Dear Members, Happy New Year! Punctuality is the thief of time but it does not have to be. The punctual person is always kept waiting by those who are either late by design or late by dereliction. We joined RSGC’s Committee to make a difference. Our time is short, precious and we should have little tolerance for those in the club’s deep state who prefer slow by design or slow by dereliction. So much to do and so little time in which to do it.
Similarly, Members will have heard me say that they should apply one simple test to gauge the success of the Committees’ efforts and the Committee should use that same test to decide what to do next. Is the club a “better” place after the action is carried out. So long as an action passes this test, we want it done and we want it done now.
On that note, golfers may have noticed that we have brought in an additional 20 “black shirt” manual contract workers to tend to our golf courses. The wet weather has taken its toll on the quality of play and our black shirt newbies are being trained to ensure that the golf course is as good as it can be whilst awaiting our holistic upgrade. No reason why our roughs cannot now be cut even when the ground is soaking wet. Manual brush cutters will see to that. No reason for the fairway, bunkers and pathways to appear unkempt and unloved. This should also extinguish the oft used excuse that we have insufficient manpower to deliver the golf course Members deserve. We hope golfers will start to notice the difference.
In the same vein, immediately following the approval of our 2025 CAPEX plan on 7th Dec and after a rigorous evaluation process we are putting a large part of the RM4.16m budget to work with an upgrade of our golf course maintenance machinery with better mowers, sprayers, tractors, and specialized tools, selected for reliability, efficiency, and compatibility. This systematic replacement strategy will minimize downtime, repair costs, ensure higher performance, again to improve playing conditions for Members.
Away from the golf course, the pipeline list to upgrade our facilities is also as long as it is exciting; ranging from the extensive revamp of our swimming pool and gym facilities, the addition of pickleball and paddle tennis courts to the creation of a golf simulator area, the renovation of the front reception, air-conditioning the external entrance area to the function room, upgrading our golf shoe cleaning facilities outside the men’s changing rooms and seeing through both the rectification works of our clubhouse roof and roof eaves and the installation of high capacity Solar once the roof is fit for purpose.
Our Lawn tennis courts are also being sandcapped and resurfaced with more resilient local Zoysia Matrella grass. I will keep you updated on progress along the way.
In the area of upkeep and maintenance, we have asked our GM to allocate one accountable person to be solely responsible for identifying defects, dereliction, disrepair, deterioration or simply the need for maintenance of all our non-golf facilities. Effective immediately, we now have an “owner” or accountable person for that process for identifying and escalating all such dilapidations. “Group” responsibility never works with the inevitable blame game playing out over and over.
Our Golf Course upgrade under the purview of the EGM sanctioned Project Steering Committee (PSC) has unfortunately faced challenges, including rising costs, design changes, and logistical delays. Despite setbacks, the goal remains to deliver a high-quality course with another EGM expected in Q2 or possibly Q3 2025 to request additional funding and possible changes in specifications including likely, more extensive sand capping and grass species best suited to our “new” climate. The Committee will update Members in due time as and when we receive the same from the PSC. The Committee is as anxious as members to see speedier progress to this project’s execution time line.
Raymond Yeoh
Captain
