17 minute read
GAME ON – SUSTAINABILITY GATHERS PACE
GAME ON!
Sustainability gathers pace
Not so long ago, sustainability, for many, would have been little more than a buzzword. However, sustainability in golf has evolved significantly over the last decade, as levels of awareness and urgency towards environmental and social issues have increased.
We’ve witnessed this first-hand at Sentosa Golf Club, of course. Last year, aided by GEO Foundation, we became the world’s first golf club to join the United Nation’s Sports for Climate Action Initiative — and our work with the international not-for profit, an organisation dedicated to advancing sustainability in and through golf, remains crucial. Jonathan Smith, Executive Director, GEO Foundation, is buoyed by what he has seen at Sentosa and across the wider industry. “There is evidence that sustainability is actually much more deeply connected to the overall efficiency, popularity and all-round success of golf facilities,” explains Smith, who also stresses why it’s so
SGA Juniors learning to fill in divots at Sentosa Golf Club
important for clubs around the world to implement sustainability strategies. Firstly, there’s the protection against pressures such as regulation and the cost of key resources like water and energy. Then there are the new opportunities it can offer, including golf course enhancements, investments and cost savings. On top of this, a club’s sustainability actions can boost its own profile and encourage a sense of achievement and pride within the community.
New Trends
At Sentosa, we realise the importance of communicating what we do not just with our Members, but also the wider community. Smith is hopeful that more clubs will follow suit in 2021, and he’s also excited to see how new trends will develop, such as the continuing drive for operational efficiencies, including further analysis of key expenditures such as water and energy. We’re proud to be a great leadership example, and we’re encouraged to learn of the rapid increase in the number of associations, tours, tournaments and facilities that are building climate action into their plans. It is also hoped that more organisations will target becoming
Golfers are encouraged to use water stations around the golf courses
Our work seeks to inspire, guide, recognise and promote both the concept and the reality of sustainable golf. We help our partners put together sustainable strategies, and then guide them in advocating more strongly for a more sustainable future for the sport; providing custom-built programmes that support new developments, existing facilities, and tournaments.
carbon neutral, which is something the GEO Foundation is helping SGC with.
For any golf club looking to start its sustainability journey in 2021, Smith has this advice: “We’d suggest the key players in the management team come together and start a simple assessment of where they are now — the best practices and projects they have in place,” says Smith. “The aim is to see sustainability become an integral part of the club impacting its decision making, operations and communications.”
Smith also expects more progress in naturalising courses in ways that enhance the landscape, and an acceleration of the drive to introduce renewables onto courses, clubhouses and maintenance facilities, plus a move towards more electric vehicles and machinery. These are all steps towards a bigger goal: impacting climate change – and Smith is optimistic that the golf industry can, and will, play a significant role. “Climate Change is a high profile and critical issue that affects everyone.”
A sustainable herb garden is one of the many initiatives SGC has implemented at the Club since the launch of #KeepItGreen in January 2018
SGC recently formed a partnership with international golf sustainability nonprofit, GEO Foundation, to help the Club pioneer new environmental initiatives
We were delighted to partner with the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) at the end of last year for Gotong Royong Day. The phrase from Indonesia translates into English as ‘communal helping of one another’. It involves the spirit of volunteerism and working together for the benefit of the people in the same community – and it proved to be a valuable experience for the junior golfers taking part. The Tanjong was used to produce a series of golf etiquette videos to educate all golfers in Singapore, and it was a keen group of young golfers from the SGA who led the way filling divots and repairing ball marks. It wasn’t all work, though, as they ended the day playing a six-hole round.
It was the first time the SGA had done a Gotong Royong with the juniors, and it helped them to learn the importance of looking after the golf course. Other important topics were also covered, including how to rake a bunker, pace of play, and respecting nature.
SGA Juniors partaking in a Gotong Royong Day at Sentosa Golf Club
5 ‘R’s OF GOLF
REPLACE
all divots with sand after hitting the shot
RAKE
the bunkers
REPAIR
pitch marks on the greens
RESPECT
the course by not littering
REPEAT
the above steps throughout the duration of their round
Sentosa Golf Club has further enhanced our sustainability credentials by entering into a three-year cooperation agreement with Porsche Asia Pacific Pte Ltd and Stuttgart Auto Pte Ltd to set up five charging stations for plugin hybrids and electric vehicles at the club.
ISLAND WAIVER FEE EXTENDED
We’re pleased to inform you that Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) will extend the waiver of island admission fees for all guests until 31 March 2021. Free admission will apply via Sentosa Express (via VivoCity Station), and for those travelling by car through all gantries at the Sentosa Gateway. Existing ways to enter Sentosa for free will also continue to be in place, including via the Sentosa Boardwalk, SBS Transit’s Service 123 (distancebased bus fare applies), as well as through cycling.
FREE ISLAND FUN PASS
You don’t need us to remind you just how much there is to enjoy on Sentosa: theme parks, HydroDash, Madame Tussauds, and lots, lots more. However, this is something we do want to draw your attention to! With your Sentosa FUN PASS, you can really make the most of your trip. To find out more, including details on how to register for your free 2x10 tokens, visit sentosa. com/en/deals/fun-pass – and be quick about it, because they’re valid until 31 March 2021. Your cable car awaits! Not good with heights? Cruise the sunny shores and explore the island on a Segway… it’s all great fun no matter what mode of transport you take.
BEACH RESERVATIONS… WHY STAND IN LINE WHEN YOU CAN…
Book online! Every second of relaxation counts – and you don’t want to be wasting time waiting in a queue. So, reserve your entry to any of the beaches at Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong before your visit. Simply go to sentosa. com.sg/beachreservations, where you can choose your preferred beach zone or beach court and select a date and time slot (8am-1pm or 2pm-7pm)* . You’ll receive a confirmation email, which you’ll need to take to one of the three designated beach entry kiosks in order to collect your wristband. Not only does this new system give you more time to enjoy on the beach, but it will reduce queues and facilitate safe distancing.
*Beach booking is required only during peak periods (Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays).
LIGHTING THE ISLAND BLUE
To celebrate Singapore World Water Day (SWWD), we’ll be lighting up the clubhouse front facade a brilliant blue in March. Organised by the Public Utilities Board (Singapore’s National water agency), SWWD encourages everyone to better appreciate our water resources – and the aim of ‘blue light up’ is to engage with the community in a different way. Sentosa Island will be participating on 20-22 March (7pm11pm) and 13-14 March, with Sentosa Causeway tower lights and Mt Faber (by One Faber Group) also planning a celebratory colour change.
SANSAI TAKIAWASE
HOTARU IKA SUMISO
SUSHI KONDO
PROMOTIONS
KOMOCHI YARI IKA
RULES FOCUS
Use of trolleys
We’d like to remind golfers to check the right of way when crossing golf holes; this is as much about respecting your fellow players as it is avoiding the dangerous situation of straying into flying golf balls! To clarify, you are allowed to pull your trolley across the fairways. Please park them in a location that allows you access to the greens and tees, but never on these surfaces.
1. I like to start off by warming up my chipping action. You needn’t have too much of a goal at this stage; rather it’s about feeling the ball off the clubface and getting that touch going.
2. I’ll then target a certain pin, so I’m now really working on a goal – which is to get up-and-down.
3. Next, I move onto my bunker play, where a key focus for me is checking my basics – a crucial part of which is alignment.
4. I finish with some putts. Initially, I practice my stroke, and much like with chipping, I’m just observing and getting a feel for how my clubface moves through impact.
5. I’ll then calibrate my green reading, and work on matching pace and line – so I’ll locate a few different putts with left-to-right and right-to-left breaks.
6. To get my speed spot on, I’ll then hit some lag putts.
7. Finally, I’ll knock some short putts in, so I can hear the ball dropping into the cup. It’s a nice way to end and gives you a confidence boost before you tee off.
Out of bounds
Please note that the 14th fairway of The Tanjong from the 13th tee is out of bounds. This is for safety reasons, and it’s the same case with the 7th fairway from the 3rd tee on The Serapong (also out of bounds).
<<< HOLE 13
OUT OF BOUNDS
HOLE 14 >>>
INSTRUCTION
SHORT GAME TIPS
You’ll be only too aware that a surgeon’s touch is required to score well around our two courses. Here, our very own 15-year-old sponsored amateur, Brayden Lee, shares his seven-stage warm-up routine, designed to get your short game razor sharp…
USING THE SHORT GAME AREA
The short game area (at the lower practice range) has recently reopened after a period of closure for safe management reasons. This area is a short buggy ride from the clubhouse and its continued use during Phase 3 will require the full co-operation of Members. Both the practice range and short game area are closed on Monday. Please also note the following:
Pre-bookings are required
The Club has started to allow pre-bookings for eight concurrent Members to use the short game area. There are two time slots available daily for the use of this area to prevent potential overcrowding: morning 9.30am-11am (earliest check-in 9.15am, latest check-out 11.30am); afternoon 2.30pm-4.30pm (earliest check-in 2.15pm, latest check-out 5pm).
Making a booking
Members may call 6275 0022, 6373 7128 or 6373 7131 (9am to 5pm) to make a reservation one day prior to practice. Members can book one short game area slot each day. Phone bookings are accepted on a first-come-first served basis, but priority shall be given to those without golf or practice range bookings on the day of practice or play. A fee of $50 will be charged for no-shows or non check-ins at the golf reception.
When arriving
All golfers must complete their SafeEntry and TraceTogether check-in at the single entry point located at the main lobby. Members with short game area bookings must check in at the golf reception and collect a buggy card. Please claim a golf cart at the staging area and proceed to the short game area. Finally, we ask that you don’t drive your vehicle to get the short game area and park there.
Thank you for your co-operation.
AGRONOMY CORNER
HOW TO… RAKE A BUNKER
In the last issue, we gave an insight into all the hard work that goes into designing and creating our signature bunkers; it’s an arduous task, but one our Golf Agronomy team carries out with great diligence to ensure they have the same consistency throughout the two golf courses. The redesigned serrated edges are a thing of beauty, too, and take hours of work to perfect — and we all want to keep them that way.
So proud we are of our bunkers — and we do hope you’ve taken the time to have a good look — that we would like to remind everyone of the correct procedure for raking the sand.
It’s easy to forget what you should and shouldn’t do, especially when you’re focused on your game, and even those who have been playing the game for many years can get into one or two bad habits. So, please take a moment to refresh yourself with the following six-step guide…
1Enter and exit on the low side of a bunker. Please use the large, grassed noses to walk in and out, and not the bunker faces
2Rake your way out of the floor — with teeth facing down
3You can use either side of the rake head to smooth the perimeter of the bunker where you enter and exit
4When raking near the edge of a bunker, do not pull sand out of the bunker into the grass 5 As you are exiting the bunker, use your club to knock sand off the bottom of your shoes. Walking across the green after hitting a bunker shot can leave sandy footprints that cause playability issues for other golfers and may even damage expensive maintenance equipment
6Replace your rake outside the bunker in a location where it easily accessible by others and not likely to have a negative impact on play
Adhering to the correct procedure won’t just put a smile of the face of the greenkeepers, but your fellow golfers, too. Use good etiquette to help ensure everyone has a great day on the course. After all, there’s nothing worse than finding your ball in a footprint — bunker play is hard enough!
18 Holes With… ANDRE HOEDEN
In the latest edition of 18 Holes With…we sat down with one of Singapore’s most renowned DJ’s, Kiss 92FM's Andre Hoeden, to discuss his love for golf and his thoughts on the newly renovated Serapong Course…
How old were you when you started playing golf?
I was about 14 when I first had a 7-iron in my hands and attempted to hit a golf ball. Boy was it painful!
What is your best ever round of golf and where was it?
78, with help of the wind, off the whites, at Echo Falls in Washington State!
Which rule would you abolish or amend?
Any rule that penalizes the golfer for involuntary movement of the golf ball with no discernable advantage.
What is your favourite Major championship and why?
I love them all! The majors are like your kids, you have to love them all.
What is the best golf tournament you have ever watched, either live or on TV?
Any tournament with Tiger playing, he’s the reason I started playing golf!
Which three players would make up your dream fourball?
Tiger, Charlie (his son) and Matthew (my son).
What is the best shot you have ever hit?
I cannot remember the best shot, but my worst shot was when I hit a bird at the driving range!
What is your favourite club in the bag and why?
My new TaylorMade Sim2 Max driver, it keeps me ahead of my flight. Any new golf technology that helps make this crazy game easier!
What is your greatest moment in golf?
When I won my first tournament as a newbie golfer! I played 104 and it was at Palm Spring Golf & Country Club in Batam. I will never forget my first trophy.
Have you ever achieved a hole-inone?
Not that lucky! Close but no cigar, about 2cm from the hole at Collier Park Golf in Perth.
Do you have any superstitions whilst on course?
Of course! A real but silly one is I never drink 100 Plus when playing golf, I fear my score will run into the hundreds!
What is the greatest golf tip you have ever been given?
Enjoy your game and it is best played with a beer, surrounded by your best golf kakis.
What about playing The Serapong do you enjoy most?
I enjoy everything about The Serapong, it is the pride of the nation! The SGC team takes so much pride in every little detail. Every golfer feels special playing on such a pristine playground.
What is your favourite hole on The Serapong?
Hole #4 is definitely up there as a favourite. Par 5s are always exciting as it is only right to dream about an eagle. When I see water, I get excited knowing I have to cross it. I love the challenge!
What do you think of the newly renovated Serapong Course?
I still cannot believe how “true” the greens played. Unbelievably smooth, quick and well maintained. The bunkers are amazing too!
Where does The Serapong rank in your list of favourite courses?
It is right on top! I love the challenge it presents, and it humbles me every time I play there. The Serapong keeps me coming back.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
Peter Min (right) with his family
WE MEET NEW MEMBER…
PETER JAE SUN MIN
Name
Peter Min
Occupation
Private Equity at CLSA Capital Partners
Why did you become a member at SGC?
Recently picked up golf again and after playing at different courses around Singapore, the decision was easy as Sentosa Golf Club has great course conditions and most of all friendly staff and marshals
Favourite thing to do in Singapore?
Golf, tennis, eating, and drinking
Favourite thing about Golf?
The minute you feel you’ve figured it out, the game humbles you again
NEW MEMBERS FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2020 & JANUARY 2021
ORDINARY MEMBER
1. Mdm Dewi Sri Wardani 2. Mr Hiroaki Yasui 3. Mr Husodo Angkosubroto @ Go Tiong Heuw 4. Mr Ong Jen Yaw 5. Mr Pang Wing Hey 6. Mr Peter Jae Sun Min 7. Mr Wang Yang 8. Mr Yu Wen Lang
CORPORATE MEMBER
1. Cariflex Pte Ltd 2. Dream International SG Pte Ltd 3. E1 Corporation Singapore Branch 4. Space Investment Pte Ltd
CORPORATE NOMINEE
1. Mdm Choi You Jin 2. Mdm Hong Joo Hyun 3. Mr Cha Donghoon 4. Mr Choi Kyoo Yoon 5. Mr Goh Choo Kian 6. Mr Kim Cheol Woong 7. Mr Lee Sooi Chuen Philip 8. Mr Masahiro Kikuchi 9. Mr Park Jeonghwa 10. Mr Prakash Kolluri 11. Mr Ranobir Mukherji 12. Mr Ryo Kishimoto 13. Mr Ryu Sang Woo 14. Mr Suh Jung Keun 15. Mr Tan Bing Sing 16. Mr Toru Kobayashi 17. Mr Yoshihiro Otsuki 18. Mr Yosuke Hamasaki 19. Mr Yang Xinping
TERM MEMBER
1. Mr Andrew Eric Hartley 2. Mr Benjamin John Sheridan 3. Mr Chang Neng Chao 4. Mr Hisaki Endo 5. Mr Kim Sang Rok 6. Mr Lau Wing Hung Johnny 7. Mr Olivier Pierre Destandau 8. Mr Pierre Andre Genillard 9. Mr Sudarshan Venu 10. Mr Wang Bin 11. Mr Yutaka Sugimura
