Did you know that Canada has a total land area of 9,976,140 sq km (3,851,809 sq mi), which makes it the second-largest country in the world next to Russia? It is no wonder that, with a size as large as this and the growth that our organization has seen in the past 14 years, that we are in need of Regional Directors to best serve our members across Canada. Regional Directors act as a liaison between members in their area and the CGTF National Office, provide networking opportunities for existing members in the region, and organize
regional seminars and tournaments.

We are seeking Regional Directors as volunteers for the following areas:
British Columbia
Alberta & Saskatchewan
Northern Ontario & Manitoba
Southern & Central Ontario
Quebec
Maritimes

If you are interested in this position, please contact Kristine Darnbrough at info@cgtf.com or call 1-866-362-2483.

A chance meeting at a certification course in Port Hope, Ontario, in 2001 has led to a great friendship and business venture. Marc Ray and Ron Powell have hooked up to run a successful junior clinic for children in Timmins, Ontario, at The Hollinger Golf Club. Marc and Ron hold this clinic each season and have taught hundreds of junior golfers over the years in their joint venture.

We now have a new office in Singapore at 60 Dunearn Road, 309434. We also have a new training center equipped with 40 hitting bays, a large practice green which can accommodate 30 golfers at once, bunkers which can accommodate 20, a seminar room to accommodate 500  participants, and a 1000-square-foot pro shop.

We would like to welcome our newest members, Edward Lim and Chern Eu, who have displayed outstanding performance in teaching. We will also be hosting the Singapore Open tournament this October. Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, and Phil Mickelson are scheduled to participate. This exciting  development shows how USGTF events can draw top players.

The golf industry in Asia is becoming more widespread, and this fact shows the ever-growing need for teachers. The USGTF has entered and continues to play a pivotal role in the grooming of our future teachers.

As some of you may know, among the multitude of tournaments we hosted this year, the USGTF Korean affiliate has excitedly been gearing up to host two corporate-sponsored two-day tournaments this year. These events have generated much enthusiasm, competitive spirit, and exposure for the WGTF and USGTF Korean affiliate throughout Korea.

Active WGTF members desiring to participate in the two day tournament had to first pre-qualify in one of three scheduled preliminaries.

Here are updates from the preliminaries for our very first annual Yamaha USGTF-Korea tournament scheduled for September 17-18, 2007:
• The 1st Preliminary was held on May 21, 2007 at the Sky 72 Golf Club. Among the 280 participants, 107 qualified.
• The 2nd Preliminary was held on June 28, 2007 at East Mountain Country Club. A total of 30 participants qualified.
• The 3rd Preliminary on July 9, 2007 at the Grand Country Club saw a total of 34 participants qualifying.

For the first annual Yamaha USGTF-Korea tournament, the total purse equates to more than $100,000 USD, with the championship prize set at approximately $25,000 USD. The 171 participants qualifying for the two-day tournament will convene at Sky 72 Golf Club on September 17, 2007. Of the 171 participants, only the top 72 will go on to play in the second day of the tournament on September 18, 2007. There are earnings from the total purse for every one of the 72 participants on day two of the tournament. As J Golf Broadcasting is scheduled to cover the event, this will be another great marketing opportunity for USGTF-Korea.

In addition, the third annual Giga USGTF-Korea tournament, scheduled for October 8-9, quickly follows. The 1st Preliminary was held August 6, 2007 at Busan Country Club, the 2nd Preliminary on August 21, 2007 at Grand Country Club, and the 3rd Preliminary on September 3, 2007 at Sky 72 Golf Club. For each of these preliminaries, the top 30 percent advanced to the 3rd Annual Giga USGTF-Korea tournament. This two-day tournament will also be held at Sky 72 Golf Club and  scheduled to be covered by J Golf Broadcasting. The total purse also equates to approximately more than $100,000 USD, with the championship prize also set at approximately $25,000 USD. We look forward to planning more of these types of tournaments next year. All WGTF members are invited to attend.

We also have several job opportunities available. We’re still looking for experienced, driven individuals to direct our affiliates. Please e-mail Jenny at kusgtf@gmail.com for more information to see if this is a good fit for you.

The first USGTF-Philippines certification course was held this past April. Two individuals earned fully-certified Level III status: Nestor Garnace and Rudy Mandario. Three people earned Associate Member Level II status: Fernando Felipe, Ed De La Rama and Alex Siron. I invite all WGTF  members to travel one day to the beautiful 7,100 islands of the Philippines, which include more than 100 public and private golf courses.

On a personal note, I am teaching as an associate professor at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila. I teach advanced building design within the architecture department. USGTF Philippines is based at the Philippine Army Golf Course, in Fort Bonifacio, Manila. Our e-mail is filgtf@yahoo.com, or you may reach us by phone at 011639284792772.

One of our teachers, László Gyaro, teaches golf at the most famous and oldest golf course in Hungary, European Lakes GC, owned by an Irish investor. Recently held there was the first Central European Pro-Am.

In Hungary, a lot of new golf courses will be open in the near future, designed by architects such as Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Christy O’Connor. I am hopeful our organization can place USGTF-Hungary golf teachers at these new facilities.

I was recently in Serbia, which is close to Hungary. Many people who speak Hungarian live there. I will be working together with Tibor Roklicer, a Level III USGTF professional, on a new 9-hole learning center in Novi Sad, and it will be the same as what I had designed in Budapest. We expect that Alfred Hartig will become a new USGTF member and will also be a member in our USGTF-Hungary association.

In the autumn we will start the USGTF golf teacher education in Budapest. We have a lot of interest now. We founded and registered our association according to Hungarian law, so we are now waiting for the confirmation. After that, we can start a partnership in cooperation with the Hungarian Golf Federation. I hope it will be realized this autumn. We will also start our junior program this autumn, too.

We wish all WGTF members a nice summer and a lot of new students. I hope we will meet everyone in Las Vegas at the World Golf Teachers Cup.

In other news, we have now introduced pre-course work for the diploma Level III course so we can spend more time practicing the essentials during the seven-day course. One of the main tasks given to our potential Level III coaches is to interview the general golfing public regarding the golf learning process. These findings are essential to coaches realising that it is the customer that drives their business and it is essential to know what they like and dislike with regard to golf lessons.

Our new affiliation with Young Masters Golf is proving a very successful way to start coaching careers on the road to success. Those members who have completed the recommended coaching training are able to link into a proven program that guarantees success. Some of our members have already started and are enjoying flourishing businesses. Anyone wishing to see YMG, LMG and MMG in action can come to North Weald Golf Club, Harlow and you can test the experience for yourselves.

Preparation for Las Vegas continues with many more of our members planning to attend. So far there will be over 20 participants from Great Britain and Ireland attending to offer the Americans some stiff competition. Prior to the World Golf Teachers Cup, our UK Golf Teachers Cup will be competed for at North Weald Golf Club on the 15th of October. I am looking forward to seeing all of you in Las Vegas.

The course has grown in the past five years and proven itself to be a solid basis for new golf teachers. The students are enthusiastic in their ways and about the information given. Mirror image teaching, not always easy for the teachers, proves itself to be effective in every way. At the beginning of  the course, some hesitate to use mirror imaging, but as the week progresses they adapt the skill and start loving it.

The Mont Griffon course is not easy for PATs. Greens with a stimpmeter reading of 12 don’t give much room for error. Unfortunately, on the PAT round the rain came down so heavily, like a monsoon, that it became impossible to play. The greens were soaked, so in the end Edward Verstraten decided to reschedule the PAT. We welcome Eric Balkissoon, Marga Baltus, Ron Korteknie, Theo Kulsdom, Rob Oosenbrugh, Rob Roest, Menno van der Zant, Guido van Spall, Gert Jan Verkerk, and Arnoud Vree to the WGTF organization. Thank you for your endeavors and perseverance.

The College has an indoor center with the usual training aids, and an outstanding outdoor oval which is to be developed into a full driving range. The College is now the home of our teaching activities.

We have also just established a Golf Academy at Mirage Country Club Port Douglas, near Cairns in Northern Australia. The course is rated as one of the world's best resort courses, with the 18-hole international standard championship golf course designed by renowned golf architect Peter Thomson.

We will conduct training and certification courses at this venue. This is an ideal location for a golf vacation for all Federation  members who live in, or desire to visit, Australia and we can assist with providing you with a great golfing holiday.

Private courses throughout the country are contacting us almost daily with requests for certified teaching professionals.

Furthermore, we are still very active in promoting golf teaching among young students from private universities. We have organized one intercollegiate tournament, with 125 participants. Next spring, we will organize a teacher-student tournament. At this time, we have an average of 55 students attending golf classes regularly.

Best personal regards to all in the WGTF.

On July 25th USGTF Japan member Bennett Galloway organized and took part in a 24 hour golf event held in Niseko Japan. (See a full report on the top page of the Golf in Japan site at: www.golf-in-japan.com) The team played 117 different golf holes on 6.5 courses in one day, covering 120 kilometers by car and more than 33,000 yards of golf course truly pushing both man and gear to their limits!

The group started at twelve noon on the 25th and raced around the Tokyu Golf Course in a brief one hour and fifty minute round sprinting on to the Niseko Higashiyama Prince course. The next round took two hours, with the Prince staff organizing the groups in front perfectly, as the support staff buzzed around the golfers, the players quickly fell into a rhythm.

After a thirty minute drive to Niseko Golf Course, the guys had to complete the next round by six thirty pm in order to make the start deadline for the night golf at Rusutsu’s Tower golf course. They started at four fifty pm on the Arnold Palmer designed course and made it off the course by six fifteen pm and they were all but a blur with a blistering one hour and twenty five minute round! The team arrived at Rusutsu just under the wire and were able to breathe a sigh of collective relief leisurely hitting tee shots down fairways and were greeted and cheered by friendly tourists.

After a quick onsen and some food the team had a few hours of down time and those who could manage to sleep did, however the anticipation of another frantic eight hours of golf the following day weighed heavily on everybody! A three am wake-up call and a four am start at Niseko Golf and Resort saw the team continue at the same frantic pace and unbelievably, the golfers were actually getting better as the 24 hour clock ran down.

A forty minute drive to the 72 hole Riverwood Course at Rusutsu and the stage was set for the final leg of the record challenge. They set off on the second eighteen of the day, the River Course, at seven thirty am and were able to keep a good pace finishing in exactly 2 hours with everybody carding between 78 and 84!

Next was to be the final eighteen of the event, the Rusutsu Wood Course, and the competitors faced perhaps the biggest challenge of the entire event yet, and it wasn’t fatigue! It was now just after nine thirty and they would need to navigate through other groups quickly if they were to have any chance at finishing before the noon deadline.

Spirits were dampened however, once they made the turn onto the last nine and faced a wait on the first tee, casting doubts into everyones minds as to weather they would be able to get through the last nine before twelve o’clock. As though they had sensed the gravity of the situation the friendly staff of the Rusutsu 72 golf club, led by their manager came to the rescue leading the team in a motorcade of carts to the seventh tee from where they could play through to the ninth un-obstructed  then loop around to the first tee and play the remaining one to six.

Surprisingly the players posted the best scores of the entire event on the last eighteen with three players scoring rounds in the 70’s! It was all smiles, high fives and hand shakes on the final 6th hole as their last putts disappeared into the hole. After posing for pictures on the green and giving interviews to reporters the exhausting 24 hours, 117 holes of golf was officially brought to a close with probably one of the best tasting beverages in the history of the game in the Riverwood clubhouse. The pace had been fast and fun, with four golfers coming together from four different parts of the world to become one in Niseko Japan and achieve something they can be truly proud of.

The record attempt application is still being rustled through the halls of the Guinness building in the U.K. today, and we patiently wait.

This event is truly a great indictor of the innovative things the USGTF Japan and its members are doing for the golf industry and one of the reasons why we are seeing steady growth in our membership. The recent tour win by 15 year old rookie Ryo Ishikawa has helped a whole new generation get to know the game and the USGTF Japan’s members are perfectly positioned to provide the guidance and inspiration young golfers are looking for. Innovative teaching methods and enthusiasm have become our hallmark here in Japan as we continue to drive a once very stuffy and elitist industry forward.

For more info on this event please contact: Bennett at ben-galloway@gotembagolf.com and keep an eye out for the new www.golf-shizuoka.com site!

Understand that USGTF-Korea is one of the well established GTF nations in Asia, and that we have plenty to learn. I have explained how our certification courses are to be conducted at Nansha Golf Club. The facility has 36 holes, the 6679-yard Mountain Course and the 6680-yard Valley Course, three big practice greens accompanied with bunkers and a chipping and pitching area, and also a 250-yard real grass driving range.

The coaching team, our HKGTF members, facilitates all kinds of classes in this beautiful place. I was invited by Mr. Kim to visit their USGTF-Korea headquarters later this year. I shall report on the experience to all of you.

Please also note that the HKGTF Teachers Cup is scheduled to be held at Nansha Golf Club PRC on the 7th of November, 2007. All USGTF members are welcome.

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.

Today there are an estimated 400,000 Indian nationals that play golf. More money is flowing into the game, sponsorships are rising as the corporate set moves into the sport and more golf courses are currently being built than ever before. At present there are an estimated 250 golf courses in India. Nearly half of these are owned and managed by the armed forces. It is estimated however, that within the next 10 years, with more public courses being built, and the continued growth of the Indian Golf Teachers Federation, our now cricket mad nation will be taking a second seat to it's brand new pastime.