SUPPORTS GOLF DEVELOPMENT IN MYANMAR The R&A is supporting golf in Myanmar by funding a special programme for coaching the national team and developing the country’s coaching infrastructure. READ ARTICLE Canadian Tour Will Become PGA TOUR Canada in 2013 After lending strategic and financial support to the Canadian Professional Golf Tour in 2012 and evaluating all aspects of the business, the PGA TOUR has agreed to assume operational control of what will become PGA TOUR Canada in 2013. The conversion will begin November 1. READ ARTICLE GOLF 20/20 Endorses International Golf Federation 'Statement on Sustainability' GOLF 20/20 -- the collaboration of leading organizations representing all segments of the United States golf industry – has endorsed the International Golf Federation (IGF) “Statement on Sustainability” to employ environmental best practices. READ ARTICLE World Golf Foundation’s Steve Mona Signs Up For APGS The World Golf Foundation will be making its first appearance at the 2012 Asia Pacific Golf Summit and this will be marked by a special industry keynote address from Steve Mona, WGF’s chief executive officer. READ ARTICLE Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf opens a new location at TianTai Golf and Hotsprings Resort in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China Qingdao Tiantai Hotsprings Golf Development Co., Ltd. announces the opening of the first-ever Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf in the Shandong Province. READ ARTICLE Imported Bunker Sand for Muirfield For the first time in its 121-year history, the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers has sourced bunker sand for its Muirfield course from outside its own property. READ ARTICLE Player’s Design for Montenegro Luštica Development AD, a joint venture between Swiss-based Orascom Development Holding and the government of Montenegro, has announced that Gary Player, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and the most prolific globetrotting golfer in the history of the sport, has been selected to design Luštica Bay Golf Course in Tivat, Montenegro. READ ARTICLE GCI International launches website Asia Pacific Golf Group, in partnership with Golf Course Industry, announced the launch of the new Golf Course Industry International website. READ ARTICLE England Golf Enjoys Surge in Participation The number of people in England playing golf at least once a week is up by over 69,000 compared with six months ago. READ ARTICLE The Principal Charity Classic renewed through 2015 The Principal Financial Group® has renewed a three-year agreement, through 2015, to remain the title sponsor of The Principal Charity Classic presented by Wells Fargo, teeing up continued benefit to children’s charities in Central Iowa. READ ARTICLE Hungary for Golf Golf is not one of the sports that you naturally associate with the Olympics and certainly not one that you will see in London later this year. However, the decision to include it in the Brazil Olympics in 2016 is good news for potential golfers in Hungary as it has prompted the country to award a level of state aid not previously available to the sport. READ ARTICLE 2013 Presidents Cup Captains Announced Fred Couples and Nick Price has been named captains of the U.S. and International Presidents Cup Teams. READ ARTICLE Golf Leaders Gather for California Alliance for Golf General Assembly Meeting Ontario, CA- The California Alliance for Golf (CAG) has scheduled its 2012 General Assembly Meeting for Thurs. May 31 at the Ayres Hotel & Suites-Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, CA. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss items of key interest to the California golf industry and the citizens it serves. READ ARTICLE Melanie Hill Backing Toma Cancer Appeal's Golf Day GOLFERS are being urged to swing into action to help raise money for a Tyneside children’s cancer charity. The Toma Fund is launching its first ever Celebrity Golf Day and new patron, Bread actress Melanie Hill, has joined charity founder Andrea Thompson to help launch the event. Read More http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2012/03/06/melanie-hill-backing-toma-cancer-appeal-s-golf-day-72703-30471232/#ixzz1oRfJnivF READ ARTICLE EIGCA Conference Announced The European Institute of Golf Course architects has announced the programme for their annual conference which will be held in Nice at the end of March. The Conference, entitled “Growing the Game”, will look at ways to encourage greater participation in golf. READ ARTICLE Charity Golf Event Raises $120 Million Arusha — GOLFERS from Kenya and Tanzania have raised 120m/- to help improve the availability of clean and safe water for 500 households in Arusha. The amount was obtained during a special charity golf event held at the Arusha Gymkhana club earlier this year and attracted over 30 golfers. The event, which was organized by Rotary club, saw Richard Gomes put up a sterling performance to emerge the overall winner in the men's category after grossing 39 points. Neema Olomu posted 38 points to become overall winner in the ladies category while Zainab Laizer finished runner-up after amassing 35 points. In the group events, Adid Omari emerged first winner in group READ ARTICLE Women's Golf Open Generates $4.7 Million for Scotland The golf championship took place at Carnoustie last July 2011, and delivered a direct impact of £3.97m to the local Angus economy. The Economic Impact Study found that more than 30% of spectators came from outside of Scotland with 3.5% coming from overseas. Visitors from Angus accounted for 27.8% with the remaining 41.7% visiting from elsewhere in Scotland. Almost three quarters of visitors said they would buy tickets for the 2013 championship. The research was commissioned by EventScotland, event organisers the Ladies’ Golf Union and IMG, Angus Council and Scottish Enterprise. It was conducted by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University. READ ARTICLE Date set for Europe Golf Show 2012 he Golf Show, Europe’s largest golf trade show and education event, has announced new dates for 2012. Once again the three-day event will be staged at the Harrogate International Centre, but at the earlier dates of October 9-11. The shift in dates means the show will no longer collide with many of the UK’s school half term breaks as it has in previous years. “Having listened to exhibitor and delegate feedback we decided the best thing to do was to bring the show forward in the calendar,” said John Davis, The Golf Show Event Manager. “The Show will no longer conflict with the school holidays which will hopefully make things more convenient for those attending the show.” READ ARTICLE The world’s first female Muslim golfer: U.S. college-educated Moroccan has sights set on the Olympics Though she looks like any other young aspiring Olympic golfer, Maha Haddioui has a past much different than her female counterparts. For one thing, she is the first Arab woman to compete in a professional golf tournament. For another, she has witnessed first-hand the results of the Arab Spring, which has, in some ways, allowed the golfer to pursue what she loves. In an interview with CNN, Ms Haddioui, 22, said because of her parents’ liberal take, she was allowed to golf at local courses in Morocco, and wasn’t coerced into wearing traditional dress. READ ARTICLE Cheshire Golf Pros Backing Drive to get More People into the Sport GOLF clubs across Cheshire are teaming up to support the drive to encourage more people into the sport. PGA professionals from 15 different clubs have come together under the umbrella of the Cheshire County Golf Partnership to form a development group aimed at driving up the number of people playing golf from the 16-plus age range. They will be staging a series of free taster sessions and bargain-price group coaching programmes over the next few months. The Cheshire CGP is hoping to have introduced up to 500 people into the sport by the summer. READ ARTICLE RAF engineers sign up to Get into Golf scheme A GROUP of engineers from RAF Spadeadam at Brampton have signed up to the Cumbria County Golf Partnership’s Get into Golf programme. The latest scheme targets businesses across the region with the aim of promoting a healthier lifestyle for employees and the 16 RAF workmates are enjoying a series of free lessons with PGA professional Stuart Rafferty at Eden Golf Club. A RAF Spadeadam spokesman says: “It has been a great way to get together in a sociable way while the newcomers to the sport have really enjoyed themselves. “Stuart has been a great teacher and everyone is improving while having plenty of good-natured banter.” READ ARTICLE Asian Tour Chief Welcomes PGA Boost SINGAPORE: Asian Tour chief Kyi Hla Han has welcomed moves from the US PGA Tour to step up its presence in the region, as this year's busy golf season gets under way. The boss of Asia's main golf circuit, which returns this week in Yangon, said it would be "positive for all parties" if the PGA turns the limited-field CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Kuala Lumpur into a ranking event. The PGA has lagged behind the European Tour, which last year co-sanctioned eight Asian events, in its forays into the region, but is now considering an "Asian swing" with CIMB and Shanghai's HSBC Champions gaining full PGA status. READ ARTICLE St. Andrews Golfing Charity Honors Vietnam Veterans DOUBLE amputee Mike Reeder, who became the first-ever wheelchair golfer to complete a round over the world-famous Old Course at the Home of Golf, has been made an honorary Friend of the Keepers of the Green charity in St Andrews. READ ARTICLE USGA Executive Director Mike Davis Named 2012 World Golf Foundation Chair Mike Davis, Executive Director of the United States Golf Association (USGA) has been named Chairman of the World Golf Foundation’s Board of Directors for 2012. Davis succeeds The European Tour’s Chief Executive, George O’Grady, who served as the 2011 Board Chairman. READ ARTICLE Mom and Coach Changing Junior Golf Around the World The World Junior Golf Series (WJGS) found a permanent home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with the playing of the 2011 Gate American Junior, a three-round competition that ended two days before Christmas. America's "strongest junior event" came of age in its third rendition featuring 15 nations, 74 golfers and an organization with leaders determined to change the experience of junior golf. It all started 10 years ago in Germany with a mother seeking to improve the junior golf experience of her son. Then an American coach worked with her son, and together mom and the coach came up with a unique way to drive junior golf to higher goals both on and off the golf course. READ ARTICLE Scotland Numbers at All-Time High The number of juniors taking up golf across the Highlands is at an all-time high as a result of the national junior programme ClubGolf. In 2011, SportScotland’s active school network worked with the region’s PE and teaching staff to introduce over 2300 primary five pupils to golf in a flourishing schools programme. This year, a new year primary five year group will be initiated to golf for the first time through the scheme, joining some 220,000 children nationwide that have been introduced since 2003. It is hoped this new surge in numbers will have a direct and long-term impact on the health of local clubs throughout the area. READ ARTICLE Canadians Push to Make Golf Tax Deductible OTTAWA—A group of Canadian lawmakers is teeing off at what the country's golfers say is a decades-old unfair rule in the country's tax law. Since 1971, Canadians have been barred from deducting greens fees for business-related golf outings. Canadian companies and businessmen can deduct hockey and other professional sports events, theater and concert tickets, and pricey meals at the country's finest restaurants, so long as they are business-related. But deducting a host of golf-related expenses—a staple of the tax code south of the border in the U.S.—is out of bounds. READ ARTICLE Golf tourism in Thailand to Get Into Full Swing Soon The Tourism Authority of Thailand will kick off golf activities this month and next year as part of its effort to revitalise tourism after the flooding. Thawatchai Arunyik, deputy TAT governor for domestic marketing, said the authority and seven golf courses in Bangkok and nearby provinces would host "Amazing Swing Paradise Thailand" this Friday. The event is expected to help rebuild the golf business after the sector was hit hard by the inundation, which damaged 40 golf courses, mostly in Bangkok, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi. About 10 courses focused on foreign golfers. He said 18 operators had shut down their business since the floods as they need heavy rebuilding, in some cases requiring up to nine months for renovations. READ ARTICLE Golf Tourism Can Boost City's Revenues GURGAON: The four-day Haryana Haryana Golf Festival organized by Haryana Golf Association and supported by Haryana Corporation and Incredible India ended here on Sunday. "The majestic monument Taj Mahal built in 17th century by Shahjahan attracts people all over the world. Golf has the potential to increase the country's tourism and revenues. No doubt it's a sport of the rich but if we get the sport in India we'll have affluent people coming here and not just backpackers," aid Anil Dev, director general of Asian Golf Course Owners Association. READ ARTICLE Fiji Golf Club to Host Annual Junior Program THE Fiji Golf Club will hold its annual Junior Program next week in a bid to groom young players from an early age. Teaching Golf Professional Veramo Rokoturaga said a tournament will be held right after the program to test what the children have learnt. "The program will be held next week Tuesday and Wednesday and is open to all golfers below the age of 17," Rokoturaga said. "There will be different categories to cater for all the age groups that show up next week and the tournament will be held on Thursday," he said. READ ARTICLE Dealing with Tough Economic Times Following the announcement that Whitemoss Golf Club in Perthsire is to revert to farm land, the Scottish Golf Union has this morning released a statement entitled ‘How Scottish Golf Clubs are Dealing with Tough Economic Times’. READ ARTICLE World Golf Foundation Links - December 2011 The health and wellness benefits of golf have been discussed more frequently in recent months and have increasingly been a part of golf's messaging to all interested in playing the game. Because of this increased interest, the World Golf Foundation has conducted a worldwide review of the topic. READ ARTICLE Golf 9.12 Golf 9/12 is a simultaneously played multi-course golf tournament aimed at uniting the U.S. through the opportunity to reflect on the shared spirit of unity felt on September 12, 2001. PGA TOUR stars Trevor Immelman, Davis Love III and Lucas Glover are all involved in this charity event. READ ARTICLE WGF Newsletter: Worldwide environmental and sustainability issues This month's topic focuses on worldwide environmental and sustainability issues. READ ARTICLE Suzann Pettersen announced as next R&A Working For Golf Ambassador at The Open Championship The R&A has announced that top women’s golfer Suzann Pettersen has agreed to become the world governing body’s next Working For Golf Ambassador. READ ARTICLE New R&A Golf Course website spearheading drive towards sustainability The R&A has launched a new website, targeted at decision makers in golf facilities with the executive power to initiate and drive change, which focuses on the sustainable management and development of golf courses. READ ARTICLE Padraig Harrington’s R&A support for Golf Roots youngsters Padraig Harrington, The R&A's 'Working for Golf Ambassador' discusses the Golf Foundation's 'Golf Roots' programme. READ ARTICLE WGF Newsletter: An interview with IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon This month’s topic focuses on the 2016 Olympics. In order to best examine the preparation for this global event, we contacted International Golf Federation Executive Director Antony Scanlon. READ ARTICLE Open Championship worth £100,000,000 to home of Golf The R & A and EventScotland announced that the 150th Anniversary Open Championship staged in St. Andrews, last year, delivered a combined £100 million benefit to Scotland. READ ARTICLE WGF Newsletter: Worldwide Junior Golf Development This month’s topic focuses on junior golf development worldwide. Considering this is such a broad topic, this e-newsletter will focus on the development of junior golf, not official competitions. READ ARTICLE IGF Names Peter Dawson as President, Ty Votaw as Vice President The Board of the International Golf Federation has named Peter Dawson as IGF President and Ty Votaw as IGF Vice President. Both appointments are for two-year terms commencing on 1 January 2011. READ ARTICLE Environmental Development of the Chinese Golf Industry China recently has more than 500 golf courses and about 3 million golfers. China strives for high standard in the construction of golf courses, but lacks experience when it comes to the management, which leads to high operating costs and low profitability of golf industry. READ ARTICLE Golf participation in Europe 2010 Since the last decade of the 20th century the pace of golf course building and participation is much slower that worsen in the past five years. Last year there was in fact a 4% decrease in the number of golfers in Europe's largest golf market: UK & Ireland. READ ARTICLE Success of Golf Will Foster Development of Other Sectors as Well Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said golf in Malaysia was now at the tipping point and would foster the development of business, facilities and tour packages that would promote both the country and the game. READ ARTICLE Japanese Tour to Begin Drug Testing Japan's professional golf tour will begin testing players for drugs after Australian golfer Wayne Perske was arrested for suspected cocaine possession. Japan golf tour president Tadashi Koizumi says tests for illegal drugs such as marijuana and cocaine will begin at the Nov. 11-14 Taiheiyo Masters. READ ARTICLE Golf Must Adapt to Increasing Population, Changing Landscape Australia's population numbered about 12.5 million when Australian Golf Digest was first published in November 1970, and the nation's best golf courses were almost exclusively those built during the "Golden Age" of the 1920s and 1930s. Much has changed in the ensuing 40 years, and there is no doubt as we look forward to 2050 that there are grave challenges facing both the golf industry and the nation at large. READ ARTICLE Golf Open Worth More Than £72 Million to Scotland Golf's oldest and most prestigious tournament, The Open Championship, was worth more than £72 million to Scotland last year, according to a comprehensive economic study. READ ARTICLE Golf Driving on Despite Tough Economic Times, Says KPMG Professional tournament golf is proving to be "resilient" despite the economic downturn, a report says. According to a golf industry survey from accountancy and business consultancy KPMG, during 2009 more than 6,000 players competed for total prize money of 476m euros ($647m; £410m). READ ARTICLE Thailand is off and Running as Asia's Golf Hub Thailand has earned its stripes as Asia's Golf Hub. The Southeast Asian nation has worked hard to gain the right to be the golf capital of the region. In less than twenty years, Thailand has transformed itself into one of Asia's brightest stars on the golfing landscape. Today, the "land of a thousand smiles" has more than 280 golf courses, which is more than any other country in Southeast Asia. READ ARTICLE 2009-2010 China Golf Industry Report China recently has more than 500 golf courses and about 3 million golfers. China strives for high standard in the construction of golf courses, but lacks experience when it comes to the management, which leads to high operating costs and low profitability of golf industry. In recent years, China has launched a series of policies regarding land, golf equipment import & export and business tax in order to protect land resources and natural environment, which has restricted the development of golf READ ARTICLE WGF Newsletter: Worldwide Golf Course Facility Development Where will golf grow in this new decade? How will golf’s inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games affect facility growth? In some parts of the world, facility development is expected to grow rapidly and in others, stagnate. The collection of articles and reports below provides an overview on facility development worldwide. READ ARTICLE WGF Newsletter: The Economic Impact of Golf Around the World Golf’s economic impact around the world is substantial and growing in many regions outside the United States. From facility growth, to new player development programs, to the Olympics, golf’s impact on the global economy is expected to grow. This is predicted, despite the fact that when the next U.S. report is released the economic impact of golf is expected to be slightly lower than in 2005, when it was last measured. READ ARTICLE NGF Releases Minority Golf Participation Research NGF has just released a new research report, Minority Golf Participation in the U.S, 2010 edition. The report focuses on the estimated number of African American, Asian and Hispanic golfers in the U.S. READ ARTICLE Ryder Cup 2014 Could Raise £100m for Scots Economy The 2014 Ryder Cup could raise more than £100m for Scotland's economy, organisers have said. VisitScotland said the tournament was a chance to capitalise on what was sport's third biggest event in terms of TV and media coverage. READ ARTICLE Golf Driving on Despite Tough Economic Times Professional tournament golf is proving to be "resilient" despite the economic downturn, a report says. According to a golf industry survey from accountancy and business consultancy KPMG, during 2009 more than 6,000 players competed for total prize money of 476m euros ($647m; £410m). READ ARTICLE Ryder Cup Means Big Time Golf and Big Payday for Wales Every two years the best golfers in the world meet to duke it out on the golf course. One team represents the United States, the other Europe. The venue for this edition of the Ryder Cup is Wales. The economic impact should mean about 36 million pounds are injected between October first and the third. This, according to IFM Sports Marketing Surveys. READ ARTICLE Campaign Launching To Promote Golf's Contributions and Benefits The World Golf Foundation is leading a golf industry coalition that is launching a campaign to promote the many positive contributions and benefits of the game and golf industry to the American economy, charities and the environment. READ ARTICLE Q&A: New IGF chief preps golf for 2016 Olympics Antony Scanlon is the new executive director of the International Golf Federation, the sport’s governing body for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The IGF coordinated the successful bid last year to the International Olympic Committee for golf’s inclusion after its 112-year absence. READ ARTICLE Guam Joins U.S. Handicap Network Add the Pacific island of Guam to the list of growing international golf federations within the U.S. Golf Association’s Golf Handicap and Information Network. The Guam National Golf Federation is now part of the network that comprises 70 state, regional and national golf associations, covering 41 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Dominican Republic. READ ARTICLE Kaymer Victory Could be a Boon for German Golf Industry Golf fans and associations are hoping the victory of 25-year-old Kaymer can finally allow the sport to shake off the rather dusty image it still has among many in Germany. According to the association, more than 600,000 Germans are registered in the country's 800 golf clubs. The sport has enjoyed growth rates of around 4 percent a year for some 15 years. Since 1980, the number of golfers in Germany has increased by a factor of 12. READ ARTICLE Cuba Eases Property Laws, Could Open Door to Golf Cuba has begun allowing foreign investors to lease government land for up to 99 years, a step toward a future that could be filled with golf courses ringed by luxury villas, beachfront timeshares and vacation homes for well-heeled tourists. READ ARTICLE Golf Australia Partners with Coca-Cola Amatil Golf Australia announced it has entered into a significant partnership with Coca-Cola Amatil. Coca-Cola Amatil has made an important long term financial commitment to the Australian golf industry and will join Golf Australia as the organization's beverage partner. The initial three-year partnership will offer a range of benefits to the wider golf industry. READ ARTICLE Golf Throws a Lifeline to Wisconsin’s Tourism Economy The game of golf generated an economic impact of $2.4 billion for the state of Wisconsin in 2008, according to a new study. The results of the study, Wisconsin Golf Economy Report, were released in conjunction with the PGA Championship held at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wis. READ ARTICLE Thailand Launches Ambitious Campaign to Become “Asia’s Golf Hub” The Government of Thailand has embarked on an ambitious program to develop and position the royal kingdom as "Asia's Golf Hub". This is a collective policy decision by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport and its three agencies - namely Tourism Authority of Thailand, Sports Authority of Thailand and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. READ ARTICLE Golf Courses with Fewer Holes Could be the Game's Next Wave With time and money a premium these days, more golf courses are turning to less-than-18-hole layouts. Courses such as Scotland's Shiskine Golf and Tennis Club and Toronto's Derrydale Golf Club are thriving with 12 holes. READ ARTICLE Former Cuban Olympian Ana Guevara is Hoping to Open the Doors to Golf in Cuba A few hundreds of a second used to make or break Ana Guevara. Now, she's just hoping to break 90 during a few hours on the golf course. The former world champion and Olympic silver medalist in the 400 meter dash will lend her name to the Ana Guevara Cup, a pro-am golf tournament that will be held in Cuba from Oct. 13-17. READ ARTICLE Yonex Tees Off in China Golf Market While China appears poised to overtake Japan as the world’s second biggest economy, it might also beat Japan in the business of golf. As China’s many newly affluent citizens are expected to turn to the ultimate leisure activity, overseas sports equipment companies are setting up shop to get an early bite out of one of the few golf markets still in bloom. READ ARTICLE IGF Announces Appointment of Antony B Scanlon as Executive Director The International Golf Federation (IGF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Antony B Scanlon as its Executive Director. Scanlon, an Australian based in Lausanne, will take up his duties on November 2, 2010. READ ARTICLE Golf Can Reduce Italy's 1.52 Trillion Euro Debt Leonardo Caltagirone, having studied Italy’s plan to slice 21.1 billion euros ($27.6 billion) in spending to bring its budget deficit below 3 percent of GDP by 2012, says golf is a path to fiscal salvation. Italy only has 92,000 golfers on its own turf, as compared with 387,000 in France, almost 2 million in the U.K. and more than 37 million in the U.S., according to a 2010 KPMG analysis of the European golf-property market. READ ARTICLE European Tour Sees Great Growth Potential The head of the European Tour says there is great potential to expand into Eastern Europe, Asia and even South America as several countries step up their construction of world-class courses. READ ARTICLE The American Golf Census More than 27 million Americans play nearly 500 million rounds each year. Golf’s economic impact is huge, as the industry provides hundreds of thousands of jobs and contributes billions of dollars annually to the nation’s economy and charities. READ ARTICLE The R&A Signs New Five Year Deal With The BBC To Broadcast The Open Until 2016 The Open will be broadcast on the BBC up to and including the 2016 Championship, following a new deal announced today by The R&A and BBC Sport. The new deal extends BBC Sport’s current contract as exclusive live television broadcaster, and also covers radio, online, interactive and iPlayer. READ ARTICLE Rounds of Golf Played Increasing in Australia Australian golfers are taking to the fairways more often according to figures released by the Australian Golf Industry Council last week. The Australian Golf Industry Council, of which the PGA of Australia is a key member, has released a tally of club member competition rounds played across Australia last year. READ ARTICLE Mission Hills Builds for China's Golf Boom When you run the biggest golf resort in the world and you bring a weak game, you play. Early and often, night and day. That's what Ken Chu did when he became vice-chairman of Mission Hills Group . The company opened the first course on what is now a sprawling 12-course club in Shenzhen, China, in 1994, and is building a 10-course venue in Hainan, the southern Chinese island Beijing is backing as a tourism hub. READ ARTICLE 'Get Golf Ready' Program Covers All the Bases How do you hit from a sand trap? When do you hit a provisional ball? Why do you get the shanks? Taking up golf certainly isn't for the faint of heart. The Manor's Cheryl Heckman, who learned the game as an adult, understands that. That's why she offers "Get Golf Ready," a national initiative started by the World Golf Foundation's Golf 20/20 arm in 2009. READ ARTICLE Driving BUSINESS When Linda Rogers talks about golf, she means business. Earlier this year, on National Golf Day, the owner of Juday Creek Golf Course was talking to Congress people in Washington about the business of golf, part of a launch for the We Are Golf Consortium of several organizations (www.wearegolf.org). READ ARTICLE China’s Mission Hills Boosts Hainan Spending on Tourism Demand Mission Hills Group, owner of the world’s largest golf club, will boost investment sixfold in a golfing complex on China’s Hainan island as the nation’s economic rebound spurs a tourism and property boom. READ ARTICLE South America Becoming Fertile Ground for Golf Henrique Lavie was more involved than usual in meetings during The PLAYERS Championship. He is commissioner of Tour de las Americas, and while that is among golf's smallest circuits, it is becoming more important than ever. The Olympics in Brazil are six years away, and golf has only one shot to make a good impression before another vote to determine whether the sport makes it beyond the 2020 games. READ ARTICLE Golf in China: Targeting Three Million Players China is one of the few places globally still building golf courses. As Dow Jones Investment Banker reports, potential sand traps and water hazards mean this may provide an opportunity for buyout firms and course-management companies that cut their teeth turning around busted courses in places such as the U.S. and Japan. READ ARTICLE The R&A Announces Support of the Greg Norman Foundation The R&A has announced its support of the Greg Norman Foundation. It becomes the fifth initiative headed by an Open Champion, on the fifth continent, to be financially assisted by The R&A. The Foundation, headed by the two-time Open Champion, endeavours to make professional golf tuition available and affordable for the children of Queensland. READ ARTICLE Cuba Allows Foreign Investment in Tourism Cuba has announced plans to allow foreigners to develop golf courses, marinas and related land projects to boost the nation's tourism industry. READ ARTICLE Golf Comes to the Fore in India Unlike traditional golf markets where the sport is promoted mainly among the middle-aged and older population, golf in India is generating a huge following among young people and children from middle-class families. READ ARTICLE Austrailian Golf Industry Speaks With One Voice The Austrailian Golf Industry Council (AGIC) is making steady progress, say chair Max Garske. Nine months are Australian golf industry delegates gave the AGIC a mandate to speak with one voice, the group's representative bodies have met on two occasions and are currently working on a number of key issues. READ ARTICLE Golf Industry Tees Up New Washington Lobbying Campaign Has Washington fallen out of love with the game of golf? Last year, for example, Congress forbade golf courses from tapping into federal stimulus money, going so far as to lump the game in with casinos and (gasp!) massage parlors as businesses unworthy of assistance. The sport has also found itself at the center of some of Washington's tawdrier influence scandals in recent years, including those Jack Abramoff junkets to Scotland. READ ARTICLE The Challenges of New Golf Development in Australia Over the past ten years nearly 50 golf courses have been developed and opened around Australia with approximately three quarters of these courses being part of a residential and/or resort development. As of January 2010, 27 of these courses were ranked in the country's top 100. READ ARTICLE WE ARE GOLF Coalition Shows Members of Congress Why Golf is More Than Just a Game for Americans WE ARE GOLF, a new coalition led by four of the game’s leading associations and supported by other small businesses, met with key members of Congress today – in conjunction with the 3rd annual National Golf Day – to promote the true face of golf, one that better reflects the economic, human, health and environmental benefits of the industry across the nation. READ ARTICLE Golf In This Kingdom The late King Hassan II was a golf fanatic. Not only did the Moroccan monarch tee it up as often as royal duties allowed, but he also carried a single-digit handicap for much of his adult life- thanks in no small part to his engaging first Claude Harmon and later Billy Casper as his personal teaching pros. READ ARTICLE Thailand Hopes to Become Asia's Golf Hub Thailand will underline its attempt to become Asia's golf hub by hosting four international events within 18 months starting with the inaugural PGA Conference of Asia later this month. Mike Sebastian, managing director of Asia Pacific Golf Development Conference and organiser of the events, said the move was a clear indication of the growing golf industry in Thailand. READ ARTICLE Royal Canadian Golf Association Prepares to Remake Itself The Royal Canadian Golf Association will unveil its new identity as Golf Canada. Well, the RCGA will still be the RCGA when it comes to such business as working on rules with other organizations. Governors will wear the RCGA jacket when they attend USGA and R&A functions, but still, this marks the dawn of a new day. READ ARTICLE OneAsia Appoints Sang Y. Chun as New Chairman OneAsia - Asia Pacific's first consolidated professional tournament pathway for elite golfers - today announced the appointment of Mr. Sang Y. Chun as its new Chairman and Commissioner. Mr. Chun is an industry veteran with extensive experience in sports sponsorship and securing multi-million dollar television deals across the globe, involving many sports most valuable properties. READ ARTICLE International Golf Facility Planned for Malaysia Malaysia could soon be on the international golf circuit with plans to develop a PGA TOUR TPC facility in the country. PGA TOUR commissioner Tim Finchem discussed the possibility of developing the TPC (Tournament Players Club) facility during a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak here on Wednesday. READ ARTICLE Unraveling the Chinese Golf Markets The evolution of the golf markets in China has been dramatic over the past several years. This evolution, coupled with the prospects of economic growth, the global economic recession and the overbuilding of the golf markets in North America, bring an allure to the prospects for golf in China. For those in the golf industry that were not the early adapters in China, many are now investigating the possibility of business growth in China. READ ARTICLE IGF: China will Have Top Golfers, Games Medalists Golf could evolve into a big business in China and give the country a chance to win Olympic medals, officials and scholars said in the capital of Hainan province yesterday. Dawson said the inclusion of golf at the 2016 Olympic Games will benefit China and golf tourism in Hainan, China's southern most province, as it attempts to build itself into a top international tour destination by 2020. READ ARTICLE HP Joins Ryder Cup Team Ryder Cup Europe has announced a sponsorship deal with technology giant HP for this year's tournament. In its capacity as the official technology partner of the 2010 Ryder Cup, HP will provide a unified wired and wireless network to allow for internet services throughout the Ryder Cup complex in Wales' Celtic Manor Resort. READ ARTICLE PGA TOUR Eager to Tap Japan Market The U.S. PGA TOUR is eager to launch a tournament in Japan in late 2011 as it explores new markets amid the global economic slowdown, a Japanese tour executive says. READ ARTICLE Golf Searches For Its Feminine Side If the vast majority of golfers were women, with men accommodated mostly as an afterthought—in other words, the inverse of the way things actually are—the primary set of tees at most courses would be around 4,900 yards. Female players could reach every green in regulation (two shots on a par-four). Green fees would be cheaper, courses would have more flowers and aesthetic amenities and on-site restaurants would serve healthier food. READ ARTICLE Cuba Readies for U.S. Tourists With Golf Courses, Luxury Hotels Cuba’s hotels could manage a sudden influx of one million American tourists if the U.S. Congress lifts its 47-year ban on travel to the Communist island, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said. READ ARTICLE Ryder Cup-Themed School Curriculum Launched in Newport The European Tour has joined forces with Newport City Council Local Education Authority to launch a new, bilingual Ryder Cup-themed curriculum to pupils from years two to eight in schools across the city. READ ARTICLE Q&A with Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hln Han by the Global Golf Post Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han has been one of the leaders in the development of professional golf in Asia since the early 1990s. READ ARTICLE State of the Media, By the Numbers The annual State of the Media report by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism was released this morning. The report looks back on how every part of the media fared in 2009,including newspapers, magazines, network news, cable television, and online sites. READ ARTICLE Hail Colombia! As part of its changed image, Colombia is staking a place in the international golf world with over 50 challenging courses. The nation boasts courses designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player in exotic locations as diverse as the country itself. READ ARTICLE Hockey's Olympic Boom Could Happen To Golf The 2016 Summer Games will be in Brazil, a country of 200 million people with just a handful of golfers. Imagine the growth potential. Now multiply that worldwide. Imagine if the men's golf final in Rio de Janeiro was a shootout between Colombia's Camilo Villegas and Japan's Ryo Ishikawa and the women's involved America's Michelle Wie and China's Shanshan Feng. And when a compelling competition occurs, people watch and remember. READ ARTICLE Golden Touch: Three The First Tee Students Experience a Legend up Close Nearly a quarter century ago, when I first started writing about golf for the Associated Press, Bob Green, who lugged around the label "AP Golf Writer" for 26 years, gave me these words of advice: "You can never write too much Jack Nicklaus." Which leads me to a lovely Thursday morning at The Bear's Club, three charming young The First Tee golfers and Nicklaus, the legend who can't do enough for the game. READ ARTICLE Only One Of 20 Beijing Golf Courses Legal, Says Official Only one of the some 20 golf courses in Beijing has been developed legally, a member of the law committee in China's parliament said. Amid concerns about land grabs of prime farming land, China's government put a moratorium on the development of new golf courses in 2004 and reinforced the ban last year. READ ARTICLE Palm Beach County Golf Report Highlights the Sport's Contributions Home to The PGA of America for 45 years and stretching along Florida's scenic Gold Coast, Palm Beach County is the quintessential golf destination. Golf is a significant industry contributing to the vitality of the county's economy. According to the Palm Beach County Golf Economy Report, the golf industry generated a total economic impact of $1.8 billion in 2007 supporting nearly 21,000 jobs with $600 million of wage income. READ ARTICLE WE ARE GOLF Editorial by Golf Digest If you care at all about how your sport is being treated by Washington these days, John Paul Newport’s weekend piece in the Wall Street Journal about the new “We Are Golf” lobbying initiative, announced at the PGA Merchandise Show is worth a read. Big program, big deal. READ ARTICLE OneAsia Ties Up 5-year Regional Broadcast Deal With ESPN STAR Sports Asia’s biggest sports content provider, ESPN STAR Sports, announced today its multi-year regional television broadcast partnership to showcase the new OneAsia golf series, Asia Pacific's first consolidated professional tournament pathway for elite golfers. READ ARTICLE USGA & the PGA of America to Create Central Repository for African-American Golf History In recognition of the numerous contributions that African Americans have made to golf over more than a century, the United States Golf Association and The PGA of America have agreed to create a centralized repository for artifacts and documents related to the history of African Americans in golf, to be located at the USGA Museum in Far Hills, N.J. READ ARTICLE Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Forms Partnership with TPC Sawgrass The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Northeast District Office will partner with the PGA TOUR’s TPC Sawgrass to host an environmental outreach seminar for golf course managers and superintendents on Wednesday, February 24 at the club. The seminar is designed to assist golf courses in the region with environmental stewardship, using many of the environmental practices initiated at TPC Sawgrass as a model. READ ARTICLE Golf's Four-Letter Words: Slow Play It's perhaps the bane of golf's existence: its dreadful pace of play. One of the reasons that newcomers leave the game is that golf simply takes too long. READ ARTICLE Game On After a year marked by sponsorship issues and turmoil at the top, the LPGA heads into its 60th season with 44-year-old Mike Whan representing a welcome change in style and, hopefully, substance. READ ARTICLE PGA TOUR Pledges Support to The First Lady’s National Campaign to Battle Childhood Obesity The PGA TOUR today announced its support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s national initiative to combat childhood obesity, which was announced today at the White House. READ ARTICLE North Carolina's Hyler Elected To Serve Term As USGA President The U.S. Golf Association elects James B. Hyler Jr. of Raleigh, NC, to serve a one year term as president. Hyler is in his seventh year as a member of the USGA Executive Committee, a term that has included three years as a USGA vice president. READ ARTICLE Tour Club Looks to Attract Businesses to Pro Golf The PGA TOUR thinks the time is right for corporations to get back to business - and it sees the Tour Club as a new way for CEOs to partner with professional golf. The Tour Club, licensed by the PGA TOUR, offers corporate members the chance to send clients, employees and guests to PGA TOUR events, stay in luxury accommodations and even set pins with tour officials or watch TV broadcasts from the control truck. READ ARTICLE USGA Makes the Most of a Trying Year In what could only be described as a trying year financially for the golf industry, the USGA managed to make a profit of $7.8 million in 2009 on revenues of $144 million, according to the financial information published in its annual report released this week on the eve of the USGA annual meeting. READ ARTICLE Q&A with Annika Sorenstam by the Global Golf Post In a one-on-one interview with Global Golf Post Editor-In-Chief Brian Hewitt, Annika Sorenstam talks candidly and openly about anything and everything that comes up. The subjects range from motherhood and growing her business empire in a tough economy to new LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan and golf in the Olympics. READ ARTICLE FedEx Teams Up With The First Tee to Launch a Sustainable Golf Program As part of the FedEx commitment to environmental sustainability, the company is launching the FedExCup® Fore!Ever campaign with the PGA TOUR, Audubon International and one of golf’s premiere youth charitable organizations, The First Tee. READ ARTICLE Get Golf Ready Enters Second Year After Exceeding Facility Participation Goals in its Inaugural Year Aimed at bringing adults into the game in a fast, fun and affordable way, Get Golf Ready in 5 Days introduced the game to thousands of golfers in its inaugural year. Launched as Play Golf America’s featured program in 2009, more than 1,150 facilities are currently certified to host the program, surpassing the target goal of 700 host facilities. READ ARTICLE Environmental Institute for Golf Aims at a Sustainable Industry With a focus on continual improvement, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Chief Executive Officer Mark J. Woodward, CGCS, announced that the association's philanthropic organization – The Environmental Institute for Golf – will create and lead a program that will provide the golf industry with a sustainable approach to golf facility management. READ ARTICLE VIETNAM: On Course for Growth After loosening control over the number of "golf course investment projects" around the country, Vietnam is set to experience a course construction boom over the next decade. READ ARTICLE Asian Game Growing Despite World Economy The Asian Tour, the third-richest after the U.S. PGA TOUR and European Tour, has 28-30 events this year including WGF events and the four major championships. It plans to take that number to 35 with a total purse of $45 million by 2012. READ ARTICLE Callaway Golf to Sponsor CBS Sports' Super Bowl XLIV Telecast Callaway Golf Company and CBS Sports have reached a unique agreement that establishes the golf equipment manufacturer as a presenting sponsor of the Super Bowl Today pregame show on Sunday, February 7th. The partnership marks the first ever Super Bowl pregame sponsorship struck by a stand-alone golf company. READ ARTICLE WE ARE GOLF to be Introduced at PGA Merchandise Show WE ARE GOLF, a coalition of four of the game's leading associations, was announced today as an initiative to change the face of golf and to represent the economic, human and environmental benefits of the industry at federal, state and local levels of government. READ ARTICLE PGA Historical Center Unveils African-American Pioneers Exhibit In celebration of Black History Month, the PGA Historical Center, in Port St. Lucie, Fla., has unveiled a tribute to influential African Americas who paved the path for diversity and equal treatment for everyone who plays the game. READ ARTICLE RBC Joins the PGA of America as Official Patron The PGA of America today announced that RBC has become a PGA of America Official Patron, the highest level of partnership and designation granted by the world's largest working sports organization. READ ARTICLE Part II of Q&A with Peter Dawson by the Global Golf Post In Part II of Global Golf Post's exclusive interview with R&A boss Peter Dawson, we learn the significant, but little known distinction between The R&A and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club. Dawson also takes us behind the scenes at Copenhagen where golf gained admission into the Olympics. READ ARTICLE Michael Whan's Articles of Faith For Michael Whan, the concept of marketing is a "nice esoteric" discussion. What's most important, said Whan, the new commissioner of the LPGA, is whether marketing efforts turn translates into results. READ ARTICLE PGA TOUR Launches New Charity Website Making a positive impact on the communities where PGA TOUR tournaments are held and players live has become an even larger focus in the PGA TOUR’s charitable mission with the “Together, anything’s possible” campaign. READ ARTICLE Q&A with Peter Dawson by the Global Golf Post Peter Dawson is arguably the most powerful man in golf outside of the United States. As secretary of the R&A, his domain is global and even his harshest critics credit him for gently nudging the body he governs into the 21st century. READ ARTICLE PGA TOUR’s Final Charity Total for 2009 Hits $108 Million The PGA TOUR announced today that its combined charitable contributions from tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour came to $108 million for 2009. READ ARTICLE PGA TOUR Player Jim Furyk Visits The First Tee Although courting supporters was not the aim of the golfing star's visit to The First Tee of St. Johns County, it was almost certainly the by-product. For more than an hour Monday afternoon, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and Ponte Vedra Beach resident demonstrated shots, talked about his career and his game, gave some individual instruction and signed autographs for about 75 county youngsters and their parents. READ ARTICLE School Initiatives Help Kids Find Golf It isn’t GOLF weather in many parts of the United States, but at a growing number of elementary schools, the climate is better than it has ever been for introducing the game to children who otherwise might not have had the opportunity. READ ARTICLE Douglas Reappointed as Chairman of USGA Women's Committee Barbara Douglas has been appointed by the USGA Executive Committee to serve a second one-year term in 2010 as chairman of the United States Golf Association's Women's Committee, USGA officials have announced. READ ARTICLE McDonald to be Named RCGA President Jack McDonald will become the 107th president of Royal Canadian Golf Association. The job consists of, among other things, chairing the 11-person RCGA committee, being an ambassador for the association and some “perfunctory” duties, like speaking and giving out trophies at the RBC Canadian Open, a PGA Tour event, and the CN Canadian Women’s Open, an LPGA event. READ ARTICLE Callaway Golf Tees Up in India Callaway Golf Co., the U.S. golf equipment manufacturer, is opening an Indian unit and has signed India's most famous golfer as a brand ambassador in an effort to tap the growing popularity of the sport in the world's second most populous country after China. READ ARTICLE Joe Steranka Named 2010 Named World Golf Foundation Chair Joe Steranka, Chief Executive Officer of The PGA of America, has been named Chairman of the World Golf Foundation for 2010. Steranka succeeds R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson, who served as the Foundation’s 2009 Chairman. READ ARTICLE Ryder Cup Profits Funding European Golf Development The restructuring of the Ryder Cup in 2004 saw the creation of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust (RCEDT), a charity which ensures that a proportion of the profits from the Matches are distributed to grass-roots golf programmes throughout Europe. As a result, a total figure of some €2.5m was available after the matches at the K Club in 2006 and, since then, funding has now been granted to projects of varying size in seven countries. READ ARTICLE USGA Grants In 2009 Benefit More Than 230,000 Young People, Individuals With Disabilities The United States Golf Association announced that it awarded $1.87 million to support the development of 127 golf programs through its "For the Good of the Game" Grants Initiative during 2009. READ ARTICLE American 'Get Golf Ready' garners EGCOA Grow the Game Award The National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) received the 2009 EGCOA Grow the Game Award for their involvement in the US golf industry's 'Get Golf Ready' initiative. READ ARTICLE Final Ballot Announced For 17th Annual ING Industry Honors Hundreds of nominations from across the golf industry have been trimmed to three nominees in each category in the 17th Annual ING Industry Honors awards program. Called by some the "Academy Awards of the golf industry," the ING Industry Honors program is conducted by the non-profit International Network Of Golf to recognize outstanding achievement in the golf business. READ ARTICLE GCSAA Research Examines Nutrient Use on Golf Courses The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) has released the results of a nationwide survey of golf courses examining nutrient use and management on golf facilities. READ ARTICLE 2010 Economic Impact Studies Five new states have been selected to conduct Economic Impact Studies in 2010. Those states are: Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Oregon and Wisconsin. READ ARTICLE