The Asia Pacific region accounts for more than 6,000 golf courses and this figure is growing steadily every year. Arguably, this makes the Asia Pacific the second most important region in golf after the United States.
It goes without saying that this critical mass of golf courses accounts for a great deal of cash. It is big business for golf course equipment and services manufacturers. It’s a massive market for fertilisers, pesticides and chemicals. It’s also a huge market for the food and beverage industry. And don’t forget the hundreds of thousands of jobs that golf courses account for. It is without a doubt, a multi-billion dollar industry in the Asia Pacific.
This sometimes makes one wonder why the industry suffers from a lack of access to a whole host of equipment manufacturers and suppliers which are readily available to golf course operators in North America andEurope. One visit alone to the annual Golf Industry Show in theU.S.will make any course owner or superintendent salivate at what’s on offer. It is impossible not to be envious of how well catered for the golf course industry is in the western hemisphere.
It leads one to ask – is the golf course industry in the Asia Pacific not important to warrant a wider representation of the downstream support industries so critical to the efficient operation of golf courses? It’s a great question and one that begs immediate attention. A quick answer could be attributed to the fact that the majority of the players involved in the industry tend to be very “North American-centric”. The more obvious answer is that many are aware of the region’s potential but just don’t know how to get their products and services to market.
This is all being addressed now with the launch of Golf Course Industry International – a joint venture between the Asia Pacific Golf Group, publisher of Asian Golf Business and GIE Media Inc., publisher of Golf Course Industry, a top trade publication in the U.S. The launch issue of this revolutionary magazine is out and reaction from the trade has been very positive.
“With immediate effect, every single player involved in the golf course industry in North America or elsewhere who wants to reach the lucrative Asia Pacific market, Golf Course Industry International will serve as the passport to open doors in the region,” said Mike Sebastian, publisher of GCII.
“Golf course operators and superintendents in the region will no longer have to lament over the fact that they don’t have the full range of products and services to get the job done right. This new venture will endeavour to bring the latest in product news, applications and best practices on a timely basis. Most importantly, a great deal of emphasis will be placed on educating the market so that it stays sharp and in step with world standards in golf course care and maintenance,” explained Pat Jones, Editorial Director of GCII.
A whole new era has just dawned in the Asia Pacific and it will only get better from hereon.
To view the launch issue, click on this link:
http://asiapacificgolfgroup.com/ezine/GCII/gcii-may2012/index.html