The Tanglin Club Brochure

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Photo of the Main Clubhouse taken in 1975.

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History of The Tanglin Club T

he opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of steamers resulted in a travel revolution. The small port founded

by Raffles developed into a thriving trading centre. According to John Cameron, “the everyday life of the British settlement had become more sophisticated, snobbish and exclusively European...”

In October 1865, “forty good men and true” convened a meeting for the purpose of forming a suburban social club to meet the wants of the Britishers’ living in the settlement, and founded the Tanglin Club. A property in the District of Claymore was purchased in 1866, and this is the current site of The Tanglin Club.

Today, The Tanglin Club is one of Singapore’s oldest and prominent social clubs. It is not known how the name ‘Tanglin’ originated, but as there are many places in Malaysia named after trees, it is possible that The Tanglin Club was named after the Saraca Tree, also known as the ‘Tanglin Tree’.

A commemorative Tanglin Tree was planted in the grounds of the present clubhouse in 1990 to mark the Club’s 125th anniversary.

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For many years, The Tanglin Club was one of the pillars of social life in Singapore for successful members of the European community. By the late 1930’s its ballroom had the reputation of having the best dance floor on the island, and the Club band was a focal point of attraction.

The highlight of Singapore’s social calendar was The Tanglin Ball. Even today, the ball is held yearly in the Churchill Room, an icon of the Club. Squash and tennis are also associated traditionally with The Tanglin Club.

Before the fall of Singapore in February 1942, the Club was prepared for use as a convalescent depot for the Armed Forces and, also as an evacuee centre.

During the Japanese occupation, the Club was used as a Japanese officers’ club. Having survived the vicissitudes of debt and war, age and apathy, even a major transformation, The Tanglin Club still retains an aura of exclusivity as one of the premier social clubs in Singapore today.

Today, the Club has grown from “Forty Good Men” to over 6,000 members, The Tanglin Club prides

itself on its international and cosmopolitan character with more than 40 nationalities among its members.

It has earned a reputation of prestige and quality, and Tanglin Club membership is still very much sought after as it offers excellent facilities and a distinguished lifestyle to its members.

The early presidents of The Tanglin Club were persons of prominence and there are still many streets named after them: e.g. Dunman Road, Anderson Road & Bridge, Read Street & Bridge, Birch Road, Bishopsgate and Finlayson Green.

The Tanglin Club today is an inviting oasis for relaxation and rejuvenation as its ambience still evokes the grace and charm of the past while reflecting its mission of being “a home away from home”.

Even more so today, The Tanglin Club with its strategic location, cosmopolitan membership and modern facilities, caters to the wants and desires of contemporary men and women.

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Vision & Mission Vision To be the most sought-after premier club in Singapore, constantly exceeding the expectations of members.

Mission To provide a first-class dining, sporting and recreation facility to meet the needs of a diverse multinational membership.

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Sports & Recreation Complex building.

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Urban Escape The Tanglin Club is an esteemed social club, nestled in the heart of Singapore’s city centre.

The Club echoes a bygone era of dignity and charm, with lush greenery and surrounds, providing an oasis amidst the urban landscape.

The Club is, for many of its members, a “home-away-from-home” with all the amenities, comfort and cosy ambience, to offer a calm respite from the hustle and bustle of city life.

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Membership The Club takes pride in its international nature, with over 40 nationalities represented among its current membership of over 6,000.

Both Ordinary and Term Memberships are offered.

Ordinary Membership is a personal lifetime membership, while Term Membership is an alternative form of membership for those whose stay in Singapore may be of a limited duration.

Admission to The Tanglin Club is subject to capacity, the General Committee’s approval and the prevailing Club Rules. Potential candidates are advised to contact the Membership Department.

The Club currently has reciprocal arrangements with 110 clubs worldwide. Reciprocal members may use the Club facilities in accordance with the Club’s rules.

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Wine & Dine The Tanglin Club is renowned for the high standard of its food and beverage, ranging from familiar local fare to gourmet cuisine. Well-trained and fully-qualified chefs with great experience cater to the different tastes and preferences of the Club’s members, often creating unique dishes that will surely please every palate.

The Club prides itself also on its distinctive selection of wines and spirits to cater for the discerning tastes of its members.

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The Churchill Room

The Tanglin Club’s fine dining restaurant, The Churchill Room, is renowned for its high standards of cuisine prepared by the Club’s award-winning chefs.

Enjoy your evening and savour the sounds of the Club’s resident band, which plays a wide repertoire of jazz, old-time favourites, classic ballroom music and contemporary tunes.

Many of the Club’s highly-anticipated events such as the annual Tanglin Ball, the Christmas Eve Dinner & Dance and the famous annual Club Party are held in The Churchill Room.

The Churchill Room is available for private functions and has played host to many wedding receptions, weekend buffets, brunches and luncheons.

The Tavern

Designed and furnished like a traditional British pub, The Tavern offers a relaxing and cosy ambience which boasts a stand-up bar and a popular informal restaurant.

Members can enjoy a wide range of wines, super-cold beer and an international selection of the finest spirits.

To tantalise your tastebuds, the menu offers an extensive mix of the best local and western cuisine plus a popular bread & salad bar, and an open-view pizza kitchen offering the finest gourmet pizzas.

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Terrace Restaurant

This al fresco restaurant is situated just outside the Tavern and is the perfect spot for a quiet dinner.

With a soothing ambience and the fresh night air, members can dine with a splendid view of the glittering swimming pool.

The Terrace Restaurant is away from the hustle and bustle of busy streets. It gives the patron a sense of gentle solitude, within, yet without, the cityscape surrounding the Club.

Terrace Bar

Located next to the Terrace Restaurant, the Terrace Bar is the only al fresco bar in the Club, and is a popular spot for members to quench their thirst after a hard day’s work.

The ever-friendly bartender will whip up the drinks, while you have a chat or catch up with sporting news on the two large LCD television screens.

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The Wine Bar

The Wine Bar is the latest addition to the food and beverage outlets of the Club.

Located next to the Terrace Restaurant, this enclosed and air-conditioned bar is perfect for the wine afficionados among the members, as well as patrons who wish to wine and dine in a modern and comfortable surrounding.

Due to its excellent ambience and acoustics, the Wine Bar has also been the venue of choice for talks, workshops and wine-tasting events.

The Wheelhouse

The Wheelhouse restaurant is the Club’s family-friendly F&B outlet, with local cuisine and western favourites to please everyone.

The Wheelhouse is a favourite spot for early morning swimmers who look forward to a wholesome and quiet breakfast, and a preferred lunch spot for mothers and children for their midday break.

On weekends, the restaurant is a hive of activity, especially at the outdoor gazebo, with children splashing in the pool under the watchful eyes of their parents, who are enjoying the comfortable atmosphere and the good food.

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Deli Lounge

Sink into the comfortable sofas and armchairs, and forget all your worries as the Deli Lounge welcomes you with a refreshing cup of tea or perfectly brewed coffee.

Sit back, relax and enjoy your refreshments with a slice of delicious cake or pastry.

The Deli Lounge also serves traditional high tea on weekends, featuring fresh home-made scones with cream and strawberry jam.

Tangles

Tangles, the only ‘sports bar and restaurant’ at the Club, is an ideal place for a relaxing drink after a game of tennis or squash; or simply catching up with old friends over a few rounds, overlooking the indoor tennis courts.

Enjoy a game of pool or darts with your favourite brew, or catch up with latest happenings in the sporting arena on the 50” flat panel televisions.

The see-through kitchen lets you take a peek at the chefs preparing your meal, while a dazzling bar counter takes centrestage in the spacious room.

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Events & Entertainment No social club is complete without hosting entertaining events for its members.

The Club is renowned for organising top-of-the-line parties, talks, workshops, screenplays, luncheons and children’s parties.

Weekly activities are organised for members’ participation - from painting to dance classes, and exciting outdoor trips.

With a calendar full of events, members are spoilt for choice with the many activities to participate in.

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Club Party 2009: Blue Hawaii

New Year’s Eve Ball 2009: The Great Gatsby

Peranakan Evening

Oktoberfest

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Banquets & Functions The rich heritage of The Tanglin Club promises an exclusive setting to hold your corporate and family functions.

Each of our function rooms is imbued with a colonial regality, promising a unique experience for your guests.

Together with modern facilities and specially-designed event and seminar packages, The Tanglin Club is perfectly poised to make your function one that will be remembered for years to come.

Raffles Room

Hosting a function at the Raffles Room is a stately affair, sure to please the most dignified of guests.

The Raffles Room’s large, arched windows reveal a scenic second-floor view of the pool below. Dine in comfort with plush seats and a carpet resplendent in rich jewel hues. When combined with the annexes, it can accommodate up to 80 for seated dinners or 150 for cocktail parties.

Claymore & Draycott Rooms

The Claymore & Draycott Rooms suit functions that require more intimate settings. Serving as annexes to the Raffles Room, the Claymore & Draycott Rooms are extremely versatile for smaller gatherings, meetings and conferences.

The Churchill Room

Make an elegant impression with The Churchill Room. Stately oak panelling and a high ceiling speak volumes for old-world sophistication, making it ideal for weddings, parties and company functions. During the week, your business clients can savour morning seminars and breakfast talks delivered from a stage, complete with the latest audio equipment. If your business clients prefer to relish in the lofty surroundings, there is a separate bar area for more leisurely conversations.

Theatrette

Distinguished speakers can command their listeners’ attention in the comfortable Theatrette, fully equipped with state-of-the-art projection and sound system. The spacious Theatrette accommodates up to 250, in its luxurious, velvet wine-coloured seats, and is an ideal venue for presentations, seminars and performances.

Poolside

For a picturesque evening that enchants, hold your receptions and parties by our poolside. Al fresco dining has never been so beguiling – the gentle glow of ambient lights, a gentle tropical breeze carrying the heady aroma of the barbeque prepared by our top chef – all make for an alluring party under the stars. Our catering staff will be happy to create menus to suit your appetite and requirements, from a simple snack to a gala dinner.

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Raffles Room

Claymore Room

Draycott Room

Poolside

Churchill Room

Theatrette

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Relax & Unwind The Tanglin Club epitomises an oasis in the urban landscape, giving much-needed rest and recuperation from the fast-paced, dynamic lifestyle that is common in Singapore. Situated in the heart of the Orchard Road shopping district means that the Club is conveniently located, yet protected from the flurry of activity of the city’s teeming streets of shoppers.

Members seeking to relax and unwind have a wide range of activities in the Club to choose from.

Take a few laps in the pool, or indulge in some sporting activities that the Club is renowned for. Or head for the award-winning spa, to rejuvenate and re-energize yourself for the rest of the day.

If sports activities are your preference, the Club offers you a host of options.

The Tanglin Club provides the following Sports & Recreation activities for its members: Squash - Two doubles courts & six singles courts at the Squash Centre Tennis - Two indoor courts with viewing gallery & four outdoor courts Billiards - Four billiards tables at the Billiards Room Lawn Bowls - Open-air rooftop Lawn Bowls Green Balut & Bridge - Card Room at the Main Clubhouse, next to the Terrace Bar Golf - Various golf courses in Singapore and sometimes overseas Scuba - Activities include scuba trips to the best diving locations Swimming - Lessons and competitions are conducted at the 33-metre lap pool Gymnasium - State-of-the-art gymnasium Fitness - Classes are conducted in the Multi-Purpose Hall and Gymnasium Darts - Two dartboards at Tangles

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Squash Centre

The Squash Centre houses two Jumbo Doubles courts and six Singles courts and is regarded as the best squash facility in the country.

A bar serves refreshments and snacks for players, with completely furnished changing rooms for both sexes.

Seating is provided during important matches and tournaments, such as the International Jumbo Doubles Squash Tournament, which is held annually at the Club and typically attracts the best squash talents from countries around the world.

Tennis Courts

Tennis is a popular sport and a proud tradition in the Club, many members of which have won honours in competitions at other social clubs locally and overseas.

There are two indoor tennis courts and four outdoor tennis courts; and classes are organised for children and adults.

Gymnasium

The state-of-the-art Gymnasium on Level 3 of the S&R Complex offers of two fitness studios, a fleet of 29 cardiovascular machines, 22 stack machines and plenty of free weights for the aspiring bodybuilders among the membership.

Fitness instructors are on duty at all times to provide assistance, as well as personal training.

Members are encouraged to sign up for fitness classes and are usually spoilt for choice due to the wide range of classes that are offered, from aerobics to spin classes.

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Fitness Studios & Multi-Purpose Hall

The spacious and well-lit Multi-Purpose Hall located at the Squash Centre is used in a variety of ways: most notably for dance classes, yoga or children’s Taekwondo classes and Table Tennis.

Two spacious fitness studios are located in the Gymnasium and play host to activities such as Pilates, Yoga, Bodyworx, Spin, Cardio Dance, Kickboxing and many more.

Card Room

The Card Room is the meeting place and battleground for Bridge, Mahjong, Chess, Balut and Backgammon players among the members.

Its soft lighting and luscious green and brown interior, makes it a comfortable arena for competitions and tournaments, played with dignity and class.

It is open to all members looking for a place to challenge their peers to a dignified game between the gentlemen and the ladies.

Billiards Room

The spacious Billiards Room is furnished with four elegantly appointed Billiards tables with four electronic scoreboards for each table. There are 33 seats for an eager audience when competitions are played. The walls of the Billiards Room are adorned with plaques and shields donated by winners of past competitions.

Seventy-six racks are specially provided for playing members to safeguard their prized cues, at an affordable rate per annum. An experienced Billiards Marker is on hand to assist players and ensure smooth running of the games.

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Lawn Bowls

Another world-class facility in the Club, is the rooftop Lawn Bowls Green, at Level 4 of the Sports & Recreation Complex. With a magnificent view of busy Orchard Road, the Lawn Bowls Green, also happens to be Singapore’s first and only rooftop Lawn Bowls Green.

The Green’s turf is a sand-filled synthetic layer and features six rinks of 40 metres in the east-west direction, and eight rinks of 34 metres in the north-south direction. The Green can accommodate 64 players at any one time, and has an excellent drainage system that allows play within half an hour after inclement weather. The game is very popular among members, and it is rightly so that such a location is set aside for them.

Swimming Pool

No club is complete without a swimming pool and The Tanglin Club is no exception. This large pool, plainly visible in the Main Clubhouse grounds, has played host to countless competitions and events, most notably the 24-Hour Swim For Charity and the Annual Swimming Championships.

The Club even has its own team, the Tanglin Torpedoes, who have brought much honour to the Club in competitions hosted at the Club and elsewhere.

Many members fondly remember the days of swimming classes, or lazing by the pool in their younger days, before they became members in their own right.

Spa Botanica

Spa Botanica is a three-time winner of the Singapore Tourism Awards’ Best Spa Experience, and is a proud part of The Tanglin Club. Spa Botanica occupies the entire fifth floor of the new Sports & Recreation Complex.

Complete with treatment rooms and steam rooms, it also features Singapore’s first Grabion – a patented hot bed treatment designed to improve circulation as well as to soothe aches and pains.

Members have come to enjoy the same level of service as the Spa Botanica Sentosa, but at special rates that come with the privilege of being a Tanglin Club Member.

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Accommodation The Tanglin Club offers first-class accommodation with 16 spacious guestrooms, eight with poolview balconies.

This haven of quiet solitude and tranquility lies just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road.

Each guestroom is air-conditioned, furnished with plush armchairs and a writing desk, and is equipped with high-speed broadband internet access, IDD telephone, in-room safe, flatscreen television with cable channels and a well-stocked mini-bar. Laundry and room services are available upon request.

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Other Facilities& Services Main Library

The Main Library is well-known and much talked about, even in other establishments. It has an excellent selection of over 30,000 books ranging from crime and thriller novels, romance and science fiction to non-fiction books with topics on cooking, self-help, art, decoration, politics, biographies and history. It is also very well-known for its comprehensive collection of travel books. A DVD library complements the traditional books, with various genres and a growing collection of action, drama, comedies, documentaries, musicals and animated shows.

Junior Library

The Junior Library is a haven for young bookworms who scramble to read the latest book in their favourite series.

With its colourful and bright surroundings, the Junior Library is very popular with parents of young children. The everfriendly librarian is present to assist the little children to borrow their books, and the Junior Library is the favourite choice for the young ones.

Reading Room

The ultimate place of solitude and peace, the Reading Room provides an impressive selection of over 15 local and international newspapers, alongside a good assortment of over 35 magazines and periodicals such as The Economist, Time, Newsweek, Architectural Digest, Cosmopolitan and even society magazines such as the Peak and Singapore Tatler. Information about reciprocal clubs is also available here. Work desks and wireless internet access are provided for those who wish to use their laptops in the Reading Room.

Theatrette

The Theatrette, which seats 250, is immensely popular with movie buffs, showcasing the latest movies.

Tickets are free, but due to its popularity, seats must be booked and tickets collected from the Reception Desk.

Unless the Theatrette has been booked for events such as concerts or plays, movies are shown every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Members may invite two guests each.

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Main Library

Junior Library

Reading Room

Theatrette

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Jackpot

Lady Luck has a place of honour in the Jackpot Room, where regulars and first-timers acknowledge her, before placing their bets with the ‘one-armed bandits.’ The Jackpot Room is perfect for serious players and for those looking for a bit of fun.

Playroom & Playground

The Playroom boasts a colourful, bright and air-conditioned play area with an adjoining Games Room, equipped with two desktop computers for surfing the Internet. Two Nintendo Wii video game consoles feature sports games like tennis, boxing and the like. The room’s bright colours and soft, playful ambience will entertain children for hours on end, especially with a large, flatscreen television showing Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon channels. Plenty of chairs, sofas and bean bags for the children, and also a seating area for the adults, complete the room. Just outside the Playroom is a playground for children who want to take the fun outdoors.

Hair Salon @ Tanglin

The Hair Salon @ Tanglin is located on the fourth floor of the Tanglin Club’s new Sports & Recreation Complex.

It offers a comprehensive range of services for ladies and gentlemen, including haircut, wash & blow dry, styling, perming, colouring and protein treatments. Beauty treatments such as facials, waxing, eyebrow shaping, manicures and pedicures are also available.

Pro Shop

With a rich sporting tradition, The Tanglin Club would not be complete without a Pro Shop to provide its sporting members with the latest sports equipment. The Pro Shop, located at the lobby of the Sports & Recreation Complex, has a range of equipment and sporting goods that cater to the various Sports Sections of the Club.

Manned by helpful and knowledgeable staff, the Pro Shop is a one-stop centre for all your sporting needs.

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Jackpot Room

Playroom

Hair Salon

Pro Shop

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Children’s Activities The Tanglin Club is not just for adults. It caters for the children, too, as evident in the popular family-themed areas of the Club during weekends. Furthermore, many events are created specially for children, as their parents take a well-deserved break while their little ones take part in painting, dance, bakery and cooking classes. Other activities include children’s parties, storytelling sessions, arts & craft classes, calligraphy classes, makeover sessions, various sports clinics, swimming classes and competitions, screening of cartoons and child-friendly movies, and even outdoor expeditions to various parts of the country.

With so many activities to take part in, children will not find The Tanglin Club the least bit boring.

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