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Post by gigohflykite on Jun 18, 2017 14:01:05 GMT
Hello! I'm Gabriel, a journalism student from Singapore. I am currently working on a video project on South Korean golf. In particular, teenage golfers in the country and the intense training and support they go through/receive in order to become professional golfers. (Even though the education system in Singapore is as/almost as gruelling as that in Korea, there is almost zero/negative support for kids here who wish to pursue sports as a career). That being said, it would be great if I could reach out to the following people; 1) Teenagers (boys and girls) who train as golfers whilst still juggling their studies. 2) Parents who support their children emotionally and financially in becoming professional golfers. 3) Current or former professional golfers. (Insights into their teenage days, and how it helped them to where they are now/were) 4) Golf training academies in/around Seoul. I will be travelling to South Korea in late July, so it will be great if I can get in contact with anyone from the above mentioned categories. Do let me know in this thread, personal message me or else you can contact me at my email, gabrielisaacgoh@gmail.com.Thank you so much for your time everyone. 안녕하세요! 나는 가브리엘이고, 나는 싱가포르에 살고있다. 대학에서 저널리즘을 공부합니다. 나는 한국 여행을 비디오 프로젝트에 대한 한국의 골프를하고 있습니다. 저는 십대 청소년들이 전문 골퍼가되기 위해 거쳐야하는 힘든 훈련과 훈련에 관심이 있습니다.나는 다음 사람들과 이야기하는 것에 관심이있다;1) 골퍼로 훈련하고 풀 타임으로 공부하는 청소년 (남학생과 여학생).2) 프로 골퍼가되는 데 자녀를 부양하는 부모.3) 현재 또는 이전 프로 골퍼.4) 골프 훈련 아카데미.위에서 언급 한 범주의 사람들과 접촉 할 수 있다면 좋을 것입니다. 의견에 대해 알려주십시오. 그렇지 않으면 이메일 (gabrielisaacgoh@gmail.com)에서 저에게 연락 할 수 있습니다.모두를 위해 고마워요.
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Post by mr3putt on Jun 18, 2017 23:58:06 GMT
Hi: I assume you can speak Korean or have an interpreter?...otherwise your task at hand in Korea will be difficult.
Do a Google and you will see many golf academies in Korea.....contact them and tell them your story and see if you can create a documentary of the life for young candidates at the academies.
Although it would be fantastic...it would be great to gain access to The Good Doctor's (Dr. Won Park's) robot factory/golf academy. But I suspect it's like Fort Know that few can enter to discover his secrets. Maybe Kylie (see the contact list on lpga.com) can forward you the Good Doctor's #.
I also believe Se Ri has a new golf academy.
Best of luck!
Oh ya...great avatar...BEEF!!
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Post by philknj on Jun 19, 2017 0:36:24 GMT
The David Leadbetter Golf Academy has two locations in Korea. Website: davidleadbetter.com/academies/academies/***************** It might be cool to visit Hampyeong Golf High School, as a few top pros went there (Ingee Chun, Mi Hyang Lee, Ji Yai Shin, Su Yeon Jang). Website: hamgolf.hs.jne.kr함평골프고 ***************** The ironic part is that going to Korea might be the least important place to answer your questions! So many of the top pros today moved to an English-speaking country when they were young to continue with their golf training. One of the better-known ones is ANK Golf in Australia (ANK means Australia and Korea). Website: www.ankgolf.com/
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Post by mr3putt on Jun 19, 2017 1:00:18 GMT
The David Leadbetter Golf Academy has two locations in Korea. Website: davidleadbetter.com/academies/academies/***************** It might be cool to visit Hampyeong Golf High School, as a few top pros went there (Ingee Chun, Mi Hyang Lee, Ji Yai Shin, Su Yeon Jang). Website: hamgolf.hs.jne.kr함평골프고 ***************** The ironic part is that going to Korea might be the least important place to answer your questions! So many of the top pros today moved to an English-speaking country when they were young to continue with their golf training. One of the better-known ones is ANK Golf in Australia (ANK means Australia and Korea). Website: www.ankgolf.com/Hmmmm.....always SHOWBOATING and one upping the Smiling Buddha with a more logical and effective post.
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Post by philknj on Jun 19, 2017 5:15:29 GMT
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Post by gigohflykite on Jun 19, 2017 17:24:14 GMT
Hey guys, thanks a bunch for the replies! Will defo check out these academies that y'all recommended, David Letterbetter and The Good Doctor sound like tough but good places to start. And I guess I'm not doing a piece SOLEY on successful players, but also golfers who have tried and not quite made the cut professionally. Cos I know it does cost quite a bit for dedicated training, and much like Singapore there is an expected returns on the investment parents put in for their children. Was wondering what would be a good place to look for young golf trainees or their parents? Or if anyone might know anyone willing to talk about their experiences? I will have a translator with me so hopefully that will ease the difficulties a bit. Thanks as always guys, really appreciate it And yes. BEEEEEEEEEF (Y)
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Post by HappyFan on Jun 19, 2017 18:00:23 GMT
You may also be able to contact various players through the LPGA. Try dropping the LPGA an email through their website and letting them know what you are up to. They may make players available to answer questions for you. Worth a shot at least!
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Post by mr3putt on Jun 19, 2017 21:28:49 GMT
Hi Gabriel: Just thought of this.
Call (don't do the pink shirt Millennial stuff and email or text...if something is important...TALK) the KLPGA HQ and get a contact for the Dream Tour. Unless you're a really good salesman/woman and can articulate the benefits why someone should give you their time...I doubt a KLPGA pro would meet long enough with you to assist with your video...remember these gals are ROBOT's and play/practice golf 18 hrs day/7 days a week. Alternatively, you can visit some cemeteries in Seoul at night and see if there are any up and coming pros sleeping there at night (ala Se Ri's younger days).
But you might be able to get some time from a Dream Tour pro trying to get themselves some attention.
If you want some whitety info...yes.....CALL the LPGA HQ and get a contact for the Symetra tour....unless they are a complete wash-out....I doubt any LPGA pro would spend enough time with you unless you got their attention for 10 minutes when they play the HSBC in Singapore. You have to go through LPGA media to get through to any pro at the HSBC and let's not forget....LPGA wash-out are not invited to play the limited field HSBC.
Also....go to a REAL golf forum/site like WRX (there are 100,000's of members there)....there are some members there who are aspiring advanced Am's and some parents who have their children playing at top level Am events.
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Post by philknj on Jun 19, 2017 21:56:53 GMT
It might be useful to check out significant amateur or junior tournaments on your visit to Korea. The KGA site is below...click 'ENGLISH' on the upper right and you'll get a schedule of tournaments. www.kgagolf.or.kr/
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Post by HappyFan on Jun 20, 2017 0:47:33 GMT
Hi Gabriel: Just thought of this. Call (don't do the pink shirt Millennial stuff and email or text...if something is important...TALK) the KLPGA HQ and get a contact for the Dream Tour. Unless you're a really good salesman/woman and can articulate the benefits why someone should give you their time...I doubt a KLPGA pro would meet long enough with you to assist with your video...remember these gals are ROBOT's and play/practice golf 18 hrs day/7 days a week. Alternatively, you can visit some cemeteries in Seoul at night and see if there are any up and coming pros sleeping there at night (ala Se Ri's younger days). But you might be able to get some time from a Dream Tour pro trying to get themselves some attention. If you want some whitety info...yes.....CALL the LPGA HQ and get a contact for the Symetra tour....unless they are a complete wash-out....I doubt any LPGA pro would spend enough time with you unless you got their attention for 10 minutes when they play the HSBC in Singapore. You have to go through LPGA media to get through to any pro at the HSBC and let's not forget....LPGA wash-out are not invited to play the limited field HSBC. Also....go to a REAL golf forum/site like WRX (there are 100,000's of members there)....there are some members there who are aspiring advanced Am's and some parents who have their children playing at top level Am events. Gabriel, understand that this guy doesn't have the slightest idea what he is talking about. Listen to someone who has actually interviewed LPGA golfers: the people at the LPGA, and the golfers, can sometimes be surprisingly helpful. It's certainly worth your while to contact them and see if someone would be available to answer your questions. The golfers are by and large very friendly in my experience. 3Putt, if you think this is not a "real" forum, you can always resign or stop coming here. No one's holding a gun to your head. But you might try understanding that I put in work every day to keep this place going, and I don't appreciate being dumped on like that for no reason at all.
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Post by gigohflykite on Jun 20, 2017 6:02:25 GMT
HAHA. Thanks guys. I understand where all of y'all are coming from. But thanks, I will certainly reach out to KLPGA/KGA regarding this! I guess ultimately the stories I'm looking for are applicable to any golfer, amateur or professional. So any inroad is a good one at this point. Anyways, appreciate the work HappyFan. This was one of the first sites I chanced upon when I was researching so kudos to that!
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Post by mr3putt on Jun 20, 2017 8:33:58 GMT
Gabriel, understand that this guy doesn't have the slightest idea what he is talking about. Listen to someone who has actually interviewed LPGA golfers: the people at the LPGA, and the golfers, can sometimes be surprisingly helpful. It's certainly worth your while to contact them and see if someone would be available to answer your questions. The golfers are by and large very friendly in my experience. 3Putt, if you think this is not a "real" forum, you can always resign or stop coming here. No one's holding a gun to your head. But you might try understanding that I put in work every day to keep this place going, and I don't appreciate being dumped on like that for no reason at all. Never ask never know. But do you really believe if Gabriel sent an email to lpga.com, as you suggested...someone would really reply back to a random journalism student with contact info for the LPGA pros considering the security issues on the LPGA. If anyone wants access to the pros...they'll use the contact list (PDF) from lpga.com to contact the pro's agent/manager. You were able to gain access to some people because you were vetted with some form of media creds. Yes, some of the LPGA pros are very friendly, but how much time they'd provide a random journalism student is another thing.
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Post by argonne69 on Jun 20, 2017 15:09:34 GMT
I believe they work out of Arrowood GC in Oceanside, CA. That's where I ran into Hee Young Park, Song Yi Ahn, and a handful of other KLPGA players.
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Post by gigohflykite on Jun 20, 2017 15:15:03 GMT
I believe they work out of Arrowood GC in Oceanside, CA. That's where I ran into Hee Young Park, Song Yi Ahn, and a handful of other KLPGA players. Do they have any satellite/partner academies back in South Korea?
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Post by gigohflykite on Jun 20, 2017 15:26:30 GMT
Never ask never know. But do you really believe if Gabriel sent an email to lpga.com, as you suggested...someone would really reply back to a random journalism student with contact info for the LPGA pros considering the security issues on the LPGA. If anyone wants access to the pros...they'll use the contact list (PDF) from lpga.com to contact the pro's agent/manager. You were able to gain access to some people because you were vetted with some form of media creds. Yes, some of the LPGA pros are very friendly, but how much time they'd provide a random journalism student is another thing. Yes I do get your point here. This is one of the problems with being next-to-nothing in the industry haha. But I guess for this story the biggest snag won't be if I land a LPGA/KLPGA big wig but if I get the testimony of young kids/barrel scrappers from Dream or Jump Tour/former pros who are/were under pressure to succeed in this sport, as the odds are high and stacked against them. If the former can come out and give a similar testament that would be great too though. Just a bit of background to why this is so important... Singapore's recent Olympic Gold (our first ever) was delivered by swimmer Joseph Schooling, a 22yo who is based in the states. The big qualm for him and many athletes in Singapore is the amount of self-funding that is needed to pursue their careers. His parents (middle class) spent more than $1million USD on his training throughout the years, and his case was one out of the norm. Most families/athletes are just not able to reach that peak of their careers. In Singapore, any venture into sport is held to the same standard as a career singer/artist - in the sense that there are huge liabilities that are burdened on the individual with little help from the state/institutions. So for a Singaporean viewership, the Korean boom in golf since the 1990s is interesting (most which is self-funded as well from what I have found?), given similar economic standards, cost of living and education stress in both countries. Just a side note though... Anyone here an English teacher in South Korea?
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