JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2021
SENTOSA GOLF CLUB
THE BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE
OF SENTOSA GOLF CLUB
FASCINATING HISTORY OF THE
SINGAPORE OPEN GAME ON THE RACE TO BECOME CARBON ZERO
CHEF KK’S HEALTHY START TO 2021
SENTOSA CONTINUES TO GET BEHIND LOCAL TALENT WORLD’S BEST ECO-FRIENDLY GOLF FACILITY
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TOURNAMENT READY 365
EXPERIENCE GOLF AT SENTOSA Sentosa Golf Club. Home to two of the world’s greatest championship golf courses. Host to world-renowned tournaments.
Sentosa Golf Club, 27 Bukit Manis Road, Singapore, 099892
T: (65) 6275 0022 | WWW.SENTOSAGOLF.COM
ASIAN HOME OF THE R&A AND ASIAN TOUR
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SENTOSA GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE SGC President Andrew Lim
Dear Members, I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Although 2020 was without exception a difficult and challenging year for us, I would like to begin this message with a word of thanks.
During the new 2020 era, SGC also:
• Became a signatory of the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Initiative – the first golf club in the world to do so
Firstly, I would like to thank all of you, the Members, for your encouragement, support and cooperation during 2020. Secondly, I would like to thank each member of our General Committee, our Greens Committee (led by Vernon Khoo), our Ladies’ Committee (led by Lyn Yeo) and all other committees, for your contributions to SGC. Finally, I would like to thank Andy Johnston, and the members of the management and staff of SGC, for their outstanding efforts in ensuring the continued operations of the Club during the year.
• Collected two prestigious awards at the World Golf Awards 2020: World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility and Singapore’s Best Golf Course
2020
Golf Sponsorship Programme
2020 has been another significant milestone year for SGC. We are thankful to be given the funds and opportunity by Sentosa Development Corporation to refresh The Serapong and are delighted to reopen our award-winning golf course for members play. The renovations took nine months to complete with just over a one-month delay in these unprecedented times.
SGC has renewed its golf sponsorship programme that will see the Club support six local amateur and professional golfers in their development. The six players will have full access to SGC’s practice facilities until the end of 2021. Two new Professional players have been chosen for this programme: rising star Abdul Hadi, 25, and Jesse Yap, 30, the reigning SPGA Order of Merit winner. Both players, along with the other players SGC supports, will benefit tremendously from the world-class training facilities and championship golf courses available at SGC. Please extend our Sentosa welcome when you see them at the Club.
Our SGC team were able to keep up with the renovations schedule, mainly because of the exceptional contributions of our staff. Irrespective of seniority, our staff from the agronomy team, the F&B team and the admin team, stepped up and helped with the renovation works, especially during the time when almost all the contractor’s foreign workers were quarantined in the dormitories. Along with The Serapong, the Club also completed the upgrade of the Clubhouse infrastructure, including our IT backbone system and changing room facilities.
• Continued to underline our position as a world-class destination by improving 20 places to rank 59th (out of over 38,000 golf courses worldwide) in Golf Digest’s World’s Top 100 Greatest Golf Courses Rankings
In closing, I would like to thank all members for your continued support, and I wish each and every one of you good health and golf throughout 2021.
Andrew Lim President
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SENTOSA GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE
CONTENTS 1.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE SGC’s President, Andrew Lim, shares his latest thoughts from the club...
2.
GM’S MESSAGE General Manager, Andy Johnston, outlines course conditions on The Serapong after its reopening...
4-6.
MEMBER NEWS Read all about the latest news for Sentosa Golf Club Members, including hole-in-ones, a deep water rescue and the ‘Ang Pow’ appeal...
10.
CHEF KK’S HEALTHY START TO 2021 Start the New Year with a simple healthy recipe from our Executive Chef, Chef KK
12-14. HISTORY OF THE SINGAPORE OPEN Learn more about how The Singapore Open has been transformed into one of Asia’s biggest events since it was first held at SGC in 2005...
15.
SENTOSA GETS BEHIND LOCAL TALENT Discover more about SGC’s ambitious sponsorship programme to help nurture Singapore’s rising stars...
16-18. GAME ON – THE RACE TO BECOME CARBON ZERO An exclusive insight into SGC’s work with the United Nations and the next steps on our environmental journey...
21-22. RULES & INSTRUCTION RESPECT THE DRAGON Learn how to respect The Serapong’s newly renovated 6th Hole with expert instructions from two of our sponsored pros - Koh Deng Shan and Koh Sock Hwee This magazine is printed on environmentallyfriendly paper.
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MCI (P) 049/12/2020 To advertise in SENTOSA GOLF CLUB, please call 6275 0090.
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GM’S MESSAGE Dear Members,
GM Andrew Johnston
It is an honour to reopen The Serapong, along with our Clubhouse infrastructure upgrades and refreshed changing rooms. Please allow me to thank the entire SGC staff team and our contractor TECH International for their dedication to pursue excellence, as well as our members for your support, encouragement and understanding throughout The Serapong’s upgrade.
Course Conditions With some heroic efforts from all, we have managed to reopen The Serapong course within a relatively short time frame. There are some areas such as tee complexes that are still very young and will need additional time to reach maturity to handle daily golfing traffic. As such, the Club will be adding mats on a few tee boxes where additional grow-in time is needed. Thank you for your patience and willingness to overlook this inconvenience so that we can get our golf course back open. The fairways and greens are ready for play, but we will be restricting all golf carts to the path only. Please be cautious, drive with care keeping the tyres on the cart path when navigating and parking on The Serapong. Driving off the path and parking on the grass will create damage and scars in the new turf. We seek your kind co-operation to keep our course looking pristine, as SGC continues to prepare for the SMBC Singapore Open in 2021 (dates still to be confirmed). All bunkers have been refreshed with new sand. It is important to point out that the proper way to enter and exit a bunker is through the low areas, or the mouth of the bunker only. A golfer should never walk up the face of the bunker, as this leaves large footprints that destroy the compaction of the sand and produce unacceptable golfing conditions for those playing behind.
Reminder on Covid-19 As we transit into Phase 3, we continue to seek your cooperation. With an increased number of golfers across two golf courses, our staff will continue to enforce SMM measures. We do need everyone to self-police themselves with slow play, golfing etiquette and do not take risks with dangerous play, including shouting fore loudly. Please also be kind and encourage our staff with positive words. Please continue to keep safe. We hope to see you at the Club soon. Andrew Johnston General Manager
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! NEW MEMBERS FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2020 ORDINARY MEMBER 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Mdm Han Oakhwa Mdm Phia Siew Kee Mdm Suh Eun Hee Mr Anatole Bong Chun Hsin Mr Eddy Quek Kok Heng Mr Esmond Quek Keng Liang Mr Huang Tzu Yen Mr Kang Kok Liang Jerall Mr Kim HeeNyeon Mr Lee Joo Bae Mr Mok Weng Sun Mr Shu Masuo Mr Wong Hin Sun Eugene Mrs Kim Hyo Jung Alicia
CORPORATE MEMBER 1. Xin Xiamen Capital Management Pte Ltd CORPORATE NOMINEE
WE MEET NEW MEMBER…
MD of Logistics company
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Why did you become a member at SGC?
TERM MEMBER
To stay in Singapore 300 days a year! The best thing that could happen in life is to become a member of SGC, as everything from the golf courses to the club management are all at the top of their game.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
EDDY QUEK Name Mr Eddy Quek Kok Heng
Occupation
Favourite thing to do in Singapore? Dining out with my family and friends.
Favourite thing about Golf? You can talk about it over dinner and drinks afterwards.
Greatest Achievement in Life? 16 years ago when our company was being listed in “AMEX”.
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Mdm Lim Beow Leng Flora Mr Akio Hirose Mr Chen Bingchuan Mr Chen Jianwen Mr Gary Loh Hock Chuan Mr Hiroshi Watanabe Mr Kazuhiro Takizawa Mr Koji Oyama Mr Lee Lung Nien Mr Lee Sungwhan Mr Marcelo Gabriel Boffi Mr Masaru Nakane Mr Masayoshi Hasegawa Mr Yasunori Watanabe Ms Mari Kuroda (Ishizuka)
Mr Alok Oberoi Mr David Scott Ingram Mr Deng Huahui Mr Hideaki Tanaka Mr Hidenori Fujisawa Mr Kevin Andrew Gould Mr Lachlan Antony Elmer Mr Lim Jung Gang Mr Michael John Eves Mr Ng Keng Hooi Mr Osamu Yamamoto Mr Simon Paul Christopher Cook Mr Stephen McNulty Mr Wang Jin Mr Yoichi Miyazaki
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SENTOSA GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE
MEMBER NEWS NURTURING THE FUTURE STARS OF SINGAPORE It gives us great pleasure to confirm that the Club has renewed its golf sponsorship programme, which means we will continue to support six local amateur and professional golfers with their development in the game. Joining existing professionals Koh Deng Shan and Koh Sock Hwee, we welcome two more pros — rising star Abdul Hadi, and the reigning SPGA Order of Merit winner, Jesse Yap. Keeping this quartet company, of course, we have talented amateurs Brayden Lee and Jen Goh — so it’s quite some stable of golfers.
From left to right: SGC’s sponsored professionals: Abdul Hadi, Koh Sock Hwee, Koh Deng Shan, Jesse Yap
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“ANG POW” APPEAL Giving “ang pow” or red packet to family and friends is an age-old Lunar New Year tradition. At Sentosa Golf Club, it is also given as a gesture of appreciation to employees and staff who have rendered excellent service to members throughout the year. In keeping with this tradition, the Sentosa Golf Club Management is seeking members’ support to contribute to the Staff Ang Pow Fund, by making a S$50 contribution. The total amount collected will be divided amongst all the staff and will be automatically billed to your January 2021 statement. We thank you for your generous contribution. Should you wish to opt out from the contribution or if you wish to contribute more than $50, please fill in the form by Friday, 8 January 2021. For enquiries, please call 6373 7105 or 6373 7113.
Mr Tan Poh Lam with his son Anwar (far right in photo)
DEEP WATER RESCUE We would like to commend Golfing Reception’s Sharon Tee and Golf Agronomy’s Fredo and Jalin for their help in reuniting Mr Tan Poh Lam’s son, Anwar, with his putter. The pair had given up hope of ever seeing it again, when Anwar lost his grip trying to stop a ball toppling into the water on the Tanjong’s 5th hole. However, Sharon arranged for its rescue — which, considering it had disappeared from view, was no easy task. Anwar’s reaction? “Why they find it? I was hoping to buy a new one!” This made us smile, as did your promise to send Sharon a list of all the balls you’ve lost in the water. We’re not sure we can help you there, Mr Tan!
DIVOT REPAIRS It’s fantastic to see our golf courses continue to run at close to 100% occupancy. With increased traffic on the course, we’d like to seek your help in repairing divots and ball marks. It’s important that we look after our worldclass facilities, including the newly renovated Serapong. Thank you in advance for your help and understanding.
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SENTOSA GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE
MEMBER NEWS HOLE-IN-ONE
Mr Park Jong Yeob The New Tanjong Course – Hole 15 (169 metres) 26 September 2020 “This is my first hole-in-one in my life and was indeed totally surprising one. Luckily I saw it was going in to the hole with my golf kakis when the play in front was slow hence one flight behind us awaited there together with my flight. Two flights were all from Korean Saturday Golf Group.”
Mrs. Rebecca Liu Nicolajsen The New Tanjong Course – Hole 4 (115 metres) 04 December 2020 “This is the first hole-in-one in my life and a totally surprising one.”
Dato Sri Chong Thim Pheng
Mr Kazuto Ogawa The New Tanjong Course – Hole 7 (207 metres) 24 October 2020
The New Tanjong Course – Hole 4 (141 metres) 06 October 2020
“I was so excited about this first ever hole-inone in my life. But the moment was shortlived. Because at the next hole, the 8th, I mishit a shot and the ball I had hoped was a keepsake, sank to the bottom of the pond. OMG!”
“This is the first hole-in-one I have achieved in 22 years of playing golf.”
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GENERAL
GOLF NEWS UNPARALLELED COMFORT FROM FOOTJOY IM THE STAR OF THE ASIAN SHOW AT AUGUSTA We all know how it works at the Masters – rookies aren’t supposed to contend. This year Sungjae Im had played in six Majors previously and missed the cut in four of them, but the 22-year-old Korean threatened all week and finished up in a share of second with the Aussie Cam Smith — nearly any other year he would have won it at 15-under. Taiwan’s CT Pan was another rookie, and he picked up four shots in his final six holes to elevate himself into a share of seventh, while Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama was right in the mix after two rounds before his progress faltered.
CATLIN ENJOYS BREAK-OUT SEASON When John Catlin failed to gain his card at the European Tour Q School at the end of 2019, to make it to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai must have looked very remote. But the four-time Asian Tour winner has since enjoyed an incredible year with victories at Valderrama, with a winning score of +2, and the Irish Open, in the space of just three weeks, the latter coming courtesy of a brilliant closing round of 64. Come the end of the season he finished in 35th spot. The 30-year-old, who won three times in Asia in 2018, is now inside the world’s Top 100.
The No. 1 shoe in golf, FootJoy, have launched the all-new Stratos which offers all sorts of comfort levels. A new cushioning material, called StratoFoam, absorbs shock for maximum cushioning and provides the perfect support when both swinging and walking. The most noticeable thing about the Stratos is the rebound with each step as the midsole foam gives and then returns to its original shape so, even after 36 holes, you’ll really notice the difference. This premium leather offering comes in four colour options for men (white, grey, navy and cognac) and two for women (blue/green or silver) and they look equally as good off the course.
JAZZ HITS THE RIGHT NOTES AT AUGUSTA Jazz Janewattananond finished his maiden Masters in a tie for 51st alongside two Green Jacket winners in Zach Johnson and Mike Weir. The Thai youngster made a promising start, with efforts of 69 and 71 to get within five of the lead at one point, before stumbling slightly. He has now played in all four of the Majors, with his best finish a T14 at the PGA Championship in 2019, and he is already qualified for The Open Championship at Royal St George’s courtesy of topping the Asian Tour Order of Merit. His stellar 2019 season included four wins with the first coming at Sentosa when he produced back-toback rounds of 65 to pip Paul Casey.
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Lunar New Year 2021 Celebrate the Year of The Ox with SGC’s auspicious menus! Prosperous Chinese Course Sets Date: 1 Feb - 28 Feb 2021 Price: Set lunch from $62.80 per person Set Dinner from $80.80 per person For reservations, call us at 6279 1791/ 6373 7135/ 7155 or email: sgc_sales@sentosagolf.com
EARLY CLOSURE ON CHINESE NEW YEAR EVE
Thursday 11 February 2021 The Club’s golfing and dining facilities will close at 6pm on Thursday 11 February 2021. This allows our staff to return home to join their families for their customary reunion dinner celebrations. Members may wish to take note of the following changes in our operating hours:
Golf: Last tee off at 2.00pm; No 9-hole evening golf Golfers’ Terrace: Last order at 5.30pm; Closes at 6pm We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your kind understanding. The Club will remain open during the Chinese New Year holidays.
We wish you and your family a happy and prosperous Year of the Ox ahead!
TO VIEW OUR CHINESE NEW YEAR GOODIES LIST, PLEASE SCAN THE QR CODE BELOW
SENTOSA GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE
GUEST COLUMN
Cho Minn THANT Commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour
F
irst of all, I would like to thank Sentosa Golf Club (SGC) for giving the Asian Tour this opportunity to contribute to your magazine and I greatly look forward to playing the newlyrenovated Serapong Course which is, time and time again, voted by the players as the best host venue on the Asian Tour. After a testing and frustrating year the main message to get across is that our Tour has remained resilient and has taken all the appropriate steps to manage the crisis. The general community has remained safe, as they have adapted to a new normal, and fortunately golf has been able to blossom with demand increasing at many golfing facilities including SGC. The biggest challenge that we face is the numerous countries that we visit and our diverse membership, from over 25 different countries,
which makes the logistics of putting a tournament together a monumental task but one that we have been planning for the past nine months. Once it is safe to approve controlled travel we will be ready to pull the trigger and hopefully the SMBC Singapore Open will be one of the first events back. There have been some positives for some of our members who were fortunate to compete elsewhere. The 2019 SMBC Singapore Open champion and reigning Asian Tour
I can safely say that the future looks bright for Asian golf
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Order of Merit champion, Jazz Janewattananond, enjoyed an extended run of tournaments in America which included participation in all three majors. Another player that has elevated his status is 18-year-old Joo-hyung Kim, who broke into the world’s top 100 and played his very first major at the PGA Championship. He will also secure a maiden start at The Open Championship in 2021 courtesy of his fourth-place finish at the 2020 SMBC Singapore Open. I can safely say that the future looks bright for Asian golf. We are living up to the reputation of having the youngest playing membership of all the Tours and our last three Order of Merit champions were all under the age of 25. Do follow us on our digital platforms for updates and we look forward to being able to relaunch one of the game’s greatest Tours soon.
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SENTOSA GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE
F&B NEWS WITH CHEF KK
A Fabulous Healthy Start to 2021
Tofu Salad with Ginger Miso Dressing Ingredients (serves 4 people) 4 eggs 400ml dashi stock or water
Directions This is a great meal for the whole year round or maybe a healthy appetiser and it’s so simple to put together.
1. Take a big bowl and mix the eggs, dashi, salt and mirin until completely blended and then strain.
1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp mirin optional
2. Pour the mixture into four small bowls, one per person, and place the cups in a steamer.
320gm organic kale slice and soaked in ice water and strain it
3. Cover with a lid, wrap it in a cloth and steam for 12-13 minutes on a medium low heat. 4. Meanwhile, to make the miso ginger dressing, whisk well the olive oil, rice vinegar, white miso paste, fresh young ginger and soy sauce.
40gm carrots shredded 10gm sesame seed roasted
5. Toss the salad with the Miso Ginger Dressing and start assembling.
35ml olive oil
6. Place it on top of the Tofu and sprinkle sesame seed on top and it is now ready to serve.
2 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tbsp white miso paste 1 inch fresh young ginger peeled and finely chopped 2 tbsp soy sauce
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Chef’s Tip: The higher the stock/water texture in the egg mixture, the smoother the tofu will get. At a time of year when a lot of us will be pressing the reset button this is a great start to a healthier diet. Enjoy.
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Nutrition Facts Protein 12g Fat 8g Cholesterol 0mg Energy 590kJ 140cal Carbohydrate 4g Dietary Fibre 14g
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SENTOSA GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE
OPEN SEASON
J
In the first of a twopart series, we take a look at the history of the Singapore Open, a tournament founded in 1961 and hosted at Sentosa Golf Club since 2005… A Scott 271
A Scott 205 (54 holes)
2005
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ust 12 months ago Matt Kuchar went lower than any player had gone in the history of the SMBC Singapore Open at Sentosa. He missed just three fairways, averaged 310 yards off the tee and hit 15 of 18 greens – come the end of his third round he had gone round in just 62 shots, one better than the previous best
A Cabrera 267
2006
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2007
JM Singh 277
2008
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of 2007 champion Angel Cabrera, South Africa’s George Coetzee and Younghan Song of Korea, who won in 2016. The general perception of The Serapong course is that it’s a bit of a brute and at 7,400 yards these types of rounds simply don’t just happen. The next best effort last year were a small collection of 65s.
I Poulter 274
A Scott 267
2009
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G F-Castano 199 (54 holes)
2010
2011
SENTOSA GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE
in a spectacular conclusion. The Argentinian, who was now the US Open champion, saw the head of his driver come off in an opening 71. The following day, after some overnight repairs, he blazed round in 63, with nine birdies, to claim a two-shot lead. The previous month Cabrera had been smashed 6&4 by Ernie Els in the final of the World Match Play, now he had beaten the South African by 14 shots.
you persevere, how you overcome those things that counts,” explained Kuchar. Since the move to Sentosa in 2005 one player has dominated affairs in particular. Of Adam Scott’s 31 wins around the world three have come here and there has been a bit of everything about the hat-trick of successes. The first gave him his first national title and he finished seven clear of Lee Westwood in second, the following year he defended for the first time in a three-hole play-off with Ernie Els and, in 2010, he made it three wins in six years. The hattrick was completed on the Monday when he put the finishing touches to a three-shot win and it remains his most successful tournament.
Australia’s Travis Smyth, who tied for 11th, described it as ‘insane’. A day later the American went even deeper, mentally at least, to get over the line after an horrific eight at the 7th. A tree stump got in the way, literally, of his recovery and that air shot and some bushes added up to the triple-bogey. Going into the hole with a four-shot lead over the defending champion Jazz Janewattananond the pair exited the 7th green all square. “Strange things happen on the golf course, but I was able to regroup straightaway. My caddy (John Wood) also had a few quick words, telling me not to let that rattle me. In life you have a lot of similarities in that you face some difficult times and it’s how M Manassero 271
2012
2013-2015
“I like challenges, I like tough courses,” said Cabrera.
“It’s one of those things and I’ve just managed to play well here. I stand on the tee and my ball ends up in the fairway more often than not over the years. It seems fairly generous in spots, but you still have to be quite precise. It has really big greens but if you hit it a long way from the hole you’re really going to struggle. It just fits my eye,” Scott explained. More history was made in 2012 when Matteo Manassero became the first teenager to win three times on the European Tour and he did it in style after a gruelling final day. After 33 holes on the Sunday he and Louis Oosthuizen couldn’t be separated and the South African, who was undone in extra holes at Augusta earlier that year, then watched as the young Italian made a sensational eagle from just 12 feet. The second place meant that Oosthuizen could no longer catch Rory McIlroy, in third spot, as he wrapped up the money list double on both the European and PGA Tours. Cabrera’s 63 in 2007 came about in bizarre circumstances and resulted
Y Song 272
2016
Come Sunday Cabrera hit an enormous drive up the 18th to set up a 6-iron approach and sole birdie of the day and a one-shot win over a fast-finishing Vijay Singh.
P Marksaeng 275
2017
Adam Scott holds the record for most victories at the Singapore Open*
There have been some stellar names who have finished the week on top of the leaderboard. In between Scott’s heroics we’ve had Ian Poulter prevailing in 2009 and Sergio Garcia romped home by five shots in 2018. Since 2017 there have been four spots available for The Open Championship. In 2016 we very nearly had another major champion prevailing over The Serapong course, but it was a 24-year-old, Younghan Song, ranked
S Garcia 270
2018
J Janewattananond 271
2019
M Kuchar 266
2020
EVENT NOT PLAYED
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SENTOSA GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE
By Numbers
50
Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng was 50 when he won the 2017 event Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond celebrates victory at SGC in 2019*
1961
The year of the inaugural Singapore Open
542 Jordan Spieth and Younghan Song share a selfie at the post-round press conference in 2016*
The yardage of The Serapong’s iconic par-5 18th hole
18 Matt Kuchar currently holds the record for the lowest winning score with 266*
203 places below the World No. 1 Jordan Spieth, who took the title. Their final moments added another very different chapter to the history of the tournament. After a thunderstorm Spieth returned to the course on Monday morning to take a five-foot birdie putt on the 18th and he managed to knock it in for a 66 and 11-under total. “I had my first perfect round,” Spieth joked about his one-shot day. “Everything was absolutely perfect. I didn’t miss one shot and I made everything I looked at. It was tough to sleep on that putt. Even though it wasn’t the most challenging putt, it was still a very nerve-wracking one to hit knowing that you have to make it for what you think will be a play-off.” Song, who began the final round with a five-shot lead, returned to the
England’s Ian Poulter en route to victory in 2009*
16th green at 7.30am with a crucial par putt and a one-shot advantage. His Sunday night had been spent practising the putt in his hotel room. “I felt like I was going crazy. The putting line wasn’t that bad, but the situation made me nervous.” Song parred in for a 70 and his first professional victory — after the trophy presentation he asked for a selfie with the American. “Somebody asked me why I was taking a picture with the other contestant, even though he’s a superstar, and some people told me I was humorous and cute. I enjoy new situations so I took a commemorative picture with him because we play in different tours and who knew when we would meet again. I didn’t upload it because it was just for me.”
No. of strokes under par Janewattananond and Kuchar were when winning in 2019 and 2020
2
Number of times Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines has finished second
3
No of play-offs that have taken place at Sentosa
17
Age of Joohyung Kim who was 4th in 2020 to qualify for The Open at Sandwich
*Photo Credits: SMBC and Barclays Singapore Open
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S G C N E W S I N D E TA I L
(From left to right) SGC’s sponsored professionals: Abdul Hadi, Koh Sock Hwee, Koh Deng Shan, and Jesse Yap
Sentosa continues to get behind
LOCAL TALENT Sentosa Golf Club will again support six outstanding golfers as they look to continue their impressive paths in the game. The sponsorship programme is part of the #KeepItGreen initiative that not only helps with the environmental sustainability agenda at the Club but also nurtures the outstanding talents within it with full use of the two world-class courses and all its practice facilities. Koh Deng Shan, who made the cut at the 2020 SMBC Singapore Open, is again part of things and he explained that it has played an enormous part in his development. “It is basically the turning point of my career. I did not have anywhere to practise when the previous club that I was attached to closed two years ago. Home-course advantage plays a big part in scoring well at The Serapong. The short-game area and the driving
range are world class too. I feel inspired to come here and practise every day.” Abdul Hadi, who is new to the programme, came within a couple of shots of making the weekend and he hopes that it will help take his game to the next level. “The layout requires you to be precise with your ball striking and you also need to have all the shots around the greens. Personally, I really enjoy putting on SGC’s greens because it forces you to put a good roll on the ball and have proper speed control to be able to make putts.” Jesse Yap is hoping that the opportunity to practice at a worldclass facility can help him earn his full status on the Asian Tour or Japan Golf Tour. The fourth professional is Koh Sock Hwee and the female pro believes that the competitive
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environment is a huge benefit to improve their collective skills. “With more players under the programme, it allows us to constantly challenge one another to improve and be better. Moreover, it is heartening to know that Sentosa has established various eco-friendly campaigns and pioneers new sustainable initiatives to expand environmental activity in the region.” Amateur Brayden Lee also returns, and he added that he hopes that one day Singapore might have an Olympic golf team of its own. His fellow amateur Jen Goh, like Deng Shan, is truly thankful for the programme. “If not for the local par-3 course I grew up on and Sentosa’s support now, I’m quite sure I won’t be where I am today – loving golf and aspiring to be a tour professional.”
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GAME ON! The Race To Become Carbon Zero
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fter being named ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ at the annual World Golf Awards last October, we believe everyone at Sentosa Golf Club deserves a big pat on the back. However, no one here is losing sight of the big picture. The challenge to tackle climate change is something we face every day and we have made a commitment to the United Nations to join the race to become carbon zero. Back in July, many of you will recall that Sentosa became the world’s first golf club to join the UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework, which aims to support sports organisations achieve global climate goals set out by world leaders in the Paris Agreement. Since then, we have been working with the Sentosa Development Corporation’s Sustainability and Planning Department to calculate our own carbon footprint.
In the coming weeks and months, we will be reviewing this number and working with the GEO Foundation to apply the appropriate calculation factor to the number. This will allow us to correctly account for the carbon sequestration of our courses. Specifically, this is a calculation of
Reducing our carbon footprint will be an ongoing fight, although with the use of renewable energy certificates (RECs), we hope to arrive at carbon zero in 2021.
how much carbon the grass and trees in the subtropics can help remove from the atmosphere.
Taking Action Whilst achieving carbon zero is an ambitious target and one that will require no small amount of effort and innovation, SGC is fully committed to the challenge. We’re buoyed by our own levers that we can rely on to help reduce the overall impact of carbon, such as exploring alternative energy sources and the food and horticultural waste bio-digesters we plan to implement in 2021. We have also started looking at the feasibility of applying renewable energy certificates (RECs) in our business so that every golfer can enjoy a carbon-free round of golf. Reducing our carbon footprint will be an ongoing fight, although with the use of RECs, we hope to arrive at carbon zero in 2021. Looking further into the future, we’ll have more electric powered maintenance, greater technology across the board, and we’ll covert to green energy as opposed to using brown (gas based) energy. We’ll also continue to benefit from the UN’s Sports for Climate Action Initiative. Already this has opened up channels and resources to knowledge sharing with other industry players we would not necessarily have access to in the past, such as the All England Club and New York Yankees, who both have very different but progressive programmes.
SGC became the first golf club in the world to join the UN’s Sports for Climate Action Initiative in July 2020
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Our must-watch documentary After receiving our most recent award, we were keen to capitalise and raise more awareness of the importance of climate change in golf — so we embarked on a bit of filmmaking. The documentary forms part of our GAME ON campaign, and it shows some of the key measures already implemented at the club, such as the creation of the bee colonies, the installation of the reservoir lakes and the banning of single-use plastics. It is our hope that the film will serve as inspiration to golf’s response to climate change. If it helps clubs around the world to understand the importance of reducing their carbon footprint by implementing initiatives for the betterment of the environment, we will be delighted. If you have not already watched it, we would encourage you to do so (on YouTube, “GAME ON - Golf’s Fight Against Climate Change”) and share it with others in the golfing community. Commenting on the documentary, Chris Gray, Head of Sustainability and Agronomy — Asia Pacific at The R&A, said: “It is great to be part of something so important and be able to work together on
The centrepiece tree in the main lobby was planted to commemorate SGC’s Green Mark (Platinum) certification
SGC hopes to secure carbon-free rounds for all its members in the near future
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Sentosa Golf Club was recently voted the ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ at the 2020 World Golf Awards
a global scale to fight the issues that really matter to golf and the world. GAME ON, which is closely aligned with our own Golf Course 2030 initiative, is not only a vital campaign in helping to reverse the impact of climate change, but it is also crucial to the overall survival of golf, a game that is so widely loved throughout the world.” We’re on an exciting journey, one that we’re proud to take on, whilst representing Singapore and the game of golf. We’ll bring you more news and developments on everything GAME ON in the next issue.
The centrepiece tree in the main lobby was planted to commemorate SGC’s Green Mark (Platinum) certifcation on 17 July 2018
2019 Started using the tree as our Christmas tree 2020 1. Beer Cans 300 beer cans collected in two weeks to make: 60 Stars 40 Angels 50 Snowflake ornaments 2. Wine Corks Between 200-300 wine corks were used to form 50 Christmas Trees 84 MAN-HOURS FOR ALL THE DIY WORKS
SGC’s Christmas decorations were made from a number of recycled materials
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NEWS FROM SENTOSA ISLAND
MAKE TIME FOR A HOLIDAY IN SENTOSA R That’s right – you must! There are currently a number of exciting offers available – so take advantage whilst you can. Head out on a guided tour – which is one of the best ways to explore the ins and outs of our island. How about one of the masterclasses, where you can learn how to create the Sentosa experience? Meanwhile, you can grab a bundled holiday package attractively priced in denominations of $100, including various leisure experiences at discounts of up to 50%. Visit sentosa.com.sg/campaigns/sentosaholidays/ and you can find lots more on leisure ideas, deals, staycations, day breaks and luxury experiences. How about some spa treatment?
BOTTOMS UP!
SHOW SERVICE LAUNCH As Sentosians, service excellence is a key part of our DNA and we believe this sets us apart from the rest. Our Chairman Bob Tan and CEO Kwee Eng Thien celebrated the dedication and contributions of all our CEO Star Award winners and also launched our new Sentosa Service Vision: “Having Fun, Creating Fun”. As part of the launch, we also refreshed our Service Values: “SHOW” (Safe, Helpful, Outstanding, Welcome) to rejuvenate our Service Culture! We look forward to working together as One Sentosa with our Island Partners, to provide seamless island-wide service excellence for all our visitors. Together, we will make Sentosa the world’s bestloved leisure and lifestyle resort destination.
The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), in collaboration with Brewerkz, Singapore’s original craft brewery, has launched Islander Brew Singapore, the country’s first leisure destination-inspired beers. Each of the four craft beers features a unique taste inspired by edible plants found in Sentosa — cacao, lime, jasmine and nutmeg — and are named after the island’s landmarks — Siloso Beach, Tanjong Rimau, Fort Siloso, and Bukit Manis. The landmarks were chosen to represent leisure offerings that embody one of the four themes under Sentosa’s ‘Make Time for a Holiday’ campaign — Island Life, Heritage Discovery, Wellness Escape, and Nature Adventure. Have you ever seen such a fine-looking collection of beer cans? They taste pretty good, too, so we’re told. What’s more, they’re Singapore’s first carbon-neutral beers, which is definitely something to celebrate. Cheers!
FREE $100 SINGAPORE REDISCOVERS VOUCHER To help support the many must-visit local attractions, we’d like to encourage you to take advantage of your $100 digital Singapore Rediscovers Vouchers, which were sent to all Singapore citizens aged 18 and above (as of 2020) at the start of December. These are strange times, where we are unable to travel for leisure, but this offers a fantastic opportunity for families and couples to get something fun in the diary without needing a passport.
the Singapore Cable Car and catch the panoramic view of Sentosa from above. Then, end the night with a threecourse dinner at The Cliff (dinner included in the Singapore Rediscover Package). It’s time to create your own itinerary. You can find out more at stb.gov.sg
So, how does this sound? Book in at Sofitel, conquer your fear of heights at iFly Singapore, take a scenic ride on www.sentosagolf.com
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ANKIMO PONZU
SUSHI KONDO
KUMOKO PONZU
PROMOTIONS
KOBAKO KANI
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Sushi Kondo is closed for Chinese New Year from 11th to 15th Feb 2021. Business resumes on 16th Feb 2021.
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RULES FOCUS With the reopening of The Serapong, we’ve taken the opportunity to update our Local Rules. You’ll find these in your scorecards, but here’s confirmation of the key updates. By familiarising yourself with these now, you’ll know what to do if you come across some bright orange stakes — and the chances are you will at some point!
‘No Play Zone’ In the previous issue, we explained what forms a ‘No Play Zone’. To recap, this is an abnormal course condition or penalty area where play is not allowed. On The Tanjong, they can be found on holes 12 and 16, and on The Serapong holes 5, 7, 15 and 17. You’ll know when you’re in one of these areas as they have been marked out with orange stakes with black stripes. Under Rule 16.1f relief must be taken. Out of bounds Meanwhile, please be advised of the out of bounds on The Tanjong: to the right side of holes 1, 2, 3 and 4, and to the left side of holes 10, 11, 12 and 13. Rule 18.2 is applicable. Elsewhere, on The Serapong
there is a wasteland area (sand path) on holes 6 and 14, which is part of the general area and not a bunker. Remember, if you have a Rules query, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of the team — it could end up saving you a crucial shot or two! Hole changes We’d like to extend our thanks to the members for the positive feedback on the trial swap of holes 3 and 6 on The Tanjong. The Club has now made this a permanent switch, which will allow for a better flow of play over the front nine.
INSTRUCTION
RESPECT THE DRAGON Danger lurks all around as you negotiate your way through the famous Dragon’s Tail. For Sentosa professionals Koh Sock Hwee and Koh Deng Shan, The Serapong’s 6th hole is one of the course’s greatest challenges, where a par should be welcomed. You’ll need a good strategy… Koh Sock Hwee This hole was tough before the bunker on the left side of the fairway was expanded. New trees have also been planted, so there’s no bail out area, and then of course, there’s water down the right. If you’re a long hitter, take on the bunker down the left. However, be aware that the further left you go, the greater the carry will need to be. Option two is to take less club and leave yourself short of the traps. Up ahead, the extended green features a false front, which means you’re not going to have much success running it up. With the right edge being cut closer to the water hazard, the safe play is centre of the green. www.sentosagolf.com
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INSTRUCTION
RESPECT THE DRAGON Koh Deng Shan Finding the fairway with the tee shot is of utmost importance. As Sock Hwee says, you can try and carry the bunker, which is doable for the big hitters playing from the blue and white tees. Your reward for doing so is a shorter club into the tricky green. A good spot to aim at is the large Sentosa board in the distance. My preferred shot is to start the ball at the bunker and work it left to right to find the fairway.
Be aware that the further left you go, the greater the carry will need to be.
If you don’t find the centre of the green, which generally slopes front to back and left to right, the chances are you’ll need to call on your short game to get you out of trouble. There’s a bunker on the left and a runoff behind the green, so your touch will need to be very good.
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AGRONOMY CORNER
THE PERFECT SGC BUNKER Many of you will appreciate how the playing strategy of The Serapong largely revolves around the bunkers. Yes, it can be frustrating when they swallow the ball up, but how we all enjoy the challenge these beautiful traps present, forcing you to think through and strategize your next shot. Well, thanks to our golf agronomy team, they have a new intimidating look. The redesigned signature serratededge style will continue to define the personality and character of The Serapong. A lot of work goes into compacting the bunker faces, so we’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of how to enter and exit the bunkers to avoid causing damage, and to avoid affecting your fellow golfers’ playing experience.
even amount of sand throughout them to prevent false lips or uneven sand lines from forming. This allows for the bunkers to have consistent tension in terms of compaction. We can’t stress enough how important it is to avoid walking up and down the face of a bunker, something that will harm its compaction. Instead, please use the large, grassed noses to walk in and out. Compacting the bunker faces with plate compactors takes many hours. The team will tell you it’s a tedious process, but it’s crucial one because it allows the ball to bounce back to the
floor of the bunker. If disturbed, the face becomes soft and the chance of encountering a plugged ball increases — and no one wants one of those! During the pandemic we have been unable to use rakes. However, it’s not an excuse for golfers to walk up the face of the sand or to make no attempt to smooth your footprints using your feet. Finally, if you are playing from a greenside bunker, be sure to also tap any excess sand off your shoes before you walk on the green. Good etiquette will ensure everyone has a great day on the course.
Leave the bunker and course in a better shape than you found it!
Our bunkers are designed to have an
Do not walk up and down the face of a bunker Please use the large, grassed noses to walk in and out Always smooth over your footprints Always tap any excess sand off shoes before walking on the green
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18 Holes With…
ABDUL HADI In the next edition of 18 Holes with…we sat down with one of our sponsored professionals, Abdul Hadi, to discuss his ambitions for 2021, as well as who he thinks is the best player to ever grace the game of golf… How old were you when you started playing golf? 3 years old Who has been your greatest influence on your golf? Ben Hogan What is your best ever round of golf and where was it? During a tournament in Indonesia Which rule would you abolish or amend? Dropping the ball in a bunker. I wish we could place it instead Which sport, other than golf, would you most like to have a career in? Tennis What is your favourite Major championship and why? Masters! I love the excitement that comes during Masters week and also find it the most visually pleasing to watch on TV Who would make up your favourite fourball? Tiger Woods, Rafa Nadal, Michael Jordan Who is the greatest golfer of all time? Tiger Woods What’s your favourite club in the bag? My putter! Greatest moment in golf? Tiger’s comeback win at the 2019 Masters tournament. They could make a documentary on that!
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What is the best thing about being a golfer? The feeling you get when you are walking up to the green knowing you have a tap in for birdie Have you ever achieved a hole-inone? Twice! Do you have any other hobbies aside from golf? Playing soccer, tennis and working out at the gym Do you have any superstitions whilst on course? Nope! What is the greatest advice you have ever been given? The most important shot in golf is your next one What is your greatest achievement? Realizing my dream of turning professional and playing on tour How has Sentosa Golf Club helped in your career? Sentosa Golf Club have been so supportive over the years. Having had the chance to play, practice and prepare for events here at such world class facilities has helped me improve my game tremendously. I am so glad to be part of the SGC family now and am looking forward to getting to know everyone here What do you hope to achieve in 2021? Win some tournaments!
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BEVERAGE SPECIALS JAN/FEB 2021
WINE
WHISKY
Sentosa Golf Club Blanc Bordeaux Blend (Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadell) | 2017
$46.00
Sentosa Golf Club Rouge Bordeaux Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carmenère and Malbec) | 2017
$46.00
Sentosa Golf Club – Riedel Cabernet Tumbler The Cabernet glass is perfect for full-bodied, complex red wines that are high in tannin. The generous size of this glass allows the bouquet to develop fully, and smooths out the rough edges.
$75.00
Auchentoshan 18 Years and Three Wood Scotch whisky
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