Courtesy Sentosa Golf Club
Sentosa Golf Club has reopened The Serapong after extensive renovation to maintain its conditioning and playing standards.
The renovations are headlined by a new bunkering style with serrated edges to enhance The Serapong’s character and overall strategy. The club used 6,000 tonnes of new sand during the renovations to reinstate consistency, texture and tournament-ready compaction for improved playability.
Modifications have also helped to enhance and preserve the personality of many of The Serapong’s iconic holes, including the signature 5th hole, which overlooks metropolitan Singapore and its bustling port.
Masterminded by Andrew Johnston, the club’s general manager, director of agronomy and resident golf course designer, The Serapong has been closed since March.
Alongside the new bunkering, a number of other key course upgrades were implemented during that time, including the re-grassing of fairways and the modification of the greens soil profile by introducing new carbon technology to boost soil chemistry and profile structure. Enhancements to the greens are set to make The Serapong’s putting surfaces even better, which is hard to believe given the wide acclaim they already receive from its members, guests and visiting Tour Professionals.
The renovations also paid close attention to the re-levelling of all tee boxes, reinstating them with the tabletop-flat finish. It will enable the club to continue to maintain the tees at a mowing height of 3 mm, improving the quality of the playing experience for members and guests.
“The last time The Serapong was renovated was nearly 14 years ago and since then the course has grown to become one of the world’s best, picking up multiple accolades in the process,” Johnston said. “Despite the challenges presented by the worldwide pandemic, we have found a way to pull the Sentosa family together within the safe working restrictions to complete the works. This has been a very exciting project that was well overdue, and we are confident the changes implemented will only enhance the golfing experience for our members and guests.
“Being located in a sub-tropical climate means the golf course ages faster than an ordinary one, and these renovations are crucial to maintaining the quality of the playing surfaces, as well as the conditions and high-standards that we pride ourselves on here at Sentosa.”
