(Sent from my iPad) Tuesday morning our flight to Kuala Lumpur was very early. The Singapore airport customs and check in is a very quick process since the public is allowed throughout the airport, you do not go through security check points until you enter each gates jet bridge. Security is much faster and you do not have to get half naked to go through scanners as you do in the US. In fact, if you do not want to empty your pockets you can just walk through, sound the alarm, and get modest pet-down and wand. Also the security personnel are very friendly... and I’m not talking about soft hands. Many smiles, thank yous, and simple common courtesy we have seemed to have lost at our airports. It was a very quick flight into Kuala Lumpur. The airport is nearly 40 minutes outside of the downtown area. I really hoped to have a chance to see the twin towers downtown. However, we were not close enough to the city's center. Our first stop was Saujuna Resort where we quickly dropped our bags and headed for our first golf course. Our tour hosts were Atlas Turf International and Sports Turf Solutions. The schedule was three courses all within an approximate 5-kilometer area. All three had recent renovations by golf course architect Ted Parslow and local builders Jasin Construction, Alex Boon and Barry Stanlon. The clubhouse and facilities at another course – they requested I not mention their name -- were top of the line. The area has been developed for golf with influence from the British stationed there during the wars, so you can definitely see the similarities. It is definitely catered to the wealthy and is very expensive to be a member. Using the course golf cart -- "buggy" as they are called -- we headed to the first tee. On the ride our hosts were familiar with the course and were watching for our expressions and reactions as we approached an area where you could see the open view of the fairways. Our "WTF" impressions definitely got a laugh. The course was in terrible condition. Although playable, it looked 10 years old. The renovation was done about 8 months prior and conditions tell a different story. This course would not pass for a municipal course back home in a town of 8,000. The courses we were visiting all averaged around 7,000 rounds per month, so by comparison they should have the membership support. Although they receive no support for maintenance. The hired superintendent would not meet with us and we were told it was for the very reason Jeff shared with us in Singapore... he was afraid we might ask a question that he could not answer. They have no idea what a support system is and how he and the club could benefit. You could see his staff were not familiar with every day maintenance practices. Greens were not being top dressed, aerated, fertilized, and mowed correctly. Cutting heights were inconsistent. The greens were not at all firm. Cup holes that were replaced were turned against the grass “grain” making an inconsistent playing surface. It was very sad for what kind of potential was available for this course. The area was absolutely beautiful and very well established as far as vegetation. Native plants, water features, brick stone cart paths, and breathtaking sky lines gives this course potential to be a players ideal golf destination, however, by not having an educated superintendent and trained maintenance crew, the end result certainly suffers. Although we did not specifically ask, I’m certain the same is true for having a qualified golf professional on staff. The course offers a training academy, however I’m certain that once a member realizes there are other courses in the area its membership will start to suffer. Pictures of the course condition are on our Facebook Page. Stop #2 was EPIC! We parked the car in between the Porches, BMW’s, and cars I have never seen before. A helicopter was landing just off the practice range that we later told was the Sultan of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur Country Club hosts many major tournaments with the coordination of IMG, LPGA, And PGA and was only one week off of just having hosting an LPGA tour. We had lunch with Mohamed Nizam, the course superintendent. He discussed the tournament, the course renovation, projects underway and projects in the planning stages. He operates with a $250,000 (USD) monthly maintenance budget and has his course in prime playing condition. The two-course facility closes one course each Monday and the other on Tuesday to have full maintenance. The two courses offer a unique experience from both playability but also plant selection. The west course is more commonly known as the Garden Course as it offers some very unique plant varieties and plantings. It is interesting to see how narrow the fairways and landing zones offer no forgiveness for the elevated tee shots. Players have to strategize the shots. At each hole Mohamed would visit with our group, asking questions about the grass varieties, asking about his fertilization practices, and talking the opportunity to visit with the suppliers on products and innovations. The grasses were a cross of Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. (Sea Isle Supreme Paspalum, wall-to-wall, thought I'd see if anyone is actually reading this thing -- JA). As we pass the maintenance staff, you can see that the nearly 200 maintenance personnel on the course were trained in their tasks. Bottom line: Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club is successful because of their team approach. Having an engaged and trained superintendent overseeing operations allows the facility to host international championships, and offer their membership of 4,300 the best golfing experience in the area. You never would have guessed they just hosted an LPGA event spectator traffic a week prior. Stop #3 was back to Saujuna Resort to tour the recently completed renovation course along with holes under new construction. We were finally able to get our shoes muddy and see some major construction. Moving site-cut material off site is not an option for the area. So all fill must be moved to another location on the course and the teamwork of the builder, owners, and architect allow for some creative ways to create some amazing golf. There are a number of high points on the course which create a challenge for irrigation. However, top-of-the-line irrigation pumps move the water throughout the course, although the rainfall in the area require little need for water. One interesting challenge for the area is the height on a few holes cause lightening to be a problem. In a recent storm lightening hit one of the control boxes causing nearly $8,000 (USD) in damage. The course is still identifying other damage to the head controllers. A special lightening rod was being installed that is rated to collect any lightening strike within a 10 meter radius. You do not want to stand near that when you hear the storm siren. Superintendent Mohamed Heffazine was as engaged as Mohamad. This course is being converted to MiniVerde Greens, Tifway 419 Bermuda. They took the opportunity to ask questions and utilized every opportunity to ask questions. The buggy’s have signs and we were duly warned to not leave ANYTHING in the buggy. Unattended buggy’s attract monkeys living in the course trees, they will take anything from our cart and unless you want to climb the tree to retrieve, you lose. One staffer, though, did say his phone was thrown back when he called it and the vibration scared the critter. Tuesday evening we ended the night by hosting a reception for area suppliers, local contractors, and local course managers. It was very well attended. We continue to hear that we are the first group to ever coordinate competitors and the different disciplines of the golf industry together as a group to network. We ended up at a local club and the musical talent of Malaysians is incredible. The live band and three lead singers would win hands down any talent contest back in the US. They would definitely give American Idol a run. We were told that this kind of talent in the area is very common. Tomorrow (Wednesday) off to Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam. Before I sign off, several have emailed and asked me about the food. Those that know me know that I rarely eat anything that comes out of the water. This area offers a wide variety of food selection. Menus include local delicacies, anything you can do with an egg, and lots of Western choices. The food is very good, however I find it most important to not ask before or after what it is I just ate. Fortunately, the drink menu offers choices that can wash nearly anything down. The trick is keeping it down... Another question I was asked was the costs associated with this trip. Surprisingly moving through these areas is very inexpensive. Flights needed to move around Asia are very cheap, around $100, and our host facilities and hotels are offering affordable rates... about what we would spend staying in a Holiday Inn back home. It is also amusing to taxi all around the city with most trips less than $10 (USD). And you are a god if you tip anyone... If you are interested, "Like" our Golf Course Builders Association of America Facebook page and see the pictures we are uploading of the trip. |
