The Topy Cup | Tanagura Country Club
Competing U.S. Universities
Men
Baylor – Head Coach Greg Priest
Oregon State – Head Coach Jon Reehoorn
Pacific – Head Coach Brandon Goethals
San Diego – Head Coach Cory Scoggin
Women
California – Head Coach Nancy McDaniel
Southern California – Head Coach Andrea Gaston
Tournament Entry Fee
There is NO entry fee for this event. The tournament amenities are as follows:
- All hotel accommodations
- Airfare for five players and one coach
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner during entire tournament
- Welcoming party (Dinner included)
- Awards party (Food included)
- Unlimited use of practice facility
- Coach’s cart
- Tournament gifts (these will come from your Japanese competitors)
- Golf bag storage at club
- Internet access at country club
- Kurhouse spa access
- All transportation to and from airport and venue (Including Bullet Train)
Tournament Format
The tournament will be 54 holes conducted over 3 days. It will be a team stroke play event with the low 4 scores counting each day. There will be a team and an individual champion crowned.
Golf Course
Tanagura Country Club is a wonderful, picturesque, and challenging golf course. It is tighter than most golf courses and will require patience on many holes.
Ties
In the case of a tie for either the team or individual crown, a playoff will be held immediately on the 9th hole. The men will go to the west course and the women will go to the east course.
Pairings
All groups will play as threesomes and players/teams will be re-paired after each round based on what teams have not had the opportunity to compete against one another. The main goal is to give all the teams a chance to play together during the event.
Tee Times
All tee times will begin on the 1st hole each day for both the men and women.
The men and the women will start on opposite nines (East and West)
Accommodations
All teams will be staying at the Hotel Renaissance Tanagura. There is a small gift shop there along with a nice spa and workout facility. There is no internet access on-site at the hotel. Television is also limited, so please bring laptops and DVDs for personal movie entertainment.
While in Tokyo, teams will be staying at the Akasaka Excel Tokyu Hotel. For the teams staying the extra night, the rate per person is around $75. It is a really nice hotel that is centrally located.
Guests traveling with the U.S. Teams
The tournament committee will pay for the five players and one coach. If you want to bring an assistant coach or a husband or wife or boosters, we ask that you pay the airline costs and approximately $110 per day. The $110 will cover the hotels, three meals a day, the bullet train, and the other ground transportation.
Attire
Teams will be required to wear their respective uniforms during the tournament proper. Shorts are allowed. Please remember to bring your rain gear as it can rain during the event. We ask that your teams wear coat and ties/women’s business casual and dress shoes for the welcome party.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided throughout the tournament at the country club. The welcoming party dinner is at the Renaissance Hotel and the awards ceremony is at the country club. There is no real opportunity to leave the resort during the event, so please bring any snacks you may want for the week with you.
Travel Information
All teams will be leaving from their respective cities. All travel arrangements are set up through Asha Hillman via Brandon Goethals. JAL will be the main airline for overseas travel. U.S. travel will go through the most convenient local airline.
All ground travel to and from the event will be provided. Teams will take buses from the airport to the resort upon arrival. The trip usually lasts about 3-4 hours with a couple of stops along the way. After the event, teams will travel back to Tokyo via the famous “bullet train” and then buses. Teams will also have bus transportation to the airport for departure back to the United States.
Currency Exchange
The exchange rate today is about 76 yen per dollar. In other words, something that costs 1,000 yen would be equivalent to about $13.15 (1,000/76=13.15). Just divide the yen price by whatever exchange rate you get and you will see how many dollars it costs. It is pretty easy to just move the decimal over two spots to figure dollars. In other words, something that costs 1,000 yen is close to $13. 2,000 yen is close to $26.
Scoring
Scoring will be posted at the end of each round at the scoring area located in the clubhouse.
Tournament Web Site
All tournament information can be found at www.topycup.com
Spectator Food and Beverage
Food and beverages for spectators/guests can be purchased for the week so they are able to eat with the teams.
Please see Brandon Goethals to set this up.
Range and Practice Facility
The range will be open each morning prior to play and will be available after the rounds as well. There are two putting greens (both are adjacent to the East and West course first tees).
On-Site Athletic Trainer
There will be a physio on site to assist with any injuries.
Championship Trophy
There will be a perpetual championship trophy presented to the winning teams and Individuals.
Team Line Ups
All team line ups will be due by August 15th, 2012. If you can have your team selected prior to this date, it will really help with travel and accommodations. Line-ups can be sent to Brandon Goethals at bgoethals@topycup.com or bgoethals@pacific.edu.
Coaches Meeting
There will be a brief coaches meeting held at The Tanagura Densha Country Club prior to the practice round.
Welcome Party
On Monday, September 10th, there will be a "Welcome Party" at the Tanagura Renaissance. All players are to be attired in jackets and ties for the men and dresses or dress pants for the ladies. It is customary in Japan to have a toasting of drinks before dinner and beer is the customary drink used for the toast, called KAMPAI (pronounced calm-pie) in Japan. There will be adequate soft drinks on the tables for the collegiate players. We ask that the players not drink alcoholic beverages at the parties, at both hotels and the golf course. In Tokyo, when out on-the-town, you have your own team rules.
Team Practice Rounds – Long Drive Contest
Team practice rounds will take place on Monday, September 10th. Teams will be assigned tee times (TBD). There will also be a Long Drive contest following the practice rounds. We ask that you have one player from your team participate. This is actually a really fun and well attended event.
Weather
The weather at the event is typically warm and humid, but nice. It tends to be overcast in the morning and then beautiful in the afternoons. There is a chance of rain everyday, so be prepared.
Internet Access
There is internet access at the Tanagura Country Club (golf course) lounge area along with the Akasaka Hotel in Tokyo. There is NO internet access at the Tanagura Renaissance Hotel.
Gift Exchange
I mentioned in the first letter that it is a good idea for the players to bring some small gift mementos. The Japanese love things like school lapel pins, pennants, "T" shirts, golf balls, head covers, or anything with your school logo on it.
For the coaches, a couple of the names of the VIP's have changed. We will let you know, while we are there, of the people you want to thank. It is always a good idea, to have two or three extra university mementos just in case you receive a gift and want to reciprocate. Here is a review of the VIP's with a couple of name changes.
There is one person that you might honor with something a little extra special. He is the President of Topy Industries. For everyone, a memento of your university is always appreciated. Other key people include:
Executive Producer of Yomiuri Sports Promotion
General Manager of the Tanagura Country Club
Mayor of Tanagura
Etsuko Uchida-Secretary of JSGA (very hard working lady behind the scenes)
I will be available to help you spot key people that you might give a gift to. In fact, I would not fill in the name tags on the gifts until the last minute. We will help you with this.
When considering shirt sizes, I would bring a variety of sizes, but mostly medium and large for the collegians and VIP’s.
Hotel Spa
When you first enter the spa area, you will be required to take off your shoes and put on some sandals that will be provided. From there you will go into another room where you take off all your clothes and put them into a basket. (Many people change into a robe and sandals that are provided in your hotel room and then simply walk through the lobby to the "Kurhouse" spa area.)
In the changing room, you will pick up a hand towel which you use to clean yourself as well as provide some modesty as you move about the various pools and showers of the spa area. Before you enter a spa, you must sit on a short stool at one of the individual stations and clean yourself thoroughly. Soap and shampoo are provided. After you are cleaned and rinsed, you can proceed to a variety of spas and showers that will make you feel absolutely wonderful. It is a delight and something that everyone should experience. Usually the Americans will use it at least once a day when they find out how nice it is.
Sight Seeing
Tokyo is an awesome place to sight see. You can grab a subway pass for the day and travel around Tokyo checking out many different sites. There are many maps and guides to help you.
Passports
You and your players will be required to have a passport. It often takes twelve weeks or more to get them so don't wait until the last minute to make those arrangements. Go to http://www.usps.com/passport to get all the information you need. There is a $67 passport fee and a $30 execution fee. The passport is valid for 10 years.
If you have a foreign player, that player may need a visa. The following site gives information about visa requirements. http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/travel_and_visa/visa/index.htm. Most foreigners don't need them but you better check. We’ve needed a visa in each of the last two years. You wouldn't want to be stopped at the airport.
* If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Brandon Goethals at (209) 639-1253 |
