Dear Members, Decisions! Decisions! At the coming EGM on 6 December, Members will be asked to decide what, if anything, the Club should do to improve our golfing experience at RSGC.
The four golf course proposals give Members a clear set of choices on how best to invest in the Club’s most important asset. Resolution 2 is purely procedural. It revokes the RM58.6 million upgrade plan approved in November 2023, which can no longer be implemented due to updated agronomy requirements, revised specifications and pricing
Resolution 3 seeks approval for a comprehensive RM92-plusmillion upgrading of the Old, New and Suleiman Courses and related infrastructure. It is based on two years of soil studies, agronomy assessments, architectural input and tender exercises. The plan addresses longstanding issues such as poor drainage, inappropriate soils, multiple turf varieties, limited pin positions, washed-out bunkers and silted lakes. Technically, it would elevate the playing surfaces and performance of the courses, particularly during wet weather conditions. However, the layout remains the same, and the courses will look essentially unchanged after the upgrade except that they will present a more consistent green appearance. A large portion of the costs lies in the grass and the systems beneath it. The project requires phased closures over several years. Twenty-seven holes are expected to remain open at any one time, but the sustained disruption will be significant. Members who prioritise the most comprehensive technical fix will want to support this approach.
If Resolution 3 does not pass, Resolution 4 provides an effective and lower-disruption alternative. Instead of a full reconstruction, it focuses on enhanced maintenance and targeted improvements, allocating an additional RM10 million per year in 2026 and 2027. The works will prioritise areas that can make a noticeable difference within a short period of time while minimising disruption. It will concentrate resources on weak points such as subsoil drainage in critical areas including the roughs, progressive re-turfing of greens and collars, rehabilitation of problematic bunkers, sand-capping trials and increased frequency and intensity of rough cutting. These improvements should give Members visible results without further delay. Because all courses remain largely open, the approach will appeal to Members who value uninterrupted play.
Resolution 5 offers a forwardlooking complement to Resolution 4. It authorises The Committee (TC) to appoint a world-class golf course architect to prepare a masterplan for a future re-imagining of the courses. Some Members believe that if the Club is to incur close to RM100 million under Resolution 3, and if the end result is a technically improved but visually similar course, it may be more worthwhile to explore a truly exceptional redesign instead. Leading clubs globally have engaged designers such as Nicklaus Design, Gil Hanse, Tom Doak, Coore and Crenshaw and David McLay Kidd, whose works are renowned. For Members who want RSGC to consider a long-term vision of global-calibre golf while retaining its parkland heritage, Resolution 5 provides the foundation for that ambition and ensures the Club keeps its options open.
Executing a full re-imagining guided by a world-class designer will invariably cost more than the RM92 million proposed under Resolution 3. Some Members feel that if we are to endure disruption, then the final outcome should be truly special and worthy of longlasting pride. Importantly, any drainage works or infrastructure upgrades carried out under Resolution 4 would carry forward into a future world-class redesign, ensuring those improvements are not wasted. At this stage, Resolution 5 simply seeks approval for funds to shortlist, select and engage a leading architect willing to accept our assignment. In the meantime, Resolution 4 ensures that maintenance is strengthened and problem areas are addressed immediately so that Members can enjoy noticeable improvements without waiting for long-term planning to conclude or experiencing course closures.
In summary, all Members should vote for Resolution 2. Beyond that, if you desire a technically better and more playable golf course and do not mind the disruption while retaining the current design, vote for Resolution 3. If Resolution 3 receives Members’ approval, Resolutions 4 and 5 will be automatically withdrawn. If you prefer minimal disruption and want almost immediate results in priority areas, then choose Resolution 4. If you want immediate improvements but also wish to explore how a world-class rendering of our courses might appear, vote for Resolutions 4 and 5. Together, Resolutions 4 and 5 will allow the Club to make immediate progress with minimal disruption while also preparing a bold and ambitious long-term vision that Members can vote on in approximately 18 to 24 months.
Regardless of your choice, we should all be exceedingly grateful for the precious time and effort expended by the Project Steering Committee, led by John Eu, for their considerable contributions to date. Choose wisely. Decisions! Decisions!
Your Captain
Raymond Yeoh
