Peter Ellqvist: «Some of the activities that we are doing here at Kiev Golf Club are quite new for European and American golfers»
Peter Ellqvist, President of Kiev Golf Club & Diplomat Club, who recently came to Ukraine from Sweden, gives the first interview. He shares his plans in a new position, views on the Project’s potential and on «Ukrainian approach» to golf.
Could you tell about your experience in golf industry? What did you do before you came to Ukraine?
I have been in this industry for 25 years. In my first position I was General Manager for a huge golf tour operator. Every year during the winter and during vacations we sent several thousand golfers to play golf in Southern Europe, USA, Africa, etc. After five years at this position I was contacted by the Swedish Golf Federation, which invited me to work with them on business development. I agreed and together we undertook several business opportunities for SGF. Then I have also been CEO for a couple of golf clubs in the Stockholm area. And now I am coming from a job as CEO for a golf club just outside Stockholm, which is probably one of the largest in the world. It has 7000 members and 3 different golf courses – two are situated in Stockholm and one more in the Northern part of Sweden.
Peter Chamberlain, the architect of Kiev Golf Club, is also the architect of a new golf course just outside Stockholm which I was in charge of. Peter mentioned to me that he at the moment also had several projects abroad in different countries and some of them were of a particular interest. In fact, he said there is one that is going to be a fantastic club, probably one of the best in Europe. He meant Kiev Golf Club.
That is how my interest to golf in Eastern Europe and specifically in Ukraine started. Peter invited me to Kiev Golf Club and I felt it could be interesting to work abroad. I have done that before when I was in charge of the tour operator but never in Eastern Europe and a challenge like this was out of the ordinary. I came to Kiev a couple of times last summer to see what it is like. And now I am here!
And do you agree the scale of GolfStream Project is colossal? 
Yes, absolutely! It is an impressive site, huge area – more than 400 hectares – and a lot of space to build brilliant golf courses. The land here is perfect, with water, trees, different types of hills that form «a rolling landscape». I think it is what everybody discovers when shows up here. Stop near the Club House, look around and you can see a lot of the golf courses. To say more, in the future, when other sport activities evolve here, the Club is going to be like a luxury resort!
Very soon we will have here the only golf club in Ukraine with 18 holes. It is a unique situation of Kiev Golf Club: to be the first. I assume we will be the role model for other golf clubs in Ukraine. That is why the owners of GolfStream Project have brought in well-known assistance of foreign experts, who are familiar with this kind of golf clubs.
So we will have 18 holes to play on this summer, and the construction of Chamberlain Course for 18 holes continues. That means we will have 36 holes! I believe Kiev Golf Club is just on its own road. It is «the» Golf Club in Ukraine!
What are your main tasks and plans on this position?
I am responsible for many functional issues of Kiev Golf Club. Still, there is one unique area of my work. I am in charge of the Diplomat Club, which is a part of GolfStream Project and ought to unite non-residents of Ukraine who love golf and want to socialize in such local and professional community. 
This is the main task for me now. As a part of our membership policy, I shall create a network among diplomats, European & American Business Associations etc. Our team must make sure the Club provides all facilities to play golf, to enjoy the best recreation and service in a secure place. A lot of diplomats and businessmen in Ukraine don’t know about it yet and we are going to make them aware that Kiev Golf Club is up and running. And I have already had very good response concerning the Diplomat Club from the President of EBA, Trond Moe, among others.
Do you have a professional dream and what is it?
Oh, it is important to have certain goals you are aiming for! One of our nearest objectives is to open Park Course in April and then celebrate the opening of Club Course in the summer. And around August – September there will be the first grass-cutting on Chamberlain Course.
That means there will be at least three vital events in 2009 season. Surely, I will be a part of them.
But in the long run, a real dream for me is to arrange a full-scale European Tour event in 2012. We have already discussed that with European Tour managers and they showed their interest. Moreover, they have already been here and will come back this year to take another look.
It would be perfect if we hold the competition at the same time as Euro-2012. A lot of journalists are coming to Ukraine for European football championship and many of them might be interested in visiting Kiev Golf Club. So I believe after that occasion our club would be known to the whole Europe. That in turn will contribute to tourism industry. Ukraine is an exciting place for all Europeans because for a long time «the iron curtain» restrained them from visiting the East of Europe. Now, they can come to Kiev and add a play at our golf club to their cultural experience. I am sure there is an enormous potential.
Do you think Kiev is still exotic for Europeans?
As far as I know and according to some experts in geography, the centre of Europe is in fact located at the western border of Ukraine – and let us hope for a successful proceeding of Ukraine being a part of EU. But I believe some of the buildings are absolutely exotic! I have had time to visit only a few places so far, and among them were the fabulous Sofia church. The architecture is fascinating and the history is captivating as well!
What are the similarities between Ukraine and Sweden?
I think we physically are very alike. You could be Swedish (before they used to say that Sweden hosted the most beautiful women of the world – now they are said to be placed in Ukraine!), I could probably be Ukrainian if someone looks at me. To say more, the culture is in many ways similar, we are attracted by nature, love to go out and do outdoor sports.
Do you see what specifically ought to be developed in Ukrainian golf? And what do we have in common with Europe or USA?
Usually when you are building a golf club in a European country, you notice a very fast interest. It is like «a tomato ketchup bottle effect»: take off a plug – and everything is going to happen. A lot of people begin to talk about it and all of a sudden the club is full of members.
The first results for Kiev GC we saw in 2008 and I am convinced that we will see much more people at the Club this summer. The fact that Kiev GC has the first full-scale golf course is an attraction in itself.
All the activities during the 2008 season were prepared on a high level, as it is normally done in other golf clubs in Europe or in America. But there was something a bit exciting and different for all the visitors: I mean the level of the efforts to make all competitions look almost like a part of the ceremonies for the Olympic games! We decorated a course for Children Tournament with all those balloons, and the other day musicians were playing in a tent when golfers competed for the Wollemi Pine prize, and fireworks on the closing of 2008 season, and so on.
That is not common abroad. Other golf clubs focus mainly on competitions. Normally they don’t involve many people to think about arranging the activities around golf. You are very lucky if someone there shows up and tells when to start or wishes you a good round. But in Kiev Golf Club, you have a lot of staff to organize different activities that entertain players and guests. I think people who come here feel they are very welcome. 
So it was a fantastic job, and in my opinion, we are doing good things, which are not standard for European and American golf clubs. It is absolutely the right way to go, which differs but only in a good sense. You demonstrate «Ukrainian touch» in golf, Ukrainian flavour of it. And it is great, as golf anywhere in the world also must look for cultural possibilities.
Of course, when we have the European Tour, we ought to adhere to their standards and rules and in such respect to be more traditional. But even then I see many possibilities to organize something like a pre-tournament event, when we could show all our skills and traditions that we are good at. If it be so, I am sure this tour should be a memory for life for our guests and players.
In your opinion, is golf rather traditional or open to experiments?
I think we need to vitalize golf. It needs some injections. Golf has been a very traditional sport for a long time and it caused a serious problem in some golf clubs: at the beginning, the number of members is increasing but a moment comes when suddenly the curve goes flat and they even start to lose members.
That is why we ought to seek for new approaches to golf. Young people and businessmen need something more exciting and dynamic – in terms of golf rules and basic principles, of course! For instance, one of the new activities that we propose this season, PowerPlay Golf, is a very good solution for young people who would like to see some results faster and also opportunities to compete all the time.
What attracts you to golf?
I value golf as a social thing first of all, a social matter. For me it is important to keep my network going. And golf is one of the best ways to meet friends and business associates.
There is no doubt that a factor of competition could be important – if you participate in club championship or something like that. But there may be few such opportunities per year. So the rest of the time I enjoy socializing. I meet my friends at golf events quite often. And of course, I would like to bring them here, to Ukraine, where we can rest with our families just like we do it in other countries.
I know that many people are mostly interested in competing and playing skills. I like to play well sometimes because that allows coming back to a golf course. But I have never been an elite player (my handicap is 10.8, which is ok, but not excellent).
What other sports do you like?
I like physical sports and was a player at an ice-hockey team in the second league as a junior. I also like to do activities with my wife and three daughters, like skiing (downhill) and ice skating on frozen lakes. I noticed when I arrived that Dnipro was partly covered by ice so I shall bring my skates next winter. To say more, a lot of ice hockey players tend to start playing golf during the summer, when they have a seasonal break. The same happened to me and to some of my playing partners. Firstly we thought golf to be less physical but after I participated in World Ice Golf Championship at Greenland I tell you it could be rough! There was actually an ice bear at the golf course, but that is another story. Nowadays a lot of NHL or KHL professionals play golf in the summer.
Are you planning to stay for long in Ukraine?
I have just been here for four days, so let us start with four years! Surely, I plan to be here at least through 2012 European Tour event. But what I see is that everyone here is very keen on learning. You are learning very fast, so in the long run you will be perfectly able to run it by your own. I have no doubt about that.
But I intend to stay. You know, my family, on my mother-side, is from Scotland. And the Ramsay clan owned a castle, Dalhousie, just outside Edinburgh. In the year of 1400 Sir Alexander Ramsay withstood a 6 months siege at Dalhousie laid by King Henry IV of England. Thus, in my family we normally don’t give up!
Materials were prepared by Natalya Ivanova, Yuriy Besarab
