It is amazing to me that golf courses in the Philippines remain largely unknown to the rest of the world. It’s true. It doesn’t matter that we’ve produced some of the best golfers the region has ever seen. Larry Montes, Celestino Tugot, Golem Silverio, Frankie Miñoza…they all had to develop their skills on some pretty tough tracks, didn’t’ they?
So why don’t more people know about our golf courses? Why isn’t the Philippines even on the golf tourism map of Asia? What the heck is going on?
Apart from the fledgling efforts to promote golf to the rest of the world under the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos, golf tourism has been completely ignored by the Philippine government. This is a tragedy of monumental proportions.
Firstly, because the golf courses in the Philippines can compare to any in the region. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say that some of the best golf in Asia is right here in our own backyard. I’ve had the privilege of playing some beautiful layouts in Thailand and Malaysia and I can say unequivocally that our best golf courses are on par with any that you’d care to mention and are probably better than most.
Next, and more importantly, the world golf tourism industry generates two-hundred-fifty billion Dollars in revenue every year; a number which increases with each year. How much of that do you think we see?
The answer? Next to nothing.
Apart from the now shrinking number of Korean tourists, we get absolutely no business from the major markets. Heck, we barely make anything off the Koreans anyway. They way they’ve structured their business, Korean nationals keep most of the income generated by their countrymen’s visits to the Philippines.
Sure, their business keeps a lot of our local golf courses afloat but they’ve developed a network of their own hotels and restaurants and so keep most of the income in their pockets, leaving little for our countrymen and local businesses.
It is therefore a Godsend to the industry that the Business Mirror’s own Frederick “Ricky” Alegre was recently appointed as Assistant Secretary of Tourism serving under Secretary Wanda Teo. Ricky is a passionate golfer whose love for the game is superseded only by the love of his family and country.
Ricky was quick to recognize the opportunity for growth in this area of the tourism industry and was quick to act on it. His first order of business was to convene the Philippine Golf Tourism Council which is to consist of representatives from tour operators, the media, the golf courses, the golf equipment suppliers, the golf managers and the private sector. The purpose of the Council is to create the necessary infrastructure to ensure Philippine golf tourism flourishes and survives beyond the term of the Duterte administration.
These efforts are in their infancy, to be sure. The initial meetings are still works in progress. But the enthusiasm of all the stake holders is high that this administration cares enough about the industry to support these efforts.
I was fortunate to be called on by the assistant secretary to take part in convening the council and I am looking forward to serving under him. His goals and passion for the industry are mine, as well. The prospects are bright and we’re all excited to see what the future will bring.
Watch this space.