FAREWELL TO THE GRAND OLD DAME

The Curtain Descends On Bukit Chermin After 118 Years

- NATASHA WONG

A round of golf at Keppel Club in Bukit Chermin is a constant tussle of emotions. The course layout is notoriously challenging and even the most seasoned of golfers struggle with the array of undulating lies, tight fairways, elevation changes, and the many lurking OB areas. Yet, it is these very same challenges that make the Keppel course an excellent training ground for golfers.

Home of the Singapore Junior Open for a decade or so from 2005, many local elite players have claimed Keppel as their home club, all of whom credit the challenging nature of the course for advancing their games.

35-year-old tour professional Choo Tze Huang who cut his teeth as a junior at Keppel shared, "It's a very demanding course from tee to green with undulating fairways. Accuracy off the tee is key. It's a very good course to train on and learn course management and discipline. It has also helped me a lot with my short game and wedges into the greens."

Former Singapore national player, 23-year-old Callista Chen, shared that she loves how each of the holes are unique and memorable. "Every hole has its own character and there are different ways of approaching the hole. You'll never get bored of it."

Goh Kun Yang, a 34-year-old teaching professional who also grew up playing golf at Keppel Club shared, "In spite of the course being relatively short, its layout requires golfers to think and plan their shots in order to keep the ball in play and for a better chance to score well. I have made many mistakes around the course over the years, and that has helped me with my course management."