RAFFLES COUNTRY CLUB NEWSLETTER | March - April 2016
Raffles Country Club Singapore www.rcc.org.sg
Vol
35
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
s t n e t n o C
GENERAL COMMITTEE President Dr Daniel Goh Vice President Tony Jiang
Snapshots Members' Survey
8 10
FOOD & BEVERAGE Golfers' Terrace: Members' Review 11 Food and Beverage, An Update
Travelogue: Hainan Dunes Challenge 2015 with a Difference
15
Treasurer Henry Kwok
38
Uncovering the Secret of Turning Back Time
40
Exciting New Products
42
12
EVENTS Countdown Party
Captain Patrick Low
LIFESTYLE
CLUB NEWS
FACILITIES
Secretary John Goh Chairman, Food & Beverage Tony Jiang Chairman, Golfing & Greens Patrick Low Chairman, Communications & Marketing Alex Eow Chairman, Lifestyle & Social Yong Kah Teck
ADT Course Preparation
44
Care for Your Course
45
Chairman, Discipline & Lady Captain Cheong Yoke Keng Chairman, Facilities & Estate Hoe Boon Leong Deputy Chairman, Finance & Establishment Ronald Pereira
GOLF Monthly Medal & HIO
16
MANAGEMENT
RCC Champion Medalist 2015
20
General Manager Richard Foo richard.foo@rcc.org.sg 6864 0889
Much to Learn from Jordan Spieth 21 X'mas Golf Competition:
22
Chairman's Trophy:
24
Don't Come Up Short
26
USGA Handicapping System
27
It's a Gentleman's Game
28
Asian Development Tour
30
38
Finance Manager Anthony Low anthony.low@rcc.org.sg 6864 0828 Course Superintendent Christine Chung christine.chungbhivat@rcc.org.sg 6861 2725
42
F&B/Lifestyle Manager Cristo Fong cristo.fong@rcc.org.sg 6864 0863
RCC's Achievement at ADT Pro-Am 32 The Life of An Emerging Pro
33
What the Pros Have to Say about Palm
34
The Grand Old Dame Still Delivers
37
Golfing Operations Manager Dennis Ee dennis.ee@rcc.org.sg 6864 0836
44
Sales & Marketing/ Communications Manager Joanne Ng joanne.ng@rcc.org.sg 6864 0838 Facilities Manager Kevin Kwan kevin.kwan@rcc.org.sg 6864 0883
EDITORIAL BOARD Raffles Connection is published by: Raffles Country Club, 450 Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim, Singapore 639932 l www.rcc.org.sg MCI (P) 173/04/2015 For Advertising and Magazine Enquiries, please contact Sales & Marketing/Communications Manager Joanne Ng: joanne.ng@rcc.org.sg/ 6864 0838 All information and dates are correct at time of printing. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.
Chairman Alex Eow Vice Chairman Ven Sreenivasan Committee Members Justine Moss Richard Foo Joanne Ng Relle Lee
RCD AD
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
s ' t n e d i s e r P Message I hope everyone enjoyed the festive season and you are now looking forward to another exciting new year. The koi fish feeding initiative has met with good response and it has become an added new attraction at the Atrium. Members do not have to worry about over-feeding the koi fish because we set a daily quota to prevent this from happening. Don't be disappointed when the fish food runs out as there is always another day. Our Grand Old Dame, the Palm Course, hosted the inaugural Players Championship tournament in Singapore, organised by the Asian Development Tour. The tournament occupied Palm from 18 to 23 January 2016 and brought pride and renewed excitement to the Club. The tournament showed everyone that Palm is still in credible condition and very playable. I hope members can agree and appreciate that such a tournament can bring pride and add value to the Club. I am sure everyone can also appreciate the amount of work that has been put in to make Palm and the Club tournament ready and, thereafter, playing the good host throughout the tournament. This was made possible through the combined efforts of our Course Maintenance team, Golfing Operations team and Food & Beverage team. I would like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to Team RCC for making this possible and making us proud. The GC and Sub-committee members were invited to the opening of Fukuya Japanese Restaurant on 27 January 2016. Fukuya is located at the old Raffles Lounge next to Fu Lin Men on Level Two. I am happy to see that Passion Group has transformed the lounge into a classy Japanese restaurant; especially the incorporation of a private dining area that offers a panoramic view of the golf course, reservoir and Atrium, which was formerly the old corridor area. Members and guests can now enjoy excellent Japanese cuisine at the Club! We did a quiet membership launch of the Transferable Golf Membership and Transferable Weekday Golfing Member on 16 January 2016. This was intentional as we wanted to test the market on our newly created Transferable Weekday Golfing Membership. Our real push will come after we have heard from the URA and the need for the Club to raise capital for various re-developments and upgrading.
Dr Daniel Goh President
We have to date recruited
16 NEW GOLFING MEMBERS and 27 WEEKDAY GOLFING MEMBERS. This gives us a net cash inflow of $952,000 and an additional annual subscription of $59,000.
The response is encouraging. We have to date recruited 16 new Golfing Members and 27 Weekday Golfing Members. This gives us a net cash inflow of $952,000 and an additional annual subscription of $59,000. More importantly, it shows that there is a demand for Weekday Golfing Membership and this will help increase our weekday slot utilisation. Time flies and the current GC term ends in September this year. I have asked all the Sub-committees to map out what they plan to achieve for the remaining period and be prepared for proper handing over where necessary.
3
y r a n i l p i c s i rman of D
Chai
Message
’s
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
In the span of one and half years, we, the DSC (Disciplinary Sub-Committee), have heard five cases during our term of duty. All of the five cases were for Dangerous Play situations. The offenders were meted with penalties through due process. There were also two incidents of infringement of Bye-Laws where written advisories were served. Some cases were mediated and where prompt sincere apologies from the errant party saved the day. The Club Bye-Laws are set upon us with the overriding objective of safeguarding the enjoyment of its members. The Golf Bye-Laws are constructed to encourage good etiquette, congeniality, safety and orderly pace of play, to enable members to have pleasant rounds of golf. Let us be mindful that we are sharing our golf courses with other participants of the sport and please be patient and be situationally aware whilst on the courses. Here are two Bye-Laws that are often dealt with in our case hearings:
Cheong Yoke Keng Chairman of Disciplinary Sub-Committee
Ref 3.3 under Etiquette of Golf of RCC Golfing Bye-Laws: All players shall exercise extra care on safety first on the course and shall not play till the players in front are clearly out of range. Ref 14.2 under General Play of RCC Golfing Bye-Laws: Players who indulge in dangerous play; who persistently refuse to let faster players overtake despite being slow and when permission is sought; or conduct themselves in any manner unbecoming of a member may be subject to disciplinary action.. For the most of us, golf is filled with numerous challenges. Hence, let us afford ourselves and others more leeway when taking our next shot and whilst waiting at the tee box. Courtesy begets courtesy; and patience is indeed a virtue. At your next golf game, exercise more patience, and you will be surprised by how much more you can enjoy your game. With that, my committee and I wish all fellow members many wonderful golf games ahead.
For the most of us,
GOLF IS FILLED WITH NUMEROUS CHALLENGES.
Hence, let us afford ourselves and others more leeway when taking our next shot and whilst waiting at the tee box.
COURTESY BEGETS COURTESY; AND PATIENCE IS INDEED A VIRTUE.
5
s ’ r e g a n a General M
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
Message
First of all, on behalf of my colleagues, I would like to extend our sincerest Appreciation & Thanks to all our members for their generous Ang Pow contribution toward the 2016 Lunar New Year. It has certainly warmed the hearts and brought a “Smile” to my team members to know that you Care and we certainly look forward to another great year in serving you! “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” - Mother Theresa Trailing the 2015 member’s satisfaction survey and the URA announcement in July 2015, our Course Maintenance team has intensified its efforts with priority on improving the quality of green surfaces and green surrounds with periodic rounds of cultural practices and aeration works. This is to improve turf density and playability such as trueness and green speed. Testing of soil nutrient levels and early disease detection are being carried out more frequently to accurately determine the curative and disease preventive measures essential for a robust green maintenance programme. To-date, a total of 25 tee-boxes have been renovated, including 20,000 sq. m of turf utilized on re-turfing works to control cow grass population on affected areas. On Bunker management, the bunkers were filled and compacted with 80 tons of sand to optimal play level. Landscape management has witnessed over 500 trees being pruned to improve the visibility and aesthetics, and the penetration of sunlight to nurse the grow-in of transplanted turf on previously bare and unplayable ground filled with fallen leaves beneath low lying branches. Similarly, overgrown scrubs, planters and aquatic plants covering the water surface have been removed from various affected ponds to beautify the area and improve the water quality. Drainage improvement work particularly in Palm Course was intensified to alleviate sogginess on
sensitive play areas such as the green approaches and green surrounds. And, the Club has approved the purchase of a new irrigation pump at the Palm Course and is scheduled to be installed in April 2016 to significantly help to minimize new leakage to the aged irrigation pipelines due to wear and tear over the years. As you are aware, our Course maintenance programme was put to the test at the recent inaugural ADT Players Championship organized by the Asian Development Tour at the Palm Course. The Palm is affectionately known as the “Grand Old Dame” for being the oldest championship course in Singapore to have yet to undergo any major redevelopment. She has once again delivered her charm in fine form and much to the delight of ADT players and invited guests at the Pro-Am; which has certainly made all of us proud at Raffles. The Palm now eagerly awaits a major rejuvenation and makeover pending the URA’s announcement which is expected by the end of 2016. On the F&B front, the new menu at the GT will excite our discerning golfers and diners alike with the third revision of A La Carte selection to refresh the taste buds and palates of our regulars to make sure that they get new choices and variety. The Daily Lunch Specials with actual menu display were reintroduced to ensure efficient order taking, and fast-to-prepare menus without compromise on quality and taste to meet the turn-around and service times. The Lakefront F&B premises leased to the Passion Group, which currently operates the Fu Lin Men Chinese Restaurant and the recently opened Fukuya Japanese Restaurant, shall commence renovation from March 2016. For a more comprehensive update on the F&B development and its challenges and work-in-progress, please read the insightful article written by Mr Tony Jiang, Chairman of the Food & Beverage Sub-Committee.
Richard Foo General Manager
Every time you smile at someone, IT IS
AN ACTION OF LOVE, A GIFT TO THAT PERSON, a beautiful thing. – Mother Theresa
Accompanying this edition of the Newsletter, you will find a copy of the 2016 Member’s Satisfaction Survey questionnaire. This will allow the Club to assess the progress and improvements made over the last year, and what you would like the General Committee and management to address going forward to better serve your needs and expectations as stakeholders, and to position the Club in good stead. Please take 10 minutes of your time to contribute to this worthy survey, and stand a chance to win attractive lucky draw prizes. Have a Happy & Blessed Easter Holiday, and see you at the Club soon!
7
Snapsh ts
Fukuya Japanese Restaurant Grand Ope Konnichiwa!
Quarterly Fishing: 14 December’15 AHOY MONSTER FISH! Look what our experienced anglers fished up! The 14 December 2015 Quarterly Fishing at Palm saw a turnout of 52 participants. Basking under the hot sun and sweltering in the humid weather, the patient fishing enthusiasts waited for hours for that elusive catch – for some, their patience paid off! The biggest catch of the day weighed a hefty 20kg! Congratulations to those who were rewarded with a big catch and a big THANK YOU to all who participated!
Craving for some fresh salmon or sushi? Fuk Japanese Restaurant by Passion Group is n open for business! During its grand opening 27 Jan 2016, the General Committee and S Committee members were treated to a select of delectable Japanese dishes.
Do drop by Fukuya for some fresh seafo specially air-flown all the way from Japan, they serve some top-notch Japanese delicac Call 6897 1990 for your reservation now!
The Money People Establishment & Finance Sub-Committee (EFSC) & Staff 2016 From Left to Right: Koh Yau Chai (SC member), Peter Tan (SC member), Eric Ng (SC member), Henry Kwok (Chairman of EFSC), Ronald Pereira (Deputy Chairman of EFSC) and Anthony Low (Finance & Admin Manager)
Where all the FUN begins! Lifestyle & Social Sub-Committee (LSSC) & Staff 2016 From Left to Right: Cristo Fong (F&B & Lifestyle Manager), Jacob Tay (SC member), Lee Yuke Lan (SC member), Yong Kah Teck (Chairman of LSSC), Chris Chia (SC member), Cassandra How (SC member), Kelvin Teo (SC member) and Joeness Lamban (Lifestyle Executive)
8
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
CLUB NEWS
The Sunday Times: Itthipat wins Players Championship “Itthipat wins his second Asian Development Tour career title at Raffles Country Club”
ening
kuya now g on Subtion
ood , as cies!
Ladies Christmas Competition – 16 Dec 2015 It was the Season for Giving and one of our enthusiastic and dedicated member, Ms Cindy Tan, did just that! Giving her best and all to plan a fun-filled Ladies Christmas Competition for her golf kakis, she organised one of the most successful Ladies Christmas game thus far! Hooray for Cindy! Complete with dinner and prizes, the participants had a whale of a time the entire day! It was indeed a memorable Christmas for all!
9
e g a r e v e B Food &
Golfers' Terrace: Members' Review It has been eight months since the takeover of Golfers’ Terrace (GT), so RCC’s Communications team hit the most-frequented F&B outlet at the Club to find out members’ reviews of its food and service quality. Has the food quality at GT improved? Ong Say Kim (OSK): I would say that it has improved by a lot in terms of both quality and quantity. I now have something to look forward to after a game, not like before when I wasn’t keen to invite my friends to join me for lunch. I am now proud to introduce them to our GT. All in all, I would say that GT’s food is now both delicious and good value for money. Oh and did I say that the service has also improved? The staff are now more attentive and helpful, especially since they are no longer confined to performing only one task, making service much more efficient! Perhaps an area that could be further improved would be the desserts. I would definitely appreciate more variety and perhaps a little price adjustment? Ng Choong (NC): It’s much better than before, and is now worth recommending to friends. It’s not only the ‘Wok Hei’ that makes the difference, but also the freshness of the ingredients.
Mr Ong Say Khim Membership No. 12
080
In my opinion, our GT has set a standard that cannot be easily found at other F&B outlets. It is definitely a huge achievement by our F&B staff!
Do you have a favourite dish at GT? If so, which is it? OSK: Definitely! I love the Seafood hor fun because the ‘Wok Hei’ is there. There are not many cooks out there who can bring this taste out, and I’m talking about even some Zi char stalls out there. Another thing that I really appreciate is the flexibility of ordering now. On some days when I don’t feel like having hor fun, I request to have it changed to bee hoon and the staff are really accommodating! Two thumbs up! NC: It’s really any dishes with seafood! The ingredients you get in the various dishes is so fresh now that it enhances the entire dish. Two thumbs up!
10
Mr Ng Choong
Membership No . 12269
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
s w e N b Clu RCC Membe rs’ Satisfaction Survey 201 6 – We Want To Hear From Y ou!
a Claude lf e s r u o y Win 1027, $ h t r o w h c t Bernard wa rizes! p e iv t c a r t t and other a
F
ollowing up from last year’s survey that was initiated in January 2015, we are once again conducting another members’ satisfaction survey. This time round, last year’s survey results will set the benchmark for this year’s results; to see how we have fared and the improvements we have made. Enclosed in this issue of Raffles Connection, you will find a copy of the survey form. Members are requested to spend a few minutes of their time to complete the form and return it to the golf reception by hand during operating hours: 7am – 6.30pm daily. Alternatively, you can scan the form and send it back to us at: feedback@ rcc.org.sg. Survey forms must reach us latest by 31 March 2016.
During weekends, staff will be on hand to assist you to complete your survey forms. So look out for our friendly staff! We continuously strive to give quality service to our members and your feedback will enable us to make improvements. In turn, this will make RCC a better place for all to enjoy! In order to attract as many respondents as we can, we have a total of 36 very attractive lucky draw prizes to be won! Our top prizes are two Claude Bernard watches worth $1027 each! Winners of the lucky draw will be notified by email latest 15 April 2016. Those without emails will be notified by phone. Names of the winners will also be published in the May/June Raffles Connection..
LUCKY DRAW PRIZES You may just win yourself one of the following! 2 Claude Bernard watches, 10 boxes of Srixon Soft Feel golf balls, 10 boxes of Srixon AD333, 6 PG sling bags, 2 Callaway golf bags, 1 Odyssey putter, 2 JL caps, 2 pairs of Bliz sunglasses and 1 Callaway cap.
How to get a copy of the SURVEY FORM? 1. A copy is enclosed with this newsletter. 2. A soft copy can be found on RCC website at www.rcc.org.sg. 3. An online form will go out with the 4 March 2016 e-blast, Raffles News Flash. 4. A copy can be obtained at the Golf Reception and Golfers’ Terrace.
CLOSING DATE: 31 MARCH 2016 11
Food & Beverage, An Update
n, Food & Tony Jiang, Chairma ittee mm Co bSu e rag ve Be
We welcome all feedback,
BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ONES, and it is the
negative ones that tell us more of WHAT
WE NEED TO WORK ON.
12
S
By Tony Jiang, Chairman, Food & Beverage Sub-Committee
even months have gone by since I last wrote about the F&B scene in RCC in this publication.
We now have both the Chinese restaurant, Fu Lin Men, which has been operating since late September 2015, and we just saw our Japanese restaurant, Fukuya, open its doors for business in late January 2016. This coming April, the Lakefront will see a Halal-certified Western restaurant to give members more choices in terms of dining experience and food selection. For the first time in RCC’s history, this eatery will also cater to the dining needs of our Muslim staff and the community in our surrounding areas. Today, I want to spend a little more time updating fellow members on the ongoing plans ahead for the Golfers’ Terrace (GT). The primary role of the GT is to provide decent food, which most members can enjoy, served by staff with a smile on their faces. Playing the supporting role to golfing, GT is not a profit centre. Prices are and will continue to be reasonable. We will continue to source for and use quality ingredients to prepare the food we serve. This is still a work in progress. We are not quite there yet; but slowly and surely we will get there. This Food & Beverage Sub-Committee takes a strategic view, looking way ahead to help the Management build a strong team and continue to review our processes and supply chain. This is where members play a critical role with their feedback. We welcome all feedback, both positive and negative ones and it is the negative ones that tell us more of what we need to work on. Ultimately, food is a matter of individual taste and preference. We cannot satisfy all the discerning needs of each and every diner but we can certainly learn
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
FOOD & BEVERAGE
and endeavour to meet as many of their needs as we can. Such are the challenges of a club with regular diners. When we decided to operate the GT on our own, we engaged the award-winning Chef Lim Kong Nam to help us set up the GT kitchen. Chef Lim and his team have given us a professionally set-up kitchen with procedures in place for us to bring it to new heights. Chef Lim's strength is in western cuisine and while his offerings are well-liked by most of our members, western food is not what members consume on a regular basis at the GT. Food costs for western cuisine are also generally higher and even at very low margins, the selling price for such dishes is generally much higher than local food. Having set-up the kitchen, Chef Lim understood the need for major changes to the menu to include more local dishes, thus he offered to step down to make way for a chef with extensive Asian cuisine experience to head the kitchen team. After Chef Alvin Yap took over at the GT Kitchen, movement of staff in the kitchen was expected as each chef has his own working team. The Club once again went on a recruitment drive for cooks but this time round we were more focused on selecting people, whom in our judgment, can be part of the team instead of just possessing raw good cooking skills. We realised that it is teamwork that produces a functional kitchen capable of meeting changing demands. This takes a little longer and initially we were down in numbers for a while in the kitchen, hence there were some delays in meeting orders during peak periods like lunchtime and course closures due to inclement weather. For this we sincerely apologise to our members and thank everyone for their patience. With a working team currently in place, we are not exactly there yet but we are good to go for now. We can now focus on menu selection and work on quality and above all, consistency of the product to be delivered. Our current focus is on the supply chain,
selecting the best raw materials that can be delivered, more often reducing frozen foodstuffs where possible. Also managing supply risk and product quality to ensure we get maximum value for our money spent. To this end, we have also installed a walk-in chiller instead of relying on stand-alone chillers and freezers.
A HALAL-CERTIFIED WESTERN RESTAURANT … This coming April…
For the first time in RCC, this eatery will also CATER TO the dining needs of OUR MUSLIM
STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY in our surrounding areas.
Since July 2015, when we commenced self-operations of the GT, we had our ups and downs; but generally, feedback from members was encouraging and it showed improvements to both the food served and service delivered. We did and still, to a lesser extent, faced consistency issues. This we are aware of and working hard to improve upon; and of late, with some success, if I may add. Variety is still a little lacking, especially with dessert, and we are currently working on this. There are also minor skill mismatches in this area and steps are being taken to mitigate this shortfall. For those who support our weekend lunch buffet, you may notice some changes to the menu items as we are using these buffets to test the popularity and acceptance of new dishes before we put them on our regular menu. We are now working on achieving four sets of "menus".
These are our normal A La Carte, where the food is expected to take a little longer to prepare, a Daily Special, which provides a selection of fast-toprepare popular local favorites, Quickturn-around snacks and post-lunch to evening Zhi Char menu. For our beerdrinking community, we are coming up with more appropriate finger-food items to complement their favourite ‘thirst-quenchers’. The Club is currently in advanced negotiation with our beer supplier to get us a much better deal than what we are having now. When this is completed and a new contract in place, we will be able to offer our members a better deal than what we are offering today. All this sounds rosy and it would not be complete if I do not do share with you some of the risks and potential problems associated with operating the GT. Kitchen aside, currently our pay scale for service staff has not been revised for a long time and it is on the low end as compared to similar offerings in town. Having no real catchment close by where we can tap on for such staff, we are really competing for such service staff nationwide. We constantly face replacement problems and we see a high level of risk losing our trained staff. Replacement recruitment also eats into our costs as well as the initial productivity upon recruitment, also known as the ‘learning curve’. The Club is currently taking a very serious look at our offerings to our service staff with the view to retain good ones so as to better serve our members. This, of course, will eat into our costs but on balance, it is something we need to pay greater attention to in order to reap the rewards. I end here with a huge ‘Thank You” to all who have been supporting the GT and providing us with very valuable feedback to help us improve and shape the GT that is truly yours. And with this, I thank you.
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Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
Events
Countdown Party 31 December 2015
Happy faces at the Countdown! It's THE Countdown Party!
Party Poppers released!
Rock it fellas!
All ready for the retro party! Chris, Cassandra and Kelvin in the house!
O
nce again it was the time of the year to bid farewell to the old year and usher in a brand new year! What better way is there to do this than with family, friends and loved ones!
Two hundred and twenty-seven people chose to do just that at the Raffles Country Club Countdown Party 2015 held at Stamford Suite. The group consisting of members and guests, turned up dressed to the theme, which was ‘Colourful Retro 80’s’. For those who had their dancing shoes on, the Stamford Suite had a dance floor installed specially for some serious partying! The night started with a welcome address from Club President, Dr Daniel Goh. When the dinner commenced, the party took off right away! There were fun games throughout the evening and there was also an Elvis Presley impersonator to entertain members and guests! The highlight of the evening’s programme was the lucky draw! The top three prizes for Members and Guests Only Category were LED televisions of various sizes: 40” (1st prize), 32” (2nd prize) and 32” (3rd prize). For the Members’ Only Category, 5 members went home with one unit of iPad Mini 4 each. The whole dancefloor was filled with happy faces in great anticipation as the countdown began. When the clock struck twelve, party poppers went off all around amidst loud cheers of “Happy New Year” and ‘Auld Lagne Syne” blared forth in the background. As everyone held hands and danced, here’s wishing everyone a very happy New Year and may your New Year be filled with happiness and love.
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Golf
Monthly
Medals
M
en A, B & C Division Results for the January Monthly Medal are not counted due to less than 75% of the golfers completed the game in each division.
January 2016 RESULTS ‘A’ DIV. LADIES JAN 2016 Saturday, 2 January 2016 Format : Strokeplay Palm Course Best Nett Denise Seow (1528002) 73 Nett
Ref. Rule 11-a of the Conditions of Competition Denise Seow
Best Gross Judy Quek Lee Tiam (13758) 92 Gross
‘B’ DIV. LADIES JAN 2016 Best Nett Tan Joo Ee (15517) 69 Nett
Tan Joo Ee
Hole In One
Achievers
Best Gross Linda Yeo (1435902) 93 Gross
See Sweh Yong Jackson (14592) Palm Hole 12, 105m, 13 December 2015
Tsen Chin Nyap (15907) Lake Hole 14, 140m, 26 December 2015
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Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
February 2016 RESULTS ‘A’ DIV. MEN’S FEB 2016 Saturday, 6 February 2016 Format : Stableford Lake Course
‘A’ DIV. LADIES JAN 2016
Winner Teo Keow Seng (14062) 41 Pts. 1st Runner-Up Samir Bedi (15998) 39 Pts. OCB 2nd Runner-Up Chua Teck Beng (15799) 39 Pts.
Teo Keow Seng
Saturday, 6 February 2016 Format : Stableford Winner Denise Seow (1528002) 40 Pts. Runner-Up Yang Mee Lan (13199) 33 Pts.
‘B’ DIV. MEN’S FEB 2016
Denise Seow
Winner Patrick Lye (15986) 43 Pts. 1st Runner-Up Yeo Bee Kheng (15108) 42 Pts 2nd Runner-Up Mark Oh (14228) 39 Pts OCB
Patrick Lye
‘B’ DIV. LADIES JAN 2016 Winner Irene Lye (1415202) 43 Pts. Runner-Up Ng Chiang Ling (15336) 36 Pts.
‘C’ DIV. MEN’S FEB 2016
Irene Lye
Winner Lee Thiam Seng (14192) 42 Pts. Runner-Up Huang Ching Lien (15587) 41Pts. OCB Lee Thiam Seng
Gu Shangli (16009) Lake Hole 02, 110m, 1 January 2016
Toshio Tsurugai (33283) Lake Hole 14, 140m, 9 January 2016
Jung Jaehun (31305) Lake Hole 02, 110m, 30 January 2016
Tan Boon Pin (12754) Lake Hole 08, 191m, 9 January 2016
Ng Teck Chuan Raymond (11529) Lake Hole 16, 129m, 30 January 2016
Oliver Thant Zin @ U Thant Zin (14560) Lake Hole 8, 148m, 10 February 2016
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Upcoming
Club
Competitions MARCH 2016 5 March 2016 March Monthly Medal (Palm AM & PM, Strokeplay) 14-16 March 2016 HSBC Youth Golf Challenge - Palm AM Timesheet 17-20 March 2016 RCC vs KLGCC Inter-Club Game (Away)
APRIL 2016 2 April 2016 April Monthly Medal in Conjunction with Prize Presentation (Lake PM, Stableford) 10 April 2016 SGA ICL (1st Leg) - RCC vs KeppelC at Sembawang Country Club 16 April 2016 KLGCC Golf Game (Lake PM) Ladies' Bogey Competition (Lake PM) 24 April 2016 SGA ICL (2nd Leg) - RCC vs Laguna at SICC - SembawangCC vs KeppelC at RCC Palm Course PM 18
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
Your G lf Calendar SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
2
3
4
5
8
9
10
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12
17
17-20 Mar
24
25
Palm Course Closed Whole Day
6
7
13
14-16 Mar
20
21
Private Game - Palm AM (36 pax)
Private Game - Palm PM )( 32 pax)
Lake Course Closed Whole Day Quarterly Fishing - Lake PM
Palm Clourse Closed Whole Day
Lake Course Closed AM Session Only
Lake Course Closed Private Game AM Session Only - Lake AM ( 90 pax)
Lake Course Closed AM Session Only
HSBC Youth Golf Challenge – Palm AM Timesheet Lake Course Closed Whole Day
22
Palm Clourse Closed Whole Day
23
Lake Course Closed AM Session Only
Private Game Lake PM (64 pax)
March Monthly Medal (Palm AM & PM, Strokeplay)
Private Game - Lake AM (40 pax)
RCC vs KLGCC Inter-Club Game (Away) Good Friday - Public Holiday)
26
Private Game - Lake PM (64 pax)
SGA ICL 2016,
Welcome Golf - Palm PM (72 pax)
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28
29
30
31
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Palm Clourse Closed Whole Day
Lake Course Closed Whole Day
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1
2
Lake Course Closed AM Session Only
April Monthly Medal In conjunction with
Prize Presentation (Lake PM, Stableford)
3
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SGA ICL (1st Leg) RCC vs KeppelC at Sembawang Country Club
SGA ICL (2nd Leg)
- RCC vs Laguna at SICC - SembawangCC vs KeppelC at RCC Palm Course PM
Lake Course Closed Whole Day
Palm Clourse Closed Whole Day
Lake Course Closed Whole Day
Palm Clourse Closed Whole Day
Palm Clourse Closed Whole Day
Lake Course Closed Whole Day
Palm Clourse Closed Whole Day
Lake Course Closed AM Session Only
Lake Course Closed AM Session Only
Private Game - Lake PM (Shotgun)
Lake Course Closed AM Session Only
Lake Course Closed Whole Day
Private Game - Lake PM (Shotgun)
Lake Course Closed KLGCC Golf Game AM Session Only (Lake PM) Private Game Ladies' Bogey - Lake PM Competition (Shotgun) (Lake PM)
Private Game - Lake PM (32 pax)
*Calendar is accurate as of 18 February 2016, and is subject to changes. Kindly refer to RCC website for latest event calendar. Private Competition
Course Closed
Club Competition/Event
Lifestyle
Public Holiday
19
Much to Learn from
Jordan Spieth
By Chris Marriott, RCC Resident PGA Professional
A
fter globe-trotting from the United States to compete in South Korea, China, Australia, the Bahamas, Hawaii and Abu Dhabi, the world’s no.1 golfer Jordan Spieth finally touched down on the shores of Singapore for last month’s long-awaited return of the country’s National Open. Whilst the world’s highest ranked golfer fell agonizingly short of claiming the SMBC Singapore Open title on his very first attempt, the 2nd place finish rounded off a very consistent and quite impressive run of golf across the globe, where Spieth claimed 2 victories, won The Presidents Cup with the United States team, recorded two 2nd place finishes and never finished worse than a tie for 7th place in 8 events played across 7 different countries. Spieth’s international success at just 22yrs of age in a sport where experience often prevails, has not been seen since a 21yr old Tiger Woods arrived on the scene in 1997, demolishing the field by 12 strokes to win The Masters. Over the years I have walked alongside several world number one players, from Norman, Faldo, Couples, Els and Woods in the 90’s through to McIlroy, Donald, Scott and Day in more recent times. I’ve had the privilege at times to be inside the ropes and the great fortune to actually play with some of these world-beaters! Last month I added another world no.1 to that list when I walked with Jordan Spieth as the superstar Texan took his very first look around the Serapong Course prior to the SMBC Singapore Open. Spieth has a star quality about him but not the intimidating stature or piercing glare of former number one’s Norman or Faldo. He was calm but not quite as ice-cool as Couples or Els. He struck his driver consistently down each fairway and long irons solidly into the greens but did not quite impress me as much with long clubs as McIlroy, Scott or Day. He appeared focused and modestly confident but did not have the intensity or incredible aura that surrounded Tiger Woods in his prime. What Spieth did possess however was a set of skills and attributes very rare and unique to a golfer in his early 20’s. He seemed very comfortable on a brutally demanding golf course with tee shots notorious for making the most experienced players feel uncomfortable. He almost appeared as if to relish the challenges he faced. He carefully plotted and charted his way around the Serapong Course like an experienced pilot negotiating a violent storm. He analyzed the landing areas, the swirling winds, the elevation changes, the grain and subtle undulations, forming a clear and calculated game plan and making notes along the way. His pre-shot routines were consistent and precise. Whenever slightly out of position, Spieth calmly assessed the situation, formed a new strategy then trusted his mental and technical skills to overcome the challenge and adversity. Spieth minimizes his mistakes on course, has incredible touch with the flat-stick, is an absolute wizard around the greens and to put it simply “a scoring machine”. Above all else, this 22yr old was extremely polite, respectful and appears very grateful for his current position in the world of golf. There is plenty we can all learn from watching how this young superstar goes about his business of playing the best golf he can. For all lesson enquiries, please email chris@academyofgolf.com.sg or call 9889 8600.
20
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
Champion Medalist 2015 (Replay Round) 30 January 2016
Denise Seow
Nelson Yeo
T
he Champion Medalist is one of the Club’s most prestigious and key annual golfing events, where the pool of participants is made up of the year’s Monthly Medal winners.
With the Replay Round set at the ever-challenging Palm, which recently hosted the inaugural Asian Development Tour’s Players Championship in January, the 2015 medal winners gathered excitedly on the tournament-ready course, all primed and ready for a showdown to bring home the coveted title of the Champion Medalist. After hours of keen golfing, together with well-honed skills and mental preparedness, we are pleased to announce the winners: RESULTS Format : Strokeplay | Palm Course MEN’s DIVISION CHAMPION : NELSON YEO (HI : 19.6) RUNNER-UP : HEW CHOW WAH (HI : 22.5)
70 Nett 71 Nett
LADIES DIVISION CHAMPION : DENISE SEOW (HI : 14.3) RUNNER-UP : TAN JOO EE (HI : 18.4)
74 Nett 76 Nett
Congratulations to both Nelson and Denise, and a huge pat on the back to everyone for a well-played game!
21
X'mas Competition 19 December 2015
Everyon e is
ready fo
r Christm
Merry Christmas everyone!
Time with family and friends is the best gift during Christmas!
T
Welcoming our all-female flight
he Club welcomed 120 members to Christmas wonderland in December!
The joyous event was blessed with perfect weather which was a stroke of luck during the wet weather season. At the fun-filled event, players came decked out in their favourite Christmas colours and accessories and made merry with Santa Claus and friends! To complete the theme, players went all out to decorate their buggies for the coveted best dressed player and best decorated buggy. Some players even went as far as to don the Santa Claus suit while playing the game!
The gentlemen looking chirpy with Santa
After a giggly and merry four hours, the game ended and players were invited to enjoy a warm and sumptuous dinner spread. With an entertaining live band, a crowd-engaging emcee and generous prizes, the day ended with satisfied members leaving the event in a jolly Christmas mood. RCC hopes that everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho!
22
Red Nose Alert! We've got a reindeer on the course!
a s!
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
X'mas Golf Competition 2015 Results Sat, 19 Dec 2015 / 2-ball scramble (Stableford) / Lake Course Winning Team
(Tea m Ha n dica p – 5) Se ba sti a n Son g & Shirle y Ta n 43 pts 2nd Team
(Tea m Ha n dica p – 7) Pa u l Li n Z ik a i & Ga ry Li n Z ise n g 42 pts (ocb)
Sebastian
Song & Sh
3rd Team
irley Tan
(Tea m Ha n dica p – 4) Fra n kie Y a p & Te o K e ow Se n g 42 pts (ocb) Best Dressed Golfer
Ch e on g Y o k e K e n g Paul Lin
& Ga r y
Lin
Best Deco Buggy Winners
L ad y C ap
Eddie Su a & Alla n Ta n
tain Cheo
ng Yoke K e ng
Best Deco Buggy Runner's-up
Pete r We e & Su sa n We e Nearest the Pin (Hole 8) Eddie
! llan Tan Sua & A
L e on g Y u e Wi n g (-7m) Nearest the Pin (Hole 14)
Ta n We i Mi n g (-1 m) Most Sporting Players
Li m Hu izh e n & Pat rick Low
Lim Hu
izhen &
Captain
Patrick
L ow
23
Chairman's Trophy 16 January 2016
From left: Treasurer, Mr Henry Kwok, GC Member, Mr Ron Pereira, with ex-Captiain, Mr David Soh, and ex-VP, Ms Mary Yang
Chairman, Mr Tan Soo Nan, in his finishing stance.
Light-hearted banter between President, Dr Daniel Goh and member, Mr Jacob Tay.
T
he distinguished Chairman’s Trophy was held on a breezy Saturday afternoon at Lake and witnessed a fully-subscribed shotgun start. Club Chairman, Mr Tan Soo Nan, played host to several past office bearers such as the former President, Simon Yuen, former Vice President, Wong Toon Suan and former Captains who were invited to partake and enjoy the proceedings. This was the first time that the past office bearers were cordially invited to play in the Chairman’s Trophy, and it was indeed a great honour to have them grace us with their presence. The weather was perfect, windy with an overcast sky throughout the 4 ½ hour game. Members challenged each other to a putting competition prior to the game, vying for a sponsored Burke putter worth $700. This added novelty gave a special touch to the event! At the end of the game, the skilful pair, Mr Kwoh Kok Kiong and Mdm Lee Ngak Koon, triumphed over all other players and were given the privilege of having their names engraved on the coveted Chairman’s Trophy. As dusk fell, participants were ushered into the Fu Lin Men
24
Chinese Restaurant for the evening’s programme; and the night ended on a beautiful note, with our member Mr Heng Thye Hong crooning evergreen songs to the audience. RESULTS Format : Stableford (Team Event , based on 90% of Handicap) Winning Team Kwoh Kok Kiong Lee Ngak Koon
82 pts
2nd Team Leong Horn Kee Steve Lai Mun Fook
81 pts
3rd Team Denise Seow Judy Quek (13758)
75 pts (ocb)
Novelty Nearest the pin @ Hole 14 (3.8m): Michelle Ang Nearest the line @ Hole 6 (5 cm): Mdm Linda Yeo
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
25
26
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
USGA Handicapping System By Dennis Ee, RCC Golf Manager
H
ave you ever wondered, “Why does my Handicap Index remain low even though I haven’t been playing well in my last few rounds?”
This question is very common and it never fails to have us scratching our heads. As a result, some would end up doubting the accuracy of the Handicapping System or the work of the relevant department; or worse, the Handicap Sub-Committee. In this article, I would like to explain the mechanics of the USGA Handicapping System and the factors that would not cause your Handicap to go up even after submitting several bad scores. How is the Handicap Index calculated? A Handicap Index is calculated based on the best Handicap Differentials posted for a given number of rounds – meaning the best 10 out of the last 20 rounds. What this means is that the Handicapping System picks out the best 10 scores of the last 20 that you have submitted and omits the remaining bad scores. As a result, your Handicap Index does not move northwards as you would have expected. To understand how a Handicap Differential and Handicap Index is calculated, please refer to USGA Handicapping web site http://www.usga.org/Handicapping/handicap-manual. html#!rule-14389 under section 10.1 and 10.2 for reference. Next you may ask want to ask, “Why then does my Handicap Index still remain low when all or almost all of my last 20 scores were bad?” This can be due to several reasons and they are: 1. Tournament Scores If you have participated in Club competition(s) and that score is pre-classified by the Handicap Committee as Tournament Score, that score will remain in your scoring record for up to one year. When the system picks up the best 10 scores to calculate your Handicap Index, the exceptional Tournament Score(s) that you have may also be picked up by the system to calculate your Handicap Index, resulting in your Handicap Index remaining low. 2. Penalty Scores If you fail to post an acceptable score as soon as practical after the completion of your round, the Handicap System will post a penalty score equal to the lowest Handicap Differential in the scoring record resulting in your Handicap Index remaining low. 3. Equitable Stroke Control "Equitable Stroke Control" (ESC) is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player's potential
ability. ESC sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the player's Course Handicap. ESC is used only when a player's actual or most likely score exceeds the player's maximum number based on the table below. 4. "R" adjusted Handicap Index Course Handicap
Maximum Number On Any Hole
9 or less
Double Bogey
10 through 19
7
20 through 29
8
30 through 39
9
40 or more
10
The “R” indicates that a golfer is being reduced due to exceptional tournament scores. The reduction is an automatic part of the index calculation. Eligible tournament scores stay in a stored tournament file for a year from the date they were posted or within the scoring record. Each month, the computer looks at what the golfer’s calculated (10-2) Handicap Index is. If there are at least two tournament differentials in the file at 3.0 points below the calculated index, then the golfer’s handicap may be reduced. The calculation also takes into account the total number of tournament games the golfer has posted over the last 12 months. If the golfer has shown that he can play to a certain level but the current index is not reflecting that potential, the system automatically reduces the golfer’s handicap down to his or her playing potential. This is not a penalty, but rather part of the formula for calculating a player's Handicap Index. To understand how an “R” adjustment is applied to your Handicap Index, please refer to USGA Handicapping web site http://www.usga.org/ Handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14389 under section 10.3 for reference. Now that you are more familiar with the USGA Handicap System, you will be able to appreciate how the system works and work towards having your Handicap Index reflect your true playing ability and ensuring a more equitable Handicap Competition. Happy Golfing!
27
It Is A
Gentleman’s Game By Dennis Ee, RCC Golf Manager
Care of The Golf Course TEEING GROUND: • If you leave a divot when teeing off, repair that divot as well as others you may find. • Upon hitting your drive, pick up your Tee afterwards. If the tee is broken, pick it up along with any others you may find and discard them along with any other trash you may have at the time. FAIRWAYS:
I
n the last issue of the Raffles Connection, I wrote about Slow Play being a common cause of Dangerous Play. While this claim may not be supported by any statistical records, the reality is that many of such incidences go unreported due to an apology offered to the golfers on the spot and Members deciding not to report the case after some friendly exchanges with the back flight. While keeping pace on the course is important, one must not neglect the importance of observing Golf Etiquette. It is a requirement for new Members to attend the Golf Rules, Etiquette and Handicapping Seminar, which is held once in two months. However, we still receive feedback from Members that golf etiquette are not fully observed by a small group of members. As you will agree, golf is a self-regulated game in terms of scoring and observing good golfing etiquette. We need the concerted effort of every Member and his guests to upkeep the good reputation of the Club and condition of the course.
• Repair Fairway divots by filling the divot hole with sand provided on the buggy. If you are a walking golfer, please ensure you bring with you the sand bottle and repair the divots as you make them even if they are not created by you. Please also ensure that you do not overfill the hole and level them with your foot by stepping on the sand gently after filling the divot up. • Avoid driving the buggy on wet or soggy fairways, as this tends to put "grooves" and damage to the turf, which in turn may affect a golf ball when landing and rolling on the fairway.
Hence, Members are reminded to observe the following Golf Etiquette while playing on the course. Below are some general golf etiquette that all golfers should observe.
A response by member, Mr Denis Tay, to the article, "Slow Play", which appeared in the Jan/Feb Raffles Connection.
Another view of ‘slow play is dangerous’
By Member, Denis Tay
28
I
disagree entirely with Dennis Ee, and in fact am shocked that the golfing operations manager should attribute ‘slow play’ as the cause of dangerous play! The pace of play is dependent on the number of players in a group – 2, 3 or 4, the type of play – four-ball bestball, skins, stroke play etc., the tee off positions – blue, white or red- and the ability of the players based on their handicaps. Golf etiquette must be
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
BUNKER: • Enter the sand bunker with rake in hand from the low side nearest your ball. • Avoid walking on the steep face of the sand bunker. • Upon successfully escaping from the bunker, rake all evidence of your presence in the trap, along with any other footprints or disruptions to the sand. • Place the rake outside the bunker when leaving, with the handle running parallel to the fairway. PUTTING GREEN: • Putting etiquette suggests upon reaching the Green repair ball marks caused by your ball impacting the putting surface. As time and opportunity presents, repair other ball marks as well. • You cannot repair pitch marks or spike marks on your putting line until after you have putted. • Avoid dropping the Flagstick on the putting surface; it should be placed on the Fringe. • The Flagstick should be carefully replaced in the Hole to avoid damaging the rim of the Hole, before all players leave the putting green.
• When on the putting green, golfers should not lean on their putter when removing the ball from the hole, which could impart a dent on the putting surface. SAFETY ON THE GOLF COURSE • When preparing to make a practice swing or stroke, golfers should make sure that other players in the vicinity are not standing in a position to be hit by the golf club, ball or any twigs, pebbles or stones. • Maintain a safe distance from players in your own group when they are preparing to play. • Players should not play until the group in front is clearly out of range. • It is the hitting golfer's responsibility to shout the traditional word of warning "Fore" when a ball is hit towards or near other players or Green Staff personnel. When you hear someone else shouting "Fore" cover your head and duck! • Never throw clubs in anger. In addition to being rude it could also be dangerous to other players. This is definitely not good golf etiquette. • Observe the safety precautions posted in buggy. Drive responsibly and safely.
• Be very cautious if you find it necessary to venture into an adjoining fairway to retrieve a ball, or play an errant shot. Also be careful if you are near an adjacent fairway, golfers may be hitting towards you. Good Golfing Etiquette starts with Members showing their guests the right thing to do on the golf course. It also goes to show the good behaviour of the Club Members and thus, uplifting the reputation of the Club. Happy Golfing!
JOIN US! The next Golf Rules, Etiquette and Handicapping Seminar will be held on Saturday, 12 March 2016, at 10am, at the Albatross. All are welcome! This information will also be publicised in our Raffles News Flash via email. For those who wish to receive our weekly e-blast on news from the Club, please send in your email address to: relle.lee@rcc.org.sg.
maintained and golf rules observed at all times. Players must spend time raking bunkers and repairing divots and pitch marks on the green. Golf is a game of precision and one has to choose the right club and determine the type of swing- full, half or chipbefore taking a shot. This takes time and should not be hurried. Hurried shots lead to mistakes and waste more time instead. Clearly visible distance markers will help save time; nowadays distance reading watches are available cheaply and this will help. However, if a group is unduly ‘slower’ than the one behind they should ask the back group to overtake. So, overall there is no delay. Dangerous play causes serious injury – and even lives are at stake. It must never be condoned under any circumstances. The so-called ‘slow play‘ is harmless and golfers should relax and enjoy their 18 holes often on a weekend.
29
The Grand Dame Plays ADT Host 18-23 January 2016 By Justine Moss, Chief Editor
W
hen the Players Champions teed off at Raffles Country Club in January, it was the first Asian Development Tour event to feature in Singapore since the Asian Tour’s secondary circuit was inaugurated back in 2010. The US$100,000 event attracted two-time US PGA and one time Asian Tour (AT) winner Daniel Chopra from Sweden, in addition to others who have won on the AT such as Americans Berry Henson, and Anthony Kang as well as Ben Leong from Malaysia. Current Order of Merit champion Casey O’Toole of the United States was also in the line-up and a strong local contingent was also in place including Mardan Mamat, Koh Deng Shan, Lam Chih Bing, Quincy Quek and Mitchell Slorach. It was, however, Thai Itthipat Buranatanyarat who prevailed over a talented field during the four days. The 22-year-old closed with a six-under-par 66, and a career-best winning total of 20-under-par 268, to win by three shots for his second Asian Development Tour (ADT) title. The winner’s prize purse of US$17,500 and six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points weren’t the only prizes on offer to the winner – the victory also earned Itthipat a prized spot at the US$1 million SMBC Singapore Open which was played on Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course the week following the Players Championship. After the weather-disrupted first round, it was Singaporean-based Australian Unho Park (with the help of his putter) who grabbed a share of the opening round lead with a sparkling eight-under-par 64. He fired nine birdies against a lone bogey for his career best 18-hole score. This was matched by Thailand’s Tirawat Kaewsiribandit who returned with a flawless round highlighted by eight birdies. Japan’s Taichi Nabetani, who was one of the 60 players to return on Thursday morning to complete their opening rounds due to the inclement weather, signed for a superb 65 to trail by one shot in third place.
A beautiful backdrop at Palm Course
30
Park kept up the momentum during the second round, shooting a 69 to lie in third after the second day, however it was Itthipat who registered a second consecutive sixunder-par 66 to grab a share of the lead with Tirawat. O’Toole posted a 68 to stay six shots off the pace in tied11th with nine other players, including his playing partner Mardan Mamat, who remained as the highest-placed Singaporean following a 70. The halfway cut was set at
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
ADT SPECIAL
The Players Championship
An emotional win for Itthipat.
The President giving a speech.
Concentrating on scoring his best shot.
Our scenic yet challenging Palm.
Winner of Low Amateur and ADT Players Championship An appreciation plaque from ADT to RCC.
ADT Players Championship organiser and winners.
one-under-par 143 with a total of 63 players qualifying for the weekend rounds. Friday’s third round saw Tirawat remaining in the hunt for his maiden ADT victory after carding a third round threeunder-par 69 to lead by one shot, marking his card with one eagle and four birdies against three bogeys for a threeday total of 15-under-par 201. Itthipat, on the other hand, was left to rue a costly double-bogey on the last which consigned him to a 70 for second place. Young Thai Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Ian Andrew of Indonesia carded matching 69s to share third place on 204. After the final round, it was Thai smiles all around with Itthipat, who is nicknamed ‘Boom’, emerging as champion, Thai newcomer Suradit Yongcharoenchai
signing for a 67 to take second place and overnight leader Tirawat (71) slipping to third place to share the honours with Filipino veteran Antonio Lascuna (67) on 272. Said Itthipat, “I got off to a really strong start. That gave me quite a bit of confidence heading into the round. I told myself to stay calm and not get ahead of myself out there. I just stuck to my own game plan. I am very happy with my win.” Quincy Quek and Choo Tze Huang emerged as the highest-placed Singaporeans in tied-11th place on 277 following final rounds of 68 and 70 respectively. The Players Championship took place at Raffles Country Club from January 20-23, 2016.
31
Pro-Am
Tournament: 18 January 2016 T
he Club hosted the prestigious ADT Players Championship at Palm from 20-23 January 2016, and a few lucky members had the opportunity to participate in the exciting Pro-Am Tournament held on 18 January 2016. Perhaps boosted by the presence of the pro assigned to each of their flights, the members displayed exceptional skills and techniques; executing clean and precise swings that would have won a stamp of approval by the pros themselves.
Winners: Team: Titleist Pro: Anthony Kang Amateurs: Billy Lee Beng Hong, Daren Lim
It was definitely the experience of a lifetime for many!
Li Jie, Fang Jia Wei
RESULTS Winners: Team: Titleist Pro: Anthony Kang Amateurs: Billy Lee Beng Hong, Daren Lim Li Jie, Fang Jia Wei Runner Up: Team: RCC4 Pro: Michael Tran Amateurs: John Yam, Sebastian Song, Jessie Oh 2nd Runner Up: Team: Auto Inc. Pro: Sattaya Suppupramai Amateurs: Ken Khoo, Sam Yeo, Ben Tan
Runner Up: Team: RCC4 Pro: Michael Tran e Oh Sebastian Song, Jessi Amateurs: John Yam,
32
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
Life of a Pro
in the
A Day
ADT SPECIAL
By Justine Moss, Chief Editor
W
hen Pavit Tangkamolprasert fronted up to his first junior golf tournament at the age of nine, he had the talent, the right attitude but not the correct attire. “It was my first one and I didn’t know anything. My first junior tournament and I wore a tee shirt!” He related this story with a laugh after the Asian Development Tour’s (ADT) Players Championship’s Pro Am held on the Palm Course in January. He added, “They let me play because I didn’t know any better. I then started to play in more events and learnt how to write down the score on my card. I made new friends and my life changed because of golf.” The talented 26-year-old picked up the game at the age of eight thanks to his father who bought him some plastic clubs. He would then pick Pavit up after school and drive him to the range to practice – after he proved he could hit good shots, his father hired a teaching pro for Pavit and he hasn’t looked back since. “My dad inspired me and he always wanted me to try and hit the ball further”, Pavit recalled, continuing, “After I learned with a pro for one year, he said you need to play a tournament because you are getting good.” Another major support is his close friend and fellow Thai professional Prom Meesawat who he practices with regularly. “He always teaches me how to think when I play. All the Thai players have a good swing
and we all hit solid shots but the only thing is mental. Prom always helps me with the mental game.” Other inspirations over the years include former world number one Tiger Woods who has been Pavit’s idol since Tiger is an aggressive player he was young. Pavit’s father would wake him up in the middle of the night to watch Woods in action on television. “Tiger is an aggressive player and because of him I am He attacks the pin – no fear... also an aggressive player. He attacks the pin – no fear. He would be in my dream flight along with Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. The reason I didn’t pick Thai players is that I have played with them already.”
AND BECAUSE OF HIM I AM ALSO AN AGGRESSIVE PLAYER.
Pavit, who turned professional in 2007 at the age of 17 and is based in Bangkok, currently plays on the ADT – the Asian Tour’s (AT) secondary circuit which was established in 2010. Due to his successful performances he has also been eligible to play in a few AT events. In 2014, he won the ADT’s order of merit with around US$69,000, a mere US$252 more than Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei, and he continues to mainly grind his professional teeth on the ADT. This year, aside from continuing to add to his haul of ADT and other
professional titles (these include the 2014 Singha Open, 2014 PGM Terengganu Championship and the 2013 Linc Group Jakarta Invitational), is to get used to his new equipment sponsored by Callaway. The Pro Am on Palm course was the first time he had tested them out and he enjoyed the course. “It is challenging and there are a lot of blind tee shots and you have to be very accurate, in particular the last hole. The 18 is a tough par 4 but is a good finishing hole. I like the greens here. My strength is my putting.”
33
What the Pros Have to Say about Palm
Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Thailand
Suradit Yongcharoenchai, Thailand
T
he Asian Development Tour Players Championship took place at RCC from 20 -23 Jan 2016 at Palm. Let’s find out how the Grand Old Dame fared with the top players. Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Thailand The course set-up is very good. I love the layout here. This is an old golf course but I think the golf club has done a great job in preparing the course for the tournament. It has been a great week and I really enjoyed myself out here. I would love to come back and defend my title again next year. Suradit Yongcharoenchai, Thailand It has been a rainy week but the golf club has done well in ensuring that the course is in good shape for play. I have no complaints about the course. I like the course and I think it suits my game a lot. It’s my first time in Singapore and I really enjoyed myself this week. Antonio Lascuna, Philippines This is a good course but I think it needs some improvements especially the drainage system. We got a lot of rain this week and there is just too much water on course. Other than that, I think the rest is good. It has been a really competitive week. The players on the ADT are really good and they are so young. Not easy for an old man like me to compete against them! Gavin Green, Malaysia I played pretty well this week. I am kind of proud with how I fared this week, especially after missing out on my Tour card at the Asian Tour Qualifying School last week. The course set-up is good. It was a little wet because of the rain
34
Antonio Lascuna, Philippines
and the greens are a little bumpy. I think the golf club can work on the greens. If it can be a little smoother, it will be fine. Other than that, it was good. It’s a really nice course. Frankie Minoza, Philippines The course is kind of muddy. The layout is good but I think there is just too much rain this week. But having said that, I think the layout is nice and I like this course. Daniel Chopra, Sweden It was very wet out there. I heard the golf club is doing a renovation project so I hope the drainage can be improved, especially the hazards. The visual line is not really there. There are a lot of blind shots. Hopefully that will be addressed as well during the renovation. Other than that, the layout is spectacular. It’s a magnificent piece of land to work with. I played in the Pro-Am with the Captain and we discussed a bit about what my thoughts were. It has the potential of becoming one of the better golf courses in Singapore or in Asia. It’s just a bit older and outdated now and needs a bit of renovation with newer grasses, etc, to help with the drainage. It was difficult to keep the course in top condition given the amount of rain this week. The strength of the field shows that this is a popular event and hopefully the tournament will continue to grow. Mardan Mamat, Singapore The course is in a better shape this week. The only thing they have to improve on is not keeping the grass to grow till so long (which is the tournament requirement). The fairways are very soft. When the fairways are soft and the grasses are too long, the water doesn’t flow away easily. I hope they can keep the grass short and maintain the course in good conditions like how they have done for the tournament this
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
ADT SPECIAL Mardan Mamat, Singapore
Mardan Mamat, Singapore
Frankie Minoza, Philippines
Daniel Chopra, Sweden
Berry Henson, USA
Marcus Both, Australia
Gavin Green, Malaysia
week. The course set-up is alright. I think this is the best that they can do at the moment but it can be better. The course conditions are very different from how I last played three weeks ago. I think they have done a good job in preparing the course for the tournament. Berry Henson, USA The layout is great. It’s a beautiful layout but unfortunately, the rain came in this week and the course was a bit too wet to play. It’s difficult when you hit it in the rough and can’t find golf balls. I think this course will be perfect for tournament play on a drier week. The course is 35 years old I think. The grass is just too old. The greens are too old. It needs a revamp. I think they are working with the government to see if they can do it or not. I think it will be awesome if they can do a reconstruction of the golf course. Marcus Both, Australia I love the layout. I think the course set up is very good this week. You have to think your way around the golf course but it’s a nice change from the other golf courses you play in Asia where we tend to hit drivers everywhere. It’s quite scorable but you have to make good decisions out there. The course was a little bit soft because of the huge amount of rain but I think I have played well under these kind of conditions. I think the golf course did a great job to recover the course after the rain and prepare for play the next day. Some of the fairways were patchy but the layout of the course is very good. The course was presented beautifully and the greens were rolling nicely. I look forward to coming back again.
It has the potential of becoming one of the
BETTER GOLF COURSES in SINGAPORE OR IN ASIA...
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Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
GOLF
The Grand Old Dame Still Delivers By Ven Sreenivasan
(The Palm) is the
OLDEST COURSE IN SINGAPORE to not have undergone any renovation, hence the name GRAND OLD DAME. The next big event…
RAFFLES CHARITY OPEN on 2 and 3 July this year…the Grand Old Dame WILL ONCE AGAIN DELIVER….
M
ost RCC members would be aware of the twists and turns involving the proposed renovation of the Palm Course. At last count, the renovation was postponed on the urgings of the Urban Redevelopment Authority as it studies land use needs in the vicinity of the course. And this has sparked speculation that parts of the land adjacent to the course could be acquired for the planned Singapore-KL high-speed rail. But all this is still speculation at this stage. Meanwhile the “Grand Old Dame” of RCC continues to deliver, and quite nicely too. In mid-January, she hosted the Asian Development Tour Players Championship, and did so in fine form. Players and guests who participated in the Pro-Am prior to the event had nothing but praise for the condition and playability of the course. And that is indeed something which RCC members should be rightly proud about. Completed in 1984, the Robert Trent Jones II-designed Palm has not only stood the test of time, but has once again delivered for a season opening professional competition. This is despite not having gone through any major renovation. Instead, the General Committee started interim improvement works on the course in 2015. This involved localised repairs to improve soggy fairway areas and approaches to the greens. Tee boxes underwent renovations, trees and unkempt bushes were pruned, and irrigation and drainage systems were improved. The result has been a championship course – yes, rough at the edges – which still delivers a combination of challenge
and enjoyment which professionals of the ADT thoroughly appreciated. The Palm was never meant to be an easy, resort-course. This is a course which was designed for serious golfers. The Grand Old Dame hosted her first professional tournament in July 1990 – The Yokohama Tyre Open. Subsequently, the course hosted the Yokohama Singapore PGA Championship in 1997 and FedEx PGA Championship in 1998. Today, it is the oldest course in Singapore to not have undergone any renovation, hence the name Grand Old Dame. The next big event to be held there will be the Raffles Charity Open on 2 and 3 July this year, which will be coorganised with Jurong GRC, Yue Hua and Bukit Batok SMC. And there is little doubt that the Grand Old Dame will once again deliver in fine form, even as she awaits a major facelift. While many RCC members tend to opt to play our fine resort-style Lake Course, the golfer with a penchant for more challenge will always choose Palm, where the riskreward pendulum is so finely balanced that it will separate the men from the boys in quick order. So the next time you make your golf booking, perhaps you should consider the Palm, for the “Dame” is always ready to put your golfing skills to the real test. *The author is a member of the CMSC and a media professional. The opinions expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of RCC or its management.
37
e l y t s e f i L Travelogue:
Hainan Dunes Challenge 2015 with a Difference 10 – 14 December 2015 By Hoe Boon Leong, Member of RCC
Our Preparation
I
t was the fun, fellowship and the unique competition offered by The Dunes Challenge Tournament in Hainan, that got a group of golfers from RCC to forge together in early October 2015. The group was called “The Raffles Team”. The like-minded and fun-loving team set off to Haikou for the tournament on 10 December 2015 with vigour and hope, though they knew it was more for the participation rather than winning, as they were up against younger, stronger and experienced players. However, they chose to dress in style with two sets of sponsored tee shirts. The real excitement started at the airport check-in counter, when one of the members was not allocated a seat because the airline had over sold their seats! As a team they stuck together and insisted that “One for All and All for One”, refusing to board if one had to be left behind. The airline subsequently, off-loaded passengers who arrived late at the boarding gate after the official designated time. That was for many, a first-hand experience close encounter! The team intentionally arrived at Hainan two days earlier. Two ‘practice’ games were played prior to the competition proper. The first was played at Whitestone @ Qionghai and the second was played the BFA @ Boao.
38
There was no shortage of laughter. No whining and bitching. Only poking fun at one another, fringing on character assassination, slanderous and liable remarks freely thrown around, with no malicious intent whatsoever against anyone. The Dunes The Dunes, an affiliated Club with RCC, is located at the Shenzhou Peninsula, and managed by the CITIC Pacific Group based in Beijing. It is a Composite Tournament golf course, designed by a renowned American Golfer Tom Weikopf. Blended from two 18 holes located in the East and West along the coastline of Shenzhou Peninsula. The respective courses have their own unique character without duplication. The generous manicured fairways and corridors provided a mix of mature trees, natural waterways, interlaced
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
LIFESTYLE
We invite members to share with us their golf travel stories by sending their stories to Marcom Department at joanne.ng@rcc.org.sg. All submitted articles will be subject to the Editorial Board’s assessment and approval before publication. The writer of a published article will receive a RCC golf towel!
with primary and secondary sand dunes. When the ocean was visible, the views were spectacular. There was abundant natural coastal vegetation and best of all, no shortage of majestic rock out-crops to mesmerize the golfer. With the tidal waves lapping forward on the shores and crashing on the rocks at the 16th hole of the East course, it was a common sight to catch golfers posing for a memorable shot for the album. The Par 3's were challenging. Abundant waste dune bunkers, wind conditions unfamiliarity of green layouts, confronted every golfer from the address at the tee. Overall, the tee-to-green conditions were in superb condition. The Dunes is indeed rated as one of the best courses worthy of a revisit in the near future. The Tournament The Tournament itself, started on 16th October 2015. Each single competition event was played over two days and had 10 to 12 teams participating. This series of competitions were held 8 times over a period of three months. In total there were about 100 teams 1,000 participants for the tournament. For the 8th and last round, 3 teams from Singapore were registered for this tournament. Participants of the Tournament for the last round were all amateurs who came from Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chongqing,
Hong Kong and Singapore. Scores for the first day’s game was best ball for two balls. The second day’s game was 2 balls scramble. Those 60 years and above played from the white tee box. Those 59 years and below played from the blue tee. Ladies played from the red tee. The tournament included a two-night stay and meals at the Four-point Hotel managed by the Sheraton Group. The final dinner was a grand affair with lucky draws, novelty fun games and lots of good food. Results The Raffles Team from Singapore, came in 6th out of the 10 teams who participated for the last round. The Team also emerged first out of the 3 overseas teams. Team members also won lucky draws and novelty prizes consisting of practice rounds at the range and a complimentary return golf trip to Hainan at The Dunes for 12 persons. The team from Raffles did well. If RCC league players can form a team to join the tournament next year, they would likely be amongst the top eight teams of the whole tournament advancing to the grand final round for the challenge of the TITANS. Plans are on the cards to organize another revisit to this tournament next year with better RCC golf talents.
A Sight to Behold
39
Uncovering the Secret of Turning Back Time By Dr Ng Shyh-Chang
I
n every branch of the animal kingdom, there is a champion in longevity. Amongst the amphibians it is the Cave salamander at 100 years old; amongst the reptiles it is the Galapagos tortoise at 177 years old; amongst the marine mammals it is the Bowhead whale at 211 years old; and amongst the primates it is us humans with a record of 122 years old held by the French Madame Jeanne-Louise Calment. Moreover some of these organisms manifest negligible senescence or the near-absence of aging symptoms up till passing away. How did each branch of the animal kingdom evolve to attain such long healthspans, i.e. healthy lifespans devoid of disease? And could we humans challenge the frontiers to live healthily and productively for longer periods in our lifespans? The key to answering both questions lies in dissecting the complexity within each biological organism. At its roots, each biological organism is no different from a very complex supercomputer. And like any computer, there are certain critical hardware/software parts that are more important than others. The most critical pieces of hardware in each organism, the equivalent of controller processor chips, are the Stem Cells [1]. And the most critical piece of software, the equivalent of the core operating system, is the stem cell’s Genome. Importantly both components, the stem cells and their genome, can get corrupted and degrade over time with aging. When they go awry with aging, one gets malfunctioning stem cells with too little growth, thus causing the degenerative diseases of aging (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, hair loss, wrinkling, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, cardio-metabolic diseases such as cardiomyopathy and diabetes, liver cirrhosis, kidney failure, immune suppression, and chronic wounds). Alternatively, mutations during aging could cause stem cells to start growing excessively, producing cancer stem cells that grow into cancers [2]. In fact for almost every disease, aging is the single biggest risk factor, independent of all other factors [1]. A popular movement that is growing across the world to tackle these problems, is the Anti-aging movement. Two popular proponents of the Anti-aging movement include Ray Kurzweil and Aubrey De Grey, who think humanity can defeat aging and achieve negligible senescence through advances in nano- and bio-technology to repair the body indefinitely [3-4]. Other scientists and significant contributors to the movement include my mentors at Harvard Medical School: stem cell expert George Daley, cancer expert Lewis Cantley, aging genetics expert Gary Ruvkun, and also Cynthia Kenyon at San Francisco. My own lab’s research on aging and regenerative medicine at the Genome Institute of Singapore is also part of this
40
Galapagos Tortoise (177 yrs)
Bowhead Whale (211 yrs)
Jeanne-Louise Calment (122 yrs)
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
LIFESTYLE
global movement, with a focused aim to eradicate stem cell genomic aging. Our years of research have shown that biohacking into stem cell genomes with genetic engineering techniques to restore them to their youthful state is the most direct solution and serves as a proof-of-concept [5-9]. However it is only technically possible and ethically approved in experimental mice, and probably won’t be practical in humans for at least another decade. An alternative strategy is to biohack into stem cell genomes by perturbing their natural metabolism with natural product ingredients [10-12]. Enabled by new metabol-omics technologies, this is the fastest developing approach, but also the most muddied approach due to contamination by fraudulent supplements References 1. Jun-Hao, E.T., Gupta, R.R., and ShyhChang, N. (2016). Lin28 and let-7 in the metabolic physiology of aging. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism (in press) 2. Zhang, W. C., Shyh-Chang, N. et al. (2012). Glycine decarboxylase activity drives non-small cell lung cancer tumor-initiating cells and tumorigenesis. Cell 148, 259-72. 3. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/ magazine/ray-kurzweil-says-weregoing-to-live-forever.html 4. http://www.singularitysymposium. com/aubrey-de-grey.html 5. Zhu, H., Shyh-Chang, N. et al. (2011).
that either do not work or, worse, harm the body. A rigorous, scientific approach is necessary to successfully translate the metabolomics strategy into gains for human healthspans. In future articles, I will discuss in detail some of the latest findings in this field, and what they could mean for our own efforts to fight aging. Dr. Ng Shyh-Chang Ph.D. (Harvard Medical School), A.B. summa cum laude (Princeton University) Principal Investigator, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR www.skmusclelab.com
The Lin28/let-7 axis regulates glucose metabolism. Cell 147, 81-94. 6. Shyh-Chang, N., Zhu, H. et al. (2013). Lin28 enhances tissue repair by reprogramming cellular metabolism. Cell 155, 778-92. 7. http://www.slate.com/articles/video/ video/2013/11/self_regeneration_ powers_lab_mice_with_altered_ genes_grow_back_limbs.html 8. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/ science/fountain-of-youth-scientistsdiscover-why-wounds-heal-quickerfor-young-people-8927387.html 9. http://www.todayonline.com/ singapore/singapore-scientistunlocks-regenerative-powers-cells
10. Shyh-Chang, N., Locasale, J. W. et al. (2013). Influence of threonine metabolism on S-adenosylmethionine and histone methylation. Science 339, 222-226. 11. Shyh-Chang, N., Daley, G. Q., and Cantley, L. C. (2013). Stem cell metabolism during tissue development and aging. Development 12, 2535-47. 12. Khaw, S. L. et al. and Shyh-Chang, N. (2015). Oocyte factors suppress mitochondrial polynucleotide phosphorylase to remodel the metabolome and enhance reprogramming. Cell Reports 12(7), 1080-8.
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New Golfing Goodies on the Market By Justine Moss, Chief Editor
T
he start of 2016 saw a slew of exciting new golfing products released in the market. Justine Moss hits the streets and takes a look at some of the musthave equipment and footwear this season.
Nike Golf Vapor Fly Clubs
FootJoy Freestyle Footwear
FootJoy, the number one shoe in golf, has again come up with a radically new category of golf shoe called FreeStyle. The technology in these shoes is designed to deliver exceptional traction, mobility and comfort and helps generate maximum power by providing greater freedom of movement throughout the golf swing. Says Timothy Yoong, FJ Regional Brand Manager, “The new FreeStyle is yet another masterpiece conceptualized by the FJ Shoe Product Team. It’s the ultimate combination of both form and function at its best. These shoes not only look strikingly good but also provide the usual renowned FJ superior inshoe comfort; incredible flexibility and an outstanding grip performance that will allow the golfer to play to his best with complete confidence.” Key features include superior traction made possible by the F.R.O.G.S. outsole (FJ’s Revolutionary Outsole Grip System) and its SoftMaxTM outsole that offers both a softer feel and extra grip. Its new FTFTM 3.0 midsole compound is the brand’s softest and most comfortable yet. The Softspikes Tour LockTM system and new translucent Pulsar cleats deliver exceptional low-profile grip with a dynamic, frog-like flex. The shoes, which are priced at S $280 / S $310 (BOA), come in a number of colour options. Available in Singapore mid-March 2016 – www.footjoy.com.sg.
42
The new Vapor Fly series, designed to provide an overall higher launch angle, is the culmination of years of work from the teams at The Oven, Nike Golf’s research and design facility in Texas. The Vapor Fly Pro Driver utilizes a familiar 460cc pear shape head to create a strong trajectory with low spin, but on the inside, the club has been finely tuned to help athletes such as Rory McIlroy perform at the highest level. The Vapor Fly Driver is distinguished by its bold blue crown with iconic Volt color in the Compression Channel. It has three key technologies that add up to fast ball speed, high trajectory and less spin: Flightweight Crown; HyperFlight Face; and Compression Channel. Says Nike Golf athlete Rory McIlroy, who was instrumental in the design of the Vapor Fly Pro driver, “I think every golfer looks for forgiveness to make their bad shots better. It’s phenomenal to know that when you have a very forgiving driver like this, even if you don’t quite catch it off the middle of the face or put a good swing on it, that it still has a chance to go the same distance and be in the fairway as if you hit a good shot. To have that much confidence in a driver standing over a tee shot is great.”
PXG Equipment
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
LIFESTYLE
Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) was founded in September 2014 by well-known businessman, philanthropist and golf nut Bob Parsons, who had a desire to make the world’s best golf equipment. His team of designers had a breakthrough when they discovered a way to produce a clubhead that resulted in significantly more distance with a superior feel. This was accomplished by injecting a thermo plastic elastomer, or TPE, into a hollow- bodied iron. Having removed a significant amount of mass from the interior cavity of the iron, 11 high-density tungsten weights were added to the perimeter of the clubhead to optimize the CG position to produce longer, more consistent shots. More than 50 patent filings later, PXG went on to design drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and putters that leverage PXG’s Precision Weighting technology to enable golfers to fine-tune their clubs. The result is clubs that can straighten ball flight and change height and trajectory to maximize distance. Available in Singapore at Big Fish Golf International Pte Ltd. Prices range from $425 for a wedge (club head only) with shaft extra in either steel or graphite, to $1,000 for a driver (club head only) with shaft extra in either steel or graphite.
Titleist’s New NXT and Velocity Golf Balls
Tour,
NXT
Tour
S
Titleist Vokey Design SM6 Wedges
World number one Jordan Spieth, who was in town recently for the SMBC Singapore Open, started 2016 with four SM6 wedges in his bag. These brand new wedges provide improvement in the three key areas of wedge play: distance gapping, shot versatility and spin control. Its ground-breaking new Progressive Centre of Gravity (CG) design aligns the CG with the impact position of each loft to produce precise distance and trajectory control with exceptional feel. Engineered using cutting-edge CAD technology, the Progressive CG is visible technology on the back of the wedge. The new 100% inspected proprietary Spin Milled TX4 grooves and face texture deliver more spin (up to 200rpm more spin on average) with more consistent spin control. The SM6 wedges are available in 46º to 62º lofts and three finishes: Tour Chrome, Steel Grey and Jet Black (raw), and are available in Singapore golf shops beginning March 11 at S$220 MAP ($275 MSRP).
TaylorMade Golf M2 Collection Titleist has released its new NXT Tour, NXT Tour S and Velocity golf balls for 2016 through new core and cover innovations. The new NXT Tour has been engineered for even longer distance, while the new NXT Tour S offers its softest feel yet. Its new Velocity provides even more powerful distance with a more playable feel. The new NXT Tour has a larger center dual core that produces low spin and fast ball speed for even longer driver and iron distance. The new NXT Tour S provides similar high performance benefits as the NXT Tour with a remarkably softer feel. The Velocity’s proprietary LSX core technology delivers faster ball speeds for more distance on all full swing shots. Available now and priced from MAP: $44.80/dozen to MAP: S$56.80/dozen.
Following the success of the M1, TaylorMade Golf recently unveiled the superb M2 line, featuring drivers, fairways, rescue clubs and irons to complete the M family. The technology in the new line includes the seven-layer carbon composite crown found in the M1, which delivers distance and forgiveness. With forgiveness a priority in M2, the company’s engineers have also focused on three key performance features that deliver ball speed protection on shots struck away from centre-face: inverted cone technology (ICT), a redesigned Speed Pocket; and increased moment of inertia (MOI). Available in a variety of loft options, the M2 Collection is currently in Singapore golf shops. Prices for the M2 line range from $300 to $1,099.
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s e i t i l i c a F
‘Care For Your Course’ T he inaugural ‘Care for Your Course’, a Members’ Volunteer Programme, kicked off at Lake on 26 January 2016; and saw a turnout of half a dozen volunteers. The morning started off bright and sunny, a perfect day for a ride in the golf course hunting for weeds. The volunteers went back to basics, learning to spot the many different types of weeds on the greens and the proper use of tools to weed them out with minimal damage to the green. Besides getting to know about the ongoing exercise of cow grass eradication work, the volunteers also learnt about different types of weeds found on different areas of the golf course such as on fairways, rough and slope areas. No one had imagined that there was so much to know about weeds! Indeed it was an eye-opening experience for all. One of the volunteers, Mr Patrick Lye, a seasoned golfer, went away with some useful knowledge. “I have learnt much from this programme,” he quipped. “I now understand how difficult it is to maintain the golf course. In our layman’s perspective, we thought course maintenance is a simple job: cut grass, water the grass and add fertiliser. I didn’t know that so much is involved in course maintenance! Different grass needs different care. I will certainly spread the knowledge to my fellow golfers. The next time we see a brown patch of grass, I will tell my golfing kakis that this is not because the course maintenance team is not doing their job. It is brown because herbicide has been sprayed on the grass to remove cow grass. I thank the Club for organising this useful programme. I have learnt a lot.”
Happy participants with the
ir ‘weed harvest’.
Club Lady Captain, Ms Cheong Yoke Keng, who also volunteered for this programme, was an eager beaver from the start to the end. “I have always wanted to know more about greens and grasses besides just putting on them. The Care for Your Course programme afforded a good hands-on session on how to differentiate the tifeagle from the nut sedge and the proper way to rid off the latter. I would like to thank the members who came forward to take part in this first segment of the programme. I do hope the useful information will be cascaded to their fellow golfing friends to bring about better understanding. Our greens are our assets.” It was indeed a fruitful day spent at the golf course!
Group photo of happy participants. Weeds in palms.
Course superintendent shows the effects of selective herbicide on cow grass.
Course superintendent shows sand profile of 18th green.
44
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
FACILITIES
Transforming Palm
ADT SPECIAL
For The ADT Players Championship 2016 and green approaches. Verti-drain machines were put on overdrive, inserting 12-inch long solid tines creating numerous capillary channels to promote water percolation. The team also had a tall task to meet the tournament standard course set-up that was outlined by the Asian PGA ADT officials. Multiple layers of turf cut with good definition of play areas, fast and consistent green speeds and new tee surfaces for the selected pro tees were just some of the guidelines, which added to the challenge of the Players Championship. d out water being pumpe
urse preparation, During morning co arrive. er before players nk from the sand bu
I
n November 2015, RCC was approached to host the inaugural Asian Development Tour Players Championship in Singapore from 20-23 January 2016.
In less than two months, the golf course team transformed the ‘old lady’ to what she is now - the Grand Old Dame. It was certainly not an easy task considering that Palm has been around for almost 30 years without any major renovation. Years of organic matter amassed at Palm caused sogginess at various locations particularly on low ground, green approaches, fairways, rough and areas under the tree lines. The team wasted no time in improving the sogginess on sensitive play areas such as landing zones
Palm 18th green set to tournament standards.
Fairways were narrowed to an average width of 15-20 meters. A semi-rough layer was added with 45mm cutting height; and the rough was allowed to grow longer from the usual height of 35mm to 50-60mm. An additional 84 tons of sand were added to fill up sand bunkers for better consistency and playability. On top of that, more than 200 trees were pruned to lift the tree crown; and low-lying branches that interfered with play were removed. A lot of planning also went into making Palm meet the ADT tournament standards. Inclement weather pushed the team further to prepare the course to meet players’ expectations. The team started their day at 5am for morning preparation and stayed back after sunset for evening work. All in all, the preparation of Palm for the Players Championship was challenging and exhilarating at the same time. The favourable feedback that we have received on Palm is worth every bit of the time and effort invested. Refer to Pg 34 to read about what the pros have to say about Palm.
Golf course crew preparing the 12th green for tournament play.
45
Raffles Connection • Mar - Apr 2016
s b u l C d e t a cal / Affili
Recipro RECIPROCAL CLUBS
Tianjin Fortune Lake Golf Club Tianjin, China
AUSTRALIA
Tianjin Warner International Golf Club Tianjin, China
Avondale Golf Club New South Wales, Australia Macquarie Links International Golf Club New South Wales, Australia Mount Lawley Golf Club Western Australia, Australia Sanctuary Lakes Club Victoria, Australia
Sky Lake Resort & Golf Club NEW! Hanoi, Vietnam The Montgomerie Links Vietnam Quang Name Province, Vietnam
INDIA
AFFILIATED CLUBS
Oxford Golf & Country Club Pune, India
AUSTRALIA
INDONESIA Finna Golf & Country Club East Java, Indonesia
Araluen Country Club Western Australia. Australia
BRUNEI
St. Michael’s Golf Club New South Wales, Australia
Gunung Geulis Country Club West Java, Indonesia
The Empire Hotel & Country Club Negara Brunei Darussalam
Sun City Country Club Western Australia, Australia
JAPAN
CAMBODIA
The Cut Golf Course Western Australia, Australia The Lakes Golf Club Eastlakes, Australia The Links Kennedy Bay Western Australia, Australia The Vines Golf and Country Club Western Australia, Australia The Western Australian Golf Club (Inc) Western Australia, Australia Wanneroo Golf Club Western Australia, Australia
BRUNEI Pantai Mentiri Golf Club Brunei Darussalam
CHINA BFA International Convention Center Golf Club Hainan Province, China Guangzhou Foison Golf Club Guangzhou, China Meishi Mayflower International Golf Club Hainan Province, China Shanghai Sun Island International Club Shanghai, China Kunshan Sun Resort & Club Jiangsu Province, China Suzhou SunIsland International Club Jiangsu Province, China Mission Hills Golf Club NEW! Shenzhen, China Nanjing SunIsland Leisure & Resort Club Co. Ltd Jiangsu Province, China Yangzhou Prime International Vacation Club Co. Ltd Shanghai, China
Ashinoko Country Club Shizuoka, Japan
Grand Phnom Penh Golf Club Phnom Penh Capital, Cambodia
MACAU
CHINA
Macau Golf & Country Club Macau *Weekday only
MALAYSIA Glenmarie Golf & Country Club Selangor, Malaysia Kelab Golf Negara Subang Selangor, Malaysia Kelab Golf Sarawak Sarawak, Malaysia Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Golf & Country Club Selangor, Malaysia Kelab Rahman Putra Malaysia Selangor, Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Meru Valley Golf & Country Club Perak, Malaysia Tropicana Golf & Country Resort Selangor, Malaysia
PHILIPPINES Alta Vista Golf & Country Club Cebu City, Philippines Eagle Ridge Golf & Country Club General TriasCavite, Philippines
VIETNAM Chi Linh Star Golf & Country Club Hai Duong, Vietnam Danang Golf Club Da Nang City, Vietnam Long Thanh Golf Club Dong Nai Province, Vietnam
Orient Pearl Golf Club Beijing, China The Dunes Hainan Province Island, China
INDONESIA Rancamaya Golf & Country Club Ciawi Bogor, Indonesia
JAPAN Robert Trent Jones II Clubs
MACAU Macau Golf & Country Club Macau *Weekend only
THAILAND Blue Canyon Country Club Muang Kaew Golf Club Samutprakarn, Thailand
NEW
!
Chiangmai Highland Spa and Golf Club Chiangmai, Thailand
NEW
!
RESTRICTED LOCAL RECIPROCAL CLUBS**
SINGAPORE Jurong Country Club Keppel Club Orchid Country Club Sembawang Country Club Warren Country Club Seletar Country Club **Booking via club balloting
For more information and assistance, please feel free to call the Golf Reception Counter at 6861 7655 or e-mail: golfrecep@rcc.org.sg
47
ry o t c e r i D / s e i t i l i c a F b Clu DIRECTORY Golfing Reception Ms. Maszni Bt. Mamat Golf Administration Officer maszni.mamat@rcc.org.sg 6861 7655 Tournament & Corporate Booking Mr. Yen Yee Kiat Sales & Marketing Executive yeekiat.yen@rcc.org.sg 6864 0880 Golfing Operations Mr. Hamzah B. Ahmad Executive (Golf Operations) hamzah.ahmad@rcc.org.sg 6864 0826
GOLFING Golf Reception Tel:6861 7655 / Fax: 6861 5563 Open Daily: 7:00am - 6:30pm
F&B / Banquet Mr. Mervyn Chia Asst. Restaurant Manager mervyn.chia@rcc.org.sg 6864 0833
Golf Courses – Palm & Lake Open Daily: First tee-off: 7:14am Last tee-off: 6:15pm (9 holes) LAKE COURSE Green Fee (Guest) Mon to Fri, am: $117.70 Mon to Fri, pm: $171.20 Weekends & PH: $235.40 Green Fee (Visitor) Mon to Fri, am: $171.20 Mon to Fri, pm: $235.40 Weekends & PH: $374.50 PALM COURSE Green Fee (Guest) Mon to Fri, am: $96.30 Mon to Fri, pm: $139.10 Weekends & PH: $235.40 Green Fee (Visitor) Mon to Fri, am: $149.80 Mon to Fri, pm: $203.30 Weekends & PH: $374.50 Buggy Fee / Golfer $24.61 / 18 holes $13.91 / 9 holes Driving Range Tel: 6861 6563 Opening Hours: Mon: 1:00pm - 9:00pm Tue to Fri: 8:00am - 9:00pm Sat: 7:00am - 9:00pm Sun: 7:00am - 7:00pm PH: 7:00am - 8:00pm Last issue of ball: 45 minutes before closing time Ball Fees $1.46 / 30 balls $2.15 / 50 balls $4.30 /100 balls Pro Shop Tel: 6863 3551 Open Daily: 7:00am - 6:30pm Rental of golf sets is available Halfway Houses Opening Hours: Mon to Fri: 9:00am - 5:00pm Weekends & PH: 8:15am - 5:00pm Changing Room Opening Hours: Daily: 7:00am - 8:00pm
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Lifestyle Mr. Joeness Lamban Executive (Operations) joeness.lamban@rcc.org.sg 6864 0823 Membership Ms. Sau Man Ling Executive (Membership) manling.sau@rcc.org.sg 6864 0812
SPORTS & RECREATION Recreation / Reception Tel: 6861 7649 / Fax: 6862 3965 Open Daily: 8:00am - 9:00pm
Housekeeping Ms Lim Shu Peng Executive (Housekeeping/M&E) shupeng.lim@rcc.org.sg 6864 0800
Jackpot Room Mon - Sun: 11:30am - 8:45pm (Inclusive of public holidays)
Accounts Ms. Magdaline Chin Assistant Manager (Finance) magdaline.chin@rcc.org.sg 6864 0808
Card / Mahjong Room Open Daily: 8:00am - 9:00pm Table Fee: $5.35/5 hour/session Guests: $10.70 per entry Fitness Centre Open Daily: 8:00am - 9:00pm Members: FOC Guests: $5.35/guest/day Sauna Open Daily: 8:00am - 9:00pm Members: FOC Guests: $2.14/guest/day Tennis / Squash Courts Open Daily: 8:00am - 9:00pm Court Fee*: $3.21/hour Badminton Court Open Daily: 8:00am - 9:00pm Court Fee*:$10.70/hour Swimming Pool Open Daily: 8:00am - 9:00pm Members: FOC Guests (Mon to Fri): $1.07/guest/day Karaoke Closed on Monday Open Sun, Tue, Wed & Thur: 4:00 - 9:00pm Open Fri & Sat: 4:00 - 11:00pm *No guest rates
FOOD & BEVERAGE Golfers' Terrace Tel: 6861 7649 Open Mon to Fri: 7:00am - 8:00pm Weekends & PH: 7:00am - 9:00pm Open to members and golfers only The Albatross Lounge Opening Hours: Tue to Sun & PH: 4:00 - 9:00pm Fri & Sat: 4:00 - 11:00pm Mon Closed Open to members and guests only Available for private function booking Fu Lin Men Chinese Restaurant Tel: 6862 1838/9 Open Daily: 11:30am - 3:00pm 6:00 - 10:00pm Open to public Fukuya Japanese Restaurant Tel: 6897 1990 Open Daily: 12:00 - 3:00pm 6:00 - 10:00pm
PR & Communications Ms. Relle Lee Executive (PR & Communications) relle.lee@rcc.org.sg 6864 0816 Golf Course Maintenance Mr. Chua Kiat Beng M&E Superintendent kb.chua@rcc.org.sg 6861 2725 Human Resource Ms. Lisa Wan Assistant Manager (Human Resource) lisa.wan@rcc.org.sg 6864 0818 website: www.rcc.org.sg email: feedback@rcc.org.sg
Golfers' Terrace:
Coming Your Way! Chopsticks, Spoons, Forks and Hungry Stomachs... Get ready for the new munch coming your way! Starting from 1 March 2016, the GT Team is all set to satisfy your distinguished palate by bringing back the Weekly Specials and giving the popular Zi Char menu a new facelift! Keep your eyes peeled and stomachs empty for this!
Assam Curry Fish Head
$25.00
Hong Shao Pig Trotter
$9.80
Black Bean Sauce Fish Head
Chicken Pop Corn
Clay Pot Rice
Sambal Prawns
Sambal Sting Ray
Stir Fried Spicy Pork with Tau Kwa
$25.00
$12.80
$7.80
$12.80
$8.50
$9.80
All prices are subject to prevailing GST.
Available at DEPARTMENTAL STORE: TANGS at Tangs Plaza; TANGS VivoCity; Robinsons The Heeren; OG Orchard Point; Metro The Centrepoint AUTHORISED RETAILERS: 20:14 eco Orchard Gateway; 3D Trading The Bencoolen #01-95; Brightime by Championtime The Bencoolen #01-70/71, Lucky Plaza #01-37; Eastern Watch Lucky Plaza #01-74; Gift Time Plaza Singapura #01-30A; Hing’s Watch Bras Basah Complex #01-39; H2Hub West Mall #01-24, Century Square #01-K7, Jurong Point #03-118/119, Serangoon Nex #01-K11/12; Horologe Jurong Point #01-43; International Watch People’s Park Complex #01-49; Kok Heng Clifford Centre #01-07; Lim Joo Chiang People’s Park Centre #01-41; May May Watch Dealer The Bencoolen #01-77; Mega Watch Technic Bishan Street 13 #01-508; Mohd Mustafa & Samsuddin Serangoon Plaza; Nanking Watch Dealer Peninsula Excelsior Shopping Centre #01-26; Ngee Keong Watch Dealer Katong Shopping Centre #02-12; Niva Time Bedok Mall #01-24; On Time Gallery Eastpoint Mall #02-30; Vincent Watch Causeway Point #01-12, Jurong Point #01-13, JEM #01-26, Tampines Mall #01-28, Toa Payoh HDB Hub #01-31; Watch Trend Choa Chu Kang MRT #01-30; Yuen Loong Marina Square #02-254A/255A, Parkway Parade #B1-92 ONLINE RETAILERS: Timepiece Atelier http//.www.timepieceatelier.com Sole distributor: CRYSTAL TIME (S) PTE LTD
Tel: +65-6747 8888
www.crystaltime.com.sg
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