Singapore: The Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club (SGC) has for the first time been ranked in Golf Digest’s World’s Top-100 Golf Courses.
SGC, home of this month’s SMBC Singapore Open and a Golf Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation, clinched 58th spot globally, making it Southeast Asia’s highest-rated golf course and the only Singapore venue to be ranked in the table’s history.
The rankings were published this month with Royal County Down Golf Club in Northern Ireland taking top spot.
The rankings are based on ratings by 2,000 independent and top golfers across the globe. Each course was assessed on seven different categories – shot value, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning and course ambience. More than 33,600 courses were rated worldwide, across 206 countries.
According to Golf Digest, the Serapong Course fared well in all categories, doing particularly well for ‘shot value’, indicating its ability to test the skills of golfers, and ‘conditioning’, highlighting the high quality of grass conditions at the Serapong Course. SGC also came in for praise for its variety of holes and memorability, which measures how well golfers remember a course.
“This recognition is dedicated to the members and staff of SGC who together have contributed immensely in ensuring that the golf course is always in excellent condition. It is also recognition of the ability of Singapore to be able to achieve world excellence in its facilities, when it puts its heart and mind into it,” said Low Teo Ping, President of Sentosa Golf Club.
Andy Johnston, the club’s General Manager and Director of Agronomy, said: “The accolade by the international golf fraternity comes as a deep honour and we are humbled. We have been evolving and establishing our reputation as the region’s best golf course, and our strong performance on the Golf Digest ranking will spur our dedicated team to deliver even more memorable experiences as we continue to develop the business of golf and build a unique environment for the benefit of our members and the business community.”
In its list, Golf Digest cites that Serapong is famous for its Dragon’s Tail, a loop of holes four through six with island fairways surrounding a tidal basin, set against legendary backdrops of the Singapore skyline.
The 6,675-metre Serapong Course has also been named ‘Best Golf Course in Singapore’ by Golf Digest Singapore and Swing since 2009. The course was opened in 1982 and underwent a S$12 million upgrade in 2007.