Golf guru sees greens in Japan: a media entrepreneur tees off

Japan, Inc., Nov, 2004 by Jaemin Kim

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Armed with funding and a contract that gave him free creative control, Simmonds then sought the technical help he would need. He set up a deal with TWI, the television arm of powerhouse sports and entertainment agency IMG, to provide the camera and sound crews he would need in various countries. He also hired them to provide post-production editing, gaining valuable access to their extensive film clips.

In March 2001, Simmonds set off for several weeks on a whirlwind tour of the world, interviewing participants and filming locations. Although he knew what each participant should discuss, he worked without a script. He hastily patched one together as he went along. "If I could do it again, I would write the script first, then film," he now admits.

After filming, Simmonds spent three weeks with a professional editing crew in New Delhi, where costs are low. The film was completed in September 2001.

"I was so tired at the end of it," he says. "You don't immediately grasp what you've done."

The series is impressively thorough. Simmonds recruited experts and champion golfers to give "how-to" tips on everything from shopping for golf clubs and golf shoes to dislodging a "fried egg"--a ball stuck in a sand pit--and getting it back onto the green. A former British Open champion teaches viewers how to tackle course obstacles like water hazards and shots between tree trunks. Viewers also learn golf etiquette. Footprints left in sand pits should be raked over, for example, and golf clubs should never be thrown in frustration.

The series reflects "my overview of the game," Simmonds says. This includes breezy profiles of amateur champions, golf photographers and golf course architects. It also features historical facts and trivia.

In Japan, his home since August 2003, Simmonds is hoping to tap into the "huge market" of golf enthusiasts. Ten million of the 60 million golfers worldwide live in Japan, according to Simmonds, but they often lack access to the game. The majority of players are not private club members, yet no new "pay and play" golf courses have been built in Japan since 1997. The existing 2,000 or so courses are not nearly enough, he says.

Many players in Japan are limited to practicing on driving ranges--which is outrageous, according to Simmonds. "Golf needs to be accessible and affordable."

If Simmonds has his way, Japanese golfers will soon get their full 18 holes--and an education in the clubhouse.

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