Golf may have been first introduced in Indonesia more than a century ago with the first golf course built in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, "but the sport has failed to catch on across all sectors of society," according to the JAKARTA GLOBE. Course owners "have been struggling with major obstacles for decades and the common perception that golf is a rich person's sport has pretty much jeopardized the sport's development." Indonesia Golf Course Owners Association (APLGI) Secretary General Christine Wiradinata said that "owners had long faced discrimination when it came to taxes." Christine said that though struggling, "Indonesian golf courses are showing progress." Indonesia, with 149 courses nationwide, 72 on Java alone, "was appointed the second Best Golf Destination in Asia Pacific after Thailand at this year's Asia Pacific Golf Summit." A ray of sunshine has come from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy announcing that "it would promote sports tourism including golf." Wiradinata: "It's a breakthrough that needs supports from us. We thank the government for that" (JAKARTA GLOBE, 11/27).
