World Amateur Team Championships JAPAN 2014

Flag-Raising Ceremony in 1962 at the Kawana Hotel.

International Golf Federation’s website home page explains the beginning of when it all started, as follows:

“ History of The International Golf Federation “

A dilemma, but a good one:

By the 1950s, the United States Golf Association ( USGA ) has received too many invitations for international matches against individual countries to be able to accept them all.

January, 1958

The USGA Executive Committee, discussing yet another of these generous invitations --this time from Japan-- proposes the establishment of an international team competition so that all countries can participate in these type of events.

March, 1958

Representatives from the USGA travel to Scotland to discuss the idea with representatives of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland (the R&A). The concept is enthusiastically received.

What happened next is representatives from 35 countries met in Washington D. C. in May of 1958, and agreed to establish the World Amateur Golf Council, later changed it’s name to IGF, so that it may conduct the World Amateur Team Championship.

The first Championship was hosted by the R&A on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland in October of 1958, mere 5 months in preparation.

After the Championship moved to Merion, USA in 1960, Japan was granted the third WATC in 1962 to host the event at Fuji Golf Course of Kawana Hotel, seaside golf links, 6691 yards with the par of 70, on the foot of Mt. Fuji.

While the team of USA consisting of Billy Joe Patton, Deane Beman, Labron Harris and R.H.Sikes defended the team title with Gary Cowan of Canada was the low individual, players and officials from 23 countries visited the Far East, and the event was concluded as a huge success.

It indeed proved to be tremendously influential to our golfing world, and Japan enjoyed “ Golf Boom “ for the next 20-30years and the number of golf courses grown to eventually in the neighborhood of 2400 as of now, and the golfing population of 9 million enthusiasts. At the same time, as placed tied for 9th as a Team, we became confident that we can compete with the world in the near future.

After being runner-up three times in 1974, 1976 and 1982, Japan was finally victorious during the 1984 Championship in Hong Kong with exceptional performances, good luck and excellent team work of Tetsuo Sakata, Kazuhiko Kato, Noriaki Kimura and Kiyotaka Oie under the captaincy of late Ginjiro Nakabe which we are thankful and very much proud of.

More than half a Century has passed since the inauguration of IGF, and we feel proud that our predecessor’s approach to the USGA in the late 1957 was, as mentioned on the IGF’s homepage, one of the trigger to start the whole movement of this wonderful organization which we all appreciate being a member, and WATC which we all enjoy meeting and competing every other year since 1958.

At this time, we feel honored to raise our hand to once again asking all the Member Organization's approval to host the World Amateur Team Championships of 2014, this time Espirito Santo Trophy included, and we appreciate your
understanding and cooperation.

JGA has selected Karuizawa, one of the most popular summer resort, the best possible WATC venue we can offer in September of 2014.

We would like for all of you to come and visit Japan after half a Century to see how we are doing, and we will be ready to welcome you all with our warmest hospitality so that you can enjoy your stay in our country.