1-up to the Lion City

With three times as many courses as Hong Kong, Singaporeans are rather better served when it comes to choosing where to play. Duncan Forgan checks out the best of what the city-state has to offer.

The Marina Bay Golf Course, a public facility

Marina Bay Golf Course ***

Unique in that it is the only public golf course in a country where stuffed-shirt exclusivity tends to rule the roost, Marina Bay does a good job of upholding a more egalitarian ethic.

Not only does it afford visiting golfers the rare opportunity to turn up for a round completely absent of red-tape it offers enticing extras such as night golfing (Wednesday to Friday) and a four-tier driving range with 146 bays.

So what’s the catch? Well, none really. The course, which bills itself as links-style due to its undulating, dune-like, topography and heavy pot bunkering, is not as easy on the eye as some in Singapore but it is certainly not an unmemorable test.

Course highlights include the par-3, 13th which apes the rather more famous 17th at TPC Sawgrass with its island green and the fourth, a hefty par-5 with a fairway littered with pot-bunkers and a green guarded with water.

A real bonus of the golfing experience here is the course’s proximity to Singapore’s CBD and views of the skyline are spectacular both day and night.

Par: 72 Yardage: 7,154
Green fee: S$130-225
Architect: Phil Jacobs (2006)
Contact: www.mbgc.com.sg

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