MALAYSIA’S BEST OUTBOUND GOLF TOUR OPERATOR

16 November – Liberty Golf Services was awarded Malaysia's Best Outbound Golf Tour Operator 2014 at the inaugural World Golf Awards held at The Conrad Algarve, Portugal.

Established since 1976, Liberty Golf Group operates golf tours & holidays to 59 destinations through 17 countries with operations based in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia & Cambodia. This has contributed significantly towards the development of bilateral golf tourism revenues within the region over the many years.

In accepting the award, Simon Ng said "It is a great recognition for us and it is very humbling to be acknowledged at such a prestigious event like this”.

The group managing director explained "We have served the industry for over 38 years now; it is comforting that we have survived many financial turmoil and travel crisis. We know what is best to serve our customers in Malaysia & the region. Adding onto our wide network and buying power, we’re still able to offer reasonable pricing despite odds against us like unlicensed operators, hefty fuel surcharges, commission reduction and economic retardation”.

Remaining as a pioneer in the outbound golf travel business, Liberty Golf is also a founding member of the Malaysia Golf Tourism Association (MGTA) – which helped Malaysia to win Asia’s Best Golf Destination 2014 award at the same evening of the World Golf Awards. “Although headquartered in Malaysia, Liberty Golf Group has grown to be a regional service provider to many golfers but will not leave out our personal touch – something that separates us from the others” Simon added. 

The inaugural World Golf Awards is part of World Travel Awards, which is heralded as “the Oscars of the travel industry” and begun in 1993.

For more information about Liberty Golf Services, please visit http://www.libertygolf.com.my

For more information about World Golf Awards, please visit http://www.worldgolfawards.com

For more information about Malaysia Golf Tourism Association, please visit http://www.playmalaysiagolf.com

                                                                                                         

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Enjoy Jakarta Golf – the Backstory

Jakarta delivers the experience like no other golf destination! 

Enjoy Jakarta Golf is a destination and an invitation! The golf clubs in and around Indonesia’s bustling capital city are exceptional in their ability to deliver a great golfing experience to the visiting golf traveller. 

Enjoy Jakarta is the brand of the Jakarta Tourism & Culture Office (JTCO) and with Enjoy Jakarta Golf the JTCO aims to highlight the tremendous facilities and experience available to visitors who play golf and to avid golf travellers. 

In this backstory to Enjoy Jakarta Golf, we highlight a few of the outstanding attributes that make Jakarta such an attractive, vibrant and relatively undiscovered golf destination, including: 

• The best caddies in the world! Highly trained, multi-lingual and incredibly personable, the caddy experience in Jakarta is second to none. 

• Beautiful landscaping and presentation of the golf courses with great variety from inner city oases to the Bogor highlands just 45 minutes from the capital. 

• Outstanding clubhouse facilities with remarkable gastronomy and hospitality. 

• Iconic VIP rooms at virtually all clubs that are available for groups of visitors to hire. Definitely the best way to make a golf trip extra special! 

Jakarta golf clubs certainly know how to look after the first-time golf visitor and how to deliver a tremendous experience both on the course and in the clubhouse. 

The On-Course Experience – Quality & Character 

Natural hospitality of the caddy experience 

Without doubt, the enjoyment of playing golf in Jakarta is enhanced dramatically by the exceptional caddy experience. At all golf clubs in Jakarta, having one caddy per golfer is mandatory, which makes for a consistent experience wherever the golfer chooses to play. Most courses have in excess of 150 caddies, all employed from the local community, and all receiving regular training on how to assist the golfer – member or visitor – to get the most out of their game. 

Whilst convivial service and a sense of humour may well be natural traits within the caddy community in Jakarta, this is enhanced by the professional training regimen that all caddies must go through. For example, all caddies at the Bogor Raya Golf Club go through a three-month language course before they can caddy, to ensure that they can pick up enough English, Chinese, Japanese or Korean to converse with the club’s visitors. In fact, the life skills a caddy learns in Jakarta are a tremendous asset and are put to good use should they choose to move on to other areas of the hospitality industry. 

Beautifully presented courses, landscaped by great designers 

Many golf destinations around the globe can boast well-designed and well-maintained golf courses, and Jakarta is no exception, with excellent designs by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Robert Trent Jones Jr among others. The maintenance of the golf courses is remarkable, very often helped by weekly half-day or full-day closure to allow time for organic recovery and dedicated conditioning. 

Where Jakarta excels and really stands out is in presentation and variety. Enormous efforts have been made to ensure that not only are the playing surfaces in great condition, but also the surrounding areas, ensuring that all golf courses are framed beautifully. Pride in maintaining the non-playing areas is obvious in many courses, which is no doubt in part due to the employment of hundreds of gardeners and green-keeping staff from the surrounding villages and towns which already have experience of working on the land. 

Variety is the spice of life! 

The variety of courses is also surprising for visitors heading to the capital of the world’s fourth most populous country. Enjoy Jakarta Golf encompasses immaculately-presented ‘garden’ courses, courses with mountain vistas with expansive views, rivers and lakes, hills and woodland, as well as urban courses that somehow manage to transport the golfer to a quiet, green oasis away from the surrounding hubbub of this vibrant city. 

Set up for first-time visitors 

All courses employ full-time starters and marshals throughout the year, which keeps the pace of play up and the round time down. Nobody likes hanging around on a golf holiday! Jakarta really looks after the first-time golf visitor, and with the mandatory use of caddies, clear tee box signage and consistent distance markers, every golfer can relax and focus on the game in hand, enjoying their surroundings, without worrying about where they are going, which direction to aim or how far they need to carry the golf ball! 

Remarkably, in Jakarta there is consistency with how the distances are measured, with all fairway distance markers (predominantly in metres) being measured to the centre of the greens, to avoid confusing the first-time visitor who travels daily to a different course. 

Another feather in the cap of the Enjoy Jakarta Experience is that all golf courses use coloured pin flags to indicate the pin position on the green (back, centre or front). 

Embrace the experience and enjoy the surroundings 

Buggies are compulsory on most courses, although both Soewarna Cengkareng and the Jakarta Golf Club are walking courses. With once caddy per golfer being mandatory, it is easy for the golf visitor to walk between shots to really experience the course, while their caddy will move the buggy on and bring the desired clubs. There is no better way for the first-time visitor to get a good feel for the course, whether they choose to walk or ride. 

Eating and drinking is all part of the golf experience! 

Every course has plenty of nicely-designed rest stops with food, drinks and toilet facilities, all clean and well-presented, and open at all times. The consistency of golf courses throughout the region enables Jakarta to deliver an enjoyable experience to the visiting golfer and is one of the golf destination’s principle strengths. 

The Off-Course Experience – the Best Facilities & Friendliest Service 

The best start to a day on the golf course 

The Enjoy Jakarta Experience begins when you arrive at the golf club. The reception, pro-shop and check-in staff are all eager to help and will immediately put the golf visitor at ease. The clubhouse facilities, signage and service will smooth away any residual stresses and ease the visitor into the game and, upon return, present a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere in which to relax, celebrate or recover! 

Jakarta’s clubhouses are well-designed and welcoming to the visitor, with large entrances and well-located reception desks. Staff are always on hand to assist visitors on their arrival. Staff in the reception areas and pro shops are all very friendly and hospitable and visitors will be well directed to the check-in, pro shop, lockers and restaurants. The pro shops are well-stocked and conveniently located at all clubhouses. 

The VIP Experience is unique to Jakarta 

Perhaps the unique stand-out service at clubhouses in Jakarta is the availability of VIP rooms for golfers to hire for their own small group of friends or colleagues. Nearly all golf clubs have a number of VIP rooms of different sizes which can make for a truly unique Jakarta Golf Experience. For those visitors mixing business with pleasure, most of the clubhouses also have meeting rooms. 

Jakarta also caters for the competitive types… 

If you need to hone your skills in anticipation of a lucrative win or simply want to loosen up, the pre-game practice facilities are excellent at all golf clubs – often with both covered bays and grass bays on the driving ranges, most of which have their own refreshment outlets. Chipping areas, bunkers and putting greens are all readily available and well located. Most of the golf clubs also have teaching facilities which can be used by groups travelling with their golf professional. Some courses even have practice holes. 

Après-golf doesn’t get any better! 

After a great round of golf (whether actual or envisioned!) the locker-rooms and changing facilities are outstanding at all golf clubs. Despite most clubs being predominantly membership based, visitors usually share the members’ locker rooms and are provided with keys for their own lockers which are always ample in size. Locker rooms in Jakarta are consistently spacious, clean, staffed and with plenty of shower facilities, fresh towels and vanity items. 

The restaurants are all of the highest standard with a great range of food for all tastes which is a tremendous asset seen throughout Jakarta, beyond the golf clubs. International golf travellers will be able to opt for familiar dishes or local specialities. Visitors will be able to enjoy a post-golf massage at nearly all courses, with Soewarna Cengkareng including a complimentary 15-minute massage for all players. Many also have Jacuzzis, saunas and other spa facilities for visitors to make use of after their round of golf. 

If you need to make a quick getaway, the receptionists at all golf clubs have quick access to local taxi services. 

Great Value for Money 

Important to all golf travellers is the cost of the holiday or business trip – and therefore the value for money presented by the experience. Despite the exceptionally high quality of the golf courses, maintenance, landscaping, clubhouses, locker rooms, restaurants and overall service, the Jakarta Golf Experience can be enjoyed at very competitive prices, particularly Mondays through Fridays. 

For price-conscious golf travellers, here are some quick tips: 

• Aim to play golf on weekdays; the popularity of members’ play at weekends always places a premium on Saturday/Sunday rounds. 

• Avoid Indonesian public holidays; they are often busy with rates set at weekend prices. 

• Remember that prices are nearly always inclusive of the buggy, caddy fee, insurance and tax as well as the green fee. 

• The frequency of flights to Indonesia’s capital city should enable you to maximise your time on the golf course, either playing on the day of arrival or departure, with golf courses on the way to or from the airport.

• On busy days in the city, take a trip out to Sentul Highlands (a rarity as a public course, being government-owned) or Bogor Raya, with its beautifully-manicured vegetation. 

• The slowest month with least play is the fasting month of Ramadan; conversely the month preceding Ramadan is very busy, as is the month following Ramadan. 

• Courses often have more availability during school holidays and the longer vacations. 

• Use the knowledge, experience and better prices available to IAGTO golf tour operators. 

Golf Plus – Enjoy Jakarta! 

When the golfer is not on the fairways, Jakarta has a wealth of attractions and activities, both day and night. 

Here are just some of the things they can do off-course: 

Shop till you drop! 

Jakarta has 173 shopping malls with a wide range of international and local brands. From high-end luxury brands such as Chanel and Gucci to Indonesia’s own local goods, Batik Keris and Ikat Indonesia, you can almost find anything you’ll ever need and want in this beautiful city. The annual mid-year Jakarta Great Sale event and periodic shopping marathon and midnight shopping experiences are the type of events you won’t want to miss if your visit coincides with them. Shops often stay open late into the night, allowing shoppers to grab bargains even after a day on a golf course. 

Savour Jakarta’s restaurants and bars 

Indonesia is known as a country rich in herbs and spices – Indonesians were trading spices across the oceans more than 2,000 years ago – and its heritage recipes will both indulge and impress your palate. Jakarta’s traditional foods ensure you enjoy the ultimate thrills of taste; it is a city where the diversity of foods, cultures and lifestyle meet and entwine with exotic results. On the food front, there’s nothing you cannot find in Indonesia’s lively capital. From rich and flavourful traditional Indonesian dishes to the most satisfying Western cuisine in luxury settings and everything in between, all are available in every corner of the city. One of the most recent additions to the Jarkarta epicurean scene, the rooftop Cloud Lounge & Living Room offers a five-star food and drink experience coupled with spectacular night view of the city. It defines the dynamic of Jakarta today. And if you decide to take a day off from golf on a Sunday, why not join the burgeoning Sunday brunch crowd and enjoy a long, leisurely midday meal at eateries such as the Hotel Borobudur Jakarta’s Miyama Japanese Restaurant? 

Be a night owl 

Jakarta is known as the city that never sleeps. Beside enjoying the International-standard golf courses during the day, at night you can experience a night to remember every night. From quiet and relaxing to loud and lively, whatever experience you are looking for, there are numerous bars, clubs, and lounges that will cater to your taste. Clubs stay open until well past midnight for those who want to party through the night, and venues often have happy hours until 8pm, helping to keep down the price of a night out on the town. 

Get out and explore! 

Jakarta is a multi-cultural city like no other, where traditional heritage blends with the 21st century and influences from around the world. It is home to 10 million people with multiple ethnic backgrounds – hence its nickname, the City of a Thousand and One Faces. This unique city offers visitors a cultural kaleidoscope at every turn. Take a break from golf and discover its fascinating historical heritage buildings, museums and traditional markets, or take a ferry trip out to the marine paradise that is the Thousand Islands – actually only 128 islands – where you can spend the day boating, swimming, snorkelling or simply laying back on its pristine, secluded beaches. In the evenings, take in a shadow puppet show or a traditional theatre, dance or music performance. 

Sling your hook 

With its setting on the Java Sea, Jakarta offers deep-sea fishing right on its doorstep. Fishing enthusiasts can take an excursion out into Jakarta Bay from Ancol Marina or head to Banten, on the westernmost point of West Java, to pit their skills against marlin, sailfish and other deep-sea sport fish. Other water sports are also on offer for those who want to get active on, in or under the water in addition to tackling the water hazards on Jakarta’s golf courses. 

And relax… 

Whether it’s a post-round massage to ease those aching muscles, a tone-up or an indulgent aromatherapy treatment with Indonesian herbs, you can find full-service spas at many of Jakarta’s five-star hotels as well as at golf resorts. Enjoy age-old therapies once reserved for the privileged few in beautiful new spa centres, with facilities that also include saunas, steam rooms, whirlpool baths and gymnasiums. 

                                                                                   

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Golf Destination Jakarta – Fact Sheet

Enjoy Jakarta Golf 

Enjoy Jakarta Golf has been created by the Jakarta City Government Tourist & Culture Office to spearhead a campaign to promote Jakarta as one of Asia’s most exciting golf destinations in and around Indonesia’s capital city. 

Golf Courses 

There are nearly 30 courses to choose from, many of which have been designed by world-renowned architects and professional golfers including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Gary Player and Robert Trent Jones Jr, among others. 

Jakarta’s golf courses are easily accessible, extend superb hospitality and, best of all, are highly enjoyable at reasonable prices. Courses in and around the city itself are best categorised by their orientation: 

North Jakarta 
Damai Indah Golf-PIK Course (18 holes) 

East Jakarta 
Royale Jakarta Golf Club (27 holes) 
Riverside Golf Club Cibubur (18 holes) 
Padang Golf Halim (PGH) 1 & 2 (36 holes) 
Jakarta Golf Club (18 holes) 

West Jakarta 
Cengkareng Golf Club (18 holes) 

South Jakarta 
Pondok Indah Golf Course (18 holes) 
Matoa National Golf (18 holes) 
Senayan National Golf Club (18 holes) 
Padang Golf Pangkalan Jati (18 holes) 

Central Jakarta 
Bandar Kemayoran Golf (18 holes) 

Within 45-60 minutes, golfers can escape the city and find golf course jewels dotted throughout the nearby countryside and highlands: 

West of Jakarta 
Damai Indah Golf BSD Course (18 holes) 
Gading Raya Padong Golf & Country Club (18 holes) 
Imperial Klub Golf (18 holes) 
Kedaton Golf & Country Club (18 holes) 
Padang Golf Modern (18 holes) 

South of Jakarta & Bogor Highlands 
Emeralda Golf & Country Club (36 holes) 
Sentul Highlands Golf Club (18 holes) 
Klub Golf Bogor Raya (18 holes) 
Palm Hill Golf & Country Club (18 holes) 
Gunung Geulis Golf & Country Club (36 holes) 
Jagorawi Golf & Country Club (18 holes) 
Rancamaya Golf & Country Club (18 holes) 
Rainbow Hills Golf Club (18 holes) 
Lido Golf Club (18 holes) 

East of Jakarta 
Jababeka Golf & Country Club (18 holes) 
Sedana Golf & Country Club (18 holes) 

The Caddy Experience 

Without doubt, the enjoyment of playing golf in Jakarta is enhanced dramatically by the ‘caddy experience’. In all golf clubs, having one caddy per golfer is mandatory, which makes for a consistent experience wherever the golfer chooses to play. Most courses have in excess of 150 caddies, all from the local community and eager to assist golf visitors from out of town. 

Golf Visitor Access 

While most courses in and around Jakarta cater primarily to members at weekends, nearly all courses have plenty of tee time availability for visitors mid-week, when the visitor is greeted with open arms. Depending on the course and the time of year, visitors will also be able to find tee times on a Sunday afternoon and for those more distant from the capital, Saturday play is also an option. 

Visitors should be aware that for most golf clubs, public holidays are treated the same as Saturdays and also that some courses close for maintenance on Mondays. 

Here is a helpful guide to the likely availability of tee times for visitors at golf clubs in and around jakarta: 

Highest Availability 
Monday PM 
Tuesday-Thursday PM 
Monday AM 
Tuesday-Thursday AM 
Friday PM 
Friday AM 
Sunday PM 
Sunday AM 
Saturday PM 
Saturday AM 
Lowest Availability 

Value for Money 

Jakarta offers an extraordinary golfing experience at very competitive prices midweek. For visitors wishing to play at weekends and on public holidays, the cost is in line with most other popular golf destinations in Asia. 

The value for money of the Jakarta Golf Experience is exceptional and applies not only to the green fees (most of which are inclusive of buggy, caddy fee, insurance and tax) but also applies to important items such as second-hand balls and rental clubs. 

To play the top golf courses most popular with visitors, golfers will pay an average of only US$51 during the week, with weekend rates rising to an average of US$140. 

Tournaments 

Jakarta hosts a number of prestigious golf tournaments, currently including: 

Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship 
24-30 March, 2014 (OneAsia & Japan Tour) 
DAMAI INDAH GOLF – Bumi Serpong Damai Course 
Purse: US$ 1,100,000 
2014 Results: 
1 Michio MATSUMURA (JPN) -21
2 Rhein GIBSON (AUS) -20
2 Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) -20 

CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters 
24-27 April, 2014 (Asian Tour) 
Royale Jakarta Golf Club 
Purse: US$750,000 
2014 Results: 
1 Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 
2 BAEK Seuk-hyun (KOR) 
3 Cameron SMITH (AUS) 
4 Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 

Weather 

Jakarta enjoys a tropical climate with high humidity, although the city’s coastal location provides for welcoming breezes and even testing windy conditions. The Bogor Highlands, no more than an hour’s drive from the city, have their own micro-climate with fresher conditions. As with all tropical golf destinations, it is usually best to play in the mornings if rain is expected. 

Language 

English is widely spoken and is, of course, prevalent throughout the tourism industry, including the hotels and golf courses and well as all of the popular restaurants, spas, malls and other city attractions popular with visitors. 
Golfers from China, Korea and Japan are likely to find caddies who have learned to converse with at least a few words and phrases to make the experience of playing golf in Jakarta that much more special. 

Accommodation 

Jakarta is home to many of the world’s leading hotel chains as well as some very special independent hotels of the highest level. These are complemented by an enormous range of 4-star and 3-star hotels and boutique accommodation. 

Selecting hotels with the best access to the golf courses and to the city’s night-time attractions is well worth considering, thereby minimising travelling times at both ends of the day. 

Dining 

Gastronomy is a real treat for the visiting golfer. Not only is the quality and variety of dining in Jakarta spectacular, but golf visitors of all nationalities and food tastes are catered for to the highest level at golf clubs as well. 

Throughout the city and the golf clubs, there is a huge variety in choice with the local cuisine, and a wide selection of international restaurants for those who prefer something more familiar. 

Nightlife 

Jakarta is a very vibrant city with a tremendous variety of entertainment, dining opportunities, clubs and bars and even shopping, with many shops open well into the evening and on into the night. 

Other Activities 

Shopping: Jakarta’s shopping malls are very popular with visitors, offering everything from deluxe brands to unbelievable bargains. 

Spa: Another major attraction for golfers and non-playing partners is Jakarta’s many world-class spa facilities. Traditional Indonesian massage focuses on aromatherapy elements. 

Deep Sea Fishing: Many golfers also enjoy fishing, and deep-sea fishing is available from Jakarta Harbour. 

Heritage & Culture: There are many places for golfers to visit in the city itself, including: Jakarta Old Town; markets where Jakarta’s famous street food can be sampled; museums; traditional ceremonies and puppet shows; religious sites; and parks such as the ever-popular Taman Park, the largest green area in the city. Jakarta also hosts many festivals, such as the annual Jakarta Jazz festival. 

Sightseeing: The wonderful Thousand Islands are a 90-minute ferry ride from Jakarta Harbour. There are 128 small islands located in the Bay of Jakarta where speedboats can be hired for visiting secluded beaches and swimming amongst the corals. 

Air Access 

One of Jakarta’s greatest assets is its accessibility from so many important golf markets, with hundreds of direct flights and great connections to Indonesia’s famous beach destinations and island heartlands. 

The gateway is Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), which is close to Cengkareng Golf Club, facilitating an extra round of golf on arrival or departure. Jakarta International Airport is located 20 kilometres west of Jakarta city centre. 

Some of the major golfing markets with direct flights to Jakarta are listed below: 

ASIA
Brunei
China: Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xiamen, Nanning
Hong Kong
Japan: Tokyo
Korea: Seoul
Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang
Philippines: Manila
Singapore: Singapore
Taiwan: Taipei
Thailand: Bangkok, Lampang, Phuket
Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City

PACIFIC
Australia: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney 

MIDDLE EAST
Qatar: Doha 
UAE: Abu Dhabi, Dubai 

EUROPE
United Kingdom: London 
Germany: Munich 
Netherlands: Amsterdam 
Turkey: Istanbul 

Indonesia’s national Garuda Airlines services 76 destinations in the world with regular nonstop flights to major cities in Europe (including Amsterdam and London) and Australia (including Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth). 

                                                                                   

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