My introduction to golf was at the public golf course in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, UK also known as ‘Tricky-Ricky’. Here I rubbed shoulders with cabbies in their string vests, as I hacked along the course designed in 1923 by Harry Colt. 18 holes of golf here cost me the princely sum of 30 pounds (55 SGD).
Next door to Tricky-Ricky was Moor Park Mansion dating back to 1678, and clubhouse for the prestigious Moor Park golf course. During World War 2, the mansion was the HQ of the 1st Airborne Corps, who planned Operation Market Garden, the abortive mission to capture the bridges of the Lower Rhine in 1944, popularised in the film ‘A Bridge Too Far’. Video Credit: Laguna National Golf and Country Club
Golf In Singapore
Back in England, the country of my birth, golf is steeped in history, cheap and accessible, with the only downside being the rain and cold. Golf in Singapore is in many ways the opposite to the UK! It is still an amazing experience, with some beautifully designed and challenging courses, and notable differences in tropical flora and fauna along the way. Don’t leave food or your phone lying around in the buggy, or the monkeys will have a field day!
One of the biggest challenges of playing golf in Singapore is the heat and humidity. I would factor in extra fluids, sunscreen and avoid playing in the middle of the day.
Another more recent challenge is getting a playing slot. The popularity of golf has soared with COVID-19 travel restrictions in place. You may not believe it but at some of the more ‘kiasu’ member’s clubs, queuing from 3am or using ‘bots’ to book a slot is commonplace.
Where to Play
Here are a selection of golf courses that I have played at in Singapore, since moving here seven years ago:
Opened in November 2006, Marina Bay Golf Course is Singapore's first and only 18-hole golf course which is open to the public. It has the only par 6 hole on the island (651m), offers night golf, and a par 24 6-hole putting course. It is a flattish course with 66 pot bunkers and 34 waste bunkers as new features to the golf course. If you do not have a handicap you will need to undergo a brief golf course swing assessment before play.
Upsides: Very well maintained course, large driving range (114 bays), amazing skyline views of the CBD, Gardens by the Bay and MBS from the course and the Canopy Café.
Downsides: Gets very crowded at peak hours and the weekend.
A 9 hole public golf course located in the centre of the island with a 66 bay driving range. Family friendly with two restaurants (Picotin and Royal Thai).
Upsides: Economical, friendly golf complex. Interesting hilly course. No handicap required.
Downsides: Prepare to lose a lot of balls. Once they land in the rough, they belong to the snakes!
Singapore’s very first 9-hole par 27 public golf course is composed mainly of par 3 and par 4 holes. A no-nonsense game of golf, good for a fast 9 holes before work.
Upsides: Affordable, great for beginners.
Downsides: No dining or bar facilities. Less challenging for lower handicappers and bigger hitters.
Part of the Sembawang Country Club, this ‘military’ golf course, is located next to Sembawang air base and was founded in 1967 by British Marines. Hilly, challenging, surprisingly complex.
Upsides: Something for every golfer, great views.
Downsides: Few downsides.
Formerly the British RAF base, Changi Golf Course is a tight, challenging 9-hole course. The 8th fairway was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the narrowest fairway in the world.
Upsides: Affordable. One of the cheapest golf club memberships in Singapore - a snip at $7500! Great views of the sea and Pulau Ubin.
Downsides: Less accessible distance wise than other clubs. Slightly older facilities.
A prestigious centrally located member’s club. Formed in 1963 from a merger between the Royal Singapore Golf Club and Island Club hence two clubhouse locations (Island and Bukit). The Island club opened in 1932 and was the first club with a multi-racial membership in the colony, and a multi-racial committee. During the Second World War both club’s courses were used to grow vegetables. The Island club was also the location of Singapore’s first air-conditioned automated 10-pin bowling centre in 1963.
One of the 18 hole courses at the Bukit location is set to become a public course, when the lease runs out later this year (2021).
Upsides: Multiple beautifully maintained 18-hole golf courses, including a championship course, in a country club atmosphere.
Downsides: You will need to be a member, or guest of a member to play here, until the new public course opens.
A prominent Member’s club founded in 1993, with two 18-hole championship courses (Classic and Masters Courses) and a regular fixture on the regional competitive circuit. One of the top 100 courses in the world and voted best course (Masters) in Singapore in 2016.
Upsides: Amazing golf experience on beautiful courses. Great dining.
Downsides: Again you will need to be a member or guest to play here.
La Crème de la Crème of Golf Clubs in Singapore. Founded in 1974 it boasts the Championship Serapong Course (voted best golf course in South East Asia) and New Tanjong Course. Empty machine gun posts and relics from the Second World War are features along these courses.
Upsides: The best courses in Singapore
Downsides: Member’s club. If you have $350,000 (local) or $500,000 (foreigner) to spare, then membership of Sentosa Golf Club can be yours!
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GOLF INJURIES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
IS GOLF A LOW-INJURY SPORT?
Golf is not a contact sport but golfers can still pick up many different types of injury. The typical yearly injury rate in amateur golfers is as high as 40 percent, and up to 90 percent in professional golfers, in certain studies.
Take a look at Tiger Woods, one of the game’s most famous players. Car accidents aside, over the years Tiger has experienced injuries such as knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears, cartilage damage, as well as tibial stress fractures, achilles tendon injury, lumbar ‘slipped discs’ and spine problems requiring major surgery which have kept him out of the game for years. Granted not everyone plays like Tiger Woods, but you get the idea.
The problem with golf lies in the swing, a highly complex skill with several segments involving coordination of multiple body parts. It involves a chain of movement initiated from the legs and hips followed by the trunk and shoulders, and finally the hands and wrists. This creates an explosive force with which to propel the ball. Typically, a player will use 30lbs of muscle to generate four horsepower during a golf swing. This applies around 900kg of force to the golf ball in a millisecond.
This action is repeated multiple times in a round of golf, and range practice. This can take its toll over weeks to months, particularly if the swing is poorly executed or performed with excessive force.
WHY DO INJURIES OCCUR?
Many different factors have been associated with golf injury. These include:
- Overuse e.g. playing more than four rounds of golf a week and/or hitting more than 200 balls a week in practice in one study.
- Poor technique and swing mechanics, especially when the club hits the ground unintentionally.
- Lack of warm up – failure to stretch for 10 minutes before a game can double your risk of injury.
- Poor physical conditioning with lack of strength and flexibility.
WHAT ARE THE COMMONEST INJURIES?
a. Spine injury
The spine experiences a great deal of rotational load during the swing. Poor swing mechanics and weak core muscle stability can make this worse, causing lower back injury. Carrying a bag of clubs for several rounds a week can also worsen back injury. Common golfing back problems I see are painful ‘slipped discs’ and inflammation of the facet joints in the spine. These may cause a shooting pain down the leg (sciatica) sometimes associated with numbness and weakness, and buttock pain (piriformis syndrome).
b. Elbow Injury
Pain on the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and inside of the elbow (medial epicondylitis) are common in golf. This can be caused by a poor swing, overuse injury, gripping the club too tight, and striking the club into the ground.
c. Shoulder Injury
Common shoulder problems in golf involve rotator cuff tears, subacromial impingement and acromioclavicular joint pain.
Typically most of these injuries are treated with rest, medications, joint injections and physiotherapy. If left untreated or if particularly severe, surgery may be required.
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SUMMARY
- Learn golf from a licensed professional to perfect your swing and technique.
- Warm up and stretch for at least 10 minutes before hitting a ball.
- Give yourself enough time to recover between rounds. Don’t play more than four rounds of golf or hit more than 200 practice balls in the range per week.
- Undertake and exercise program with a strength and conditioning trainer or physiotherapist, to improve your hip, back and core strength.
- Don’t ignore injuries. See an Orthopaedic specialist or Sports Medicine Doctor (preferably one who plays golf) when you have pain.
- Stay hydrated and use sunscreen
- Listen and obey the weather hazard warning system. Lightning storms are frequent in Singapore.
- In the words of Ben Hogan - ‘The most important shot in golf is the next one’
- Enjoy your Golf and may the Fore’s be with you!
Dr Alan Cheung is a keen golfer, British born and trained Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, and Director of the International Orthopaedic Clinic based at #05-24 Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, 38 Irrawaddy Road.
