The Professional Golfers‘ Association’s first Oriental adventure swung into action this week with the opening of its first golf academy in Asia: Bayhood No.9, Beijing, China.
Bayhood No.9 Golf Club – Bayhood No.9 and the PGA Golf Academy is situated along the Beihu Canal 30 minutes from Beijing’s central business district. The Beihu district has a rich history dating back 600 years to the Ming and Qing Dynasties but Bayhood is set to create a golfing dynasty for the future, built around Nelson Haworth’s 18-hole designed championship course which stretches some 7,260 yards.
Bayhood No. 9 was officially opened by the British Ambassador to China, Sir William Ehrman, on 15th March, as Asia’s only PGA branded and managed golf academy, which will provide world-class coaching from PGA professionals. The move into Asia’s growing golf market marks a new step in the PGA’s desire to increase the sport’s appeal in the Far East.
Bayhood No.9 will use the expertise of the PGA and its highly trained professionals to deliver tailor made coaching programmes for golfers of all abilities. PGA Golf Management operations manager, Neil Coulson, believes the Academy can put Bayhood No.9 and the PGA at the forefront of golf in China.
“The PGA Golf Academy at Bayhood No.9 is an exciting development that builds on the quality aspirations of the owners and the PGA’s reputation for first-class branded and managed facilities. Importantly it will also play a vital role in growing the game in China through the academy. It is a privilege for the PGA to be associated with Bayhood No.9.” he said.
The PGA Golf Academy is housed within the fantastic Nelson Haworth designed driving range, which is a state-of-the-art two tier facility, incorporating 40 bays on the ground floor and 23 spectacular VIP rooms on the top floor, each featuring two independent bays.
The Academy includes 4 state of the art swing studios, fitted out with leading edge technology such as the Trackman ball radar system, Dartfish analysis software, the SAM PuttLab system and the latest 3D biomechanics system from K-Vest. The range also comes with a short game area with a par 3 course and two putting greens.
David Kurniawan, general manager of Bayhood No. 9, is excited about the impact the academy can have in China. He said, “Bayhood No.9 strives to provide the best golf facilities in China and we believe the PGA Academy at Bayhood has set the benchmark in terms of quality and a role model that can support the development of golf and golf professionals in this country.”
PGA Golf Management – PGA Golf Management is part of the commercial division of the PGA and offer management and marketing services to owners and developers of golf facilities. It has clients and projects in Ireland, Spain, Crete, Cyprus, Cape Verde, the
Kingdom of Bahrain and delivers the tuition on behalf of St Andrews Links Trust at the St Andrews Links Golf Academy.
PGA Golf Management www.pgagm.com