Social golfers bid reluctant farewell to Marina Bay Golf Course
SINGAPORE - At midnight on June 13, Terence Lim and his friends sat in front of their laptops, frantically trying to secure a tee time at the Marina Bay Golf Course (MBGC).
Within seconds, all the available slots on June 28 were snapped up and thankfully, Lim was among the lucky ones. Like many social golfers, he wanted to get a “farewell round” in before Singapore’s only 18-hole public course shuttered after June 30 owing to its expired land lease.
Lim, 32, who works in sales, picked up golf in 2018 at Mandai Executive Golf Course – a nine-hole public course – with the same group of friends. They do not own private country club memberships and were regular patrons at MBGC.
He told The Sunday Times: “There was some worry and anxiety that we couldn’t get our slot for a farewell round. Probably after the 18 holes we will cry and tear a bit. This is the last time we will be here after many years so it’s bittersweet memories.
“We have to save up a bit more (for a country club membership). It’s pretty tough for all of us and especially foreigners.”
MBGC was running at full capacity after the Covid-19 pandemic and in the lead up to its closure, about 8,000 golfers were teeing off monthly, ST understands.
Since its opening in November 2006, the public course – which was operated by NCI Golf, a subsidiary of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) – had more than 1.3 million players on its greens and dispensed over 419 million driving range golf balls.
In 2014, the Government said that its lease would not be renewed after ending in July 2024. Its closure means Mandai, which recently had its lease renewed till 2026, is the only remaining fully public golf course in Singapore
Like Lim, many other golfers expressed sadness as they reminisced about their time spent on the course over the last 18 years.
Terence Lim tees off from the par-3 hole 13 at the Marina Bay Golf Course for the last time on June 28. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Amateur golfer Max Kloer, 44, has been a regular player at MBGC since 2006. The 1.8-handicapper, who will be participating in July’s Singapore Open Amateur Championship, lamented the loss of a public facility where he has access to the practice chipping and putting areas.
Kloer, who does not own a country club membership, said: “With this gone, if I want to play any competition in the future, I’ve got nowhere else to go. We can’t afford to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. So what are we going to do?”
Over the years, he has played at many top golf courses around the world like the Carnoustie Golf Links but ranks MBGC as one of his favourites.
He added: “Personally I really like the over the water par-three hole 13. That’s the best hole. This is a really good golf course. It’s world class and on par with a competitive golf course. To dig up everything, it’s such a shame.
“I don’t like to go to Malaysia because it’s troublesome. I have experienced getting stuck in traffic jams for five hours. To go to Batam you need to pay like $76 for the ferry. It’s just a real shame.”
Golfers said they will miss the iconic views of the Marina Bay skyscrapers when the Marina Bay Golf Course shutters on June 30. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Avid golfer Bryan Teo, 51, started learning the sport with his wife Alice Oh, 52, at MBGC’s Star Golf Academy in 2011.
The international relocation consultant, who played his farewell round on May 29, said: “I will miss the night golf and the elevated Canopy cafe, especially the beautiful dining at night with a full view of the golf course and the central business district night view.”
Oh added: “I’m always excited playing here at night especially when the weather is much cooler. I’m not a very good golfer and golfing at MBGC is always a challenge.”
Even for budding golfers who recently picked up the game, like university graduate Ho Hol Yarn, MBGC holds a special place in their hearts.
Calling it “one of Singapore’s most iconic golf courses”, Ho, 25, said there was “more pressure to play each hole well (in his final round on June 26) knowing I would not have any more chances to play these holes again”.
Since its opening in November 2006, the public course had more than 1.3 million players on its greens and dispensed over 419 million driving range golf balls. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
While Cheryl Looi, who works in the sustainability sector, has a membership at Seletar Golf Club, she made an effort to play MBGC more consistently during its last two months.
While her flight mates tried to “soak in every detail” of the course and scenery, for Looi, 28, her most precious memory of MBGC is indelible.
She said: “One of my best memories is playing at MBGC with one of my closest friends, who has since passed away. I first met her when I was in Secondary 1 and she was in Secondary 2 at Marina Bay, playing in the National School Games. We became great friends and went on to play together as a team when we were in Junior College.
“When we entered the National University of Singapore together, we played the inter-varsity competition and those were held at Marina Bay as well. These experiences are something I will not forget.”