Making Golf a Sport for All

Sime Course Hole 3b / Photo credit: The Keppel Club

With more Asian golfers, notably Hideki Matsuyama (Japanese), Yani Tseng (Chinese), Na Yeon Choi (South Korean) and Yuka Saso (Filipino-born Japanese) making a name at international golf tournaments in recent years, this “exclusive” sport – alongside other driving factors – is garnering more popularity among a wide range of demographics across the region, including Singapore despite the closure of some golf courses.

Contrary to the age-old sentiment that golf is a sport for the boys club, Mr. Desmond Chua, General Manager from Keppel Club has noticed “an upward trend” in female golfers, as well as young golfers ranging from 10 to 18, coming to the Club for regular golf lessons and practice.

Besides the possible spillover effect from Asian female golfers excelling in major tournaments, Singapore’s active involvement as the host country for prominent golf events such as HSBC Women’s World Championships and Women Amateur Asia-Pacific Championships has also been an encouraging push for local golfers.

Since the inclusion of golf as a National School Game (NSG) sport in 2002, there have been consistent efforts among local schools, private clubs and organisations to provide more opportunities in exposing youths to golf and unleashing their full potential in the sport. The NSG Golf championships last year had close to 60 students from different schools competing in individual and team segments, higher than previous years.

Following the cumulative success of inter-school leagues, the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) and local golf equipment company BFG Golf recently announced a new junior golf series targeted at young golfers from the age of five to 14, and their plans to hold over 30 tournaments at various golf courses islandwide to select potential talents for SGA junior squads and international junior tournaments.

19-year-old Shannon Tan is among some of the young golfers hopeful of turning into a professional golfer, after being the first Singaporean to secure her card on the prestigious Ladies European Tour (LET) last year.

Aside from the possibility of grooming more youths in Singapore to pursue golf professionally, Mr. Chua believes that “more working parents are seeing the value of golf beyond that of a sport”. Golf provides parents with “the perfect setting” to instill sportsmanship and nurture social etiquette of their children.

Photo of the driving range / Photo Credit: The Keppel Club

While more youths and women are taking up golf, the seniors are also embracing it as a lifelong sport. The Keppel Club has a significant number of senior member golfers in their 80s and 90s who remain active in the game.

Golf, being both a mental and physical activity, helps seniors to stimulate the mind and maintain their physical fitness. The Club’s Sime Practice Facility (SPF) short game area comprising of a three-hole circuit short game allows senior golfers to practise a variety of shots at their own pace, while the driving range with an upgraded upper deck installed with a trellis roof enables them to practise their swings in comfort during the day. They can also have a good time with fellow golfer friends over at the Beer Garden after their practice.

Photo of the Sime Course / Photo credit: The Keppel Club

With golf becoming a sport of choice among more youths, women and seniors, the Keppel Club is committed to providing the public with more places to play. As the first and only club in Singapore to operate its golf course as a hybrid member-public facility, Keppel Club will work closely with the SGA and ActiveSG to increase the accessibility of golf among the public. The Club
opens its door to external organisations and golfers to access the Sime course and in-club beginner golf programmes, and welcomes golf events and tournaments to be held at its premises throughout the year. The award-winning Sime course boasts a breathtaking view of MacRitchie Reservoir and is recognised by PUB and NEA for its sustainability efforts.

Singaporean golfers will only be required to pay the golf fees (and not membership fees) to access the Sime course, at a rate significantly lower than other clubs in Singapore.

Besides increasing the accessibility of golf, the Keppel Club Golf strives to support the personal and professional development of local golfers through extensive initiatives and programmes. Some of the programmes rolled out include “Friends of Sime”, a pre-paid programme that enables public golfers to secure golf flights through call-assisted booking among other benefits; Sime Golf Handicap programme, which enables public golfers without a home club to maintain their golf handicap at the lowest possible fee; and Let’s Golf@Sime, a one-stop centre for new golfers to pick up golf and to obtain their proficiency and handicap certificates. With these programmes, the Club plans to organise more friendly and competitive golf games for public golfers to put their practice into action, in hope of growing the community of golfers in Singapore.

Photo of the Sime Course Hole 8 / Photo credit: The Keppel Club

The closure of Champions Public Golf Course and the upcoming closure of Marina Bay Golf Course may have dampened the spirits of public golfers and corporate golf events, but the Keppel Club’s new strategic approach continues to fulfill the needs and aspirations of the local golf community. For more information on Keppel Club, click here.