Hello from Japan

[bilinguru]

Hey guys,

I moved to Kobe, Japan from Toronto 10 years ago to teach English and I'm still here. I'm married now, teach at a university here and own my own school. Guess, I'm doing all right. Love golf! We can play year round here, which is nice, but it's pricey! So, I practice a lot, which has been good for my game. Like to stay in touch with T.O. and I get back once a year, usually in the summer so I can play lots of golf. Last summer I played 10 rounds in 14 days and shot a 79 at Rebel Creek. Broke 80 again here recently, so I'm feeling good about my game. So, good in fact that I switched from Reg flex graphite shafted Callawaye Hawkeye irons to Stiff flex steel shafted blades. Uh oh, I might have gone too far. Anyway, good to be here and hope to get to know you all.

Peace,

[kimo62]

welcome

[thekathrynorchard]

Welcome. Glad to hear you're doing well over there. This is a great community.

[Eagle_29]

Welcome, Sounds like your doing great

look forward to hearing about the golf in japan

[Greywolf]

Welcome to the forum!!

[ethandelacroix]

My cousin lived there to teach for 3 years. Really cool place, super cool cars... (nissan skyline) and the home of Honma clubs...

Good luck...

Miles

[Mule56]

Hello bilinguru,
Welcome to the board. Glad you found us. We look forward to you views on the state of golf in Japan. Cost to play, equipment costs, technology advances compared to NA, etc.. I would love to hear what the average Japanese person thinks about golf. Are they as golf nuts as we are here in NA?
Mule

[Carlton]

Welcome aboard!

[simar]

welcome to the nutty bunch :)

[bilinguru]

Welcome to the board. Glad you found us. We look forward to you views on the state of golf in Japan. Cost to play, equipment costs, technology advances compared to NA, etc.. I would love to hear what the average Japanese person thinks about golf. Are they as golf nuts as we are here in NA?

The state of golf in Japan is not a simple thing and will undoubedtly take many posts to even start to communicate what it's really like over here. The cost to play is dropping and not so different in some cases to Southern Ontario prices. Although it is much more expensive to go to a driving range to practice. Equipment is also comparably priced, although the selection for lefties like me is defintely limited. The Japanese are indeed golf nuts and, while I don't have the data to support this at hand, I believe they spend more money per person on equipment (and take better care of their equipment) than North Americans do. They are like this for any 'hobby' they take up and for many golf is an obsession.

Playing golf in Japan is an outing and is not to be rushed. The courses are in excellent condition and the clubhouses and facilities are almost all like hotels. It takes at least 5 hours to play eighteen and that doesn't include lunch which takes another hour. Add in the average 45 minute to 1 hour drive to affordable public and semi-private courses and back and, well, like I said, it's a full day.

Things are changing. American companies have come in and snapped up a lot of courses and are making things more competitve/affordable and more discount days are offered to attract people. But, the average golfer's age is still probably 10 years older than it is in the West, because Japan is a rapidly aging population and football has grown to be extremely popular now with young people in Japan. This makes change slow and so it is still a 'hobby' for those with means, which includes GPS carts, caddies and baths afterwards.

The Japanese golfers to watch are the women. Shingo Katayama and a few other guys are competitive on the PGA, but prefer to play here in Japan, where they are big fish in a much smaller pond and are treated like superstars. The women are also treated royally, especially Ai Miyazato, who is doing well on the LPGA and is expected to win at least one tournament in 2007.

Anything more specific you want to know, just fire away!!

'Arigato' for the welcome everybody and I hope Santa brings you a single digit handicap for Christmas.

Peace

[Mule56]

The state of golf in Japan is not a simple thing and will undoubedtly take many posts to even start to communicate what it's really like over here.

Hey Bilinguru,
We have the next 4 months to read your posts, so fill our boots. These things are always fun to know since we sometimes forget we are not the center of the golf world here in North America. Of course the Ryder Cup reminds of that more frequnetly then we'd like to admit.
Mule

[Shake99]

Welcome

[gocchin]

Hey B,

Good to see you here.

Looking forward to interacting. (^_-)db(-_^)

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

T

[Bellyhungry]

...Things are changing. American companies have come in and snapped up a lot of courses and are making things more competitve/affordable and more discount days are offered to attract people....

It is refreshing to see the positive influence American have on another country.

[bilinguru]

Mule wrote,
We have the next 4 months to read your posts, so fill our boots.

What happens in four months?

No, North America is not the center of the Golfing world. In fact, I would argue there isn't one center anymore. Certainly, The USPGA is the most has the most money and the best depth of quality players, but the European Tour is kicking arse recently, as your mention of the Ryder Cup alludes to.

The Japanese Tour has a long way to go to get to anything like that level of competition. I suspect the best guys off the Canadian Tour could do very well over here. The courses aren't so long, but they are tight, being built into valleys between the mountains that cover 80% of the islands that make up Japan. So, keeping it in the short grass and putting well is rewarded more than being long of the tee. Mind you, they're getting longer off the tee here too. The top 50 guys in terms of driving distance on the JPGA range from 299.46 yds at the top to 280.81 yds for the guy at #50. The guy who won the money title for 2006, Shingo Katayama, was 42nd on the list at 283 yds. Perhaps you remember the guy with the funky hat who played well duringhe Masters? He's a bit of a prima donna in my opinion (spends most of his time thinking about what he's going to wear), but he's got game.
http://www.alba.co.jp/player/man_jp/profile/img/ShingoKatayama.jpg
Peace

[Mule56]

Mule wrote,
What happens in four months?


See you've been away so long you forgot. We're in winer now and 4 months from now, we''ll be back out on the course, playing more than we read. :rofl:
Mule

[jjgowland]

Welcome!
Yes, please keep us posted about a golfer's life in Japan and other places in Asia that you might visit.

And of course try to schedule your visit to Toronto for the summer and hook up for a Toronto Golf Nuts golf tournament.

Happy HO Ho.

[Ems]

Welcome bilinguru!

I taught English in Tokyo about 4-5 years ago but didn't get into golf until I came back to Toronto. Probably a good thing as I wouldn't have been able to afford golf in Japan back then. I visited Kobe once and remember having sashimi burgers which were awesome!

Please write more about your experiences in Japan, helps me reminice. Is it common for people to go to the baths after a round of golf? do you mean onsens? I would imagine that the scenery for their golf courses must be beautiful! do they have themes for their golf courses too?

Hope you enjoy all the readings on this site! The TGN Golf Tournament will be held in mid-May for 2007, think you'd be able to join?

[bilinguru]

EMS wrote
I taught English in Tokyo about 4-5 years ago but didn't get into golf until I came back to Toronto. Probably a good thing as I wouldn't have been able to afford golf in Japan back then. I visited Kobe once and remember having sashimi burgers which were awesome!

Please write more about your experiences in Japan, helps me reminice. Is it common for people to go to the baths after a round of golf? do you mean onsens? I would imagine that the scenery for their golf courses must be beautiful! do they have themes for their golf courses too?

Hope you enjoy all the readings on this site! The TGN Golf Tournament will be held in mid-May for 2007, think you'd be able to join?

Never had a sashimi burger. Kobe beef is famous though and awesome.

I almost always take a bath after a round. Not really an onsen (natural hot spring for those who don't know what we're talking about) but like that. There is a giant window in most baths that offers a beautiful view of the mountains.

Japanese courses are very scenic. Maybe that's part of the reason it takes so long to play a round - people enjoying the view instead of paying attention to what they're doing.

Not sure what you mean by 'theme'.

Would love to join the tournament in May, but not sure it will be possible as the university year starts in April here and I have to teach. Where can I get the details?

[Ems]

The TGN team will be sending out formal information on the annual tournment soon, so keep an eye out for details in the next two weeks!

[bilinguru]

Hi,

Somebody sent me a private message regarding golfing in Japan and I (like an idiot) deleted it by accident. :( Please resend the message and sorry about the mistake.:D

[jjack]

Hi Bilinguru, Its jjack from Yasukogen C.C. in Fukuoka.
Yes golf is different here isn't it. Its more of a duty to most than fun and games. 9 holes, then an hour for lunch,(required) then nine then baths....our lobby looks like the baggage claim at the airport terminal in the afternoon. Also note the differences in play....there really is no such thing as hooking up with another group, really the essence of golf. Everyone comes with their own foursome and ride in four man carts. If a twosome does come out, thats always how they play. No joining another twosome. Its very hard to come and play as a single. The carts are automatic running on an underground electric cable, so if one cart, or foursome is slow, its trouble for the rest behind, for there is no playing through. At my course things, like you said are changing with the American influence. Thats why this private course brought me here. Also noone tees it up before 7:30 and no one tees off after 3:00.. Each cart has a caddie. I have played in Korea and Thailand. In Thailand major courses Like Alpine in Bangkok where the Johnny Walker tournament was held supply each player with a cart and caddie, and some courses you can even get two caddies.....one to fan you and one to take care of your clubs. The caddies read the greens, and bring your clubs, and wash your clubs, and tell you distances, but at my course each cart has a gps system that give all information. We are a mountain course..27 holes...it is not like most japanese mt. courses where they just cut a course through the valleys and you have hill sides on the left and right of each hole and either going up or down. They designed it very well, very fair and relatively flat. 27 holes. Each one of our greens is at least 40 yards wide and sometimes 50 yards deep bent grass and extremely challenging. I have created a gold plated silver dollar sized ballmark that is presented to a player at major , or private tournaments only for those who played their round WITHOUT three-putting. In a year , I've awarded 10.Thats another thing about japan golf courses, most courses have two greens for every hole....The reason golf is changing is that most golf courses here were built on extravagent costs to members back in the boom years here in japan....My course for instance 20 years ago sold many memberships at a cost of $280,000 like many other clubs...problem was they promised to pay that back in ten to twenty years, people get old, can't play, call in their chit....oops,, Its a dishonor for the companies to admit they cannot pay, while going bankrupt in the meantime. Hence American companies like Accordia now own more than 300-400 course here in Japan......and it goes on
Come on down. Its $189.00 on the weekend but thats with a cart and caddie. If your under 39, youy can play self play w/cart on Mondays for about 60.00.. Another thing is, even though you pay large memberships, there is no yearly memberships here. You must pay, as a member each time you go out. here its a discount of about 40% to the member....unbelievable..if you come, being the GM I have some pull, but even I have to pay at my own course, and there is no real resiprosity for other JPGA members here except to pay member prices. But do it before March 1, as my work will be done here by then......Do you get paid in cash at work? There is no check system here......

[bilinguru]

Hi jjack

Thanks for responding. Sorry about that. Thanks for the invite. I'd love to come down to Fukuoka. That $60 under 39 deal...does it apply to those of us who are 40 and feel 39? Do you have to provide proof of age? Ha Ha!

Sounds like a nice course. The website is nice.

What are you doing from March?

[jjack]

I'm not sure yet. Its so funny while i was looking at your video i was thinking you were in Canada and i was surprised at how much the range looked like the ones here in Japan...Crack me up! Again theres a big contingent of Canadian golfers down here, so give me a call anytime.

[nearace]

welcome looking forward to stories from there :) howie

[GQuizzle]

Hey Bilinguru... I'm in a similar situation. I'm originally from Scarborough but moved to Arizona a few years ago. I like to keep in touch with the city, the people and culture. Arizona is cool, but there no place like home! I even check out CP24.com once a week!

[thekathrynorchard]

I'm about to move to Europe but I'm not letting go out TGN without kicking and biting. I'll check in regularly.

[gocchin]

I'll see you guys at the end of next month if you're in Tokyo... I've secured a Press Pass for the 2007 Japan Golf Show at Tokyo Big Sight. :)