Barona Creek Golf Club at the Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino in East County recently teamed up with the national Golf Made Simple instruction school to offer simplified lessons on a highly ranked course.
This recent partnership is expected to lure more golf enthusiasts to San Diego, especially among the growing number of Japanese golfers.
Golf Made Simple instructor Wataru “Wat” Tomita, fluent in Japanese, will serve as the contact person for the thousands of Japanese who travel to Southern California each year to play a few rounds of their favorite sport.
Tomita, born in Japan but raised in Pasadena, said many Japanese are more comfortable learning golf in their native language because it decreases the intimidation factor and increases understanding of the sport.
Tomita, now residing in Pacific Beach, recently completed training with PGA professional and Golf Made Simple founder Marc Solomon in Florida before starting at Barona in early June.
Solomon said that the Japanese come here to play golf due to the high cost and the extreme difficulty of joining a golf club in Japan.
Cheaper To Fly
He said it could cost more than $1 million to join a private club in Japan, plus more than $500 in greens fees to play each time.
“It is actually less expensive for people to fly to the U.S., play a round, and fly back than to play a round in their home country,” said Solomon.
Not only is it pricey, according to Solomon, but instructional courses in Japan are different, too. Schools in Japan focus on using lasers and computer imaging to facilitate instruction, but the technique isn’t working.
“There is a basic need for simple golf utilizing fluid natural movements,” said Solomon. “Think of Golf Made Simple as more of the tai chi for golf instruction, the focus is on finding your core center and moving your body together as a whole.”
A Three-Time Winner
Solomon called the arrangement between Golf Made Simple and Barona a “win-win-win situation.”
He said it is a win for Golf Made Simple because instruction can take place on Barona’s renowned course, ranked as one of the top courses in the state by Golfweek Magazine.
He said it is a win for Barona because the partnership generates free advertising and stays at the resort.
And he noted that it is a win for Japanese golfers because they can experience Golf Made Simple at Barona with Tomita.
Solomon said the demographics of course participants are mostly 35- to 55-year-old executives on a tight schedule.
“This allows them to combine a vacation and an opportunity to learn to play golf better,” said Solomon.
Solomon said national and international golfers from New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Canada, Mexico City and Germany have played Barona with instruction from Tomita this year.
Already Golf Made Simple classes at Barona are booked through December.
Several previous participants have signed up to return to Barona later this year.
Seeking More Japanese
Phil Swinford, PGA professional and hotel sales manager for Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino, said he is always glad to see visitors from overseas.
“With Golf Made Simple instruction offered in Japanese, we hope to meet many new Japanese golfers in the coming months,” he said.
Tomita said he expects to see more Japanese-speaking golfers as word spreads about his customized but simple instructional teachings. He said that many Japanese business professionals already choose San Diego as a vacation destination. He also added that many Japanese-speaking professionals work in San Diego at Panasonic, Sanyo and Sony, among others.
“I’ve already worked with some great Japanese golfers, and even though they all spoke excellent English, I was able to bridge the gap when sometimes American expressions don’t translate perfectly,” said Tomita. “I hope the word spreads about Golf Made Simple in Japan and I can help golfers from overseas play better golf even if they don’t speak fluent English.”
Before choosing golf as a career, Tomita played professional baseball in Europe, Japan and the United States.
Upon his return to Southern California, Tomita developed a passion for teaching and coaching as a high school teacher and baseball skipper.
Tomita took his passion for teaching and athleticism and attended the San Diego Golf Academy for 16 months. Shortly after, Tomita joined Solomon for six months of training in Florida.
“It is nice to be home,” said Tomita. “I can’t think of a better place to be than San Diego.”
Rates for the Golf Made Simple course start at $1,257 for a three-day class and include accommodations at Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino.
The course includes an instructor for life program that guarantees that each Golf Made Simple student can contact their instructor for free advice, tips, and practice exercises for life.
