Legazpi Golf Diary Thursday, September 25, 2025

 Good morning. It's a beautiful sunny day in Legazpi this morning. Mount Mayon, as seen from Puro, Legazpi City, offers a stunning view without a single cloud in the sky. It's a perfect day for golf, but unfortunately, rain is forecast for the afternoon.

How's it going where you are? I'm sure there are many people around the world enjoying golf today.

Now, our shop carefully selects high-quality used clubs from Japan and delivers them to you in hand-carried packages. Please take a look at this website to see the high-quality clubs cherished by Japanese golfers. If you like them, please support us by "liking" or sharing.

Have a great day, golfers!

☆As of September 24, 2025, the golf equipment industry in Japan is experiencing a period of transition, marked by a "third golf boom" and evolving market dynamics. Here is a summary of the key news and trends:

1. Market Growth and Consumer Behavior

• "Third Golf Boom": Japan is undergoing a "third golf boom," a revival of interest in the sport driven by a new generation of successful Japanese professional golfers, such as Miyu Yamashita and Ryo Hisatsune, and a post-pandemic surge in outdoor recreation.

• Rising Membership Prices: The increasing popularity of the sport, coupled with a stagnant number of golf courses (around 2,200), has led to a rise in private golf club membership prices. The average price for a membership at 150 leading golf courses on the Kanto Golf Membership Exchange reached a new 15-year high of 2.98 million yen.

• Shift in Consumption: While consumption of golf equipment saw a noticeable downturn in 2024, the market is expected to see a slight performance increase in the coming years. Projections estimate a CAGR of +1.6% in volume and +4.5% in value from 2024 to 2035.

• Segment Trends: Golf clubs remain the largest revenue-generating product segment, but golf footwear and apparel are the fastest-growing segments, indicating a rising consumer emphasis on golf fashion and attire.

2. Manufacturing and Innovation

• Precision and Quality: Japan maintains its reputation for high-quality, precision-forged golf equipment. Japanese companies like Mizuno, Miura, and Honma are renowned for their "grain flow" forging process, which appeals to tour players and premium buyers. The "Made in Japan" label continues to carry significant prestige in the global market.

• Technological Integration: The industry is increasingly incorporating technology. AI is being used in product development for performance optimization by analyzing swing data, ball trajectory, and player biomechanics. AI-powered simulators and training tools are gaining traction in urban areas, expanding the market beyond traditional golf courses.

• Sustainability: There is a growing trend towards sustainable and ethically manufactured products, with some companies exploring the use of recycled or biodegradable materials.

3. Challenges and Global Context

• Production Costs: Despite its reputation for quality, Japan's high production costs and wages can lead to expensive products and long lead times.

• Global Tariffs: Global trade tensions, specifically tariffs between the U.S. and other countries (including Japan), are impacting the cost of imported components and finished goods. This can drive up prices for consumers and affect manufacturers' profit margins.

• Market Competition: While Japan has a strong domestic market, it is part of a larger global industry where companies are constantly launching new products and leveraging digital marketing and celebrity endorsements to attract customers.

⭐︎As of September 24, 2025, there are several significant golf events and news items in the Philippines:

1. Major Tournaments

• Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Senior Amateur Championships: This major amateur event is taking place at The Orchard Golf & Country Club in Manila from September 24-26, 2025. It's a notable international tournament bringing together senior amateur golfers from across the Asia-Pacific region.

• 16th Davao Eaglemasters Golf Tournament: This event, held in Davao, concluded on September 20, 2025, and was a prominent local tournament. The event was held across various courses, including Apo Golf, South Pacific, and Palos Verdes.

2. Fundraising and Charity Events

• ABS-CBN Foundation's "Swing for a Cause": The ABS-CBN Foundation held its inaugural "Kapamilya Golf Fundraiser" at the Canlubang Golf and Country Club on September 24, 2025. This event was a fundraiser to support the foundation's various advocacies, including creating safe spaces for children, providing relief to families, and supporting education.

• "Play it Forward" Paolo V. Tantoco Memorial Cup: The annual "Play it Forward" amateur golf tournament, sponsored by BingoPlus, was held on September 15, 2025, at the Sta. Elena Golf Club. The event was a charity tournament dedicated to raising funds for the improvement of Intramuros' cultural heritage and life projects for youth.

3. Professional Tour News

• International Series Manila Leg: Officials from the International Series, which is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and associated with LIV Golf, paid a courtesy call to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) on September 24, 2025. This meeting was to discuss the upcoming Manila leg of the International Series, scheduled from October 23-26 at the Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club. The event is expected to feature top golfers, including some LIV Golf players, and will include a number of local Filipino professionals.

• Philippine Golf Tour (PGT): The PGT had several events earlier in September. The ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge was held from September 2-5, and the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic was held from September 9-12. These events are part of the ongoing 2025 Philippine Golf Tour season.

◇As of September 24, 2025, there are no major professional men's golf tournaments in the United States from the PGA Tour or LIV Golf. The season for these tours has concluded their main schedules.

Here is a breakdown of the current status and upcoming events:

PGA Tour

• The 2025 PGA Tour season concluded with the FedEx Cup Playoffs in August.

• The tour is in a short break before the new season begins.

• The next significant event on the schedule is the Ryder Cup, which will take place from September 26-28 at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York. While not a PGA Tour event, it is the premier international team competition in golf and features many of the top U.S. players.

LIV Golf

• The 2025 LIV Golf League season also concluded with its Team Championship on August 24.

• The league has no events scheduled for the remainder of September.

Other Notable Events

• NCAA Men's Golf: There are a number of collegiate men's golf tournaments taking place. These include the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Men's Golf Weekly Awards, where a player from North Carolina A&T was recognized for his recent performance, as well as various NCAA Division I, II, and III tournaments happening across the country.

◇As of September 24, 2025, there are no major professional women's golf tournaments from the LPGA Tour or Epson Tour currently underway in the United States. The focus is on collegiate and developmental tours.

LPGA Tour & Epson Tour

• LPGA Tour: The LPGA Tour recently concluded the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship (September 19-21) and is on a brief break. The next event is the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii, starting on October 1.

• Epson Tour: The Epson Tour, the official qualifying tour for the LPGA, also recently completed its Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout (September 19-21) and is now preparing for its season-ending Epson Tour Championship, which begins on October 2 in Indian Wells, California.

Collegiate Golf (NCAA)

Several collegiate women's golf tournaments are concluding or have just concluded. This is a very active time of the year for college golf.

• Red Raider Invitational: The Red Raider Invitational in Lubbock, Texas, finished on September 24. Texas Tech won the team title for the third consecutive year, and Lauren Zaretsky took home the individual title.

• Golfweek Red Sky Classic: The Golfweek Red Sky Golf Challenge also concluded on September 24, with USC winning the team championship.

• Other News: Various conferences are announcing weekly honors for their top-performing players. The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) named UNCW's Hannah Altman as its Women's Golfer of the Week for her top-five finish at the Lady Paladin Invitational. Similarly, the SEC awarded its Golfer of the Week honors to Sydney Givens of the University of Georgia.