Find Out Why Chinese Swimming Club is your Oasis in the East

An oasis in Katong stands the Chinese Swimming Club, founded in 1905 by nine young swim enthusiasts. Nurturing top athletes of Singapore, many of whom grew up frequenting the Club, this became perfect ground for children of members keen to be trained by these very sportsmen.

Contrary to its name, membership is open to all nationalities. Term memberships are available for Expats, a convenient family club for those who live in the area.

The Chinese Swimming Club’s current arrival pavilion started off as a bungalow in the spacious grounds of a wealthy philanthropist’s home in 1921. In a matter of six years this Club contributed to an all-Malaya team who travelled to Shanghai for the Chinese Olympics (equivalent to the Asian Games then).

Since 1938 when a 3-storey Clubhouse was established with it’s first 25m pool, the Club refurbished internally many times over to keep current with demand for an ever-changing way of life. Hence it’s full range of facilities and services is excellent and patronised well by its 8,800 plus membership.

As I stepped through the main entrance, the smell of coffee wafted through from the deli housed on the side of the lobby. What a wonderful welcome, I thought. Coffee was a main draw for me. The coffee house was full of activity though quiet, as people sat leisurely to read their paper or work on their laptop.

Very modern in design I was actually rather taken aback and impressed at the same time, that the Chinese Swimming Club while keeping tradition, also realised the importance of relevance to today’s needs. With strong current membership, the sizeable land affords this family recreation club a tremendous array of facilities.

Walking beyond lobby doors I was so impressed by the Olympic-sized pool flanked by a lovely, casual coffee house on the side. There was swim training going on which I noticed immediately. Exclaiming my delight at the opportunity to swim in an Olympic sized pool, I was promptly informed of another one across the road in the Annexe - two Olympic pools in one club. That’s an extremely valuable asset for any Club to boast!

Sports academies set up by national athletes who trained at this very Club when they were young, are now training other members’ children. What a wonderful circle of continuation that undoubtedly assures production of top class athletes. Nurturing from young is an important aspect of any nation. Children are aware that if they make good time, their performance will be flagged to national level. What motivation to excel!

On the roof top of the Singapore Swimming Club lies a surfeit of tennis courts some of which double up as basketball courts. As someone who has lived in the area for the last 10 years and walked past this Club umpteen times on my way to the beach (which by the way has access via a side gate from the Club) I failed to observe this rooftop facility.

Undoubtedly so much more fun to book a court at the Club and meet up with other club members for a game. I do know that since Covid hit, condo facilities have been in great demand and rather hard to secure. With so many courts at the Club this would undoubtedly be the preferred route.

Facilities available in this one building were astounding! A bowling alley, games room, kids playground, table tennis rooms and an amazingly huge gym with loads of machines which were very sought after. I was shocked at the number of patrons on a weekday morning. It was buzzing! A big hint to management that whatever they were doing was working well. After all with Olympians on the Committee they would be drawn and guided to doing what worked from a user perspective.

The eight internal badminton courts were another amazing sight for me. Filled with enthusiasts of a specific sport it was great to see so many people play a game concentrated in one room. A feast for the eyes and a feeling of passion for the game struck my heart. For others not so sporty there was an activities room that could be used for cooking classes. A mini kitchen installed, this looked like it would appeal to a different segment of the membership.

It was time for lunch. We stepped into the coffee house by the pool which was packed to the brim. The menu was extensive and very well priced. I loved the interior design once again. It was modern, simple lines and well laid out.

Apart from the hawker fare there was an Indian kitchen too. With usual starters of soups and salads there was everything on the menu including Western and fusion dishes.

I started with a chicken Caesar salad which presented beautifully. A perfect lunch for $8.70 this was a definite for me anytime I came back to the Chinese Swimming Club. It tasted so good. Well grilled chicken with just the right amount of dressing and grated Parmesan.

For those who love a spring roll or two, the homemade pork Ngoh Hiang is a minced meat version of this. Wrapped in bean curd sheets and fried this is one of my favourite starters especially if I am drinking alcohol, as meat tends to line my tummy well. A Peranakan starter this is not a dish that is often available so I always take advantage of having it when I do see it on a menu.

For western palates, there is the usual fish n chips, chicken steak, chicken breast with brown rice and Miso honey-glazed cod. I decided to try the salted egg yolk pork which is a favourite Chinese dish. It was delicious. I was impressed at the level of quality versus price. To have a full quality meal under $10 was a great deal. It was a no brainer to meet friends for lunch and enjoy some social time.

Since I was informed about the Indian kitchen, I thought it fitting to try the New Zealand whole lamb shank briyani. With a bit of achar (vegetable pickle) on the side and a whole shank that graced the plate, this was a full meal in itself. A dish that originated from Indian Muslim beginnings it was very normal to have an iced coffee on the side. I did exactly that and was reminded of my growing up days in Malaysia where this was common fare perhaps not with a lamb shank!

I must bring your attention to the iced coffee at the Singapore Swimming Club. It is made with gula melaka (palm sugar). I did ask for a smaller amount as I don’t usually take sugar in beverages. A fabulous combo to the briyani, I would really recommend this five star meal. By the way this Club is open to non-members for a slight premium on top of the menu price, if you cared to have a meal there.

Across the road lies the Annexe which also houses function rooms including a ballroom. Three Bars, a wine-bistro-bar greeted us on the ground floor with a piano on a small stage. Cosy lounge chairs and dimmer lighting alluded to this bar being quite the place to hang out like a Cheers Bar of sorts.

I could imagine members getting together with each other, a home away from home. At reduced prices and something for everyone in the family why not? I would say this would be a great alternative for our readers to consider especially if they are living in the area.

The Chinese Swimming Club hit a 10/10 for me in terms of facilities, location, food and membership fee. I had it in the back of my mind to go back for lunch. I had to try the Chinese Restaurant next time round.