Disappointment, shock among Raffles Country Club members as closure looms
Overview of Raffles Country Club and its grounds. Photo: Ernest Chua
SINGAPORE — First, he saw Jurong Country Club (JCC) close after having been a member there since its first day of operations. When he recently decided to resume golfing at Raffles Country Club (RCC) after a 15-year hiatus, he found out on Wednesday (Jan 4) that it is going to shut as well.
The man, who did not want to be identified, was visibly upset when interviewed by TODAY, and he is just one of many club members who expressed their surprise and disappointment at the impending closure.
On Wednesday, the Government announced that it would be acquiring the 143ha land on which RCC sits, to build facilities for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail, as well as hold the Cross Island Line’s western depot.
RCC will need to hand the land over to the authorities by July 31 next year — some 10 years before its lease is due to expire on Oct 31, 2028.
Many RCC members did not see the news of the land acquisition coming, with some saying that they thought only part of the land would be acquired.
In 2014, plans to redevelop the Palm Course — one of the two 18-hole courses in the club — were put on hold because the area “falls within an area under study” by the authorities.
RCC president Paul Singh confirmed this, saying that the club had to halt the plans “pending further information from (the Urban Redevelopment Authority)”. No progress has been made to date on this project.
While the club is “deeply disappointed” to hear of the upcoming closure, Mr Singh said that it would be cooperating with the authorities.
Golf club membership brokers said that the news has hit their clients hard, especially those who joined the club from JCC.
Ms Fion Phua, a broker, told TODAY of one such buyer who just bought membership at RCC, after JCC closed on Dec 31 last year, only to be faced with the news.
The brokers said that with the two clubs gone, golfers in the western part of Singapore would have only one option left: Warren Golf and Country Club in Choa Chu Kang.
Ms Madeline Choo, a golf club membership broker, said that the increase in membership fees for Warren Golf and Country Club grew by 15 to 20 per cent within the day after the news broke, and the fees now stand at “around S$25,000”.
Membership fees at RCC were around S$32,000 to S$33,000 before news of the closure came, Ms Choo said, adding that about two years ago, fees were around S$38,000 to S$39,000.
RCC members said that they would wait for further details to be released before joining other clubs. Mr P K Tan, a retiree who is a member there for 15 years, said that he would “have to make a careful decision”.
“I think other clubs will definitely cost more now, as demand would go up. It is not going to be easy.”
