The Future of Singapore Golf

Mr Tan Chong Huat, President/Singapore Golf Association

Mr Khoo Boon Hui, Chairman/Singapore Golf Association

Ms Gillian Sim, President/Singapore Ladies Golf Association

Mr Loh Kim Chah, President/Singapore Seniors Golfers Society

Mr Patrick Kwek, President/Warren Golf and Country Club

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and gentlemen, golfers, enthusiasts, athletes,

1. Good evening. Thank you for inviting me to join you, and for the opportunity to meet with all of you. This evening, we are here to witness the investiture of office holders and committee members from the three key organisations in Singapore golf.
   

2. They are
   
   a. The Singapore Golf Association (SGA), our National Sport Association for golf.
   
   b. The Singapore Ladies Golf Association (SLGA), with a strong, admirable mission to promote ladies golf.
   
   c. And the Singapore Senior Golfers Society (SSGS), that promotes active ageing through golf.
   
   Sports and an Inclusive Society for All
   

3. This comprehensive and holistic ecosystem of golf associations, each existing on its own and serving its own members, but at the same time coming and working together is very important indeed and commendable.
   
   a. It shows our golfing community is inclusive, mindful of the people outside of golf as well,
   
   b. and thinks that sports can be and should be for all. That is something I strongly believe in, in all the sports association that I support in my capacity at MCCY.
   

4. Not just that, I think all of you have the same ethos, not just to make sports inclusive for all, but to also take steps to make that happen and not just talk about it.
   

5. Beyond establishing these associations,
   
   a. SGA and NTUC Club had signed an MOU to introduce golf through the NTUC Club's U Golf Academy programme,
   
   b. Helping over 40 union members and leaders to achieve their handicaps.
   
   c. NTUC Club and People’s Association have also been able to organise clinics, with SGA’s support,
   
   d. All these steps have helped to introduce golf to a wider audience. This is important as there is the notion amongst some that golf is an elite sport. But it is not, and I hope that more people in Singapore can enjoy it.Having stations using beginner-friendly equipment set up at community clubs and schools to make the barriers to entry low, is very important. SGA professionals and national golfers have also put in their own time to volunteer and impart golfing basics to participants.
   

6. An inclusive approach to competitive and elite sports should also be encouraged,
   
   a. And I am glad to see the golf community championing this in its own way.
   
   b. For example, SSGS works with SGA to organise the Singapore National Senior Amateur Championship,which offers competitive opportunities for amateur Singaporean golfers aged 55 and above.
   
   c. I hope this is something that other sports can learn from as well, to introduce the sport to first timers of all ages.
   

7. It is good to see the golf community rally together, to use sports as a means to a better end, to drive commitment towards a more inclusive and caring society;
   
   a. By plugging yourselves into the wider community, caring for others and being involved in charitable causes.
   
   b. At the recent “Golf Celebrates National Day” event, which was an island-wide activation aimed to promote golf while supporting charitable causes,
   
   c. SGA raised about $50,000 for five diverse charitable organisations, each representing a stakeholder of the needy and unprivileged that have benefitted from your goodwill. These were:
   
   i. Asian Women’s Welfare Association,
   ii. Associations for Persons with Special Needs,
   iii. Life Community Services,
   iv. Clarity Singapore, and
   v. Food from the Heart.
   

8. All five benefitted from the kind and generous gestures, not just in financial terms, but also felt the effort by the broader sporting community to take steps to help them move along in life.
   

9. I am very glad that the golfing community has made an impact on a broad range of diverse areas.
   

10. At the same time, looking at the different new appointees who will be invested this evening, in some ways, it is of no surprise.
    
    a. Chong Huat, who I have known for a while since the time I was in practice in Law. He is also the Chairman of RHT Rajan Menon Foundation which supports causes such as Arts & Sports, Disadvantaged Groups, Education and Sustainability. The first two groups are close to my heart, not just what I  do in my ministry, but I think these are the areas that will really move the needle in Singapore. Using the arts and sports as a foundation to develop strong national identity really moves the needle. Same for the disadvantaged groups, when we not just say but do something to help them, it will help them feel like they are in an inclusive Singapore.
    
    b. Gillian, Tanah Merah Country Club’s Lady Captain, and two-time^[1] Singapore Open Senior Amateur Championship, Ladies Overall Division Champion. Thank you for your continuous effort to promote golf among ladies, for raising the standards and enhancing SLGA’s relationship with other ladies’ golf associations in our region.
    
    c. Kim Chah has been actively involved in at the grassroots level since 1996. Having served as the Chairman of Gek Poh Ville Community Club, and Vice-Chairman for Hong Kah North Community Club, he now aims to expand golfing to the seniors. In many ways, I think the take up rate should be good, where many seniors will be interested. I am glad that we now also have a programme that actively reaches out to them.
    

11. These are all seasoned and driven individuals with a strong passion for golf and to serve the golf community.
    
    Future of Singapore Golf
    

12. I look forward to seeing Singapore golf at the elite level continue to rise.
    
    a. I think one key driver for that, is for all our golf associations to be pulling in the same direction together, just like what we are starting to do, with the three golf associations coming together.
    
    b. With a strong network of coaches, partners and supporters, we will drive a strong ecosystem of elite golfers in Singapore.
    

13. Over the recent years, Singapore golf has achieved notable success.
    
    a. Let me highlight a few instances, where our athletes have flown our national colours on the international stage.
    
    b. Just take the past three SEA Games – In 2017, the team of Gregory Foo, Joshua Shou, Marc Ong, and Joshua Ho, clinched Singapore’s first Men’s Team Gold Medal. In 2019, James Leow won the Individual Men’s Gold Medal, ending Singapore’s 30-year wait since Samson Gimson’s Gold in 1989. And earlier this year in Hanoi, we witnessed Aloysa Atienza record an amazing seven-under par 65 in the final round of the individual event, to clinch Singapore’s first women’s Individual Silver Medal since 1991.
    

14. These are all baby steps, little seeds that we can take a lot of comfort and optimism from, as the sport continues to grow and flourish. And I look forward to all three of the Association’s leadership, coming together to serve the golfing community and different stakeholders, with the single-minded purpose and vision to lift Singapore’s golfing standards.
    
    Conclusion

15. Let me conclude by congratulating all who are going to be invested this evening. This occasion, as our first investiture, is an important one. Years from now, I hope you will look back and see that this was the important foundation piece for us to bring Singapore golf to the next level.
    

16. On that note, warmest congratulations to all the appointees. Thank you!

^[1]2017 and 2018