By Adrian Flores

THERE?S more to golf today than just swinging a club. Gone are the days when buying expensive golf clubs, equipment and accessories, and employing the best instructors around would suffice. In short, it is already a whole new game now.

So, even with an impressive record of 63 wins last year, the International Container Terminal Services Inc. golf team is looking for ways to improve and enhance the individual talents of its stable of amateur stars.

Just last week, ICTSI head coach Bong Lopez and his staff worked with Australian national team fitness coach Scott Williams through a systematic fitness program geared toward making all members more health conscious.

?Golf is not just driving the ball hard, shooting low scores and winning championships. I want my guys and gals to be aware of keeping a healthy body and mind. This way, they?ll be more complete golfers,? Lopez said.

Lopez explained that Williams, the 31-year-old graduate of the Australian Institute of Sports, introduced a new series of golf-specific exercises, which identifies the upper-body and lower-body strengths and weaknesses.

?The program produced a lot of numbers which, at first, we did not understand. But later on, we learned it represented an analysis that was needed to know the kind of workouts that we must constantly work on to get better,? said Lopez.

Williams, in his initial assessment, said: ?Everybody was enthusiastic at the onset, and that was just perfect. It showed the right attitude among them. Everything went on smoothly as they adapted quickly to the system quickly.?

At the end of the grueling week, the wiry and ultra-fit Williams sees the ICTSI squad winning more than the 63 they have had in 2008. ?I believe they will and they can, actually. There?s a very bright future for them,? he added.