Khris Legowo and Indonesia’s golf courses

It was a gathering, Thursday last week, of friends that outgoing Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines, Yohanes Kristianto (Khris) Soeryo Legowo made in his more than three-year, eight-month stint in the Philippines. The venue was all too familiar to Khris Legowo and about 15 of his friends rounded up by , CATS Motors CEO Felix Ang to join one of many farewells for the affable Indonesian ambassador: the golf course, the Manila Golf Club in particular.

With the assistance of Emy Arcilla, former TV sports broadcaster and CATS executive, Ang gathered Khris’ friends from the diplomatic corps, legal profession, banking and finance, marketing, academia and government. The 18-hole morning tournament was capped by awarding ceremonies over dinner hosted by Felix and charming wife Grace at their home in North Forbes. Among those who honoured Khris,   (handicap 23), with their presence were Japanese Ambassador Toshio Urabe; Bangladesh Ambassador John Gomes; Atty Perry Pe (who acted as the emcee and the night’s “roaster”), Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia; Lamoiyan‘s-Hapee’s Cecilio Pedro who, aside from leading the group in praying for Khris and his wife of 20 years, Caecilia, gave an inspired rendition of the praise song, “Amazing Grace”; and businessmen Romy Mercado, Toby Gan and Jun Periquet.

In his post-dinner remarks and before singing a number of Elvis Presley hits, Khris thanked the group and all his other friends and golf mates who failed to make it to the Ang residence for helping him achieve the targets given him by the Indonesian President. 

It’s no surprise that Khris accomplished all his objectives and tasks assigned to him, the foremost of which was leading in Indonesia’s role of reviewing the implementation of the 1996 peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) formulated during the administration of then President Fidel V. Ramos. Indonesia, which heads the Organization on Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was asked to mediate as MNLF forces battled it out with government troops after the former laid siege to Zamboanga City around the first-second week of September. Credit Khris’s success to his amiable ways and the ease with which he builds a network of friends and associates who help him promote a healthy and dynamic relationship between the Philippines and Indonesia. And also to his golf diplomacy, even if he took up the sport a mere three months before being assigned to the Philippines in 2009.

Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, Khris co-hosted with the Indonesia Golf Course Owners Association, a briefing on the “wonderful golf courses of Indonesia”. The aim of the fellowship with Philippine golf course managers and officials, was to forge partnerships with Philippine golf courses and to promote Indonesia as a golf destination.

Like the Philippines, Indonesia can be considered a golfer’s paradise. The country is the world’s largest archipelago and, as pointed out by “Golf Destination Indonesia”, stretches for more than 5,000 kilometers across the equator between the Australian and Asian continental main lands. Indonesia has nearly 13,500 islands, of which only about 6,000 are inhabited by its population of 240 million making it the fourth most populous nation in the world and the country with the largest Muslim population.

Indonesia, says “Golf Destination”, has at least eight major regions where golf is of extremely high quality: Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Bali, Sumatera and Bintan and Batam. The country has more than 160 golf courses located throughout the entire archipelago with average weekday green fees of US$ 50 to $60 (P2,100 to P2,600).

Jakarta leads the way in terms of number and quality of golf courses in Indonesia. There are about 40 top quality courses to choose from in the country’s political and financial capital. Seventeen of these 40 courses are located within one hour from each other. Most of Jakarta’s courses have been designed by internationally acclaimed architects and professional golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman and Robert Trent Jones.

Khris was naturally pleased with the outcome of the visit of the Indonesia Golf Course Owners Association, some of whose officers visited the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club to look at best practice and observe grounds maintenance procedures and practices.

For Khris, born on December 27, 1962 (the youngest of 10 children), his tour of duty, in the Philippines, which ends on December 26 brings pleasant memories to him and his family (which includes Diletta, a 19-year old Scholastican; Rosalba, 17 and studying at DLSU; and Prabu, 15 and enrolled at San Agustin). He had dreamt of becoming a pilot but eyesight issues prevented him from fulfilling his ambition. The airline industry’s loss became the gain of Indonesia’s diplomatic corps and Philippine-Indonesian relations. We join Khris’s many friends in wishing him success in his next assignment.

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Errata: Last Wednesday’s column was the victim of a virus that attacked our computer and resulted in a number of “mishaps” which we are now correcting: the phrase, “…their grip on the country which, ironically, Suu Kyi playing” should read “their grip on the country with, ironically, Suu Kyi playing”; “It is ready for by allowing a free and almost unrestricted movement of visitors and citizens.” should read, “By hosting the Games. Myanmar indicated it is ready to subject itself to microscopic scrutiny by the world by allowing a free…movement of visitors and citizens.”; “In assessing the integrity of our territory”, should read, “In asserting the integrity…”