Mobile Version - The Royal Selangor Golf Club

Tradition
of Excellence
since 1893
JUNE 2016
MYSTICAL
MYANMAR
PRESTIGE
ON WHEELS
The new Jaguar
XF has a younger,
modern feel
A SLICE
OF EDEN
Learn how to
create your own
paradise at home
Monthly magazine for Private Circulation to Members of The Royal Selangor Golf Club (351-D)
ENDURING
LEGEND
The Royal
Melbourne Golf
Club turns 125
Dream Homes, Now for Rent.
For premium suburban living like no other, there’s Park Manor at Sierramas.
Facilities &
Accessibility
Embrace the luxury of space when you rent
our 3-storey bungalow residences. Featuring
5 to 6 bedrooms as well as generous living,
dining and kitchen spaces, all equipped with
quality kitchen cabinets, wardrobes and
appliances, each brand new unit is ready
to be moved into, immediately.
Add to that access to lifestyle amenities
at the Clubhouse, round-the-clock security,
and communal woodlands right at your
doorstep, and you have a dream home that’s
completely within reach. You even have the
option of purchasing it after the first year,
with rental paid offsetting part of your
payments. How’s THAT for a real deal.
BUILT UP AR EA FR OM
6,024
S q Ft
THE CIRCULAR
...
IGB & ELC
International Schools
...
Jaya Grocer &
Other Shopping Amenities
...
25 Mins Drive To
The KL City Centre Via
NKVE & DUKE
...
Upcoming
Sungai Buloh MRT &
KTM Komuter Stations
9,500
mon th ly
Guardhouse and main entrance
Ask about Park Manor at Sierramas now.
tel +6017 361 2266
RE NTA L PRICE S FROM
RM
Lap pool
www.tantan.com
SHOW H O U SE
10, Park Manor, Sierramas, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
Advertorial
A Double Win
Park Manor purchasers have advantageous options to consider before making the important decision to own the
luxury home of their dreams.
B
uying your forever home where one’s
big family can be housed under one
roof is a dream many aspire to. And
when it comes to decisions we all want to
make the most well-informed ones. Ones
which will prove to be good, ensuring peace
of mind and which will bring many years
of happiness.
The really big decisions take much thought,
especially those involving considerable investment and years of financial commitment:
cars, homes or the latest business venture.
After a year, you may choose to extend the
rental arrangement for another year or opt to
call Park Manor your own by buying it. The
purchase price of the unit follows the sale
price of the property at the time when the tenancy was signed. So there is already savings to
be enjoyed as the prices of the units are most
likely to have appreciated by then.
Should you decide to buy after one year
of renting the unit, the total monthly rental
paid for the 12 months will be used as part
payment for the house. In effect, you will have
lived rent-free for an entire year when you
decide to buy your Park Manor unit.
When it comes to cars we can test drive a
vehicle to have a feel of the real thing. With a
prospective home which is a considerably bigger investment, we usually make a decision
based on sales materials, the track record and
reputation of the developer, knowledge of city
and infrastructure planning in the vicinity.
Park Manor is a prestigious landed property project in a community that is adjacent
to the prestigious Sierramas project. An
exclusive project with only 41 units built amid
lush greenery, it is a most appealing locale for
family living. Thoughtful design and planning
ensure that your home grows and changes
as your family grows and your needs also
change. Private, secure and spacious.
Now, with the facility provided by Tan &
Tan Developments you are able to rent your
potential dream home before making a decision to buy it. At Park Manor, you can exercise a double advantage: move in immediately
into a beautiful home which is ready for occupancy and experience firsthand that lifestyle
you have always desired. Another plus is that
it comes with a landscaped garden!
The unit is also an expansive space suitable
for multi-generational dwelling with five to
six bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and
lots of living areas which can be repurposed
as leisure or hobby space. Thoughtfully, a lift
is also part of the home to facilitate ease of
movement. Thoughtful design and planning
ensure that your home grows and changes
as your family grows and your needs change.
Private, secure and spacious.
There are communal facilities available
for the exclusive use of the residents of Park
Manor villas: a clubhouse, swimming pools
and gardens which connects the entire project
with its green belt.
When you have grown fond of your new
address, you can then transform your trial
stay into a more permanent arrangement with
Tan & Tan by purchasing the unit. Truly it’s
having the best of both worlds.
Flexibility for home purchasers is something else a premier developer like Tan & Tan
can offer. Prospective buyers can consider two
purchase packages open to them:
Package One which is limited to the first 10
units, is a 5 per cent straight discount off the
purchase price of the unit or as a rebate from
the first 10 per cent down payment.
Package Two is the option of paying the balance of 90 per cent (after signing of SPA and
payment of 10 per cent) within a year with no
interest levied on the outstanding amount.
For more information and Terms &
Conditions, please contact the Marketing
& Sales Office at 03-2283 2266 or at
[email protected].
MANAGEMENT
Tradition of Excellence
since 1893
June 2016
OFFICIAL BANK
THE COMMITTEE
●
4
President
Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon
Captain/Green/Property
Mr. Wong Lee Ming
Vice Captain/Communications & PR Convenor
YM Tunku Muinuddin Putra
Vice Captain/Finance Convenor
Mr. Mak Choong Moon
Clubhouse & Facilities Convenor
Mr. Tan Lian Whye
HR & IT Convenor
En. Mohamad Halim Dato’ Merican
Administration Convenor
Mr. Chang See Tum
Membership & Events Convenor
Mr. Loong Wei Hin
Golf Convenor
En. Ali Shahrir Roose
Sports Convenor
Mr. Raven Sockanathan
Lady Golf Captain
Dato’ Yasmin Yusuff
General Manager
Yong Yew Chong
Course Superintendant
Jack Cheong
Administration,
Membership &
Document Control Manager
Grace Khaw Seok Hooi
Clubhouse Operations & Services
Division Manager
SuhailiAzman Johari
Financial Controller
Gordon Khong Weng Tuck
Human Resource Manager
Mohd Khairizal Mohd Isa
IT Manager
Lim Kok Ann
Sports Manager
David Wang Shao Ming
Editorial
Antoine Commare
Editor-in-Chief
Kavitha Seheran
Managing Editor
Karin Chan
Senior Writer
Theresa Shalini Stephen
Editorial Executive
Head Designer
Nor Hamimah Abdullah
Designers
Penn Ey Chee
Rozalya Rayceal Ramlin
Ellyn Yeo
Editorial Board
Kamarulzaman Omar
Loes Nas
Liow Foong Kwan
Ezani Abu Bakar
Azizul Kallahan
Editorial Consultant
Sharifah Intan
Communications & PR
Ainie Wahid
Advertising
Emiliene Sharon George
Sales Director
Inez binti Mohd Nadzri
Account Executive
Mongoose Management
Graham Paling
Group CEO
Mark Harvey
COO
Lynette Ow
Editorial Director
Patrick Brennan
Group Business Development Director
Felicia Leong
Special Project Director
Richard Beatty
Intl Business Development Director
Intan Shafinas Bte Meor Zailan
Executive Publisher
TELEPHONE NUMBERS General Lines (603) 9206 3333 / 3220 Pro Shop (603) 9282 5090 Main Lounge (603) 9280 4280 Modesto’s@1893 (603) 9206 3333 ext 273
FAX NUMBERS Main (603) 9285 3939 Sports Office (603) 9282 3370 EMAILS General Affairs & T.C. Members [email protected] Golf, Sports & Recreation [email protected]
General Administration & Membership Accounts [email protected] F&B, Social & Events [email protected] WEBSITE www.rsgc.com.my
Published by The Royal Selangor Golf Club (351-D), Jalan Kelab Golf, 55000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. P O Box 11051, 50990, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Produced by Mongoose Pacific (M) Sdn Bhd (403251-M), Level 36 Menara AmBank, No 8 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, 50450, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Telephone (603) 2166 6650
Facsimile (603) 2166 6651 www.mongooseasia.com
Printed by Times Offset (M) Sdn Bhd (194695-W), Bangunan Times Publishing, Lot 46, Subang, Hi Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga 40000 Shah Alam, Malaysia.
The view of the contributors and writers do not necessarily represent those of the Club. All information and dates pertaining to events and functions published in The Circular are correct at the time of printing.
All rights reserved. KDN PP 12661/06/2013(032758)
THE CIRCULAR
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5
CONTENTS
June 2016
HOME
MOTORING
HEALTH
34
40
44
MY LITTLE
GARDEN
PREDATORY
POWER
BEATING
THE HEAT
Your garden can be a little
piece of tropical paradise
The revamped Jaguar XF is a
whole new beast altogether
We show you how to stay
cool in the eternal summer
CLUBHOUSE 4 Management & Committee 10 Captain’s Corner 12 Editorial 14 GM Message
16 Calendar 18 What’s Hot 20 Indulge 52 New Members 56 Members News 62 From the Members
70 Tournament 76 Results 80 Social Events
CONTENTS
June 2016
T E E I N G
O F F
22
P I T C H I N G
18
48
WHAT’S HOT
Promotions
The events and happenings in
Malaysia – mark your calendars
ON COURSE
Style in Golf
The latest luxury items
hitting the stores now
U P
20
INDULGE
Dining
Special menus for
the month of June
22
CULTURE BEAT
Events
What to see, hear and
look out for with the best
of KL culture
25
24
TEEN BEAT
Young People
Activities and interests
for teen members through
books, film and music
The Cover ❘ Photograph by iStockphoto
48
CAPTAIN’S CORNER
“Everyone thinks of changing the world,
but no one thinks of changing himself.”
- Leo Tolstoy
T
●
10
he cicadas are a family of insects
in the order Hemiptera (true
bugs). Some species have long
life cycles, such as the North American
genus, which go through a 17-year
cycle that begins underground and
culminates in the air as they swell and
swarm. Now is a good time to reflect
on the insects’ incredible feat. Imagine
being placed in a cave without a clock
or calendar and being told to come out
after exactly 17 years.
Much research has been done on
biological clocks. We know that they
only keep an approximate day length
– that is why they are technically
known as a “circadian” rhythm - and
use the sunlight each day to correct
the deviation. They are not linked
to the visual system. We still do not
really know how to live with that inbuilt clock.
What is the biological clock
and why do our bodies follow a
circadian rhythm?
The circadian rhythms of our members
are clear for all to see. Some are larks
who come at the break of dawn, have
breakfast in the Club, play golf, and
some are owls who come after work,
play golf, have dinner and stay till
closing time or past that. Studies show
throwing off these patterns can lead
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to serious health issues, not just for
the members but also for the captain.
Behavioural patterns of our members
are so ingrained that woe betide a
Club Captain that would dare infringe
on them.
Such was the Teh Tarik Revolution.
Soon after the Main Lounge was
opened, I was forewarned by a group of
very senior and prominent members in
no uncertain terms that though they
appreciate my efforts in recovering
RM2.4m in overlooked rental, the
course is in great condition and the
Maybank Championship was held in
our club, I will be removed as captain
because of a RM5 teh tarik. Such are
the harsh realities of Club Captaincy.
John Adams once wrote that the
freedoms of a democracy are not
guarantees from the government to
the people, but limits set by the people
that the government cannot trespass;
if done, the people have the right to
remove the government. I am sure he
meant freedom of speech, respect for
human rights, freedom to gather, etc,
but I would like to add: the inalienable
right of the people for a cheaper
teh tarik.
The saga started innocuously at the
end of last year when Ben’s was chosen
as the Caterer for the Main Lounge.
After the award of the Contract, I met
with Ben Yong, founder and owner of
the BIG group of companies. I have
been a great fan of his restaurants at
Publika and Pavilion. We all had high
hopes that he would and could make
the Main Lounge the destination of
choice for Members.
From the onset, we had made
requests for them to reduce prices
on certain items and for Guinness
Anchor products to be sold, which
they complied with. In February we
made further requests for a better
menu in anticipation of the Maybank
Championship Malaysia (MCM) but
no response was forthcoming. We
then had to introduce the Pastry
Corner for golfers during cross-over
all run by our staff. In a subsequent
meeting with Ben, it was evident that
their very centrist control, whereby
all decisions needed to be according
to set menus and all changes needed
to be approved by him personally,
would not work for us. We have to be
flexible and responsive to the myriad
demands of Members. After MCM, we
had to look for alternatives. Re-tender
was out of the question, Members
would not accept further delays. The
GM and our new F&B manager Azman
had to come up with a plan and fast.
Gordon, our financial controller, had
to strengthen our purchasing team
CAPTAIN’S CORNER
selamat datang sign at south melbourne market
to cope with additional purchasing
demands. As F&B was under the
facilities portfolio, Committee
member Lian Whye and his subcommittee members had to tweak a
menu with a projected P&L. Kitchen
staff had to be found, service staff
too. When it was clear that we would
be able to do it ourselves, talks were
initiated with BIG group for a mutual
separation. The Main Lounge is now
run by Club staff and teh tarik is now
at RM2.50 and my position as Captain
is safe, at least until 5 June when
my term ends. I will seek Members’
approval for a second term.
This will be the last Captain’s Corner
for this term. Some love it, some loathe
it, but it seems all read it. It had always
been my intention to engage Members
in healthy debate on my philosophy
of what I believe a premier golf club
should be and my plans on how I intend
to bring the Club forward.
It has been a very challenging two
years, the best of plans can go awry
and contingency seems to be the
principal word. One hour into my
Captaincy, Dr Francis Ho shoved
a sheaf of pages at me; the saga of
the overlooked rental took a full six
months to unravel and another six
to solve, that is history now. Getting
the maintenance track, course, main
lounge, changing rooms ready for the
MCM became the overriding objective
last year. Looking back there were areas
we just did not have time to do; the
changing rooms at the swimming pool
had to be delayed, the men’s changing
rooms renovation should have started.
We should have spent more time on
junior development.
After the MCM, what is the plan
going forward, many have asked.
I have always maintained that the
MCM is not an end in itself but a
means to an end; a great Club all feel
proud to be at and to be a Member of.
The forthcoming 125th Anniversary
Celebrations in 2018 loom large in
our plans.
We have now in the forthcoming
AGM 13 candidates for the 5 places
available to be committee members. It
is very reassuring that so many wish
to serve. It is unprecedented; it augurs
well for our club. During campaigning,
most will make grand statements and
grand accusations, after which one
actually has to put a little meat on the
bone. One has got to tell Members what
it is that one is going to do and more
importantly, how one is actually going
to do it. One needs to show one is ready
to lead from the front. All candidates
must come out of their bunkers, stop
blaming everybody else, and show the
discipline and determination necessary
to lead our Club forward.
The future of running our Club now
requires a lot less conversation, and a
lot more action.
See You in the Club! 
Wong Lee Ming
Captain
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11
EDITORIAL
T
●
12
he talk of the Club this month
has been on the coming
election to fill five vacant
positions in The Committee, in
addition to the positions of President
and Captain. A total of 13 candidates
are vying for the five Committee
slots, including a lady Member. This
level of interest in the running of
the Club has not been seen in recent
times and should be applauded. After
all, these candidates are offering their
valuable time and talent for the next
two years. There are many aspects
of the Club that need attention and
improvement. We are far from the
ideal that we aspire to be. We must
always strive to better ourselves. We
can start with the ‘talk’ but soon we
will need to ‘walk’ it.
The takeover of the Main Lounge
in May under the direct care of
the Club was a significant event
which some Members may have
completely missed. The brief spell
with the previous caterer obviously
did not go as well as hoped for. This
brave change, however, has brought
Members in large numbers back into
this newly renovated Main Lounge for
the first time since its reopening last
November. The menu may be limited
but the feedback on the food and
the prices charged has been good. A
short interview with the Operations
Manager Azman is featured on
page 58 outlining his vision for F&B
at the Club.
In recent weeks we have seen two
major Interports being played at
the Club, namely with Singapore
Island Country Club and Royal
Bangkok Sports Club. We would
normally have our best players and a
winning outcome is always expected
on our home ground. The weather,
however, played its part in affecting
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the outcomes by washing out the
first day of play for both Interports.
Added to that, a less than judicious
matching of players resulted in us
losing one of the cups. Please check
out these Interports on pages 72 and
73 respectively.
Two major golf competitions
were held in the months of April
and May. The Hisamuddin Alam
Shah Trophy on 17 April had 84
participants, making it the largest
field for a Club golf event other than
the Ladies Amateur Open and the
Junior Amateur Open. This is the
only golf event open to members
of other clubs in KL and Selangor.
The Piala Tunku Abdul Rahman was
played over three days from 6 May
with 37 participants. It is perhaps the
most gruelling golf competition in
the Club, and rivals the stature of the
Club Championship. In truth the real
contenders for this trophy is a mere
handful of low single handicappers.
The rest were there for the fun and
fellowship! The reports on these
competitions are on pages 70 and 74
respectively.
We visit the charms of Myanmar on
page 28 and explore how to transform
our garden into a pretty paradise on
page 34. Check out the new Jaguar
XF on page 40, and stay cool with our
health article on page 44. 
Kam Omar
The Editor
Please send your feedback, letter and
stories to
The Royal Selangor Golf Club
Jalan Kelab Golf
55000 Kuala Lumpur
Or email to [email protected]
THE CIRCULAR
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13
GENERAL MANAGER
“The staff of RSGC were rewarded with
fun-filled activities and an amazing bonding
experience throughout the month”
A
●
14
s they say, Golf is a
“gentlemen’s” game with a
competitive edge. The month
of May has proven to be just that as we
hosted various tournaments for both
men and ladies.
We have also just hosted the Annual
Staff Golf Competition, Annual Staff
Sports Day and Annual Staff Dinner.
The staff of RSGC were rewarded with
fun-filled activities and an amazing
bonding experience throughout
the month.
On Club and Management matters,
we will be busy in the first week of
June with the 2016 Annual General
Meeting (AGM) taking place on
Sunday, 5 June. The positions
of President, Captain, and five
Committee Members are opened to
contest. The Management is looking
forward to and welcomes the New
General Committee as well as SubCommittees for the next term.
The day after the AGM marks the
start of the Holy month of Ramadan.
The Management would like to wish all
Muslim Members and staff “Selamat
Berpuasa” and Ramadan Mubarak!
As there will be reduced golfing
and sports activities in the Club
this month, the Management will
capitalise on this opportunity to roll
out major maintenance on all courses
and other facilities in the Clubhouse
as scheduled. Do refer to notice boards
for more updated information.
The Management has managed
to address some serious water leaks
previously experienced during rainy
THE CIRCULAR
season. Rest assured that such efforts
will be continued to identify and
address other leakage problems in
order to provide permanent solutions.
Our Front Office team has also
expanded with new staff and uniforms.
The fresh blue scarves and shirts
reflect a refreshing yet soothing
mood befitting the Club. We certainly
hope the newly introduced team and
dressing will set Club standards.
The Club has taken over full
operations of the Main Lounge with
our own staff running both service
and kitchen.
It kicked off to a great start on
1 May 2016. We would like to express
our gratitude for the support,
encouragement and feedback provided
thus far and we look forward to
Members’ continuous support and
increased patronage.
By the time you receive this copy
of the magazine, refurbishment
works would have completed at the
Conference Room. This quick but
necessary refurbishment has given
the room a facelift with new flooring,
counter top and projector screen as
well as renewed wallpaper.
Socially, we celebrated Mother’s Day
in May and now in June it’s time for us
to show our gratitude to our fathers.
So here’s to wishing all dads, Happy
Father’s Day on Sunday, 19 June 2016.
Fast forward to July, gear up for
a busy half month of Tom Morris
Baffy Competition, Senior Golfers’
Quarterly Medal, Golden Girls’
Competition, A/B/C Medal, Guillemard
Cup, Ladies Medal, Junior Medal, and
Lady Golf Captain vs Lady Golf Vice
Captain’s Team.
If you are keen to participate in the
RSGC Hari Raya Celebration, keep
an eye out for the registration date
sometime in June to reserve a spot for
you and your family to enjoy a night
with Members here at the Club.
Before signing off, a gentle reminder
to Members to attend the AGM on
Sunday, 5 June 2016. Looking forward
to meeting you at the Club! £
Yong Yew Chong
General Manager
4
Agong’s Birthday (PH)
Sat
A/B/C Medal - Stableford
Annual General Meeting
5
Sun
6 - 10
Mon - Fri
Major Maintenance (1st Nine New and 2nd Nine Old Course)
13 - 17
Mon - Fri
Major Maintenance Tennis Courts 1, 2, 3 & 4
20 - 24
Mon - Fri
Major Maintenance (1st Nine Old and 2nd Nine New Course)
22
Wed
Nuzul Quran (PH) to be Comfirmed
27 - 30
Mon - Thu
Major Maintenance (Suleiman Course)
Major Maintenance Tennis Courts 5, 6 & 7
●
16
Ramadhan Mubarak
THE CIRCULAR
AM
JUNE
CALENDAR 2016 JUNE
●
17
THE CIRCULAR
5
2-5
Potted Potter
Relive the entire seven-book Harry Potter saga
over a hilarious 70 minutes as Daniel Clarkson and
Jefferson Turner bring stage magic to a new level with
‘The Unauthorized Harry Experience – A West End
London Parody by Dan and Jeff ’. The performance
will even include a real life Quidditch game!
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre
Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03–4047 9000
www.klpac.org
Gabriel Iglesias
#FLUFFYBREAKSEVEN Tour
“I’m not fat, I’m fluffy!” American stand-up comedian extraordinaire,
Gabriel Iglesias, is set to bring the amusing anecdotes, hilarious parodies
and realistic sound effects that comprise his signature brand of wholesome
comedy live to Malaysian audiences for the first time ever.
Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre
Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway,
Selangor
Tel: 03–6205 5350
www.lolevents.my
6-15
WHAT’S HOT
●
18
16- 19
Carpe Diem
A collaboration between members of Souls
Impact Percussion and renowned Malaysian
Projection Mapping Artist, Soong Chi Fei,
traditional drumming practices and video
projection images combine in vivid harmony to
produce a performance that will be a feast for
the eyes and ears alike.
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre
Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 017–382 8637
www.klpac.org
THE CIRCULAR
JUNE
2016
15- 26
Till Death Do
Us Part
There’s a wedding and you’re invited…to
catch a murderer! Spend an evening eating
good food and watching the grim events
unfold as a member of a wedding party in this
murder mystery-with-a-meal hosted by the KL
Players.You never know…even your waiter
could have done it!
Royal Commonwealth Society
4 Jalan Birah, Bukit Damansara,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 017–691 6124
www.facebook.com/KLPlayers
Episode 7
The Funny Wake
Up Liao
Wake up – it’s comedy time! Douglas Lim, Kuah
Jenhan, Phoon Chi Ho and Dr Jason of the Malaysian
Association of Chinese Comedians return with a
brand new stand-up comedy performance that will
feature new material in the form of observations,
anecdotes, song parodies and more.
The Gardens Theatre @ Mid Valley City
Level 6, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03–9222 8811
www.ticketcharge.com.my
●
19
THE CIRCULAR
INDULGE
Savour the many wonderful delicacies at RSGC
ranging from Western to local delights.
EAT
DRIN
-AND B K
MER ERY
FAIRWAY FAMILY
RESTAURANT &
MEN'S BAR
Kuey Teow Beef with Ginger
and Spring Onions
RM9.50
Black Pepper Udon Noodles
with Chicken or Beef
RM9.50
Chef's Special Premium Fuji
Fried Rice
RM13
●
20
Indulg
e in
our lip
-smac
king
specia
ls
this m
onth
THE CIRCULAR
CHICKEN PARMIGIANA WITH
BUTTERED SPAGHETTI
RM30
●
21
THE CIRCULAR
CULTURE › EVENT
●
22
FÊTE DE LA MUSIQUE
ET EURO CUP 2016
In conjunction with the upcoming Euro Cup hosted by France, the French Festival will be recreating
a French atmosphere in Publika that celebrates both football and music. Ten Malaysian bands and one
French band will be performing a series of free outdoor concerts alongside lucky draws, football freestyle
performances and finally, a screening of the Iceland vs Hungary match at 11.30pm.
18 June 2016
The Square, Publika Shopping Gallery,
1 Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03–2694 7880
lefrenchfestival.com.my/fete-musique
THE CIRCULAR
CULTURE › EVENT



WHAT TO SEE
WHAT TO HEAR
WHAT TO READ

THE CONJURING 2
CAST: Vera Farmiga, Patrick
Wilson, Frances O’Connor
› After the successful exorcism
of the spirit of Bathsheba,
paranormal investigators-slashauthors Ed and Lorraine Warren
are called to take on another
case in England – specifically,
poltergeist activity at a council
house in Enfield, where two
teenage sisters are said to have
been haunted. Will the Warrens
manage to get to the bottom of
the supernatural disturbance, or
are they tampering with forces
beyond their control?
●

23

25
SAMBAL ON THE SIDE
› Third time’s the
charm, as they say, and
Adele’s third studio
album has bucketloads
of spellbinding moments.
Her vocal prowess
and songwriting talents
share the limelight in memorable tracks such
as ‘Hello’, while themes of yearning for bygone
youth and the effects of too much fame create
an underlying narrative in her album, poignantly
echoed in singles like ‘When We Were Young’ and
‘Million Years Ago’.
› Brenda Benedict’s desperate
homesickness for Malaysia
gave rise to her ‘Sambal on
the Side’ column, which
was first published in The
Star in February 2006
and the best of these are
now compiled into a book.
Individually, the columns describe her
attempts to reconcile her ‘Malaysianness’ with a
foreign environment; but taken together, they chart
her growth as a person and how her perspective
has changed through the years.
Adele
Brenda Benedict
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TEEN BEAT › ACTIVITY
SHREK
THE MUSICAL
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If you loved Shrek on the silver screen, he only gets better on stage! The musical adaptation of the
award-winning film will see the grumpy green ogre and his magical friends Princess Fiona, Donkey,
Gingerbread Man and more retrace their road to ‘happily ever after’ at Istana Budaya for the first time
ever. Watch as the kingdom of Far Far Away comes to life through song and dance!
2-5 June 2016
Istana Budaya
Jalan Tun Razak,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03–9222 8811
www.ticketcharge.com.my
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TEEN BEAT › ACTIVITY

➧ Which fingernail
grows the fastest?
➧ What country did
‘dubstep’ music
originate from?
➧ Most web
pages use a
programming
language called
HTML. What does
it stand for?
➧ Which sport uses
the terms ‘eagle’
and ‘albatross’?


WHAT TO SEE
WHAT TO HEAR
WHAT TO READ

FINDING DORY
CAST: Ellen DeGeneres,
Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill,
Hayden Rolence
TeenTrivia

› Six months after Dory
helped Marlin rescue his
son Nemo, the amnesiac
blue tang is living happily
in the reef with them until
she suddenly has flashbacks
of her own family. The trio
set off on another quest
to try and reunite Dory
with her relatives, leading
them to California’s Marine
Life Institute where they
meet new friends like Hank,
the escapist octopus and
Destiny, the short-sighted
whale shark.

WILDFIRE
Rachel Platten
BROKEN SKY
L.A. Weatherly
American singer-songwriter
Rachel Platten has been setting
fire to the airwaves in recent
months, with hit singles like
the anthemic ‘Fight Song’
and the sweetly supportive
‘Stand By You’ blazing through
the song charts. This third
studio album is all fire and
spirit, characterised by her
signature soaring melodies and
‘bombastic’ platforms that will
perk you right up – a perfect
addition to any workout mix.
After suffering
massive
casualties on
both sides in
a protracted
war, the
Central
States
and the
Western
Seaboard
now settle their political
disputes through air battles,
which Peacefighter pilots like
Amity Vancour fight on their
behalf. However, a series of
events leads Amity to realise
that the system may not be
as clean as it seems – and her
new struggle for justice may
cost her everything she loved.

ANSWERS:
Golf
HyperText Markup Language
England
Middle
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PITCHING UP
P28 MARVELLING AT MYANMAR MAGIC /// P34 GOING GREEN /// P40 STRONGER, LIGHTER, FASTER ///
P44 HEAT, HAZE AND YOUR HEALTH /// P48 ON COURSE
PG 27-49
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FEATURE
Marvelling
AT MYANMAR MAGIC
One of Southeast Asia’s most overlooked gems, Myanmar
continues to see rapid development without losing any of its
traditional charm.
Words Justin Heyes Photos iStockphoto
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Currency-wise, most places in Yangon take a mixture of
USD and the local currency, Kyat. One US Dollar roughly
translates to just under 1,300 Kyat, and it is best to break
the dollar you have with you at the airport into sets of
five and 10 dollar notes and Kyat. Myanmar has a policy
regarding the state of Dollars being converted, meaning that
you should try to bring crisp notes with you as crumpled and
damaged notes could be exchanged at a lower rate.
The Beautiful Face Of Progress
Despite no longer being Myanmar’s capital, Yangon remains
the largest and most commercially active of the nation’s
cities, yet has managed to retain its small-city feel with
stunning public parks and attractions.
Chief among these is the picturesque Karaweik Palace,
which extends onto Kandawgyi Lake and hosts cultural
performances and informative displays. The area around the
lake is packed with tourist destinations, and depending on
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Myanmar has always been a country that has fascinated me,
if in part because within Southeast Asia itself, it seems to be
overlooked by tourists in favour of the nightlife in Bangkok
or the historical sites of Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh. Yet
one of Myanmar’s star destinations, Yangon, has its own
wonderful blend of history, culture and nightlife bursting
out of an ever-evolving city – all of which is just waiting to
be discovered.
Destination: Myanmar
To be able to visit Myanmar, you will need to apply for a visa
online before booking your flight. This process can be done
from the Myanmar immigration site (www.evisa.moip.gov.
mm). It will cost USD50 and require you to know where you
are staying during your visit, but the application process is
usually very efficient. Your permit will generally be sent to
you to print off and take with you within a day instead of the
three-working-days period stated on the site.
Myanmar has an exploding foodie scene because of
the diverse cultural make-up of Myanmar being a mix of
four races: Burmese, Thai, Chinese and Indian, giving the
street food a wonderful balance of flavours and influences.
Burmese cuisine is a seafood lover’s dream and I cannot sing
enough praise about the freshly prepared seafood salads
sold around the city, called Lahpet after the pickled tea
leaves that give the dish its distinct flavour.
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"Despite no longer being
Myanmar’s capital, Yangon
remains the largest and most
commercially active of the
nation’s cities"
the length of your stay, I would dedicate a day to visiting the
Palace and the Zoological Gardens adjacent to it, which has
a wonderful elephant sanctuary programme.
What makes Yangon a truly special place to visit, however,
is its determination to maintain public leisure places in
the form of its parks and gardens. The People’s Park and
People’s Square is a gorgeous open space with wonderfully
maintained greenery, an ideal place to have a picnic, peoplewatch or interact with the locals. During my visit, I was
fortunate enough to talk to a Buddhist monk who opened
our conversation by asking if I wouldn’t prefer his seat in
the shade!
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"The sheer scale and majesty
of the place is astounding,
and even has its own
dedicated museum on-site"
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Discovering A Culture Firsthand
Yangon is covered in pagodas and temples, which are both
as stunning to look at from the outside as they are from the
inside. These architectural marvels are where the Buddhist
population come to pray, so remember to be respectful while
inside. For maintenance purposes, most of these pagodas
charge an entrance fee or ask for a small donation and
require you to remove your socks and shoes, but this is more
than worth it.
Best known amongst these is Shwedagon Pagoda as it
is by far the biggest in the city and requires no small feat
in climbing the stairs to gain access. The sheer scale and
majesty of the place is astounding, and even has its own
dedicated museum on-site which teaches you about the
colourful history of this site of worship. This includes both
the Dutch and British residences and the failed attempts
to steal the pagoda’s first and second 300-ton bell, both of
which now reside at the bottom of the city’s river.
Special mention also goes to the Maha Wizaya, a nearby
smaller temple with a unique layout that is also known for
its dedication to caring for stray animals, playing host to a
small population of cats, birds and turtles. Another cultural
wonder with a fascinating backstory is the Swe Taw Myat
or Buddhist’s Tooth relic temple, as is the Kaba Aye Pagoda
with the nearby Maha Pasana Cave; although both are
further north in the city than most visitors bother to travel
to, they are worth taking the time to do so.
For those looking for more of a historical than religious
look at the city, every hotel has contacts for the river tours of
Yangon, which will eat up most of a day to complete but are
extremely comprehensive. Although rarely open, it is advised
to pass by the old Town Hall, once the biggest building in
the city; despite being overgrown and in disrepair, this old
colonial post remains a hauntingly beautiful place to take
National Geographic-worthy photographs.
This story was amended from an article called “The Evolving
Face of Myanmar” originally printed in Expatriate Lifestyle
magazine, published by Mongoose Publishing Sdn Bhd. ›
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FEATURE
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Going
GREEN
If your home is your castle, then the garden surrounding it is your kingdom. When
properly spruced up and beautified, the garden can be a little slice of Eden all
your own for beauty to bloom.
Words Aishah Azali
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Photos iStockphoto
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A SUSTAINABLE SANCTUARY
When one thinks about ‘sustainable gardening’, organic
vegetable-growing springs to mind; in other cases, however,
it can refer to choosing weather-resistant, low-maintenance
plants. According to the American Sustainable Sites Initiative,
the term ‘sustainability’ in gardening is ‘to protect, restore
and enhance the ability of landscapes to provide ecosystem
services that benefit humans and other organisms’.
It is best to stick to native plants that naturally thrive in
our hot and wet weather conditions, such as ferns native
to Southeast Asia like the staghorn fern and the bird’s nest
fern. Even if you only have a small indoor garden in your
apartment, these greens can grow to stunning proportions in
hanging pots or coconut shells.
You can also make your love for gardening work for you by
growing useful plants that can be turned into essential oils
or herbal medicines: cempaka, murraya flowers, Rangoon
creepers and frangipani trees are recommended by the experts
at Terra Garden. Variety is key as well; try planting many
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different plants to retain genetic diversity, provide thriving
habitats for ‘good’ insects and reduce your plant’s chances of
contracting periodic diseases.
RAIN, RAIN, COME AGAIN
‘Rainscaping’ your land refers to building or designing your
garden to capture or conserve storm water for the watering of
your plants. The oldest trick in the gardening book for storing
water is using rain barrels to trap rainwater, and the folks at
Terra Garden say that “not only does this reduce your water
bill, but the water that is used will be chlorine-free and plants
will thrive better with natural rainwater.”
Pavers are an element that can give your garden or patio
a lot of personality as they come in a plethora of colours
and use different materials like brick and concrete. For a
modern alternative, permeable pavers are made from porous
components that allow water to seep into the soil instead of
draining into the sewers. These permeable pavers are also
durable enough for use in driveways and parking areas.
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GROWING WILD
Cut grass and immaculately trimmed hedges are a stunning
sight, to be sure - but have you ever imagined that beauty can
also be found in the wild chaos that sprawls over wide fields
and meadows? This ‘natural’ way of gardening, which uses
more ‘relaxed’ planting styles, is gaining momentum in 2016.
This is when you can play around with planting everything
from perennials to ornamental grasses and shrubs any which
way you like.
Even if you do not have acres of land to spare for your
countryside meadow, smaller lawns can still produce a
beautiful bed of wildflowers. This kind of wild garden requires
one to layer the plants so they are arranged in intermixed
colonies. In this case, you can even mix native plants with low
maintenance non-native ones.
In the end you get a sort of beautiful chaos, reminiscent of
a scene in ‘A Little Chaos’, the last movie (coincidently about
garden landscapes) that was directed by the late British actor
Alan Rickman. In that scene, King Louis XIV of France’s chief
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"Simply stick it into the soil next to
your plant, and it will analyse the
four parameters that are essential
to your plant’s well-being"
landscape architect was admiring the garden belonging to his
only female landscape artist, Sabine de Barra. He asked, “This
abundance of chaos, is this your Eden?” to which she replied
“My search for it.”
TANGLING WITH TECH
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The 21st century is the age of technology, and among the
various wonderful inventions to improve our lives comes
a variety of high-tech gardening implements. The Parrot
company, for instance, offers a Flower Power device that
monitors and analyses your plant’s needs. Simply stick it
into the soil next to your plant, and it will analyse the four
parameters that are essential to your plant’s well-being.
The air temperature is measured using a thermistor to
make sure the temperature is within its ideal range. It can
even measure the fertility of the soil by detecting the number
of ions in it. The device can also access moisture through
dielectric permittivity and luminosity is calibrated to tell you
how much sunlight is needed for photosynthesis.
The device connects via Bluetooth to an app on your
smartphone or tab where you will receive alerts about your
plant’s needs. This allows you to know exactly when to water
your plants and when it is time to move them due to the lack
of sunlight.
With all these ideas, you may feel inspired to upgrade your
garden or get a head start on finally making your own Eden
bloom to life. Remember, it does not hurt to start small as
beautiful things can grow anywhere if you give them the right
amount of love and care - oh, and sunlight. Happy gardening!
This story was amended from an article called “A New Way To
Garden” originally printed in Expatriate Lifestyle magazine,
published by Mongoose Publishing Sdn Bhd. ›
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FEATURE
Stronger,
LIGHTER, FASTER
Incremental changes are out of style – Jaguar has thrown
everything they have into developing this new XF.
Words Aswan Yap Photos Jaguar
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D
espite being bought and sold and shuffled around, Jaguar
has managed to cling tightly to the prestige and luxury
it developed a reputation for during its earliest years.
There were many out there who wept for the British luxury car
manufacturer when it was sold on to Tata Motors, lamenting that
the company would be ruined under the management of people
who had never handled a luxury brand.
And yet seven years on, the company is stronger than ever.
The same could be said of Volvo, which was purchased by
Chinese parent company Geely back in 2010 – the Swedish safety
specialists are now pushing out some rather fantastic models
and exceeding the expectations of the public. Jaguar released the
F-Type in 2010, which paved the way for so many models to follow.
The recently launched XE was a large step for the company as well,
re-entering a segment that they had long abandoned. Now the
treatment continues to the XF: interestingly enough, the previous
generation XF was one of the last models developed under Ford’s
ownership – and it proved to be rather underwhelming.
This mid-sized luxury car is aimed squarely at the BMW 5 Series,
Audi A6, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Prior to this, the XF seemed
to inherit its luxury from the brand rather than having outright
luxury on its own. This generation is a complete re-work – right
down to the skeleton itself. This new model is 7mm shorter in
terms of length and 3mm lower in height, although the wheelbase
increases by a good 51mm in order to improve rear legroom.
Borrowing the (largely) aluminium modular architecture from
the XE has allowed the XF to shed a solid 190kg while increasing
torsional rigidity by 28 per cent. The suspension design is also
lifted from the XE: double wishbones up front, with a multi-link
setup at the rear for more precise control and handling.
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For our market, buyers have a choice of the XF Prestige
or the XF R-Sport. Powering both of these local XF variants
is a 2.0-litre turbocharged mill, in a 240 PS/340 Nm state
of tune. It’s the same engine that we find in the XE as well,
although we don’t get the full-fat supercharged 3.0-litre V6
from the F-Type, unfortunately, nor do we get any all-wheel
drive variants of the XF. Power is delivered exclusively to the
rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Performance may not be as flat out ludicrous as Jaguar’s
corporate image suggests, but the XF still manages to deal
with the century sprint in just seven seconds – about on par
with a Golf GTI.
If there is but one incremental change with this new XF,
it would be in the styling. The overall silhouette hasn’t
changed by a great deal; front and rear bumpers are more
aggressive in design and closer in nature to styling elements
from the XE, but they aren’t hugely different from the XF
of old. Slimmer headlights lend to the muscular appearance,
thanks in part to the full-LED headlight technology that is
being offered on a Jaguar model for the first time. The tail
lights are conventional in shape, but light up with silhouettes
similar to the F-Type’s tail lights.
On the inside, we also see a shift towards the XE in terms
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of overall look. Perhaps the only element that has been
retained is the rotary selector dial in place of the gear lever
– something that has become commonplace on Jaguar and
Land Rover models, being a far more stylish alternative
to an unsightly stick or a tacky series of buttons. The
dashboard is much lower profile now, with darker tones
dominating and a sportier overall look at the expense of
old luxury cues. No wood grain here – but you can have
a few trim pieces in faux carbon fibre if you opt for the
R-Sport variant.
With a despairingly undersized entertainment unit
and no option for a larger system, the XF’s centre console
may look a little too minimalist at times. Equipment
differences between the XF Prestige and XF R-Sport are
more aesthetic than anything. The R-Sport model tacks
on an extra RM10,000 to the sticker price, but offers you
stiffer suspension, 18-inch rims, a more aggressive body kit,
and R-Sport labelling in the interior. The Prestige makes
do with 17-inch rims and perforated leather seats, but not
much else.
This XF is a good evolution over the last, but some may
argue that Jaguar will alienate its current customer base
with such an aggressive model. But as Mercedes-Benz has
discovered (and BMW will realise in due time), relying
solely on an existing customer pool is bad for business.
Brand loyalists will (literally) die out as the decade pass,
and a younger demographic is necessary to keep the
brand relevant.
It is a little unfortunate that the local prices for Jaguar
models are obscenely and disproportionately high. The
XF starts at RM450,000 before road tax and insurance. In
other markets, the XE and XF are priced right on their rivals’
doorsteps – but there seems to be a huge price disparity when
you compare the XF to, say, an Audi A6 2.0 TFSI. Blame it on
a lack of volume or the models being fully imported, but at
the end of the day it would take a large deal of convincing to
bridge that gap.
And while Jaguar has a great deal going for it with this
fresh styling and up-to-date powertrains, it does not
necessarily have enough equipment or tangible value over
the German establishment to make it an appealing choice.
But perhaps in due time, Jaguar will be able to establish a
stronger foothold in our market (as Mercedes-Benz, BMW,
and Audi have done in the years before), and can rebuild
their brand image with the younger demographic that their
cars are so clearly aimed at. ›
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FEATURE
Heat,
HAZE AND
YOUR HEALTH
A few extra measures can help you stay healthy during the annual
heatwave and hazy season.
Words Audrey Teoh
Photos iStockphotos
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"Tiny particles of ash linger in
the air and are inhaled; this
causes difficulty in breathing and
increases the risk for viral and
bacterial infections"
M
any people try to eat well and stay active, but
when the very air is searing hot or hazy with
smoke, it’s hard to do so. At times like these,
some extra steps are needed to protect ourselves. Here are
some simple ways to keep yourself and your loved ones from
succumbing to the unpleasant conditions:
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46
BEAT THE HEAT
Dehydration, overheating, heat exhaustion and heatstroke
are the main risks during prolonged hot weather. The
human body is naturally equipped to cool itself when sweat
evaporates, but it can be insufficient in extreme heat or
due to certain health conditions. Elderly people, babies and
young children are particularly at risk in these conditions, as
well as people with heart problems or respiratory conditions.
Those who engage in outdoor sports or other activities
should consider adjustments such as training during cooler
times of the day or moving their activities indoors until the
heatwave subsides.
Take special care to:
• Stay indoors and out of the sun during the hottest time of
day – between 11am and 3pm.
• If you must go outdoors, wear light-coloured, loose-fitting
clothing, protect your head and get out of the heat as soon
as possible.
• Have sufficient food, water, medicines and other essentials
to reduce the need to go out in the heat.
• Maintain a cooling environment in the home: keep
windows shut and windows drawn between 11am and
3pm, ventilate your home in the mornings and evenings
when it is cooler and avoid using dark curtains or other
materials as these absorb heat – use light-coloured
materials instead.
• Stay hydrated throughout the day; don’t wait until you are
thirsty! Cool drinks can make the heat seem less
oppressive. Avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol.
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•
•
•
Cool down with showers or a moist towel, or keep a spray
bottle in the refrigerator for a refreshing spritz.
Eat light; fresh fruits and vegetables can help cool and
refresh you.
Check with your doctor for specific steps to take if you
have a chronic condition that makes you more susceptible
to the heat.
HELP FOR HAZY CONDITIONS
The haze is a recurring situation involving forest fires
in Indonesia, typically between May and October. Tiny
particles of ash linger in the air and are inhaled; this causes
difficulty in breathing and increases the risk for viral and
bacterial infections even in healthy people. You can expect
to experience coughing, teary eyes, sneezing and runny
noses as our bodies try to expel the particles. Some people
may also experience headaches, dizziness and shortness of
breath. Thankfully, these symptoms are temporary.
However, individuals with chronic conditions may
experience more severe symptoms. Existing conditions
such as eczema, asthma and other lung conditions as well
as eye diseases like conjunctivitis are all made worse by
air pollution such as the haze. Over time, the particles can
accumulate in the lungs and lead to more serious conditions.
To minimise the effects of the haze on your health:
• Stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed as much
as possible.
• Remove pollutants from the air by using an air conditioning
unit, air ioniser or air purifier.
• Avoid outdoor activities.
• Drink more water to wash away particles lodged in
the throat and help the kidneys flush out toxins that are
absorbed when you inhale the haze particles; avoid caffeine and alcohol.
• Keep your immune system strong with vitamin-rich foods
and/or supplements.
• Wear a face mask to filter particles out if you need to be
outdoors; surgical masks are far less effective than N95
masks, which help to filter out small particles.
• Ensure adequate supplies of medication are on hand if
you have a chronic condition, especially if you suffer from
respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD).
While it’s not possible to control the weather, keeping a
cool head during the hot, dry season or the haze can help to
make things easier to bear. A little preparation will go a long
way, and the winds will soon change for the better. ›
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ON COURSE › STYLE
COVER UP
It’s not just your head that needs covering
up while you’re on the green – your clubs
deserve some protection from the elements
as well. Made with soft Pittards leather skins,
the latest Signature Limited Edition Head
Covers collection from Titleist now allows
you to sheathe your clubs in style. Each set
consists of one Driver and one Fairways
Head cover in a premium Titleist gift box.
www.titleist.com
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BLACK BEAUTY
The smart elegance of classic black,
when paired with butter-soft leather and
functional design, makes this Montblanc
duffle bag a winner in the leather
goods category. Created as part of the
Meisterstück Soft Grain Collection in
honour of Montblanc’s 110th anniversary,
the spacious bag is perfect to carry all
your golfing essentials around in – and it
even comes with a matching wash bag.
www.montblanc.com
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ON COURSE › STYLE
RAY OF SUNSHINE
No one knows sunglasses like Ray-Ban. This
spring/summer season, they’ve introduced
the all-new Ray-Ban Clubround, which
takes the acetate brows, coined metal rims
and bridges of the Ray-Ban Clubmaster
and pairs them with rounded phantos
lenses inspired by the Ray-Ban Round to
create a bold, fresh look that’s grounded
in familiar style. Available as both sun and
optical frames.
www.ray-ban.com
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SCENT OF VICTORY
Designed to celebrate the exhilaration
and passion for all things sport, the
limited edition Eau de Lacoste L.12.12
Energized fragrance builds upon the
popularity of the original, enhancing
the signature fresh aroma with crisp
citrus, fiery ginger, cedar leaf and cooling
mint, with a heart of tuberose and a
leathery undertone. Available in 100ml
Eau de Toilette.
www.lacoste.com
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CLUBHOUSE
P52 NEW MEMBERS /// P56 MEMBERS NEWS /// P62 FROM THE MEMBERS
PG 51-68
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WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS
The following new Members were admitted to the Club on 25th April 2016.
The Club extends a very warm welcome to them.
Foreign Diplomatic Member
Zaw Myint
Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Zhang Zhongmin
Defence Attache, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
Edgard Daniel Kagan
Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the United States of America
Corporate Members
Yoshikazu Adachi
Advisor, Hiro Food Packages Manufacturing Sdn Bhd
Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar
Group Managing Director, Chemical Company of Malaysia Bhd
Damien James Kerkhof
Director Engineering Consultancy, Buro Happold (M) Sdn Bhd
Mitsumasa Sodeyama
Factory Manager, Meditop Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd
G Sukumaran Gopal
Sole Proprietor, Zari Collection
Ordinary Members
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52
Chevy Beh Yen San
Group Executive Director, BP Health Care Group
Daniel Low Pei Kiat
Director, Maybank Investment Bank Bhd
Malcolm Cornelius Netto
Oil & Gas Consultant, Murphy Sarawak Oil
Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin
President & Group Chief Executive Officer, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas)
Abdul Farid Alias
Group President & Chief Executive Officer, Maybank Banking Berhad
Junior Election to Ordinary Members
Azhar Zainal Abidin
son of Zainal Abidin Jamal
Mohamed Fitri Junus Mohd Raslan
son of Mohd Raslan Abdul Rahman
Junior Members
Meor Azwan Meor Azmi
son of Meor Azmi Meor Ayob
Nurlatifa Zahra Mohd Fuad
daughter of Suraya Mohd Nor
Muhammad Faisal Tajul Azlan
son of Tajul Azlan Mohd Tahir
Nik Ammir Nik Johaan
son of Nik Johaan Nik Hashim
Rain Alexandra Hashim
daughter of Iskandar A. Hashim
Jordan Ooi Sheng Jie
son of Ooi Ah Heong
Azim Azariqh Azahar
son of Azahar Ariff
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NEW MEMBERS
From left: Gary Ahmad Rozly Zulkifli, Ali Shahrir Roose, Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar, Edgard Daniel Kagan, Kevin Tan, Mak Choong Moon, Joseph Y Yun
and Malcolm Cornelius Netton
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53
From left: Connie San, Joseph Y Yun, Cynthia L. Gire, Edward Soo, Damrong Kraikruan, Zaw Myint and Khin Myint Myint
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NEW MEMBERS
From left: Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir, Raven Sockanathan, Abdul Farid Alias, Loong Wei Hin, Song Kueng Hor and Zainal Abidin Jamal
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54
From left: Damien James Kerkhof, Cameron Cheah King Tze, Raven Sockanathan and Leigh Mary Holford
From left: Damrong Kraikruan, Loong Wei Hin, G Sukumaran Gopal and Annabel May Mackenzie
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NEW MEMBERS
From left: Lee Tack Chong, Zhang Zhongmin, Loong Wei Hin and Zhang Yun
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55
From left: Ichiro Suzuki,Yong Poh Kon and Yoshikazu Adachi
From left:Tan Lian Whye, Azhar Zainal Abidin and Zainal Abidin Jamal
From left: Gary Lim, Daniel Low and Sevin Tan
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MEMBERS NEWS
› COURSE SUPERINTENDENT REPORT
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES
By Jack Cheong
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Managing a golf course is
not just about agronomy,
machinery, fertility, etc., but
much more importantly, it is
about managing your biggest
resource, the staff.
The golf courses at
RSGC cover an area of
approximately 340 acres and
it is impossible for any one
person to do all the work on
their own. Managing a golf
course, especially in Malaysia
where we have ideal growing
conditions all year round, is a
challenge. It requires a team
of staff to carry out the work,
from operating the mowers
and other machinery all the
way to manually weeding a
tiny weed on the green.
RSGC had a reputation
for having difficult staff in
the past as the staff were
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unionised and most had worked
here for the majority of their
lives. However, I have never had
any issues with the union or
the staff even though I can be a
demanding person. The key is
to treat the staff fairly. I like to
summarise my philosophy for
managing staff as being firm
but fair.
More often than not, the
staff gets a bad reputation as it
is easy enough for the bosses to
put the blame on them, calling
them lazy, uncooperative or
even insubordinate. However,
I feel that as their leader, it is
my role to bring out the best in
the staff and my responsibility
to shoulder the blame should
anything go wrong and to pass
on praise to my staff when
things go right.
The case in point is that,
most of my key staff have
already been working here
at the Club or have been
with me on my journey at
RSGC since 2007 and the
last key recruitment was one
of my Assistant Golf Course
Superintendents who joined
in 2011. The core team at the
Field Department has been
together for over five years
now. I have also promoted my
supervisory staff internally
without a need to hire staff
from other clubs.
Looking back at the golf
course in 2007, after taking
over from the previous golf
course superintendent,
we faced many challenges
especially with the greens. All
the issues were looked at and
resolved one at a time until all
our hard work culminated in
the Maybank Championship
Malaysia 2016.
I like to point out
that almost all of the
improvements in the golf
course were done with mostly
the same staff who were
looking after the golf course
before I took over. We worked
together as a team and the
results could only be achieved
with everyone working
towards the same goal.
Obviously, the staff were
not to blame for the poor
conditions back then as
they were the same staff
that delivered the pristine
conditions during the
championship. All people
want is to be treated fairly
and to have some opportunity
to progress within
the organisation.
It is sometimes easy to
forget how far we have come
since 2007. Kudos to a great
team at the Field Department
for coming all this way
with me.
Some feedback on the
condition of the golf course
would be most appreciated.
Positive feedback will be
disseminated to the staff
while negative feedback
will be used as a guide
for us to improve. We are
looking at ways to continue
improving the golf course for
Members’ enjoyment.
Please send any comments or
feedback to [email protected].
MEMBERS NEWS
› MID YEAR PRIZE PRESENTATION
8 May 2016
winner siti zainab – k.e cheok cup, on left
winner may ho – queen elizabeth cup, on left
jamie flynn on right with shahril roose
› HOLE-IN-ONE
Abdul Rahman Johar (A0469-0)
Scored a hole-in-one on 25.04.2016 at the
14th Hole Old Course.
"My First hole in one thus, highly thrilled."
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› CONTACT LOST
The Club has lost contact with the Members listed below. We need your help to trace them. If you know their
whereabouts, please call the Membership Department at 92063 208 / 209 or e-mail [email protected].
Encik Abdullah bin Mohamad
Encik Ismail bin Ahmad
Cik Aznita Aishah bt Abdullah
Dato Mior Anwar Mazhar bin Mohd Johar
THE CIRCULAR
MEMBERS NEWS
› SUSTAINABILITY
A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
By Thomas Tang
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We see daily problems with
hotter temperatures, drier
spells as well as wetter
periods due to less water
and floods respectively,
more waste, more buildings
and more cars set against
a backdrop of a changing
urban landscape. There are
numerous debates about
what will happen to mankind
as our planet becomes more
crowded and whether this
is sustainable. Awareness of
this should help us to think
about managing our resources
more carefully today so that
we can provide for the future.
Sustainability therefore is
about addressing the needs of
future generations, in other
words, to consume what we
need today but leave enough
for our children and our
children’s children.
Are golf courses
sustainable? There are some
who argue that golf courses
are consuming energy, water
and other resources that
could be put to other use. But
the fact is that golf courses
and clubs are part of the
lives of those who enjoy the
sport; they can be managed
sustainably if so chosen.
The Royal and Ancient in
Scotland has published
guidelines related to the
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sustainable development and
management of golf courses,
such as:
• Choosing the right grass
type for soils, climate and
surface requirements which
is resilient to pests, diseases
and thatch accumulation.
• Getting water requirements
for irrigation and drainage
right.
•
•
Designing golf courses
that can blend naturally
into the surrounding
landscape and support
wildlife and biodiversity.
Working with local
communities on plans for
future development so that
progressive improvements
in course operation can be
made over time.
According to Jack
Cheong, the Club’s Course
Superintendent, RSGC is
aligned to these guidelines.
Since 2005, RSGC took the
opportunity to improve
water storage areas in the
man-made lakes, increase
the number of trees and
reduce artificial landscaping
outside of the play areas so
MEMBERS NEWS
that natural habitats could
be preserved. Less pesticides,
insecticides and fungicides are
now needed through careful
selection of grass.
RSGC is pursuing
sustainability because it
makes sense. Running our
Club is energy and water
intensive. Energy is needed
for lighting, air-conditioning
and hot water. Operations
such as the kitchens and
the swimming pools are
also big energy consumers.
From a water perspective,
the Club’s two main areas
are the Clubhouse and
the course. The Club’s
Operations Manager, Encik
Suhailiazman, is well aware
of these issues as these are
part of the costs of running
a well-patronised Club such
as ours. Working with his
facilities management team,
he has already overseen a
programme to replace LED
lighting for the incandescent
lamps in the older parts of
the clubhouse, which will be
more energy efficient and
cost saving in the long run.
The new banquet area already
boasts of these fixtures.
But more can be done.
Members will have noticed
the 3-bin recycling system
installed at various locations
around the club. The sorted
waste – paper, plastics and
metals – has inherent value
for recycling and already
yields income for an NGO
whom the Club uses to collect
the materials. Coming up,
RSGC will be looking for
further ways to reduce waste
such as discouraging Members
from using too many plastic
bags for wet sports kit and
other small initiatives. These
are all part of the direction
towards sustainability. The
Club is positioned to be a
living laboratory for things
like renewable energy,
rainwater harvesting, food
waste recycling and education,
to name but a few. We can
make a difference not just
for current Members and
our community, but also for
future ones. As the African
proverb states, "the earth is
not our gift to our children,
we are merely loaning the
planet from them."
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THE CIRCULAR
MEMBERS NEWS
› CLUB OPERATIONS
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60
Club Operations & Services
Division Manager Suhaili
Azman Johari is responsible
for all aspects of Clubhouse
Operations. Here he answers
some questions from The
Circular's Sharifah Intan.
What's your goal for
the Club?
To provide Club Members
with an outstanding facility
and a quality F&B experience
in clean, comfortable and
well-maintained surroundings
served by friendly, attentive
and efficient staff.
What are your plans for the
year ahead?
There’s an old saying in the
food and beverage industry:
“It all begins with the menu.”
Our priority is to overhaul our
food and services. We want to
be recognised by our Members
as the Club that caters to all
dining requirements such as
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golf events, social gatherings,
business lunches and other
special occasions.
One change that has
taken place is that the Club
Management has taken over
the Main Lounge Operations
effective 1 May. Executive Chef
Dino heads the new kitchen
team, assisted by experienced
kitchen crew members and
service staff. Chef Dino brings
with him over 25 years of
experience and will strive to
deliver an enhanced dining
experience to Members. The
Main Lounge will operate
with an interim menu. The
full menu will be launched
once finalised.
We are also looking at
converting the Green Bar into
an area where Members can
relax and enjoy their cigars and
a variety of cocktails and wines.
Games such as snooker and
light entertainment will also
be available.
MEMBERS NEWS
› OBITUARY
We wish to convey our condolences to the family of our Members who passed on recently.
Low Kok Tuan (L0960-0)
26.9.1937 – 17.4.2016
Tan Sri Mohd Amin Osman (M0533-0)
11.10.1927 – 1.4.2016
Admitted as Ordinary Member on 3.7.1989
Admitted as Ordinary Member on 6.3.1967
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THE CIRCULAR
FROM THE MEMBERS
FOUR EXPERIENCES
IN ONE CLUB
BY LIOW FOONG KWAN
THE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB, CAPE SCHANCK,
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
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he next time you visit Melbourne,
get into a car and drive down the
East Link (M3 freeway) or the
M1 Monash Freeway for half an hour
and you will arrive at the Long Island
Country Club. This is one of the four 18hole courses that belong to the National
Golf Club. Situated midway between the
National golf courses and the Melbourne
Central Business District, it is a sand belt
course.
The National Golf Club is in the region
of Cape Schanck, south of Melbourne.
The Clubhouse sits high on the cliff
with great views of the three 18-hole
courses: the Moonah, Old Course and
Ocean Course. It is a building with grand
proportions and equipped for golfers and
family to spend the day there. There are
shower rooms, a well-equipped pro-shop,
and dining facilities for the casual meal
as well as formal dining.
The driving range and chipping/
putting area is an experience in itself.
Unlimited and free range balls together
with a generous expanse of land allows
the golfer to improve on all needed shots
and skills.
With four golf courses offering
different challenges, it is difficult to
choose which one to play.
The Old Course which is the original
course of the National is probably the
most spectacular in its vision. On a clear
day, you may see Melbourne City some
80km away. It is very undulating with
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deep bunkers. The greens are large and
intimidating. In fact, the whole course is
intimidating but once you get used to it,
it is not as difficult as it looks. You can
say good-bye to the ball once you stray
off the fairways. This Course is a must
for any first-timer.
Of the three courses, the Moonah is
the most challenging. Greg Norman,
in designing this course, did very little
earth moving. He just carved the course
around the hills. The finishing four holes
are long and tough.
The Ocean is nearest to the sea and
hence weather plays a major factor in the
smallish and shallow elevated greens.
Balls have been known to be blown off
the greens in a wind gust.
The Long Island Course is more
traditional - flat and long and very fast
greens. It is easy to walk this course.
Golf Digest rating of Australia Top 100
courses:
• The National Moonah - No. 8
(Designed by Greg Norman)
• The National Old Course - No 10
(Designed by Robert Trent Jones
Junior)
• The National Ocean - No. 30 (Designed
by Thomson, Perrett and Wolveridge
• The National Long Island Golf – No 79
All courses have deep and large
bunkers. Greens are fast and complicated
and the rough will hide many errant
balls. Not to be ignored is how the course
FROM THE MEMBERS
will change with the wind coming from
the sea. Balls may boomerang back and
there are times when it would be almost
impossible to stay still to putt.
Be well rugged up for the winter and
do not forget the flies in the summer.
It is never boring when golfing at
the National.
In spite of its location away from
suburban Melbourne, the club has many
members who participate in weekly
competitions. Members may pick any
of the four courses for monthly medals
although one is dedicated to those who
wish to challenge themselves from the
black tees.
There is also a rotating course each day
open to guests of Members all day.
Booking for weekend slots especially
on Saturday is essential but one can
always get a game in the later part of
the day.
It is always easy to get tee times
on weekdays and Sundays for all the
four courses.
The number of rounds played last year
at the National was 72,000.
The Royal Automotive Club of Victoria
(RACV) has rooms with reasonable rates
and is five minutes away. There are many
wineries nearby with facilities for meals.
Members are advised to have their
reciprocal cards and to check on the
process to book their flights.
Telephone: 61 3 5988 6666
e-mail: [email protected]
We would like to hear about your
golfing experience at Reciprocal Clubs
and welcome article contributions
from Members.
Please send your stories and photos to:
The Editor, RSGC or [email protected]
THE CIRCULAR
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FROM THE MEMBERS
125TH ANNIVERSARY FOR
ROYAL MELBOURNE
BY WONG LEE MING
M
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uch has been written on
the greatness of the Royal
Melbourne Golf Club’s
Composite Course, which is actually a
mixture of the West and East Course holes.
It is perhaps a perfect combination of
factors; greatest soil composition in the
sand belt, the genius of Alister Mackenzie,
incredibly rugged terrain and above all,
impeccable upkeep. Bunkerings, though
not as widespread as Nicklaus designs,
are just as visually spectacular. The rough
is a mixture of gorse and other native
grasses making finding the ball possible
but its extraction not so easy. The greens
are, without comparison, beautifully
contoured, very hard and slick, making
approaches very difficult and stopping the
ball impossible.
The Melbourne Golf Club ('Royal' prefix
given in 1895) was founded in 1891
with Sir James McBain as the founding
president and John Munro Bruce as the
founding captain.
Accolades for Royal Melbourne have
been impossible to count; it has hosted
numerous national and international
events. Its 16 Australian Opens are
surpassed by only the 17 hosted by
The Australian Golf Club. It hosted the
1959 Canada Cup, and the 1970 World
Cup. Royal Melbourne hosted the 1988
Australian Bicentennial tournament. It
was selected by the PGA Tour to hold the
President’s Cup, for the first time outside
the United States, in December 1998.
The match was convincingly won by the
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Captain and President with Captain of RMGC James King
International team, captained by Peter
Thomson, who had earlier served as Club
Professional at Royal Melbourne.
The club hosted the President’s Cup
again in November 2011, which was won
by the United States and the Women's
Australian Open for the first time in
February 2012, now an LPGA Tour event.
I was there again last month as Captain
with our Club President Tan Sri Yong for
their 125th Anniversary. Forty-three Royal
Clubs were invited from around the world.
Hong Kong and US clubs were also present.
It was a gathering of old friends where
James King, present Captain of Royal
Melbourne held court. He was Vice
Captain when I was there last representing
our Club in 2011 in a Reciprocal
Invitational before their President’s Cup
event. The then Captain Richard Allen is
now immediate Past Captain. We last met
at Pine Valley’s Centenary in 2013. Sandy
Dawson, past Captain of Royal Sydney
and R&A, was there as a representative of
FROM THE MEMBERS
captain and paul o'donnell with the world cup at kingston heath gc
another great course in the Sand Belt.
The World Cup Tournament will be held
there in November this year. Founded
in 1909 with only 18 holes, it too has
all the great attributes that would rival
Royal Melbourne. Australia has been
awarded the President’s Cup for 2016 and
Melbourne would be the venue. The jury
is still out on the exact venue with both
Kingston Heath and Royal Melbourne
bidding for it.
Melbourne has a special place in my
heart; a sign in Bahasa Malaysia at the
South Melbourne Market says it all. Great
food, great weather, great golf and indeed
Melbourne is the world’s most livable city.
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the rmgc clubhouse from the 18th tee box
the R&A. Ronald Lu, President of HKGC
was also there with past captains Peter
Reid and John Ball. Amidst the revelry
over four days, serious golf was the order
of business.
Royal Melbourne’s 6th is one of Alister
Mackenzie’s greatest holes. From a high
tee, the player is confronted with a choice
of driving across the bunkers, guarding
the corner of the dogleg, or playing safely
away to the left. The safe drive leaves a
long second shot. But for every yard to the
right, the longer is the carry across the
sand and the shorter the approach. The
infamous green tilts steeply from back to
front and so severe is the surface that Tom
Weiskopf four putted in the 1972 World
Cup. It was also there where Lee Trevino
in 1974 cited it as ‘the biggest joke since
Watergate,’ after four putting and where
Dr Cary Middlecoff putted clean off the
6th green in the 1959 Canada Cup.
I approached the 6th with a mixture
of confidence and trepidation. After a
brilliant drive I chose to lay up, regulation
on was an impossibility. A well-struck 5
iron third shot left me a 10 foot uphill putt
for par, a slightly enthusiastic putt placed
me 3 feet past the hole and I proceeded to
emulate the great players before me. I four
putted and achieved immortality.
On Tuesday I played at Kingston Heath,
malaysia flag at rmgc
THE CIRCULAR
FROM THE MEMBERS
PROPERTY SUB-COMMITTEE
BY WONG LEE MING
A
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week before the election of captain
at the 2014 AGM, I said to Past
Captain Mohd Azlan over drinks
that should I be elected Captain, I would
continue the practice which he started,
that is, for the Captain to take up the
property portfolio as well. He agreed
and remarked with all properties rented
out, all should be plain sailing. Little
did we know and expect the storm that
would ensue.
The incident of the overlooked rental
reported by Dr Francis Ho has been told
before and certainly dented my confidence
of the situation. Shifting through tonnes
of correspondence, the situation became
clear: records were badly kept and there
were irregularities in Master Lease
Agreements, acceptance of development
orders and signing off on plans. The
previous General Manager was making
decisions without prior TC approval
(during subsequent meetings he informed
that he had been given verbal approval).
Even junior staff were communicating
without prior approval. With immediate
effect, we established that only the
Captain with approval from TC could sign
documents. All correspondence must be
number-recorded and filed. No staff can
make any decisions regarding property.
Clarifying the whole property situation
was the main objective. We immediately
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set out to keep a register of our properties.
We also discovered that all the properties
were on Hakmilik Sementara. Immediately
we engaged a surveyor to do a title search
and extract the titles. We have now
obtained Hakmilik (Grants) for all our
properties. We have paid and obtained the
21 year lease on the Green Lung which
forms part of our 2nd New course.
Next was a check on all our
Development orders. A plan was
erroneously submitted indicating that land
was surrendered (di serahkan) and signed
off by the previous General Manager. We
have since engaged with DBKL, explained
the error, and retrieved the plans and
replaced with the correct plans.
We are in the process of examining in
detail all the Master Leases. There seem
to be certain variations – on one lease the
tenant had been given the right to charge
the lease. Though it would not have any
encumbrances on the land, there would
be serious financial repercussions should
the tenant be wound up. We are still in
the midst of studying those implications
with our lawyers and will report when they
are ready.
We have met with 1MDB over the
tunnel which was reported. Though the
master plan has been approved by DBKL,
the details are still being finalised. We
have registered our objections with
DBKL. We are grateful to our Member
Dato Pardeep who sits on the board
of Pemudah, the private and public
collaboration task force, which is chaired
by KSN Tan Sri Ali Hamzah. They are
given the task of finding the best way
to solve the traffic woes in front of our
Club.
We have also been engaging with
Ekovest Bhd, the concessionaires of
the DUKE highway parcel 3. They have
indicated that some parts of the highway
will be infringing on club land near the
Suleiman Course. Our PSC Sub-Committee
Member Dato Masbar (retired Federal land
Commissioner) will be assisting us on talks
with the Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia
who will ultimately be responsible for the
details on that highway.
Many have spoken on whether we
should or should not surrender land,
the reality of the situation is that all the
properties are on temporary development
orders which do not require the conversion
and subsequent conversion of land.
The argument is purely academic,
until the tenant wishes to convert or
the Government refuses to extend the
temporary development orders (of which
they have just received the exemption for
renewal), we will just continue with this
established practice of ensuring rentals are
paid on time.
FROM THE MEMBERS
GREENS SUB-COMMITTEE
BY WONG LEE MING
D
uring my stint in past Greens
Committees, fairway drainage
or the lack of it was the bane of
the club. We introduced sub soil drainage
on a massive scale and it proved a success.
When my term began as Captain and
Greens Convenor, the situation on greens
however was different altogether; they
were inconsistent throughout the course on
different holes and in fact inconsistent on
individual greens. Consultants were brought
in to advise, and our Course Superintendent
was adamant his methods were correct
because some greens were good.
Consistency of greens was our main
objective. Everyone would give solutions
but no one was sure what the cause of the
problem was. I always maintain that if
one does not know the reason for success,
then one is lucky and if one does not know
the reason for failure, one is doomed.
The grass on all the greens were identical,
climate cannot vary within 5 km so the
only variables were water, sun and soil
composition. We bought test equipment
for moisture readings and hardness. We
found the digital plans of the course on
AutoCAD. That was important because
topography maps will show surface flow.
We took moisture readings over several
positions in every green and over a period
of time to measure drainage rates. We
recorded sunshine patterns over the day
over weeks. We took soil samples of all
the greens.
When we tabulated the readings, the
results were astounding. The moisture
readings differ even throughout the
green, and because of different drainage
rates, even chemical compositions differ
due to different solubility of different
chemicals. Uneven drainage became our
chief culprit. High moisture areas were
given deeper hollow tining and recalcitrant
areas were even dug up. Chemicals were
added where soil tests show a deficiency.
After all our efforts there are now very
minute differences in moisture throughout
each green.
When sunlight patterns were examined,
we found that due to the position of some
trees, some areas did not have as much sun
as around the rest. Most trees around the
greens were trimmed. This explains why
the 9th hole of the Old has always been our
best. Another revelation is that morning
sun is more important than afternoon, as
it usually rains in the afternoon. Due to
the undulating nature of the greens, some
areas do not get sufficient exposure to the
sun. The contours of some greens actually
contribute to our problems. The front of
the 1st hole New and the 7th Old are tilted
back away from the morning sun which
explains why they are the most problematic
greens. The front part of the 17th Old does
not receive sunlight until the later part of
the morning.
We have many complaints on
inconsistency of speed. The definition
of green speed is length of a roll of a ball
measured over a flat area in two directions
using a tool called the Stimpmeter. Here
lies the root of the problem. A speed of 9
would be say 8.5 against the grain and 9.5
with the grain. If one measures speed in
many directions, the results will invariably
differ, but the average will be 9.
We have also purchased a hardness
tester. It measures the depth of the tool
that mimics a ball landing on the green.
The aim is not to achieve a hard Royal
Melbourne green or a soft Florida green
but a consistent green.
Much work has been done and more is
still needed to improve our course.
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FROM THE MEMBERS
BENEVOLENT DICTATORS
FROM THE BOOK THE BEST OF HENRY LONGHURST
T
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here are all sorts of ways of
running a golf club and I cannot
help feeling that, having played
at some 400-odd clubs in more than
30 countries, I must have seen most of
them. At the end of it all I come to the
conclusion that the most effective of
the lot is the “benevolent dictator.” Of
course, there is no such thing really as a
one-man club, but the reader knows what
I mean.
At one club your request is greeted
with, “You will have to bring that up at
the annual general meeting.” At another
it is a question of “You had better ask Mr.
So-and-So and, if he says it is all right,
go ahead.” For myself I infinitely prefer
the latter. Even if Mr. So-and-So is liable
at times to give you a stony stare and a
firm negative, at least you know where
you are.
Three examples of benevolent dictators
come at once to my mind, two in the
United States and one in Britain. The
first is the now almost legendary John
Arthur Brown, whom I had the privilege
of meeting, and being soundly beaten
by, at Pine Valley. A few years back I met
him driving his own golf car over the
slopes of George Fazio’s magnificent new
creation, the Jupiter Hills Course near
Palm Beach, Fla. John Arthur Brown, at
past 80, was still, they assured me, most
definitely in charge at Pine Valley.
Then, of course, there was the
redoubtable Mr. Clifford Roberts,
Chairman of the Augusta National
Golf Club since before the course was
even built.
“How wonderful to have done it all
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alone,” someone remarked of Lindbergh’s
flight over the Atlantic. “More
wonderful,” was the reply, “if he had done
it with the aid of committee.”
My own British benevolent dictator,
and he really did dictate, was the late J.F.
Abercromby, universally known as “Aber”
and certainly one of the outstanding
architects in all golf, as the many visitors
who have played the two London courses
he designed at Addington will agree.
About 40 years my senior, he used to
wear a green velour porkpie hat and
habitually carried under his arm an
ancient wooden putter.
We younger members were in
considerable awe of him. I was standing
beside him at the bar at Addington one
Sunday morning when a member came
in and pre-emptively demanded of the
steward, “Where’s the suggestion book?”
Aber turned slowly around and prodded
the luckless fellow with a bony finger.
Then, pointing to himslf, he said, “I’m
the suggestion book!”
That’s the way to run a golf club.
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69
TOURNAMENTS |SOCIAL EVENTS
P70 TOURNAMENTS /// P76 RESULTS & ORDER OF MERIT /// P80 SOCIAL
PG 69-82
THE CIRCULAR
TOURNAMENTS
› MY CUP RUNNETH OVER
The Hisamuddin Alam Shah Trophy 2016
Old Course
17 April 2016
By Kam Omar
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In the words of Past Captain Azlan
Mohammed, this is a “Hall of Fame”
event. It is the only golf tournament at
RSGC that is open to golfers from clubs in
KL and Selangor.
A total of 84 players including 23
from other golf clubs took part. The
participating clubs were Kelab Golf
Negara Subang, Kelab Rahman Putra
Malaysia, Kota Permai Golf and Country
Club, Danau Golf Club, Monterez
Golf and Country Club, Impian Golf
Resort, Titiwangsa Golf Club, Kelab
Rekreasi Tentera Udara and Kelab Golf
Darul Ehsan.
This is one of the largest fields for
a RSGC golf competition. Past Club
Champions Sunil Abraham and Carl Lai
were playing as was our current Club
Champion Greg Eu. The previous two
champions for this event Syed Hazrain
and Shazal Yusuf were also in the field.
The Sunday Buayas were strongly
represented as was the Free and Easy
golf group.
It was a morning competition, starting
with breakfast in the Banquet Hall and
ending with lunch and prize presentation
at the same venue. The weather was
kind with overcast conditions and a cool
breeze blowing. It made for great scoring
opportunities. The match got off to a four
point start on the 1st, 6th, 10th and 15th
tees from 7.45 am onwards. By noon the
first flights were already trooping back
into the clubhouse. At the end of play
there were 13 players with under par
scores and five were tied for the lead at
3 under!
Of course we heard the heartbreak
stories of golfers having played well under
THE CIRCULAR
for most of their round only to falter in
the final two or three holes. My playing
companion from Kota Permai started
badly on the par five 15th blaming his
double par score on the assertion that
he is an “afternoon golfer”! To be fair he
played spectacularly well in the second
nine finally returning a score of 88 off
a handicap of 9. I played a stroke better
with an advantage of 9 strokes. We were
one of the last flights to finish and even
from the corridor past the Reception
we could hear the excited buzz as scores
were put on the board. To my surprise
and delight I found I was one of the joint
leaders. It was all down to the scores on
the second nine, which was the harder
nine to score on, to break the deadlock.
Of the five players on 3 under only
two were below par on the second nine.
Ahmad Nordin aka Attan recorded a
34 nett only to be beaten by my 33
nett on the second nine. I had won the
Hisamuddin Alam Shah Trophy on a
countback against my “sifu”! (A week or
so before that Sunday he had been kind
to accompany me on a practice round to
correct my alignment issues.)
At lunch Tunku Muinuddin the Acting
Captain gave his welcome speech. He
spoke about the background and history
of this trophy. His Royal Highness
Sultan Sir Hisamuddin Alam Shah, the late
grandfather to our present Sultan, had
handed over a plot of land to the Club at
our current location, on the condition that
locals are allowed to join the Club. A part
of this land forms the Suleiman course
which was so named in honour of his late
father Sultan Alaeddin Suleiman Shah.
The State government then leased out the
remainder of the land slightly later to be
what is now the site of RSGC, then known
as the Selangor Golf Club.
The competition however started in
1955, with the actual trophy donated by
Sultan Hisamuddin. His Royal Highness
was an avid golfer and it was his wish that
the game be seriously taken up by locals.
So it was by His Royal Command that
this competition be organized with the
participation of golfers in Selangor who
are not RSGC members. This started a
60 over year tradition of inviting golfers
throughout the state to play for this
trophy. This club trophy is one of the
more historically significant trophies that
the Club is proud of.
TOURNAMENTS
› RSGC INTERPORT WITH ROYAL BANGKOK
East Course
30 April - 1 May 2016
By Ezani Abu Bakar
This is the 54th year of the interport
match between the Club and the Royal
Bangkok Sports Club (RBSC) played on
the Championship course on Saturday
afternoon 30 April and on Sunday
morning 1 May. In the history of our Club,
this is the oldest inter-club match and it is
full of tradition and relationships that had
been built up over those years.
When the final list of players was
prepared, it was no wonder that there
were familiar names and new names. They
met on Saturday for lunch at the Banquet
Hall. Naturally, those who knew each
other greeted one another and new faces
were introduced to each other. It was an
informal affair among friends before the
trophied competitions.
Up for grabs were the Erawan Cup which
is decided by match play off-the-stick and
the Seladang Cup which is based on match
play net scores.
The players trooped out to the East
Course for a four-point start at 1pm led by
Pracha Sivasamphai (acting Captain RBSC)
and our Captain Wong Lee Ming. The
sun was shining brightly but the weather
forecast was for some unsettled weather
conditions. Some side bets were called out
and the matches started out in earnest.
Unfortunately, after about two hours
of play, the siren sounded for lightning
and rain. Back at the Clubhouse, less golf
meant more fun at the terrace with lots of
conversation and laughter amid drinks and
cigars. The first day’s play was abandoned
because of the inclemental weather.
The official dinner was held at the
Green. A very delicious spread of food was
presented to our guests who thoroughly
enjoyed the dinner, some of whom stayed
on until late in the evening. Live music
added to the merriment when a few
players were enticed to sing and dance by
our own resident musicians.
A bright and sunny Sunday morning
greeted the players. After breakfast, the
first flights at the four-point start teed-off
at 8am. It was going to be a serious day for
everyone because the scores stood at 0-0
for both cups.
As play progressed, the winning
points started to accrue to the visitors
in the Erawan Cup. However, it was the
home team that was scoring well in the
Seladang Cup.
While most matches ended earlier,
a tough fight ensued between the pair
of Sukit “No Mercy” Pachimsawat and
Prayote Sudchainark against Azizul
Kallahan and Ezani Bakar. It was a never-
give-up battle throughout the match
and with the score 1-up with 2 to go in
favour of Azizul’s pair, a 3 foot putt on
the 17th hole produced a win to Azizul’s
pair. Sukit suggested to play the 18th hole
for experience as it was the toughest hole
in the recent Maybank Championship
Malaysia 2016 and so they did.
The official lunch was held at the
Banquet Hall. Captain Wong Lee Ming said
that "the volume of people was small but
the volume of noise was large. It is always
great to see all the old friends again.” He
then proposed a toast to the RBSC. The
RBSC acting captain Pracha Sivasimaphai
replied to the toast.
RBSC won the Erawan Cup narrowly by
one match while RSGC won the Seladang
Cup handsomely.
A surprise then awaited Pracha. It was
his birthday so a cake was presented to
him and the crowd joined him for the
traditional birthday song and cake cutting.
Finally, the scores did not matter
anyway because we were there to continue
this long-standing friendship and tradition
between two venerable clubs from two
neighbouring countries. We look forward
to the next edition in early 2017.
THE CIRCULAR
●
71
TOURNAMENTS
› LADIES GOLF SECTION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Wednesday 27 April 2016.
By Rosie Dewal
●
72
An air of excitement and anticipation
preceded this year’s Ladies Annual General
Meeting held on Wednesday 27 2016. The
time had come for the ladies to vote in
a new Lady Golf Captain. Our very own
“Presidential” election, the first time the
captaincy was contested in 18 years. It sent
the Club abuzz with a record number of 93
ladies, some who have not graced the golf
courses for many years, making a special
effort to take to the polls. Our candidates
were Anisah Khadar and Yasmin Yusuff.
Prior to the AGM we had a 9 hole Golf
Competition and 30 ladies participated.
It was followed with a sumptuous
lunch at the Fairway Restaurant. The
anticipated election was at the forefront of
everyone’s mind.
The AGM was called to order at 12.30pm
and the Lady Golf Captain presented her
report together with the Accounts of the
Ladies Golf Section. When it was opened
to the floor, two issues were brought up.
Firstly, ladies would appreciate benches to
be placed at the Red Tee box. At present
benches were only placed at the Blue Tee
box. Secondly ladies want the trees on the
right of the Ladies Tee Box of the 12th
hole of Old Course to be trimmed as they
interfered with the sight of their drive.
Next on the agenda was the election
of Office Bearers. Our candidates, Anisah
and Yasmin were asked to introduce
themselves to Members. In their speeches,
both candidates pledged to do their best
to take the Ladies Golf Section to new
heights. The tone was set for a good fight
and an air of tension was evident as the
votes were tabulated.
Refreshments were served to all who
patiently waited for the results. A video
clip on our Club, done by the Membership
Sub-Committee was shown during
this time.
THE CIRCULAR
ladies committee 2016 – from left: sarah latif, ulle haertel, ting low,
yasmin yusuff, tina olausson and wong ai dee
winners of texas scramble
It was Yasmin Yusuff who won the
election for Lady Golf Captain. An avid
golfer and long-time Member of the Club,
Yasmin and her Committee will surely take
on the challenge with enthusiasm.
CONGRATULATIONS Yasmin! We wish
you and your Committee the very best.
By Yasmin Yusuff
It is with great pleasure and pride that I
take over the helm of the RSGC Ladies Golf
Section Committee from Captain Rosie
Dewal. Thank you and well done to the
previous committee.
My passion and love for RSGC and the
game of golf is unquestionable. Having
seen the Club grow and develop over
the years, yet maintain its position and
heritage, I want to continue to be a part
of the Club’s journey. I would like to see
the RSGC’s Ladies Golf Section succeed
and become a force to be reckoned with,
not only in the world of ladies’ golf in
Malaysia, but also among the men in our
very own Club. We need the men’s respect
and support.
I am also very excited by the fact that,
for the first time, our LGSC includes 4
‘RSGC babies’, ladies who have grown up
with the Club as children of Members,
including our Hon Secretary who is the
daughter of a Past Captain and the granddaughter of a Past President! This brings
an added touch of history and tradition to
this new committee. I am a firm believer
in teamwork and we certainly have a very
TOURNAMENTS
› RSGC VS SICC INTERPORT GAME
23/24 April 2016
By Yasmin Yusuff
capable and enthusiastic committee!
I am also glad that, being an Ordinary
Member, I can be the voice of the RSGC
Ladies Golf Section at the main AGM and
the General Committee.
I believe that RSGC is a club in the
true sense of the word and that we ladies
can work together to achieve our goals.
It is not easy, but it is not impossible.
The more we want, the more we must
be willing to give. I have made the
commitment that I am ready to give,
and I hope you are too! I will try my best
to be attentive, sensitive to comments,
complaints and suggestions, and I hope to
include some non-golfing activities.
My vision and dream is to see more
and more lady golfers at our Club, both
RSGC ladies and guests that we will bring
from many other clubs. And in order to
see that, I am going to try my very best to
make RSGC a place to welcome you.
I am grateful for the support of an
active and enthusiastic Ladies Golf
section, and look forward to a good year
of great Ladies’ Golf! We hope to see more
ladies sign up for our calendar events.
The RSGC vs SICC annual interport
match is always much-anticipated.
Although there was a much smaller field
than usual this year, with only 12 ladies
travelling up from Singapore, there was
no less enthusiasm in welcoming Captain
Sheau Lan and her team to our club.
Loud greetings were heard as old friends
reconnected and new friends were made.
On the first day of the competition the
ladies battled through inhuman heat and
a slight haze with RSGC beating SICC 9
points to 3.
There was much excitement at one
point on the first day when we heard loud
shouts coming from the green of hole no 7
at the ladies agm
ladies at the agm lunch
of the 1st old. The SICC Captain had made
a hole-in-one, which turned out to be her
very first ever!
The weather improved slightly on
the second day although the heatwave
was still quite debilitating. SICC tried
hard to make up the score but alas for
them, it was not their day to take the
Trophy south.
The usual warm camaraderie was
shared at the prizegiving lunch, with loud
applause as novelty prizes were awarded
for both sides for both days of play, but
the coveted Trophy went to RSGC.
We look forward to the return match at
SICC in August.
HEADS UP FOR EVENTS IN JULY
Friday 15 July
Golden Girls Competition – Stableford
Tuesday 19 July
Ladies Club Morning – 9 Holes Strokeplay
Wednesday 20 July
Ladies Medal – Bogey
Friday 22 July
Ladies KGNS vs RSGC at KGNS
Wednesday 27 July
Lady Golf Captain’s Team vs Lady Golf Vice Captain’s Team
Saturday 30 July
Ladies Committee Prize - Stableford
THE CIRCULAR
●
73
TOURNAMENTS
› THE PIALA TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN 2016
6, 7 & 8 May 2016
By Kam Omar
●
74
Where do you start with the Piala Tunku
Abdul Rahman Putra otherwise known as
the RSGC Masters? It is not for the faint
hearted that is for sure. This strokeplay
event is over three consecutive days
and only the keen and foolish, young
and young at heart macho types would
sign up to compete and try to win this
coveted title.
It is the reserve of a handful of low
handicappers, but many others would
have signed up for the chance to win the
daily lowest three nett strokeplay prizes,
and revel in the camaraderie and warm
fellowship that closely follows the daily
grind on the golf course. This is precisely
why it is the hardest golf event in the Club.
Not only do you have to demonstrate
absolute discipline in ball striking, you also
have to be able to handle the odd drink or
two after the games!
The weather was kind on all three days.
The haze cleared and play proceeded
without any stoppage due to inclement
weather. The preferred lie rule, however,
THE CIRCULAR
was imposed on the first and last days due
to heavy overnight rain. The oppressive
heat and high humidity affected all players
alike and the generally poorer results
on the second day reflected this. It was
perhaps premature of some players who
had done well on the first day to celebrate
so hard after only their first round!
It was clear after the second day who the
main contenders were: Carl Lai, last year’s
Club Champion and the young Hui Yong
Sherng who is back in KL after schooling in
the US. They were only three strokes apart
after two days. Ichiro Suzuki, another past
Club Champion, was another six strokes
adrift. The current Club Champion Greg
Eu had two forgettable days on the course
and was too far back to contend.
Sherng had led the small field of some
37 golfers right from the first day. On
the final day he played par golf to win
the trophy by a convincing nine strokes
from his nearest rival Carl Lai. Right now
Sherng is the man to beat. Watch out Greg,
he is coming for you!
What the 20-year-old champ said:
"I'm happy that I've won the RSGC
Masters. It feels great to win at my
home club for the second time. This
is the biggest prize I’ve won so far in
the Club. I hope I'll win the RSGC club
championship next year because this year I
didn't participate.
My game was really solid this week. I
felt great about my swing. Going into the
game, I was thinking that I had a chance to
win. I received a lot of support in the Club
and from my friends. But it was a close
match in the first two days. Carl Lai was
really on my tail but I kept on playing and
hoping I wouldn’t make a mistake. I tried
to get a good lead. Everything turned out
well and I’m really glad I've won.
My dad introduced to me the game of
golf and I love it. My dad is a good golfer
and is always challenging me.
For the past two years, I was studying
in the US. I was also enrolled at the
International Junior Golf Academy in
South Carolina."
TOURNAMENTS
› LETTER TO THE EDITOR
From TK-Hess
Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my deep
gratitude and admiration to the
organisers, my fellow competitors,
caddies and the magnificent
greenskeepers at this year's RSGC
Masters. This is my fifth time in a row
playing in this three day stroke format
event and historically the course has been
set up to show off its best. Last weekend
did it ever shine! The course certainly
bared its teeth and its glassy greens, the
East course especially, was in the best
condition I believe I have ever seen it.
It was a joy to play and I hope this level
of success can be maintained and even
bettered again. I have been involved with
the club as far back as 1986 so this is a big
thank you to the course superintendent
and his talented and no doubt passionate
helpers. They rarely receive the accolades
they deserve for all the physical work
and meticulous planning that has helped
RSGC retain its beautiful and natural look
set in what appears to me to be an oasis
in an otherwise concrete jungle that is
modern day Kuala Lumpur.
I have played on many beautiful
courses and in my view RSGC is one of
the best. Which brings me to feeling
the need to highlight a very worrying
development that has recently taken
place and is currently on going as
witnessed on the 18th of the 2nd Nine
East course. The introduction of the
‘access’ concrete cart paths is in my view
utter vandalism to what is such a gem of
a naturally beautiful course. The whole
integrity of the course has been altered
and no doubt history will show this to
be a great oversight of whoever was
in charge of this decision. I have tried
to establish what the thought process
was and it appears it was a requirement
placed on the club by the organisers
of this years MCM. I feel this to be
unacceptable considering similar courses
on the European tour did not have to
subject their greatest asset to such
hideous and carelessly laid out spaghetti
trails throughout their magnificent
natural golf courses. (See last weekend’s
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam hosting the
Trophy Hassan II in Morocco. It looked
similar to our beloved RSGC yet glaringly
devoid of any access paths forced
upon them as a condition to hosting a
prestigious European Tour event.)
‘Golf Courses are a living thing’ to
remind people that courses are not
stagnant and changes are necessary from
time to time. Further, whoever is in
charge must act decisively to encourage
the fluidity that takes a golf course from
one generation into the next. However
as mere custodians of our great natural
asset we need to enforce proper planning
by us the members and hold those
entrusted with our support accountable
in ensuring the course we play today will
be enjoyed by our children and beyond.
The history and natural integrity of
our courses has been a hallmark and
the crown jewel of Malaysian golfing
history. It is my belief that if we want to
keep it this way and remain as a regional
leader, external expert advice is needed in
developing a grand masterplan to guide
future committee members in taking the
best course of action ensuring that RSGC
remains one of the premier golf clubs in
the world. Thank you to all my friends.
I hope these comments are taken in the
spirit of improvement and the ongoing
longevity of success. See you all next time
around the Club.
●
75
THE CIRCULAR
RESULTS
INTERPORT MATCH AGAINST SICC
INTERPORT MATCH AGAINST SICC
SATURDAY, 23RD APRIL & SUNDAY 24TH APRIL 2016
SATURDAY, 23RD APRIL 2016
NOVELTY (MEN)
TAN SRI HASHIM ALI TROPHY
SATURDAY, 23RD APRIL 2016
RSGC
Day 1
SICC
Cancelled Due To Inclement Weather
Cancelled Due To Inclement Weather
Day 2
16
INTERPORT MATCH AGAINST SICC
SUNDAY, 24TH APRIL 2016
NOVELTY (MEN)
4
Match Won By RSGC
NEAREST TO THE PIN (RSGC)
DATO LOKE WAN THO TROPHY
RSGC
Day 1
NAME
SICC
Cancelled Due To Inclement Weather
Day 2
17
11
C.C.TAN I LEONG HEO YENG CHALLENGE TROPHY
(LADIES)
SICC
Day 1
9
3
Day 2
10
0
76
12th Hole New
Course
Zulfikar Hashman
19’
6th Hole Old
Course
Mohd Azlan
4’ 5”
18th Hole New
Course
Au Wy Kean
1’
NAME
INTERPORT MATCH RSGC VS RBSC (HOME)
30 APRIL 2016 & 1 MAY 2016
DAY 1
DAY 2
TOTAL
RSGC
Abandoned
6
6
RBSC
Abandoned
8
8
The Winner of The Erawan Cup is RBSC
SELADANG CUP
DAY 1
DAY 2
TOTAL
RSGC
Abandoned
10
10
RBSC
Abandoned
4
4
The Winner of The Seladang Cup is RSGC
4th Hole Old
Course
Jonathan Main
15’ 5”
12th Hole New
Course
David Sim
17’
NEAREST TO THE LINE (RSGC)
ERAWAN CUP
THE CIRCULAR
5’ 5”
NEAREST TO THE PIN (SICC)
Match Won By RSGC
●
Mohd Gregory Eu
NEAREST TO THE LINE (RSGC)
Match Won By RSGC
RSGC
4th Hole Old
Course
6th Hole Old
Course
Ho Kok Keong
4’ 7”
18th Hole New
Course
Douglas Ooi
3’
RESULTS
PIALA TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN (RSGC MASTERS)
LADIES SOCIAL GOLF – TEXAS SCRAMBLE
FRIDAY MORNING, 29TH APRIL 2016
MODE OF PLAY ~ STROKE PLAY
6, 7 & 8 MAY 2016
PLACING
NAME
SCORE
Best Net
Mazeed Abdul Wahad
72 + 69 + 71 = 212
Runner-up
Carl Lai
76 + 73 + 78 = 227
Winner
Hui Yong Sherng
73 + 71 + 72 = 218
NAME
Winner
Sawako Nishioka
Makiko Usui
54 nett
Runner-up
Wong Ai-Dee
Nancie Foo
55 nett
HISAMUDDIN ALAM SHAH TROPHY
LADIES MEDAL
17 APRIL 2016
MODE OF PLAY ~ STROKE PLAY
NAME
WEDNESDAY 4TH MAY 2016
MODE OF PLAY ~ STROKE PLAY
H’CAP
SCORE
Winner
Kamarulzaman Bin Omar
18
69 ocb
Runner-up
Ahmad Nordin
9
69 ocb
Best Gross
Sunil Abraham
2
75
DIVISION I
NAME
WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY, 20TH & 22ND APRIL 2016
MODE OF PLAY ~ STROKE PLAY
Winner
May Ho Ngee Min
71+71 = 142 nett
Runner-up
Asako Suehiro
77+66 = 143 nett
SCORE
Winner
Eriko Todokoro
70 nett
Runner-up
Alyah Tan
71 nett
Best Gross
Eriko Todokoro
87 ocb
DIVISION II
QUEEN ELIZABETH CORONATION CUP 2016
Winner
Chow Kwai Keng
72 nett
Runner-up
Rosie Dewal
74 nett
Best Gross
Chow Kwai Keng
93
PUAN SRI LEE ENG LIN TROPHY
LADIES MEDAL
SATURDAY 16TH APRIL 2016
WEDNESDAY, 13TH APRIL 2016
Cancelled due to inclement weather
DIVISION I
NAME
SCORE
SCORE
Winner
Wong Ai-Dee
46 pts
Runner-up
Hiroko Suzuki
41 pts
DIVISION II
Winner
Asako Suehiro
39 pts
Runner-up
Nguyen Thi Lien
32 pts
DIVISION III
Winner
Christine Ong
36 pts
Runner-up
Yasmin Yusuff
33 pts
THE CIRCULAR
●
77
ORDER OF MERIT 2016
LADIES AS AT JUNE 2014
MEN AS AT JUNE
2014
MEN
JUNIORS AS
AT JUNE 2014
JUNIORS
LADIES
AS AT 8 MAY 2016
PLACE NAME
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
7
9
10
11
12
13
13
15
16
17
18
18
20
Carl Lai
Kamarulzaman Bin Omar
Gregory Eu
Edmund Low
Mak Choong Moon
Faiz K. Ahmad
Ally Azwin
Jordan Long Shen Yung
Mohd Halim Merican
Mohamed Rozhan
Liew Kim Seng
Nik Marzilim
Zulfikar Hashman
James Teh Kai Weng
Danny Choong Khoong Liang
Hui Yong Sherng
Ahmad Nordin
Christian Boshoff
Syed Hazrain
Eddie Siew
●
78
THE CIRCULAR
TOTAL
POINTS PLACE NAME
625
550
535
465
450
440
430
430
410
350
340
330
320
320
310
300
285
280
280
275
1
2
3
4
5
6
6
8
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
19
21
Shin Young Sook
Eriko Todokoro
Rosie Dewal
Hiroko Suzuki
Chow Kwai keng
Sakiko Aoki
Siti Zainab
Alyah Tan
Wong Ai-Dee
Dorothy Ng
Sawako Nishioka
Asako Suehiro
Kanae Yutani
May Ho Ngee Min
Elaine Liew
Runa Nishida
Yasmin Yusuff
Christine Ong
Liow Foong Kwan
Nguyen Thi Lien
Priscilla Yeoh
TOTAL
POINTS PLACE
360
335
315
305
300
270
270
255
255
250
205
200
195
190
175
170
165
145
140
140
120
NAME
TOTAL
POINTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
6
6
9
10
Boys
Jamie Flynn
Nicholas Mark Tay
Chong Wei Keat
Daniel Tok Jun Xiang
Aiden Kei
Leon Lau Chun Mun
Chan Yen Yu Daren
Navjosh Singh Rikraj
Ryan Chia Wern Jien
Ryan Lee
360
195
165
120
95
60
60
60
30
20
1
2
3
4
Girls
Khor Min Li
Kelly Low Ka Yan
Mah Kit Yi
Dania Lau
290
275
215
50
RAINFALL (mm)
› 2008 – 2016
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
January
317.1
342.0
168.6
223.0
200.0
301.0
174.0
107.0
181.5
February
114.5
328.0
164.0
281.0
214.0
240.0
33.0
83.0
88.0
228.0
256.0
March
306.5
402.5
296.5
305.0
208.0
179.0
202.5
177.0
April
435.5
281.0
344.5
381.0
267.0
514.0
360.0
334.0
May
103.5
125.0
472.0
399.0
302.0
357.0
481.0
209.0
June
172.5
159.0
120.0
176.0
43.0
31.0
101.0
153.5
July
64.5
98.0
331.0
105.0
276.0
140.0
79.0
120.0
August
210.0
355.0
135.5
201.0
180.0
262.0
141.0
160.5
September
112.5
318.0
251.0
169.0
236.0
198.0
187.0
220.5
October
355.0
224.0
133.0
389.0
425.0
250.0
505.0
119.5
November
321.0
355.0
255.0
284.0
633.0
613.0
338.0
399.0
December
246.0
313.0
150.0
388.0
477.0
240.0
244.0
238.0
2845.5
2321.5
TOTAL
2758.6
3300.5
2821.1
3301.0
3461.0
3325.0
RAINFALL 2012 - 2016
700
600
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79
500
400
300
200
100
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
2012
Aug
2013
Sept
Oct
2014
Nov
2015
Dec
2016
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SOCIAL EVENTS
› SOULFUL SULTRY NIGHT
By Sharifah Intan
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Jazz singer/pianist Rachel Guerzo was
in fine form at RSGC’s Jazz Nite on 6
May. Showing off piano mastery and
rich, sultry vocals, she kicked off the
evening with an upbeat swing number
Watch What Happens accompanied
by bassist Marina Zaini. Marina was
introduced as the “only female double
bassist in Malaysia’’.
With her velvet voice and cheeky
sense of humour, Rachel quickly
won over the 106-strong crowd at
the Banquet Hall. She bantered, “I’ve
been waiting all my life to play to this
audience. I heard this room has the
highest concentration of millionaires!"
She also quipped, “I’ve always
wanted to play to a roomful of men
lusting over me. But I should have
been more specific about the age!’’
which drew loud laughter. She
was playing to a full house. Tickets
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were sold out two weeks before
the event and the room’s capacity
of 100 pax had been extended to
accommodate 106.
The Banquet Hall provided a
perfect, intimate atmosphere. Black
and maroon drapes and candle-lit
tables set the mood for savouring
the silky tones of jazz. The lavish
buffet spread was a crowd pleaser too,
featuring Aglio Olio with Fettucine
Salmon, Boneless Roasted Leg of
Lamb with Rosemary Gravy. Brazilian
Style Chicken with Black Pepper
Sauce, Pan Fried Seabass Steak and
Desserts of Italian Pudding, Chocolate
Cake and Eclairs.
Rachel’s music covered a wide
spectrum of English and Malay
classics from Samba, Latin, Ballads
to Bossa Nova infused with a jazz
arrangement which has become
her trademark.
Standouts were Sergio Mendes’
lively Night and Day, It Could
Happen to You, Aquarela do Brasil,
Tristeza, Too Close for Comfort and
classics such as Gubahan Ku and
Sabar Menanti made popular by
Broery Marantika.
Born into Malaysia’s most
famous musical family The
Solianos, Rachel paid tribute to
her grandfather, Alfonso Soliano,
the legendary saxophonist/pianist
and RTM Orchestra conductor by
performing heartfelt renderings of
his compositions Rindulah Rindu,
Kasih Sayang, Ku Puja Alam and Gadis
Idamanku. Many of the songs were
60s and 70s classics that would be
familiar to Baby Boomers.
She was superbly supported by her
talented ensemble with Anis Kalisa on
SOCIAL EVENTS
guitar, Marina Zaini on bass, Rachel's
brother Dado on drums and Badar
Fawzy on percussion. Special guest
bassist was veteran Ruslan Imam who
celebrated his 60th birthday that day.
Adnan Maarof, who never fails to
attend RSGC shows, was on the floor
with his wife dancing away. “I enjoyed
the entertainment. Rachel has a
good voice and the band is excellent
especially the ladies on the bass and
guitar. That was unusual to see. Also,
Ruslan Imam, whom we called Cikgu
because he is a master bassist, was
excellent. I used to watch him and
Alfonso Soliano perform when they
were with RTM. ‘’
Kim Hyung Soo, Minister
Counsellor with Korean Embassy,
said this was his first time at an RSGC
event. “It was a good opportunity to
listen to Malaysian jazz numbers and
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get to know the culture.’’ A jazz lover
himself, he used to frequent the Blue
Note Jazz Club in New York when he
was posted there.
“I’m a fan of jazz greats such as
Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock and
Miles Davis and have watched some
of them perform live. I love being in
Malaysia and connecting with the
friendly people here,’’ said Kim who
has been in the country for one and a
half years.
Finally, Rachel wrapped up the
evening with the up tempo Beautiful
Friendship followed by encores
to applause from an enthusiastic
audience. A fitting finale to an
entertaining evening of jazz.
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SOCIAL EVENTS
› CHECK OUT THE CLUB’S EVENTS
Mark these dates on your social calendar. Fun events are in store for Members, family and friends for the rest of the year.
Dates are subject to change
DATE
DAY
DATE
EVENTS
29
26
29
12
23
28
4
12
11
31
Fri
Fri
Thu
Wed
Sun
Fri
Fri
Sat
Sun
Thu
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Oct
Oct
Nov
Nov
Dec
Dec
RSGC Hari Raya Celebration
Malam Joget
Oktoberfest
Wine Tasting
Classical Music
Kids Halloween Party
RSGC Deepavali Celebration
President's Royal Gala Dinner
Kids Christmas Party
RSGC’s New Year's Eve Ball
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