 I must admit, when I first heard that the Singapore Island Country Club was going to hold the Lexus Cup, I was a little surprised. Shocked, actually, might be the better word.
Honestly, it has been a while since Singapore's premier club had held an international golf tournament of this magnitude, and in November, when it is typically wet and soggy?
But when the gates opened yesterday to the first day of the Lexus Cup, and the public got to see how the place was set up to receive some of the best lady golfers in the world, I was impressed. Very impressed.
Much has been said about the imperfections of a members-run club, and SICC has had its share of inefficiencies of such an arrangement. But having one of the best women golf tournaments on our very own Bukit makes a statement that, hopefully, few have not glossed over. One of these is that the club, and its relatively new managing committee, is committed to bringing back the glory days to the oldest golf club in Singapore.
John Kirkham and his new committee has made sweeping changes to the club, and more importantly, how it is run, and the Lexus Cup is just one of the accolades it can now wear on its shoulders.
The Lexus Cup of 2008 is a different affair from that which we have come to know. While Tanah Merah Country Club reflected what a state of the art organisation can lend to a tournament of this stature - with its pristine course, immaculate preparation, and full gamut of services to all who attended in 2005 and 2006 - SICC provides a more traditional, intimate air to the event.
The smaller corporate tents, tucked close to the miniscule 9th and 18th greens, bring the spectators closer to the players, sharing a space usually accorded only to caddies, and the privileged media. One of the best things about having the Lexus Cup, or any major golf tournament, at Bukit is how close the driving range is to the first tee. Spectators can watch the players go through their bags, and just hop over to see them tee off from the first tee. This is where SICC wins hands down when compared to Sentosa Golf Club and Tanah Merah Country Club, where you practically need a bus to shuttle between the two.
It remains to be seen how the Bukit Course, and the Sime clubhouse can handle the kinds of crowds on a final Sunday, but early indications is that the tournament organisers IMG, together with the able-bodied SICC crew, have things under control. It's just nice to see what used to be the home of the Singapore Open, open its doors to top level tournament golf again.
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