For the Love of the Game
Picking up a golf club for the first time proved to be a pivotal moment for Men’s Golf Group member Masaki Sato.
The golf course has long been an extension of the office in Japan. But for Masaki Sato, the game is much more than a vehicle for cementing business relationships.
Introduced to golf 25 years ago through a corporate membership of a Chiba country club, Sato’s interest was piqued. What began as a way to escape the demands of work has morphed into a passion that has seen him compete in amateur tournaments and forge a career in turf management.
“Working in the financial sector, I was always on call, so I played golf to have Saturday and Sunday for myself,” says Sato, 62. Although he did have to take the occasional early-morning conference call while preparing to tee off, the course became an oasis for him.
When the self-taught golfer joined the Club’s Men’s Golf Group monthly tournaments, he realized he had to develop both his game skills and knowledge. “You have to be your referee, so you have to declare mistakes and be really disciplined,” he says.
Some 10 years later, in 2003, Sato’s dedication started to pay off. He won the Club’s Jiro Matsumura Trophy five times, as well as tournaments at Chiba Prefecture’s Keio Country Club and Brick and Wood Club. By 2015, he had an impressive 2-stroke handicap.
Last year, Sato tried doubles, embarking on a serendipitous pairing with fellow Member James Manning. The pair won the Chairman’s Trophy. “I learned that singles and doubles are two different games,” Sato says. “I always tell my partner to never say sorry for missed shots because you have to keep the game moving forward in a positive way through motivation. About 60 percent of golf is about mental strength.”
Sato’s enthusiasm for golf eventually prompted him to leave the world of banking and move into turf management. He now imports turf-related products from the United States.
“I used to write $100 million tickets as a trader. If my counterparts were smiling, that was a bad sign because only I should be—I had to win the trade,” he says. “Now I sell a $500 case and I see customers smile, which makes me very happy.”
Sato also organizes training trips to the US for Japanese greenkeepers, so they can learn about course management—an industry in decline since Japan’s economic bubble burst in the early 1990s. Sato says he wants to help secure the future of the game while continuing to play.
Following a knee injury that increased his handicap to 8 last year, he has yet to play a tournament in 2017. “Golfers of any handicap can teach me things,” he says, “and I have learned a lot from English players who are used to hitting the ball in strong winds.”
Such tips will likely prove useful when Sato fulfills his dream of tackling Scotland’s famous links courses, in between samplings of his other love: Speyside whisky.
Men’s Golf Group
Words: Kathryn Wortley
Image: Enrique Balducci
