MEMBER PROFILE – ABDUL WAHEED

When you think of Pakistan or Vietnam, you don’t necessarily think of golf, but USGTF member Abdul Waheed is setting out to change that. Waheed attended the USGTF certification course in Port St. Lucie, Florida, this past November 17-21. Originally from Islamabad, Pakistan, Waheed was teaching golf there when he became aware of an opportunity in Vietnam, courtesy of one of his students who spent some time in the southeast Asian country. Waheed was making plans to move to Cyprus to teach, but when he heard about the position in Vietnam, he explored it further, decided to take it, and has never looked back. He currently has 800 students as the director of instruction at the Camela Golf Academy in Haiphong, Vietnam. Waheed’s brother-in-law, Shabbir Iqbal, is Pakistan’s #1 player, and is coached by Waheed’s uncle, Shaktar Ali. Iqbal represented Pakistan in the 2009 World Cup of Golf in China.  Continuing with the family theme, Waheed came to the U.S. to get certified at the urging of his son, a promising golfer in his own right in Vietnam. Waheed has been in Vietnam for four years now, and has no plans to leave anytime soon. Golf in Vietnam has been growing the past few years and will continue to do so, leaving Waheed with a promising future.