The development of the RSGC would not have reached the dizzy heights of today if not for the dedication of many Members and other personalities who had devoted a major part of their lives to selflessly putting their shoulders to the wheel, to see to the wellbeing of the Club. There are many such individuals to whom the Club owes a debt; some whose contributions have been well-documented and many more whose hard work and toil though known to all and sundry, have gone unrecorded.
Short of writing another book to thank them all, and even then some might still be inadvertently omitted, the only alternative, “to put things right,” as it were, is to have on record here and now the Club’s profound gratitude to all those whose names did not appear in this book and a sincere apology for such omissions even though many of them had never expected any recognition or expression of indebtedness in the first place.
However, a history, however informal, of our Club would be incomplete without the mention of a few ladies and gentlemen who had in their own inimitable style put the name of RSGC on the world’s golfing map. They are not presented here in any particular order of priority or importancce (lest umbrage be taken by some).
RSGC’s longest serving Captain in the post War era is Eddie Soo Soon Heng with six terms from 1986 to 1993 with a break of two years (1990-1991) when Leslie Eu was at the helm. Eddie clearly had a great fondness for the Club and relished his role in the Committee. He readily declares “…. The time I spent serving the Club in Sub-committees and the Committee, and as Vice-Captain for two years and then as Captain, was the happiest time of my life. It improved my understanding of people and gave me the opportunity to make thousands of friends… I had the privilege of total support from the Members. That was a reward which I shall cherish for all time. …… We also had the undivided support of the Government, and maintained an Armed Forces Golf Day at the Club every third Wednesday, when a competition was held among officers of the armed forces. This was our way of saying “thank you” for all the help they provided during the Malaysian Opens held here.
During my time, we also supported the armed forces by hosting the Asean Defence Forces Tournament.”
Always decorous and generous to a fault, Eddie has been seen to pick up the tab personally on a number of occasions when our friends from overseas were entertained here during friendly visits or inter-club matches. His contributions to the Club especially during the Centenary Year when he was Captain, have been well documented in The Circular and in this book. He was made an Honorary Member in recognition of his years of service to the Club.
The record for the longest serving member in the Committee however, belongs to Abdul Hamid Omar who was Club Captain for four years and President for eleven years up to 1988. Even then, he came back from “retirement” to be the Chairman of the Centenary Standing Committee formed in 1991 which organised the Centenary Celebrations.
He was also the President of the MGA for many years and, together with Edmund Yong, was instrumental in forming the Professional Golfers Association of Malaysia in 1972 where for eight years thereafter they were the President and Vice-President respectively. Eddie Soo in his 1989 AGM address said “….during my period as Captain, I have received tremendous inspiration and support from Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Omar who was President then …… and have been able to complete the renovation and extension of the Club facilities…. he also helped to solve the quit rent problem…..”
Another outstanding personality that is part of RSGC’s history was Norman Von Nida. He came to prominence in 1947 when he took Britain by storm in winning seven tournaments that year, (still a European tour record) and a few more in 1948. By the time he retired from tournament play in the mid seventies, with a bad back and failing eyesight, he had won over eighty championships, although never a major.
The Von as he was popularly known, first met up with Tommy Lee and Clarissa when they visited him in Australia to seek his expertise and to invite him to assist the Malaysian team to win the Putra Cup. He accepted, much to the delight of the Lees. Before long, he became an invaluable fixed asset at the RSGC. The Von would rise at the break of dawn and would be coaching housewives in the morning and other Members including Putra Cup players, throughout the rest of the day and if necessary, even in the blazing sun.
Hard work or magic or whatever – it worked, and almost immediately, paid dividends. His Putra Cup team won in 1976. His charges in the 1977 Nomura Cup were even more impressive – securing third placing among the best amateur players in Asia. After settling for a runner-up outing in the 1978 Putra Cup, Von Nida’s team did Malaysia proud by winning the Cup again in 1979 when Sahabudin put the frosting on the cake by emerging as the individual champion.
Tommy remembers The Von fondly as “….. a great person and a great friend and I feel privileged to have known him. He did everything with professionalism of the highest order and he had a generosity I have not encountered in any other golf professional. Contrary to what people expected of a legendary figure, he got on well with all the Club Members and was very popular….”
Those who have had the privilege to come under his tutelage have nothing but praise and gratitude for the man. John Eu, previously a good tennis player, took up golf seriously with The Von’s encouragement and subsequently became Club Champion. Sahabudin Yusof’s game improved to such an extent that he turned professional, and Eshak Bluah finally got his act together to win back-to-back Malaysian Amateur Opens in 1976 and 1977. And many many more, including one Ichiro Suzuki, who is currently the joint record holder of having won 9 Club Championships! Such was the indelible mark that The Von left on Malaysian golf in the few years he was here.
Charlie Earp, the Australian golf coach, summed it best in his eulogy at the funeral of the great Von in May 2007: “St. Peter can expect a golf lesson from The Von when he welcomes him through the Pearly Gates. He’s given everyone else a lesson – even if they didn’t ask for it! ” Apparently, word had it that his dying wish was that a golf club and two golf balls be placed in his coffin and when asked why two balls, he replied “in case I lose one on the way up.”
As mentioned in an earlier chapter – “Gentlemen, the Ladies” – the longest serving Lady Golf Captain was Lee Eng Lin who had ten terms from 1975 to 1993 with a number of breaks in between. Not only was she diligent and decorous in carrying out her responsibilities like all other Lady Captains, she was also gracious in acknowledging the input from her committee, in particular the conscientious Rose Sun Gim Fong, who was Ladies Golf Section (LGS) Hon. Secretary from 1975 to 1984.
Eng Lin was so deeply moved when informed of Rose’s untimely demise in May 2005 that she had to put on record in the obituary her (Rose’s) dedication in her work as secretary and also in helping the LGS prepare for the Ladies Open Championships. Rose was so committed to her duties that her husband had to buy her an electric typewriter to enable her to continue her work at home to fulfil her many assignments on schedule.
With all the worldly matters and decisions of the Club under the purview of the men, these mild-mannered, soft-spoken ladies still manage to do their bit in their “subdued” role, given the opportunity, in promoting international golfing friendship by hosting and organising the Ladies Amateur Open where over 100 participants from half a dozen or so countries in the region (and even as far away as Ecuador!) throng the Club’s premises annually.
Men too can be mild-mannered and soft spoken, as exemplified by Nik Zainal Abidin Sulong who has a disarming boyish smile to boot. A true diplomat, he was Permanent Representative to the United Nations prior to his appointment in 1988 as Chairman of MIDA upon his retirement from the Foreign Service.
As the President for three years from 1998 to 2000, he steered the Club through the new millennium but not without some “excitement” along the way.
His role as King Solomon in settling the ladies’ dispute without the need to hold a sword in one hand and dangle a baby in the other, has been highlighted on page 128 of the book. That was a breeze. The acid test came when he presided over a highly-charged EGM held in March 2001 a couple of months before the end of his tenure, where there was a furore over the cost overrun in the renovation of the new wing of the Clubhouse as well as the delay and or perceived inaction by The Committee in taking disciplinary action following a complaint made against a Member for dangerous play. Allegations were hurled and barbs traded and at the end a vote of no confidence against the Captain and the three remaining Committee Members (the other five had resigned a few weeks earlier) was carried. The other resolution to censure them for perceived inaction was defeated.
The gruelling test lasted for more than five hours and it took all his years of experience in chairing meetings coupled with his mild demeanour to placate what an esteemed Member referred to as “a mob”! It was past midnight when it all ended, but he remained unruffled although a tad frazzled. It was not out of common courtesy when a vote of thanks to the Chair was proposed; the Members actually meant it – in appreciation of a task well performed.
A person of exemplary moral rectitude, Mohamed Dzaiddin Hj. Abdullah was the Club President who had to call it a day at the AGM in June 2008. If not for the age restriction as provided in the Companies’ Act, the Club would be proud to have him remain as President for as long as he wished.
Although well respected throughout his years of service on the Bench and as a no-nonsense Chief Justice of Malaysia during his tenure years ago, he never claimed the high moral ground or used his position to put others down.
He took his role in Club affairs seriously and regularly presided over Committee meetings even though he was heavily involved elsewhere then as the Chairman of Bursa Malaysia Bhd, Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) Bhd and the Advisory Council, Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia, besides being a legal Consultant in a leading law firm.
His knowledge and wisdom in tackling thorny issues was well sought in the formulation of policies and the making of crucial decisions by The Committee.
