Changi Coastal Clubs Inter-Club Golf Friendly 2024

/in , /by

Report by Benjamin Mui, “Sailor with a Golfing Problem”

Now in its third run, the 2024 Changi Coastal Golf Interclub Friendlies took place on a warm and windless Sunday afternoon in the waning days of the southwest monsoon. A brave group of 13 golfers representing Changi Sailing Club swapped their tiller extensions for golf clubs and made the short hop down the coast to Changi Golf Club for the 1.30pm “shotgun” start. After a group photo at the practice green, the golfers made their way to their assigned starting positions around the course. With a short 3-second count-down and a long blast of the ever-familiar airhorn, 55 players spread across the nine tee boxes of Changi Hill teed off their first shots of the day to start the competition.

Despite being away from their natural element, our maritime golfers navigated the jungle course with grace and a good measure of fortitude. Over the next five hours, the timeless Changi hill was abuzz with activity as golf carts snaked across the fairways and the sound of golf shots rang out across the valley. Good shots, bad shots, lost balls, found balls, birdies, pars, boogies (doubles, triples, and unmentionables) were the order of the day.


Picture perfect landing spot, on the lay line for the approach to the flag.

As the sun hung low on the horizon, everyone completed their 18-hole rounds and sped back to the clubhouse for some much-needed refreshments. Changi Golf Club hosted this year’s post-round festivities at their sea-side clubhouse, which presented a different perspective of our familiar Changi waters. Over free-flowing Tiger beers, war stories were exchanged with accounts of treacherous sand bunkers, challenging greens, and a particularly steep cliff behind one hole that caught a few unsuspecting golfers.


An uphill battle to get back onto the green

Everyone was in good spirits and when the sun set, the fairy-lights were switched on and a delicious dinner of briyani and an assortment of curries was served, accompanied by a boisterous band belting out classic crowd favorites into the cloudless night.


Changi Golf Club coming in strong with their post-game hospitality

While the golfers were enjoying their well-deserved dinner, the organizers were hard at work tabulating the scores from the day’s Stableford scoring and by 8.30pm the results were in. Changi Golf Club emerged victorious, as they did in the past two years, but second-placed Changi Beach Club made it very close this year. Our golfing sailors put in a highly commendable showing, and the final count presented a significant improvement from our scores in the past two years. This is due in large part to the strong and enthusiastic turnout from our members this year and hopefully this continues as we press on for better scores in future Friendlies. To mangle a quote from a certain redhaired Australian skipper from the America’s Cup, “I think the question is, imagine if Changi Sailing Club would lift the trophy one day, what an upset that would be.”


Changi Sailing Club well represented at the evening festivities

The night wrapped up with a lucky draw that saw some intrigued golfers winning vouchers for sailing lessons at the club. It would certainly be wonderful if this kickstarts in them a lifelong passion for sailing, just as some of us sailors have been bitten by the golf bug. While giving out the prizes, our Social Secretary Ad Smit enjoined the three Changi clubs (Changi Sailing Club, Changi Golf Club, and Changi Beach Club) to find more ways to come together so that we can make this northeast corner coast of Singapore a lively and vibrant hotspot for sporting and outdoor activities. This sentiment was shared by the management of the other Changi clubs in their closing remarks, and as the party flowed on into the night, excited club members discussed ideas for a Changi Tri-Club Championships as a friendly competition between the three Changi clubs.


L: GM Choy providing much-appreciated moral support
R: Our sailing team has a golfing problem

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

No more posts

 

CSC
Latest posts by CSC (see all)