Lee (centre) pose with players from Singapore and Korea. — Photo by Muhamad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: Take advantage of Sarawak’s year-round golfing weather and look into making golf tourism a way of attracting players from countries such as Korea or Japan.
This was among the advice given by Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin.
He also said that the Sarawak Golf Association should set up a golf academy to get visiting golfers, especially those from countries where winter made golf unfavourable.
“Our advantage is that we can play all year around. There is a potential for golf tourism here, where it’s cheaper to play.
“In the various countries I’ve been to, this is an expensive
sport to take up,” he said during the welcoming dinner for participants of the 17th Sarawak International Junior Golf Championship 2015 on Monday night.
Over 130 youngsters teed off yesterday in the three-day competition to vie for the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Cup.
The young golfers come from Sarawak, Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Korea, Thailand and Cambodia.
Lee added that the tournament provided a good exposure to the Sarawak Golf Association (SGA) which will be organising the golf event in next year’s Sukma.
Also present at the dinner were SGA president Hoan Kee Hock and tournament director Ting Bang Kong.