01_SEPTEMBER 15_CIRC_COVER.indd

Transcription

01_SEPTEMBER 15_CIRC_COVER.indd
Tradition
of Excellence
since 1893
SEPTEMBER 2015
AN EVENING OF
ORIENTAL GLAMOUR
LOUNGING
AWAY FROM
BALI
Exploring the real
Indonesia
DIVERSECITY
2015
A month of festivals
to celebrate
Malaysia in style
Monthly magazine for Private Circulation to Members of The Royal Selangor Golf Club (351-D)
MAYBANK AT
RSGC
The Maybank
Championship
comes to RSGC in
2016
MANAGEMENT
Tradition of Excellence
since 1893
September 2015
OFFICIAL BANK
General Manager
Yong Yew Chong
Course Superintendant
Jack Cheong
Administration,
Membership & I.T. Manager
Grace Khaw Seok Hooi
Clubhouse Manager
Russell Maw
Guests & Members Services
Manager
Chantelle Mui
Financial Controller
Gordon Khong Weng Tuck
Golf & Sports Manager
K R Devindran
Human Resource Manager
Mohd Khairizal Mohd Isa
Head of Security
Gurdeep Singh A/L Udham Singh
Editorial Board
Kamarulzaman Omar
Chung Thian Sinn
Loes Nas
Liow Foong Kwan
Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin Tuanku Muhriz
Ezani Abu Bakar
Azizul Kallahan
Editorial Coordinator
Sharifah Intan
Communications & PR
Ainie Wahid
THE COMMITTEE
●
4
PRESIDENT
Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon
CAPTAIN/GREEN/PROPERTY
Mr. Wong Lee Ming
Clubhouse & Facilities Convenor
Mr. Tan Lian Whye
HR & IT Convenor
En. Mohamad Halim Dato’ Merican
Communications & PR Convenor
YM Tunku Muinuddin Putra
Administration Convenor
Mr. Chang See Tum
Finance Convenor
Mr. Mak Choong Moon
Membership & Events Convenor
Mr. Loong Wei Hin
Golf Convenor
En. Ali Shahrir Roose
Sports Convenor
Mr. Raven Sockanathan
Lady Golf Captain
Puan Rosie Dewal
Editorial
Antoine Commare
Editor-in-Chief
Kavitha Seheran
Managing Editor
Justin Heyes
Associate Sub Editor
Karin Chan
Senior Writer
Theresa Shalini
Editorial Executive
Aishah Azali
Staff Writer
Head Designer
Nor Hamimah Abdullah
Designers
Penncakes
Rozalya Rayceal Ramlin
Bobblyn
Advertising
Karen D’cruz
Sales Director
Azleen Abd. Sattar
Senior Sales Manager
Emiliene Sharon
Assistant Account Manager
Mongoose Management
Graham Paling
Group CEO
Mark Harvey
COO
Matthew Bellotti
Chief Content Officer
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 rsgc@rsgc.com.my Golf, Sports & Recreation sports@rsgc.com.
my General Administration & Membership Accounts admin@rsgc.com.my F&B, Social & Events events@rsgc.com.my 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
CONTENTS
September 2015
GOLF
TRAVEL
LIFESTYLE
28
34
40
THE MAYBANK
CHAMPIONSHIP AT RSGC
LOUNGING
AWAY FROM BALI
CELEBRATING
MALAYSIA’S DIVERSECITY
Maybank announces its premiere
golfing event of 2016
Get off the beaten track and
truly discover Indonesia
A full month of festivals to
celebrate Malaysia
CLUBHOUSE 4 Management & Committee 10 Captain’s Corner 12 Editorial 14 GM Message
16 Calendar 18 What’s Hot 20 Indulge 54 Members News 59 From the Members
70 Tournament 74 Results 75 Order of Merit 78 Social Events
CONTENTS
September 2015
T E E I N G
O F F
46
P I T C H I N G
18
50
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 September
22
CULTURE BEAT
Events
What to see, hear and
look out for with the best
of KL culture
22
24
TEEN BEAT
Young People
Activities and interests
for teen members through
books, film and music
The Cover ❘ Photograph by RSGC
50
CAPTAIN’S CORNER
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping
together is progress; working together is
success”
Henry Ford
W
●
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alking through the leafy
paths in Russell Square to
the tree-lined avenues of
Montague Place, one arrives at the
British Museum with its immense
Doric columns. Through the glass
covered Great Court, I find one of my
favourite places of refuge in London,
the Parthenon galleries. I could
spend hours studying and admiring
the intricate marble friezes which
depict wars and events in the 5th
Century BC. They used to adorn the
Parthenon at the Acropolis, taken
illegally according to the Greeks,
legally according to the British, by
Lord Elgin who was ambassador to
the Ottoman Empire which Greece
was a part of, then.
I always hold a fascination for
Greece, and all things Greek. I
studied the Pythagoras’ theorem
in mathematics at school and
the Archimedes’ principle in
engineering at university, and read
the philosophical essays of Socrates,
Plato and Aristotle. The Hippocratic
Oath, an oath historically taken by
physicians, is named after the Greek
healer Hippocrates. The English
language uses Greek references too.
The marathon, the ultimate road
race is named after the fabled run of
Greek soldier Pheidippides who ran
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from Marathon, where the Persians
were defeated, to Athens to announce
the news. The term ‘Pyrrhic victory’
a victory at such huge cost that it is
more of a defeat, is named after King
Pyrrhus of Greece who defeated the
Romans at a great cost. In the days
before the advent of the Internet my
days were spent reading Homer’s ‘The
Iliad’ and its sequel ‘The Odyssey’
which told of the fables and exploits
of mythical heroes such as Achilles,
Troy and Odysseus.
None more poignant and relevant is
the Greek Tragedy that is unfolding in
present day Athens. It is like another
legend in Greek mythology, Sisyphus,
the king of Ephyra (Corinth) who
according to legend angered the
gods and was condemned to push an
enormous rock to the top of a hill.
When Sisyphus neared the summit,
the boulder would slip from his
grasp and tumble back down to the
bottom of the slope, forcing him to
start again.
The tragedy is that there is no
end in sight to the suffering of the
Greek people. They have seen their
country’s economy shrink by 25
percent in five years and their Prime
Minister, Alexis Tsipras, too, has
angered the gods, in this case the
European Commission, the European
Central Bank, the International
Monetary Fund and most of the 18
other countries that are members
of the single currency, the Euro.
The punishment for his five-month
show of defiance will be to have
Greece’s ‘boulder’ replaced by an even
bigger one.
Have we also angered the ‘gods’?
Is the substantial devaluation of our
Ringgit a reflection of the Greek
tragedy, a harbinger of doom and
an omen of impending financial
catastrophe? What effects would
the devaluation have on our Club
finances? We at the Committee are
studying these questions and the
impact on our Club finances and
budget. Our fertilisers and field
chemicals are mostly imported and
the increase will definitely affect
us. The cost of imported food items
will go up. We will engage with our
caterers to minimise the impact on
our food prices. Fortunately our
renovations to the clubhouse and
in the field are all in Ringgit. There
will be no necessity for a return to
austerity measures instituted in the
past. Our income is now divided
roughly equally between subscription,
investments and rentals. Unless
there are mass resignations (of
Members), accelerated aging (to
reach 70), rental terminations or
cataclysmic bank closures, we do not
envisage major problems. However,
we will be working with a heightened
level of caution.
In this present day defined by
major economic uncertainties which
serve to reinforce the need for policy
transparency, we are very fortunate
to have put in place the infrastructure
and controls in Management to deal
with such contingencies. Our plans to
rejuvenate the clubhouse and course
will proceed as planned. We will
continue to make our Club the best
club in the country.
On a more joyous note, I would
like to announce that we have been
chosen as the venue for the inaugural
Maybank ‘Premier Golf Event’ to take
place between 15 and 21 February
2016. It will be jointly sanctioned
by European and Asian Tours. The
last time a European Tour event,
the Carlsberg Malaysian Open, was
held at our Club, was in 2002, on
the Old Course.
This time the course chosen is the
East Course comprising the 1st Old
and 2nd New. We have been engaging
with the European Tour over the
last five years to prepare our course
and Club for such an eventuality. We
have been given a very detailed list of
deliverables from the European Tour,
all of which we have complied with.
A major impediment was the need
for 1000 car park spaces. We have
since engaged with our tenants TREC,
who will provide the entrance for the
event. Spectators can buy their tickets
there and enter the Club through a
gate and will be ferried to the event
via the 18th hole Old Course. The
clubhouse complex will be strictly off
limits to spectators. Only members
and their guests will be allowed in.
We will need 200 volunteers for
the event. We hope our Members
will make up the majority of these
volunteers. There will be a special
golf day with prizes and a gala
dinner for the volunteers after the
event, provided by the organisers.
We will also be inviting friends
from our reciprocal clubs worldwide
to watch the event and play a
round afterwards.
We will channel all funds provided
by the sponsors to the purchase of
playing slots at other clubs during
course closures. These will be
provided at heavily subsidised prices
to Members. The viewing gallery
and the newly renovated, soon to be
completed sports bars will be turned
into a Members lounge with free
flow F&B services for the duration of
the event.
Securing the event at our Club
is the culmination of years of hard
work started by past committees.
We have been focused on improving
the course and the Club facilities.
However, the real hard work is only
beginning. We intend to make it a
success for the Players, Sponsors,
Organisers, and most important of
all, our Club and Members.
See you in the Club. 
Wong Lee Ming
Captain
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11
EDITORIAL
A
●
12
fter months of anticipation,
we finally received
confirmation that RSGC
was chosen to host the inaugural
edition of a premier golf event
sponsored by Maybank and jointly
sanctioned by the European Tour
and the Asian Tour, from February
18 to 21, 2016. The last time a major
golf tournament was held here was
in 2002. That was the Carlsberg
Malaysian Open.
It has been too many years since
we have had a major golf tournament
here. After all, we are regarded as the
home of The Malaysian Open having
hosted the inaugural edition back in
1962 and successive tournaments
up to 1982 and a few more times
since then.
RSGC of course is an excellent
choice given our central location
and unmatched history spanning
some 123 years. RSGC is as much a
national icon as it is an established
and prestigious Members club. We
are long due for a tournament of this
size to be held here again.
Many Members will remember
the last few times highly rated
international players have stalked
our Old Course in search of victory.
I still remember watching our own
P Gunasegaran vying with Frank
Nobilo and Joakim Haeggman in a
playoff in 1994. That was the one
and only time a local boy came close
to winning the Malaysian Open.
Come February 2016, we will get
to see some of the best players in
the world in action at close quarters
taking on the challenges posed by
our East Course. Our golf course
will never feel the same again once
we witness what professionals can
achieve on it!
I believe staging this event on our
premises is part of the “community
work’’ the Club must undertake
from time to time, if only to allow
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the public at large to have access to
this national treasure. We are after
all a part of a larger community. The
Maybank premier golf championship
will allow us to take our rightful
place as a leading golf club in
Malaysia and in the region.
This month we celebrate the
birthday of Malaysia, otherwise
known as Malaysia Day, when Sabah,
from left: Malaysian pro Gavin Green, Mayb ank chairman Megat Zaharuddin,
Yong Poh K on and Gary Green.
Sarawak and Singapore joined the
existing states of the Federation
of Malaya on 16 September 1963.
Al-Marhum Tunku Abdul Rahman
Putra Al-Haj was the Prime Minister
and a key driver of that union.
The Australian golf legend Peter
Thomson, from the 1950s and
1960s era, wrote about the Tunku
in his book The Wonderful World
of Golf. He has kindly allowed us to
reproduce an excerpt from this book.
This is on page 59.
Our Member Wong Ai Dee
witnessed the Open Championship
last July at St Andrews, the home
of golf, and watched her idol Adam
Scott of Australia contending for the
Claret Jug. Her piece on this thrilling
encounter is on pages 64 to 65.
As a regular item for our magazine,
we are inviting Members to write
about their favourite memories,
perhaps of a place and time. Ezani
Bakar has provided an insight into
why London will always hold a
special place in his heart. This is
on page 66.
In early August our Club took on
our Klang Valley rivals, the Kelab
Golf Negara Subang (KGNS) in
our annual two day match. This
is a unique Interclub game in that
we undertake Home and Away
matches during the same weekend
using different match formats for
compilation of points. Needless
to say it is highly competitive, but
mostly friendly! See how we fared in
the report on pages 70-71.
We continue our coverage of
Junior Golf with a record of
interviews with two-time Malaysian
Open Champion Stewart Ginn
and selected parents of highly
rated juniors. The juniors are our
future. We must provide a strong
foundation for their continued
development as golfers and future
Club ambassadors. 
Please send your feedback, letter and
stories to
The Editor
The Royal Selangor Golf Club
Jalan Kelab Golf
55000 Kuala Lumpur
Or e-mail to rsgc.circular@gmail.com
THE CIRCULAR
●
13
GENERAL MANAGER
T
●
14
he pace of activities in the Club
picked up after the one month of
fasting and celebration of Hari
Raya. The annual games against KGNS
home and away were held on 8 and 9
August with RSGC emerging victorious.
The RSGC Ladies were also in the thick
of the action as the 41st Ladies Amateur
Open was successfully held from 18 to
20 August 2015. Kudos and a note of
gratitude to the Organising Committee
led by the Chairperson Ai-Leen Tan
and her dedicated team. From 21 to 23
August, the RSGC team made the annual
trip down south to visit our Singaporean
Friends for the Interport Match at the
Singapore Island Country Club.
The hive of activities was not
limited only to the golf course as
on the Sports front, the Bi-Annual
Children’s Swimming Gala and Annual
Tennis Match with the Raintree Club
were also successfully held. A Junior
Open Day sports event will be held
on 27 September. So, do look out for
information and registration details on
the notice boards and TV screens.
Renovation progress for the Main
Lounge, The Green, The Gallery and
TV room are progressing well. The
Committee and Management are
working closely to ensure construction
work is completed on time.
Many Members were curious about
the construction of a new building next
to the TNB substation. This new twostorey building will house the staff and
caddie lockers, a maintenance workshop,
and storage for the various departments,
a canteen and a buggy parking area.
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There are plans to convert the current
canteen for other purposes which will be
shared in due course.
On the social front, Shanghai Night
was held on 30 July. The event was sold
out much earlier and requests were still
flooding in. The Club is heartened to
note the overwhelming support. A total
of 144 Members and Guests attended
and enjoyed the vintage performance of
Janet Lee and the four-piece band. The
RSGC Hari Raya Celebration was delayed
one week due to the KL City Grand Prix.
Nevertheless, the postponement did not
dampen the celebratory mood and the
event proceeded smoothly.
The Staff Annual Dinner & Dance
was held on 29 July 2015 with a Movie
Star Theme Night. The event was graced
by the Captain and Members of The
Committee. The staff enjoyed their
night with a performance by the Funky
Diva. We also witnessed the hidden
talents of fellow colleagues in the Staff
Karaoke competition with Leonard
Chan emerging as winner. The event
would not have happened without the
support of generous Members and
The Committee for this annual event.
On behalf of the Management, we
thank you.
The Club is hoping to hold more
prestigious events in order to enhance
the reputation and brand of The
Royal Selangor Golf Club. In line
with this effort, we are evolving and
strengthening our Management team
towards making this a reality. The
Management’s organisation chart
will adapt in accordance to needs and
circumstances, with the objective of
achieving maximum efficiency and
effectiveness for The Club. To quote
George Bernard Shaw, “Progress is
impossible without change, and those
who cannot change their minds cannot
change anything.”
Thank you. 
Yong Yew Chong
General Manager
●
15
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3
Thursday
Country & Western Night
PM
4
Friday
Ladies - KGNS vs RSGC at KGNS
AM
9
Wednesday
Ladies Medal / Ladies Selangor Cup - Qualifying Round - Stroke Play
AM
11
Friday
Ladies Selangor Cup - 1st Round Matchplay
AM
12
Saturday
Friendly Tennis Match RSGC vs RSC at RSGC
AM
13
Sunday
President’s Team vs Captain’s Team, President’s Prize,
AM
Captain’s Prize & Committee’s Prize
14
Monday
Ladies Selangor Cup - 2nd Round - Matchplay
16
Wednesday
Malaysia Day (PH)
18
Friday
Ladies Selangor Cup - 3rd Round - Matchplay
AM
20
Sunday
Classic Music -Family
PM
Junior Golf Medal - Stableford
AM
Swimming Handicap Race
AM
AM
●
16
AM
21
Monday
Ladies Selangor Cup - Final Round - Matchplay
23
Wednesday
Hari Raya Aidil Adha (PH)
26
Saturday
A/B/C Medal - Bogey
AM
27
Sunday
Junior Open Day
AM
29
Tuesday
Ladies Club Morning - 9 Holes - Stroke Play
AM
30
Wednesday
Ladies Committee Prize - Stableford
AM
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SEPTEMBER
CALENDAR 2015 SEPTEMBER
●
17
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1-30 }
}
}
DiverseCity 2015
September
●
18
}
An underpraised wonder, this musical is certainly
worth checking out. MUD ‘Our Story of Kuala
Lumpur’ is a wonderfully inspiring tale of Kuala
Lumpur’s rise to prominence from a tin mining
town to Malaysia’s capital city and shining beacon.
A highly entertaining retelling of the capital’s history
with adrenaline pumping numbers, tongue in cheek
humour and even audience participation.
Panggung Bandaraya
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
KL City Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2602 3335
www.mudkl.com
1-3}0
Running throughout the month of September
DiverseCity: the Kuala Lumpur International
Arts Festival promises to explode onto the
regional cultural scene and showcase talents
from the worlds of art, music, comedy,
dance and literature. The ambitious program
of performing and visual arts showcases
the complex, rich and nuanced diversity of
Malaysia and explores our close ties and deep
relationships with ASEAN.
Tel: 03-2166 0788
www.diversecity.my
8-4
}
Superstars
Of Magic 4
WHAT’S HOT
SEPTEMBER
2015
October
4-13
}
Malaysian Open,
Kuala Lumpur 2015
Catch some of the world’s greatest tennis stars
in action on the hard courts of Putra Indoor
Stadium, Bukit Jalil. Marquee names include Spain’s
David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez, Bulgaria’s Grigor
Dimitrov and Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.
Putra Indoor Stadium
Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9222 8811
www.malaysianopentennis.com
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1-30
}
MUD: Our Story
Of Kuala Lumpur
This isn’t your usual magic tricks at a party.
Marvel at the spectacular smoke and mirrors
of magic, sleight of hand acts and an illusionist
who combines magic with perfect comedic
timing. The show is back for its fourth time
at Resorts World Genting, this show is a
wonderful night for all the family.
Genting Highlands Pahang
Tel: 03-2718 1118
www.rwgenting.com
}
}
Saturday
Night Fever
Based on the 1970s hit film, slick dance moves
and an award-winning Bee Gees soundtrack
will take you back to the disco days as Saturday
Night Fever: The Musical struts into town,
chronicling Tony Manero’s transformation from
dead-end dud to disco king.
Istana Budaya
Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7727 4677
www.milestone-entertainment.com
●
●
19
19
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INDULGE
Savour the many wonderful delicacies at RSGC ranging
from Western to Japanese and local delights.
EAT
DRIN
-AND B K
MER ERY
Monday
Mee Rebus
RM10
Tuesday
Western Style Roasted Chicken
with Mash Potato and Salad
RM18
Wednesday
●
20
Fish Ball Noodle Soup
RM10
Thursday
Prawn Mee
RM10
Friday
Nasi Lemak with condiments
RM10 onwards
Fairway: Dim Sum
available on
Saturday &
Sunday from
10am-2pm
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Indulge in
our lip-smacking
specials
this month
SUSHI-SUSHI
SET A ASSORTED SUSHI SET
Assorted Sushi & Maki
California Hand-Roll
Chawan Mushi, Miso Soup & Fruits
RM40.50
SET E SASHIMI DON SET
Salmon & Tuna on Sushi Rice
Chawan Mushi
Miso Soup & Fruits
RM 35.00
SET B YOSENABE SET
RM37.00
Japanese Hot-Pot with Salmon, Prawn
Chicken, Squids, & Vegetables
Chawan Mushi, Rice & Fruits
SET F TEMPURA MORIAWASE
Assorted Seafood Tempura
Chawan Mushi & Mini Salad
Miso Soup, Rice & Fruits
RM 39.00
SET C BEEF & SASHIMI SET
Sliced Beef in Teriyaki Sauce
Assorted Sashimi, Chawan Mushi
Miso Soup, Rice & Fruits
RM 50.90
SET G CHICKEN TEMPURA SET
Chicken Teriyaki & Tempura Prawn
Chawan Mushi & Miso Soup
Rice & Fruits
RM35.00
SET D SASHIMI TEMPURA SET
Assorted Raw Fish & Tempura
Chawan Mushi, Miso Soup
Rice & Fruits
RM 47.90
SET H SALMON TERIYAKI SET
Grilled Salmon in Teriyaki Sauce
Potato Salad & Chawan Mushi
Miso Soup, Rice & Fruits
RM39.50
BLACK ANGUS CUT BY
@ Modestos 1893
TENDERLOIN (180gm)
RM 78.00+
RIB EYE (300gm)
RM 73.00+
SIRLOIN (180gm)
* Served with a bowl of salad,
corn, potato wedges & with choices
of homemade brown sauce,
mushroom sauce or blackpepper sauce
RM 65.00+
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21
CULTURE › EVENT
BON JOVI LIVE 2015
●
22
Two decades since their last show here, the iconic US rock band are back in KL for a full concert. Helmed by singer
and guitarist Jon Bon Jovi, the New Jersey quartet is one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time with over 100
million records sold worldwide. Prepare to hear ‘80s hit songs like ‘Livin’ On a Prayer’ and ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’
as well as some of their newer stuff.
19 September 2015
Stadium Merdeka
Jalan Stadium
KL City Centre
Kuala Lumpur 50150
Tel: 03–9222 8811
www.imclive-group.com
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CULTURE › EVENT



WHAT TO SEE
WHAT TO HEAR
WHAT TO READ

THE INTERN
CAST: Anne Hathaway, Robert
DeNiro, Adam DeVine
› In The Intern,
Robert De Niro stars as
Ben Whittaker, a 70-year-old
widower who has discovered
that retirement isn’t all it’s
cracked up to be. Seizing an
opportunity to get back in the
game, he becomes a senior
intern at an online fashion
site, founded and run by
Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway).
Potentially another charming
comedy, it is expected to hit
our screens on 25 September.
●

23

KEITH RICHARDS
PATRICK NESS
› Perhaps one of the most recognisable faces in
rock, if not the best preserved, Keith Richards has
been the bluesy guitar sound which has driven
the Rolling Stones for all
these years.Yet after 20 years
Keith has found the desire to
release the, much anticipated,
second solo album. The
single of the album ‘Trouble’
showcases Keith’s mastery
of country and blues and is
a great way to introduce the
album. Give it a listen.
› Mickey just wants to graduate and
go to prom and maybe finally work up
the courage to ask Henna out before
someone goes and blows up the high
school, again. Because sometimes there
are problems bigger than this week’s
end of the world, and sometimes you
just have to find the extraordinary in
your ordinary life. A novel following
the ordinary lives of those not
charged with preventing the end of
the world, Patrick Ness has hit upon a wonderful and
creative idea.
Crosseyed Heart
The Rest Of Us Just Live Here
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TEEN BEAT › ACTIVITY
●
24
:
MTV WORLD
STAGE 2015
MTV World Stage is back this year at Sunway Lagoon Surfbeach featuring headliners Jason Derulo and Carly Rae
Jepsen. Asian acts include K-pop female group Apink and Japan’s indie-pop quartet Sekai No Owari. MTV VJs Alan and
Hanli will be back as your hosts for the night. As with every World Stage, tickets are not for sale and can only be won
via MTV Asia. Try your luck as the final
line-up looks amazing.
12 September 2015
3, Sunway Pyramid
Jalan PJS 11/11
Sunway, Selangor
Tel: 03–5639 0000
www.worldstage.mtvasia.com
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TEEN BEAT › ACTIVITY

➧ What is the
national animal
of Canada?
➧ What is the planet
nearest the Sun?
➧ Which nuts are
used in Marzipan?
➧ How many
stars are on the
American flag?


WHAT TO SEE
WHAT TO HEAR
WHAT TO READ

ANTHEMS FOR THE
DOOMED YOUTH
The Libertines
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2
CAST: Adam Sandler, Kevin
James, Steve Buscemi
TeenTrivia

› After discovering that his
daughter Mavis has thoughts
of moving out of Hotel
Transylvania with husband
Johnny and son Dennis to
a safer place, ‘Vampa’ Drac
must bring out the vampire
in his grandson to convince
them to stay. While Mavis is
visiting her human in-laws,
Drac and his friends put
half-human, half-vampire
Dennis through a monsterin-training bootcamp with a
little unnecessary help from
great-grandpa Vlad.
› The Libertines, are back
with their third studio
album ‘Anthems For The
Doomed Youth’ which is
scheduled for release on 4
September. The band loved
for their distinctive sound
and beautifully intricate
guitar work; have despite
destructive tendencies put
out another record. The
single ‘Gunga Din’ instantly
reminds us of everything we
loved about The Libertines.

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING
Nicola Yoon
› This innovative,
heartfelt debut
novel tells the
story of a girl
who’s literally
allergic to the
outside world.
When a new
family moves in next door, she
begins a complicated romance
that challenges everything she’s
ever known. The narrative
unfolds via vignettes, diary
entries, texts, charts, lists,
illustrations, and more, leading
to a captivating read as you
follow her struggles to lead a
normal life.
●
25
Ô
ANSWERS:
50
Almonds
Mercury
Beaver
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PITCHING UP
P28 THE INAUGURAL MAYBANK CHAMPIONSHIP /// P34 LOUNGING AWAY FROM BALI /// P40 CELEBRATING MALAYSIA’S
DIVERSECITY 2015 /// P44 TASTE RELISH EXPERIENCE CELEBRATE /// P48 SMOKING: KICK THE HABIT ///
P50 ON COURSE
PG 27-51
FEATURE
The Inaugural
●
28
MAYBANK
CHAMPIONSHIP
Exciting news for golf fans, as Maybank announces the inaugural
Maybank Championship to be held in February 2016.
Words Justin Heyes Images Maybank/RSGC
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GOLF! GLORIOUS GOLF!
For golfers and golfing fans alike, Malaysia is a haven like
no other; with glorious weather, stunning courses across
the length of the country and a national passion for golf
which constantly drives the sport forward. The icing on the
cake of course, comes with the investment put into hosting
world-class events, allowing the public to enjoy the game
further by watching the best in the world, tackle the same
courses they play on every week.
A key investor in the sport has always been Maybank,
who for the past decade have been the main sponsor of the
Malaysian Open, and have now announced the inaugural
Maybank Championship to be held in February 2016. This
is huge news for the Royal Selangor Golf Club, as with
the announcement of such a prestigious event, came the
confirmation that the Championship would be held on
their East Course, a combination of the 1st Old and 2nd
New courses.
29
The Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSGC) established
in 1893, is the oldest golf club in the country and the
fourth oldest in Asia. It is the founding ground of golf in
Malaysia and the premier Malaysian golf club. Situated
in the middle of the city of Kuala Lumpur amidst a
background of towering skyscrapers, it is a superb
sanctuary, with beautifully landscaped parkland courses,
deserving of a world-class tournament.
A highlight of the club is when playing the 18th hole
new course, one tees off towards the Petronas Twin
Towers and while walking to the green, the panoramic
vista of the Kuala Lumpur’s skyline gradually unfolds in
its entire majesty. This is expected to be a key feature
of the tournament, as with the media coverage the
inaugural Maybank Championship is bound to attract, it
will be an opportune way to showcase Kuala Lumpur’s
scenic beauty.
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30
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A PROUD HISTORY
The Royal Selangor Golf Club being the oldest club in
Malaysia holds a proud heritage spanning back 123 years,
an impressive feat made even more so considering the
remarkable tournaments which have been held on the
grounds over the years, and the prominent members of
Malaysian society who have graced the course with their
presence.
The club was most famously a favourite pastime spot for
Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister after
Independence, who believed that the sport would be a key
part in shaping Malaysian politics through the values that
the sport imparts, and who keenly developed his game by
regularly visiting the Club.
Other highlighted events that happened on the course at
the Royal Selangor Golf Club include:
On 19 July 1961, the first ever Putra Cup conceptualised by
Tunku Abdul Rahman was held at the RSGC, and saw teams
from Burma, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand
and South Vietnam competing together for the first time.
The Club continued to host the Putra Cup for the next three
years from 1962 to 1964. From the following year onwards,
the venue was rotated among the participating countries in
alphabetical order.
The first Malaysian Open tournament was also held
at RSGC in 1962. Since then the tournament has moved
between the Clubs in Malaysia, growing in stature and
gaining both Asian and European Tour accreditation to
become the world-class event it is today.
In 1978, the golf club was the venue of the Colgate Far
East Open. Part of the LPGA tour the event sparked a great
interest in women’s golf in Malaysia.
For the 25th Anniversary of the Putra Cup in 1986, RSGC
was honoured to host the Putra Cup to enable the Tunku to
witness the proceedings and the game in comfort as it was
too taxing for him to travel overseas at his age.
In 1992, the first edition of the Fairway Masters was
played in Selangor and was heavily based at the RSGC. This
tournament is now referred to as the Dunhill Tournament
Malaysian Masters, and is an eagerly awaited golfing event.
2002 was the most recent return of the Malaysian
Open tournament to the Royal Selangor Golf Club under
sponsorship from Carlsberg, which saw Alistair Forsyth beat
out Stephen Leaney in a closely contested play off.
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31
the crowds will travel bet ween bo th new
and old course to take in all the action
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32
THE MAYBANK CHAMPIONSHIP 2016
Expected to be another gripping display of golfing prowess,
The Maybank Championship 2016 has already garnered a
lot of excitement. The tournament already has both Asian
and European accreditation, promising a line-up of some of
the best players from around the world. And while the field
is yet to be confirmed, we hope that crowd favourites from
other tournaments such as Lee Westwood and Kiradech
Aphibarnrat will be tempted to join the fray.
The Championship has promised that local talent will
also be present, with event and sponsorship exemptions
allowing some of Malaysia’s finest golfers to compete against
professionals from around the world. It is the hope of every
Malaysian that one of our local talents can take the title at the
first Maybank Championship, and mark the incredible rise of
emerging talents coming out of our country at the moment.
Announcing the confirmation of the inaugural Maybank
Championship 2016, all the respective parties sounded
enthusiastic about the potential for the upcoming tournament
and in turn praised each other for their cooperation and
shared vision:
Tan Sri Dato Megat Zaharuddin, Chairman of Maybank
said “I am pleased that our partners have been able to
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reach an agreement to have the event at RSGC, one of
the country’s most eminent golf clubs. With its 123 years
of golfing heritage, it has been one of the proponents of
heightening Malaysia’s golfing standards when it was the
first club to host the Malaysian Open in 1962, and we are
very pleased to be contributing to RSGC’s magnanimity
of creating and sustaining milestones in our country’s
sporting traditions.” He added that “We are confident that
with the participation of top golfers from the European
and Asian Tours, Professional Golf Malaysia (PGM) Tour
and Professional Golfers Association of Malaysia (PGAM),
supplemented by selected talents from Malaysia and ASEAN
countries where Maybank has operations, our event will
provide the challenge for the players, excitement for the
spectators and television viewers from around the world.”
“The Royal Selangor Golf Club is honoured to host
Maybank’s premier event in 2016 as it is aligned to our
heritage of hosting top championship golf events at our
Club. In the past decades, our courses have been graced
by legends from Peter Thomson in the 1960s to Severiano
Ballesteros and Nick Faldo in the 1990s. We eagerly await the
arrival of the latest stars from the European and Asian Tours
european tour star lee west wood is the calibre of
player expected at this prestigious event
to challenge our golf course and entertain our Members. The
course with several elevated greens, has recently undergone
extensive renovations. It provides atropical parkland setting
with views of the Petronas Twin Towers, and demands
accurate golf execution” said Wong Lee Ming, Captain
of RSGC.
Mike Kerr, CEO of Asian Tour commented, “The Asian
Tour is looking forward to returning to the RSGC for
the event next year. RSGC is one of the most iconic golf
courses in Asia due to its steep history and tradition in the
game, and I am sure Members will enjoy competing on its
wonderful championship course against the stars from the
European Tour.” Keith Waters, The European Tour’s Chief Operating Officer
and Director of International Policy, said, “Following our
announcement last month that Maybank’s premier event
will be part of the 2016 Race to Dubai, we are delighted to
confirm Royal Selangor Golf Club as the host venue for the
event. The recently modified course, which has a rich golfing
history, will provide the ideal setting for this tournament,
and I’m certain Members will enjoy the challenge it presents
next February.” ›
●
33
“The tournament already has
both Asian and European
accreditation, promising a line-up
of some of the best players from
around the world”
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FEATURE
Lounging
AWAY FROM BALI
If Bali is the number one tourist destination in Indonesia, she now has two little sisters under
her protection. Lembongan and Lombok are rapidly becoming the new kids on the block when
it comes to experiencing the laidback lifestyle that has made the region famous.
Words Antoine Commare Photos Dreamstime
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34
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POETIC LOMBOK
Home to a population of over three million people,
Lombok is comfortably nestled in the West Nusantara
Tenggara province of Indonesia, where it makes up part
of the chain of the famous Lesser Sunda Islands. As far
as islands go, Lombok is one that brims with old-world
charm and adventure at each turn. North, south, east,
west… whichever direction you are heading in, the flora,
fauna and natural terrains of the earth here radiate with a
powerful air of mystery.
In comparison to its more illustrious neighbour Bali, the
name Lombok tends to register a quieter presence on the
map. However, a trip here is an experience well worth the
effort since Lombok is often hailed for its pristine beaches,
reefs and rainforests - to name just a few of its attractions.
The first stop for most newcomers to the island is Senggigi,
Lombok’s main tourism township which sits on the west
coast. While the town exudes a general atmosphere of
blasé in the daytime, Senggigi has a multitude of facilities
that make it an ideal introduction to the rest of the island.
A variety of beautiful hotels are clustered here; for tourists,
they are a quick drive away from the local art market,
restaurants and shops.
Muslim and Hindu influences are very much evident in
Senggigi in the form of local monuments such as the sacred
Muslim ancestral grave and the Hindu temple near Pura
Batu Lolong; local legend narrates that virgins were once
sacrificed on the precipice of the cliff here for important
ceremonies. The indigenous Sasak people make up the
majority of the population here, most of whom practice
Islam. The remaining Hindu Balinese ethnic community
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35
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36
bears testament to the history of Bali’s occupation of
Lombok back to the early 17th century.
At night, a different side of Senggigi emerges: one that
comes alive to the beat of live musical performances and
dancing at the local bars and nightclubs. Don’t let the
partying sap all of your energy though… you will want
to save some for when you visit the truly picturesque
Senggigi Beach, from which you can view the silhouette of
Bali’s Mount Agung. Nearby, Senggigi Reef is a prime spot
for snorkelling, surfing, canoeing and boat rides during
peak seasons.
Further down from Senggigi are the Gili Islands trio
(Trawangan, Meno and Air), undoubtedly Lombok’s most
sought after tourist destinations. From the moment your
toes sink into the impossibly soft white sand of the coral
beaches and your eyes take in the expanse of glimmering
blue ocean water ahead, it’s clear why this is so. From
swimming to kayaking to sunbathing to scuba diving, there
is no lack of activities anywhere. The Gili Islands offer the
best of both holiday options: if you have a backpacker’s
soul, you would probably be more inclined to lounge at the
casual seaside cafes which blast upbeat reggae tunes and
serve fresh seafood dishes. On the other hand, you can opt
to dine at the more glamorous gourmet restaurants where
elaborate buffets as well as quality Western and Asian
cuisine abound.
Over the years, each Gili Island has developed its own
‘personality’, lending its attributes to the types of tourists
that set foot there. Gili Trawangan is often considered to be
the most commercially developed of the three, with casual
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accommodations and ritzy villas plus wide-ranging tourist
facilities. Meanwhile, Gili Air caters to those seeking
family-oriented or romantic vacations, being the closest to
the mainland and the most densely populated island. For
those seeking a completely solitary respite from the daily
chaos of the world, Gili Meno’s quiet repose makes it the
perfect holiday destination. Regardless of your preference,
there are daily cruises available from Senggigi to Gili
Islands and back to satiate your curiosity.
Looming overhead is Mount Rinjani, one of northern
Lombok’s more majestic sights to experience. This active
volcano is approximately 12,224 feet high, which makes it
the second highest volcano in Indonesia. Trekking tours
are offered during its dormant season, affording visitors
to climb up the mountain and view the crater’s lake,
rim and summit. To add to the experience, take a trip to
the neighbouring Mount Rinjani National Eco Park. A
widespread variety of endemic Southeast Asian flora and
fauna species flourish here under good care; this is partly
possible due to the park’s location in the Wallaceae zone.
Due to the cover of the surrounding rainforest, one would
have to train their eyes or camera lens to capture the rare
sight of long-tailed grey macaque monkeys, leopard cats
and palm civets. The park’s most prominent icon is the
distinctive sulphur crested cockatoo.
For those seeking a more active holiday experience, one
of Lombok’s best-kept secrets is the south west surfing
area known as The Desert Point. In reality this area is the
Bangko Bangko Beach, though the Desert Point earns its
name from the incredibly high waves that rise between
three to eight feet on an average day. Surfers seeking the
ultimate adrenaline rush might also want to take their
surfboards further along the southern coast of Lombok to
Kuta Beach, Mawun and Mawi - all of which boast excellent
surf points.
It would take an extensive travelling period to fully
absorb and enjoy the natural beauties that the island of
Lombok has to offer. From small, bustling towns to idyllic
beaches and nature parks, one has to marvel at how so
much culture, wonder and discovery can be packed into a
single island. Consider how the name Lombok itself comes
from the Sasak word meaning ‘straight ahead’: wise words
for an enlightening travel experience indeed.
DISCREET LEMBONGAN
Two hours away from Lombok by boat, but still in the
vicinity of Bali, lies Lembongan, an unspoiled tropical
paradise. It is best to describe this off-the-beaten path
island as a small tropical heaven which has little noise, few
cars or hawkers... There is absolutely nothing to disturb
the peace of this magical retreat. Some people have flagged
Lembongan as “Bali 20 years ago”. Being the favourite
holiday destination for so many people around the world,
international flights to Bali are plentiful and economical.
Lembongan Island is only a few minutes further, just
12.5km off the coast of Sanur across the picturesque
Badung Strait - far enough to keep Bali’s hustle and bustle
away, but only a 40 minute ferry ride from Sanur beach.
You can be on the island in a little under two hours from
your touchdown on Bali.
More than a tropical surfing heaven Lembongan is almost
totally free of cars so you can explore the island in safety
on foot, or on a rented bicycle or motorbike. However, with
coastal paths linking nearly all the guest houses, hotels
and restaurants, it is best discovered walking. Accessible
to the least sporty ones, each one of them is less than two
hours, and will lead you to spectacular views over Bali and
amazing sunsets. If you really want to push it further and
expand your horizons, you can take the suspended bridge
and cross to the neighbouring island of Nusa Ceningan.
The island lends itself to discovery at a leisurely pace
with many beautiful natural features hidden away!
Nevertheless, for the wave riders, a couple of unspoiled
spots are meant to make the experience one of a lifetime.
“Shipwreck” is the best break on the island. A reliable righthand reef break that often increases in size with the tide.
However, the tidal current can be very strong, so extra
care must be taken. “Laceration” is the next reef-break
located on the southern part of the island. Another right
hander but much faster, shallower and far more vicious
than “Shipwreck”, it is not called Lacerations for nothing.
The last break, “Play Grounds” is a fun left with a shorter
right off the same peak, and is great for long boards. And
as its name implies, it is much more accessible than the two
previous ones.
Lembongan is surrounded by a spectacularly colourful
coral reef. You can snorkel from drifting charter boats or
Scuba dive with one of the three PADI dive operators on
the island. With its adjacent deep water trenches, the main
attraction of diving at Lembongan Island is the common
●
T HE STUNNING VIEWS FROM MOUN T RINJANI
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37
●
38
encounters with the curious and otherwise very rare
oceanic sunfish, or mola mola. Divers come from all over
the world to witness this marvel of nature.
Blue Corner at Lembongan Island can be one of the most
exciting dives of your life but you will need to make sure
that you listen very carefully to the advice you receive
of your dive-master. When you descend to about 18-20
meters the current grabs you and you begin the natural
rollercoaster ride of a lifetime. There is plenty to see as you
race by, as the currents bring with them lots of food for the
residents of the reef. The Nusa Lembongan currents also
attract pelagic fish so keep an eye out in the deep blue for
them and sunfish.
Ped is the most popular dive site on the nearby Nusa
Penida north coast, as it tends to offer currents milder
than some of the other sites at Lembongan. Healthy low
lying hard coral reef banks slope gently to 20 metres, then
down to 40 metres. Occasional manta rays and schools of
chevron barracuda add to the rich variety of smaller fish
which seem to prefer the calmer waters of Ped.
Wonderful barrel sponges and gorgonians can be seen in
the deeper waters, and sea snakes can be seen on almost
every dive. With the reef extending up to within five metres
of the surface your safety stop will allow time to spot
moray eels, titan triggerfish and the brilliantly coloured
emperor angelfish. Be careful not to touch the reef as the
local scorpion-fish, which are notoriously difficult to spot.
Crystal Bay is perhaps Nusa Penida’s best dive site. It
is located in the south west of the island and features a
shallow bay, carpeted in corals. The bay provides shelter
from current and is a good place to start your dive. Apart
from the superb corals in the bay, the big attraction here
is that this area is a favourite spot for mola mola, which
gather to be cleaned on the slopes of the reef just outside
of the bay.
Along the remote cliff edges that form the southern
coastline of Nusa Penida is a dive site called Manta Point.
Here the sea is quite shallow, cool and can have strong
surge. The water is often quite murky too due to the
plankton which attracts mantas, often in small groups. The
manta rays come here to feed and often stay for quite a
while, seemingly oblivious to the attentions of observant
divers. If you give them space then you can watch them
circling about for most of the dive in depths ranging from
18 metres up to the surface.
Blue Point, or Jack Point, offers an excellent snorkelling
destination on Nusa Penida and interesting shallow dives
which can be enjoyed by divers of all levels of experience.
If you descend below 12 metres however, the currents
become strong and more experienced divers can enjoy a
great ride over unusual corals.
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“Divers come from all over the
world to witness this marvel
of nature”
Keep an eye to the deep water as sunfish and whitetip and black-tip reef sharks are regular visitors to this
Nusa Penida dive site. Given the possibility of strong
currents it is a good idea to have your own safety sausage
and a signalling device for attracting attention at the
surface. Expect to encounter chilly thermo clines in the
deeper water.
Diving conditions around Lembongan can vary. While
there are plenty of dive sites which, at the right time, can
be perfectly suitable for the less experienced divers, those
who actively seek strong current will not be disappointed.
The currents can usually be predicted from the tide tables
but at certain sites they can increase (sometimes reaching
five knots), decrease or shift direction with no advance
notice, and may also vary dramatically with depth.
All divers should be aware that the upwelling from the
deep water south of Bali, which keeps visibility here clear,
can also make the water rather cold so you may wish to
pack your scuba gear accordingly.
DINING NEXT DOOR...
Lembongan has a large range of bars and restaurants
within walking distance from each other, including ‘cheap
and cheerful’ bistros, to a number of delightful barefoot
beach bars and cafes in the village. Or you can experience
silver service dining in the luxury resort at Mushroom Bay.
The charming village of Jungut Batu, is home to some
exquisite local restaurants, and sampling rapidly becomes
one of the main attractions and activities on the island.
More relaxed and family friendly than Bali, Lembongan
is still a rough jewel. With limited options for the en-masse
tourism, it is worth a look and a stay. Its pristine beaches,
crystal blue waters and friendly inhabitants will make sure
you have a fantastic experience once you have left the
sometimes frantic pace of its bigger sister. ›
club s
jakarta golf club
jalan rawamangun muka raya
no. 1, jakarta timur,
daerah khusus ibuko ta jakarta ,
indonesia
tel: (62) 21 475-4732
website: w w w.jakartagolfclub.org
jagorawi golf & country club
jalan karangan raya , gunung putri,
cibinong, bogor ,
jawa b arat 16910,
indonesia
tel: (62) 21 875-3810
website: w w w.jagorawi.com
jakarta golf club
jalan citraland utama ,
citraland, surab aya ,
jawa timur 60219,
indonesia
tel: (62) 31 741-2555
website: w w w.ciputragolf.com
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39
FEATURE
Celebrating
MALAYSIA’S
DIVERSECITY
●
40
With Malaysia day on 16 September, celebrations are going
on across the month, recognising the culture and heritage of
Malaysia with the largest Music, Dance, Comedy, Literature
and Heritage festivals the country has seen.
Words Justin Heyes Photos Diversecity
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the alim qasimov ensemble
D
uring this time of celebration for Malaysia, with Raya
and Merdeka Day past and Malaysia day coming up,
the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has decided
to launch DiverseCity 2015 an ambitious project running
throughout September and into October, simultaneously
hosting five, month-long festivals celebrating the best in
Malaysian culture.
Each genre has been curated and produced by a leading
name in that field resulting in an extraordinary line-up of
talent from across the artistic world. The curators have also
been given a cultural ambassadorship which has allowed
them to enlist performing artists from around the region and
across the globe guaranteeing a truly spectacular celebration.
Here is what’s on offer this month:
●
TRADITIONAL
Curated by Eddin Khoo, the founder of Pusaka, the
Traditional section of the festivities will see a culmination
of the World’s cultures in a month of traditional
celebration performances from Azerbaijan to Myanmar,
Pakistan to Vietnam, to the Indonesian province of
Acheh and of course, from Malaysia. The ambitious lineup for this inaugural Festival includes first-ever concerts
in Malaysia by: Alim Qasimov (the most esteemed and
celebrated traditional Mugham singer of Azerbaijan);
Mehr Ali and Sher Ali (world-renowned grand masters
of the Qawwali tradition of Pakistan); legendary dance
company, Shwe Mann Thabin of Myanmar with Burmese
dance master, Shwe Mann U Win Maung, flying in
all the way from New York City to perform Zat Pwe, a
stylized dance theatre rarely seen outside its native land.
However the most highly anticipated performance is
the much-celebrated and highly distinctive Thang Long
Water Puppet Theatre from Vietnam.
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41
DANCE
Founder of the arguably the most successful performing
arts group in Malaysia, the Sutra Foundation, Datuk Ramil
Ibrahim has been asked to orgainse the Dance Festival. For
the DiverseCity 2015 he has commissioned 12 groundbreaking new dance theatre productions which showcase
new trends in choreography in contemporary modern and
traditional dance genres. The world premieres of such varied
productions and the exploration of extensive talents in
dance, music and costume design provide this Festival with
significant content in exploration of the thematic thrust
of the Festival, which is to ‘Rediscover our Heritage’ in the
nation’s performing arts.
Expected to impress audiences with the cultural diversity
of the dances and the athletic prowess of the performers the
programme includes:
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42
DANCE
3-5 Sep tember: tepak tari
3 Sep t-4 O ctober: restu - guardian spirits
(a tribute to pak mie)
6 Sep tember: path of discovery
8-11 Sep tember: siriyamma ... siri
12 Sep tember: ulvili
13 Sep tember: annurag
16-17 Sep tember: gema selapin
18-20 Sep tember: neo margam
19-20 Sep tember: pak pandir yo!
23 / 25-27 Sep tember: ganjam
25-26 Sep tember: young curtain
1-4 O ctober: the tree
2-4 O ctober: aduh, seroja!
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MUSIC
A music festival like no other, DiverseCity 2015 will see
over 200 musicians from Malaysia and South East Asia
performing a range of musical styles ranging from traditional
and classical music to rock and metal. The curator and
producer Michael Veerapen is synonymous with music in
Malaysia, particularly in the field of jazz, and he has prepared
unforgettable weekends of large-scale music concerts of top
local pop artists performing to a full symphony orchestra;
jazz, percussion and rock concerts against a backdrop of a
month packed with independent bands and highly talented
musicians at the top jazz clubs in Kuala Lumpur.
With so many performances on offer, we have highlighted
a few of the most exciting acts from a range of genres for
you to catch:
MUSIC
The National Symphony O rchestra
Brian Gomez & The Have No ts
Hands Percussion
Dasha L ogan
SHH... DIAM!
Trib al Tide
COMEDY
DiverseCity 2015 will also be highlighting Malaysia’s growing
comedy scene. Organized by the Godfather of Malaysian
Comedy, Harith Iskander, the KL International Comedy
Festival (KLIC Fest) will see 60 local and regional comedians
over the week beginning Malaysia Day (16 September 2015)
perform at some of Malaysia’s top comedic venues including
the Crackhouse Comedy Club KL. There will be stand-up
comedy shows in English, Tagalog, Cantonese, Bahasa
Indonesia as well as Bahasa Malaysia – sketch comedy,
improvised comedy, comedy magicians as well as open mic
competitions – and a special comedy and theatre workshop
for children and kids.
For those who haven’t been aware of the vibrant comedy
scene in KL we’ve highlighted some of the best international
acts who have recently performed here:
COMEDY
Jonathan Atherton
Gina Yashere
Tom Rhodes
B utch Bradley
Paul O gata
Jarred Fell
“DiverseCity 2015 will also
be highlighting Malaysia’s
growing comedy scene”
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43
LITERATURE
The ASEAN-based literature genre of this Festival will
be one of the most intriguing ever to be held in Malaysia:
featuring prominent poets, performing artists from shadow
play, monologists, authors and speakers from Malaysia and
neighbouring countries such as SEA Write winners. ASEAN
prominent poets will be the faces and voices that will echo
in the atmosphere and astound your senses through poetry
recitations while a poetry forum will allow for further
engagement among the poets and audience at the gathering.
Curated by the Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia
(Malaysian Institute of Translation & Books or ITBM), the
performances are expected to be a pleasant addition to the
more dynamic festivities. ›
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TasteRelish
FEATURE
EXPERIENCE
CELEBRATE
Get a sneak peak on TREC, Kuala Lumpur’s newest entertainment district
that caters to the urbanites that love to have a good time.
Words Aishah Azali Photos TREC
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U
rbanites young and old are constantly looking for the
newest hotspot to relax with a cup of coffee on a lazy
weekend, dine out at a gourmet restaurant or dress
up to get some drinks after work. If only one can experience
all of that in one central place that can cater enjoyment from
day to night.
Well the calling has been answered in the form of TREC
(taste, relish, experience, celebrate), Malaysia’s first integrated
entertainment district which is located opposite the Tun
Razak Exchange (TRX). It is not just one building but a whole
district mixing urban F&B spots for the everyday foodie and
commercial lifestyle places. TREC features five unique lifestyle
zones with their own feel and style that spans 260,000 square
feet that will rival entertainments spots like Hong Kong’s Lan
Kwai Fong district and Shanghai’s Xin Tian Di.
FIVE LEVELS OF HEAVEN
When it comes to variety, TREC has it all. The district is divided
into five zones with an organic architectural design that
gives each tenant a sense of identity with the spot that they
occupy. No mundane shoplots here but a visually appealing
entertainment and dining space.
The first is the Electric Boulevard for the night owls, party
goers and people that just want to have a glass of wine after
a long days work. The Electric Boulevard is bright, trendy and
sexy that will play host to bars, bistros, clubs and gastropubs.
Think of it as the new Changkat of Kuala Lumpur for city
slickers that enjoy the nightlife. It was designed by Malaysia’a
renowned architects, Veritas who created a colourful magnetic
space inspired by the exciting nightlife destinations like New
York and Paris.
If you prefer to dial it down a notch and experience a calmer
space, then The Hive is the zone to go to. The zone emulates a
more alfresco feel which will accommodate lounges, wine bars
as well as casual and high-end restaurants. This is the place
where the talk is louder than the music and ideal for those
outdoor business meetings and casual catch-ups. Watch out
for the six roof decks that will feature fashionable dining spots
facing The Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSGC).
The pride of TREC is The Terraces that will surely be the
dining playground for the gourmands of KL’s society and
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top to bo ttom: the new and imrpoved zouk club; one of the many sophisticated eating and shopping alleys at trec
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“The place will be
reminiscent of the cobblestone
streets of London and Paris that
are filled with artisanal
cafes and rustic
coffee places”
corporate cliques of financiers and entrepreneurs. Close a
business deal, mingle with fiends and indulge your taste buds
with culinary masterpieces at this zone with a cosmopolitan
feel. The Terrace will consist of double storey bungalows with
unprecedented views of the magnificent grounds of RSGC
thanks to its rooftop dining areas.
The younger crowd will appreciate the casual creative space
of The Alcove at TREC. This zone is aimed for more creative
and independent retail and restaurants spaces. The place will
be reminiscent of the cobblestone streets of London and Paris
that are filled with artisanal brunch restaurants and rustic
coffee places. Not just for restaurants and cafes, it will push
for the pop up of artsy and hip retail outlets for the trendy
crowd. With a lot of outdoor seating space and a more casual
atmosphere, The Alcove symbolises today’s imaginative and
creative entrepreneurs.
Last but not least are the event spaces of TREC that feature
Rhapsody Square, The Box and Quad. The events spaces
are designed to offer space and facilities to hold events like
festivals, launches and live performances. The Box is an
interesting elevated space that will be a great host to cocktail
receptions, weddings and functions. Another big element of
TREC is that it is the new location for Kuala Lumpur’s hottest
club, Zouk. It relocates from Jalan Ampang into a 2-acres site
to continue the epic parties featuring the hottest DJs from
around the world. Rest assured the new Zouk will be bigger,
better and louder than before.
DO YOU HAVE A RESERVATION?
TREC is slated to open its doors for the first phase in September
and many dining places, bars and club have already signed on
the dotted line to open at TREC. Fans of music and swirling
lights can look forward to the opening of Supperclub and
Avalon apart from club Zouk. Avalon is a promising nightspot
that will be equipped the best sound system for a gratifying
clubbing experience.
If food is more your thing, TREC is not short of culinary
houses. Restaurant like Meja, an asian fusion restaurant will
opens its doors along with Route 66 Burger Bar and Flam’s
is you have a craving for thin crust pizzas. A more elegant
restaurant is the Hacha Mecha or if you have a hunger for
delectable pork dishes, Naughty Nuri’s will also open shop
at TREC.
ALL IN ONE
From the blueprint and tenants that are coming to TREC,
the place is creating a lot of positive buzz that will surely
attract KLites and tourist alike. We look forward to the
dining experiences and late nights there and with that kind of
entertainment space, KL will surely see some attractive events
being hosted by TREC. An interesting mix of tenants weaved
together with hip design and an accessible location; we have
high hopes that TREC will put KL on the map when it comes
to entertainment hubs. For more information on TREC, go to
their website at www.trec.com.my. ›
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FEATURE
Smoking:
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KICK THE HABIT
It is common knowledge that smoking is bad
for your health. Yet despite this some of us
can’t stop. Here are some tips to help you
become smoke-free.
Words Justin Heyes Photos iStockphoto
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‘Smoking is bad for your health’ - it’s a fact. And as a smoker
you have probably heard this phrase uttered in a million
different ways or even had non-smokers cough when they
pass you as a hint. What is it then that keeps you lighting
up? Well what most people seem to be unaware of is how
addictive smoking actually is, and the fact is no matter how
you feel, the phrase ‘you’ll be healthier’ doesn’t really weigh
up when cravings begin to kick in.
Fear not. We have found 10 excellent tips that you can use
to get that monkey of your back. So if you are ready to get
healthier, not affect those around you and save quite a large
sum of money, why not see if these tips can’t help you kick
the habit once and for all?
1.MAKE A LIST OF REASONS TO QUIT
Keep reminding yourself why you gave up. Make a list of the
reasons and read it when you need support. One ex-smoker
said: “I used to take a picture of my baby daughter with me
when I went out. If I was tempted, I’d look at that.”
2.THINK POSITIVE
You might have given up before, but tell yourself that you’re
really going to do it this time. Constantly remind yourself
how much better of you are without a pack in your pocket.
3.MAKE A PLAN TO QUIT SMOKING
Like most things in life organization is the key. Make a
promise, set a date and stick to it. Don’t be put off by a
wedding, party or other time when you’d normally smoke.
4.CHANGE YOUR DIET
Is your after-dinner cigarette your favourite? A US study
revealed that some foods, including meat, make cigarettes
more satisfying. Others, including cheese, fruit and
vegetables, make cigarettes taste terrible. So swap your
usual steak or burger for a veggie pizza instead.
5.CHANGE YOUR DRINK
The same study looked at drinks. Fizzy drinks, alcohol,
cola, tea and coffee all make cigarettes taste better. So when
you’re out, drink more water and juice. Some people find
that simply changing their drink (for example, switching
from wine to a vodka and tomato juice), affects their need to
reach for a cigarette.
6.IDENTIFY WHEN YOU CRAVE CIGARETTES
A craving can last five minutes. Before you give up, make a
list of five-minute strategies. For example, you could leave
the party for a minute, dance or go to the bar. If you know
you light up while waiting for the bus, bring a book with you
to pass the time instead. 7.GET SOME QUITTING SUPPORT
If friends or family members want to give up too, suggest to
them that you give up together. Or make a deal with friends
or family that or non smokers, target significant goals and if
you make them reward yourself with something you wanted.
8.GET MOVING
A review of scientific studies has proved that exercise (even
a five-minute walk or stretch) cuts cravings and may help
your brain to produce anti-craving chemicals.
9.MAKE NON-SMOKING FRIENDS
When you’re at a party, stick with the non-smokers. That
way you won’t need to leave the room to continue socializing.
If you still get cravings focus on meeting someone new.
10. KEEP YOUR HANDS AND MOUTH BUSY
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can make you twice as
likely to succeed. As well as patches, there are tiny tablets,
lozenges, gum and a nasal spray. If you like holding a
cigarette, use an inhalator. Try putting your drink in the
hand that usually holds a cigarette, or drink from a straw to
keep your mouth busy.
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ON COURSE › STYLE
CHECK-MATE, SIR!
◗ Channel the classic and debonair looks
from Hackett’s Fall Winter Collection
as they take the checker pattern to a
sophisticated level. Stand outs are the
Mayfair check jackets that come in colour
combos of grey and blue as well as green
and brown. Pair it with a tailored trouser
and a good shirt and you’ll be dressing
like a dashing Londoner in no time.
www.hackett.com
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TINTED LOVE
◗ Remedy those chapped lips with the
wonders of botanical wax. The lip balms
from Burt’s Bees have always been a
favourite thanks to their usage of botanical
and bees wax. Now they add some
colour to their popular collection with
the new tinted lip balms. It offers intense
conditioning with a hint of colouring that
comes in nine luscious shades.
www.burtsbees.com.my
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ON COURSE › STYLE
SHINE BRIGHT EYES
◗ Tired and dull eyes not only affect
women but men as well. Clarins launched
an energizing skin care duo which boost
and recycle skin energy to fight the first
visible signs of ageing especially around the
eyes. Boost skin energy with the extracts
of the Bison grass, gymnema and goji berry
as they help to give you radiant skin and
eyes with the Anti-Fatigue Eye Serum and
Revitalizing Gel from Clarins.
www.clarins.com.my
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EMPOWERING STYLE
◗ When it comes to sports footwear for ladies,
the attribute of comfort and style are on top
of the list. This was taken seriously by FootJoy
in the creation of the new emPOWER golf
shoe for women. The shoe sports a BreathEasy
mesh design in cool colours for premium
breathability as well as style. MaxGrip traction
pods are seen on the outsole for secure
traction during those swings.
www.footjoy.com.my
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CLUBHOUSE
P54 MEMBER NEWS /// P58 SPECIAL FEATURES /// P59 FROM THE MEMBERS
PG 53-66
MEMBERS NEWS
› CSR REPORT
THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE
By Jack Cheong
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The Captain and Greens SubCommittee have initiated
a programme to measure
the parameters that affect
golf course conditions
objectively through the use of
testing equipment.
These are some of the tools
which have been acquired to
objectively test and measure
various aspects of the golf
course at RSGC:
Stimpmeter – Used to
measure green ‘‘speed’’ in
the form of ball roll distances
which are reported in feet.
Aside from the absolute speed
of the greens, consistency of
green speeds for all the greens
is of greater importance and
should be within one foot from
the slowest to fastest greens.
Turf Firmness Meter –
Measures the surface firmness
of all the playing surfaces from
greens to even bunkers. Target
firmness levels can be set and
monitored objectively and
allow maintenance practices
to be adjusted accordingly.
For tournament play, firmer
greens are being favoured
by the USGA and R&A while
bunker sand firmness will
have an effect on playability
and the propensity for fried
egg lies to occur.
Green Index – In the past,
turf greenness was one of the
hardest aspects of the golf
course to measure objectively
as colour has been very hard to
quantify. The turf greenness
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meter utilises a smartphone
camera and a colour board
with a known green and yellow
colour printed on a board. The
board is laid down onto the turf
to be measured and allows the
smartphone app to calibrate
itself and objectively measure
the colour of the grass next to
the board.
As greenness is indicative of
the chlorophyll content of the
grass, it can also be used as a
tool to determine turf nutrient
availability and also serves,
as an early indicator for any
possible turf stress.
Turf Macroscope – A simple
and inexpensive tool used to
magnify the surface of the
green with typically 15x to 25x
magnification. This tool is used
to magnify each individual grass
leaf blade which allows the
quality of the greens mowers
to be checked and also to
identify any turf diseases which
manifest on the leaf surfaces.
Soil Moisture Meter –
Accurately measures soil
moisture and is used to
objectively determine when a
green should be irrigated. Over
watering is almost as bad as
not watering enough as plants
also require some air space in
the root zone. Having too wet
a root zone is also conducive
for disease to proliferate and
should be avoided.
Physical Soil Test – Physical
soil testing tests the physical
properties of the growing
medium and is typically
used to evaluate physical
properties of the root zone in
greens. The lab will evaluate
not only the materials used
for the construction of the
greens to determine if the
correct particle sizes were
used for the sand but also
to measure the performance
characteristics of the greens
profile. An undisturbed
core sample taken of the
entire greens profile is sent
away to the lab and tests
are carried out to determine
the saturated hydraulic
conductivity or infiltration
rate, bulk density, particle
density and porosity of the
root zone.
The results of the test is
used to work out a long-term
plan to address any issues
through a program of hollowtining and topdressing or the
soil physical test could even
reveal that the greens should
be completely rebuilt.
Nutritional Soil Test –
Nutritional soil testing is
what is typically referred
to when soil tests are
mentioned and is used to
determine the nutrients in
the soil and how much of
those nutrients are available
to the plant. Soil testing can
be carried out in any area of
the golf course but is typically
carried out on the greens.
Every macro and micro
nutrient critical to the growth
of the plant is tested and the
maintenance programme is
adjusted to try and meet
those levels.
The objective of all this
testing is to build up a
database of objective data
which can be analysed to
identify any possible areas
of concern where preventive
measures can be taken to try
and prevent or minimise any
issues from occurring on the
golf course and providing the
Members with a better and
more consistent golf course
year round.
I appreciate any feedback
on the golf course and would
also be happy to answer any
questions you may have about
what we do. I can be reached
at jack@rsgc.com.my.
MEMBERS NEWS
› HOLE-IN-ONE
Nicolai Ruge
Scored the hole in one on 7.8.2015 at 4th Hole
Old Course
Azman Mohamed Zain
Scored the hole in one on 7.8.2015 at 4th Hole
Old Course
"A wonderful, surprising experience to see the
ball hit the green and disappear in the hole before
realising what was about to happen !"
“I thought I mishit it slightly, but the ball didn’t
misbehave and went in. That’s golf!”
Lillian Liew
Scored the hole in one on 15.8.2015
"It is my fourth ace, probably a blessing from my
late father on his birthday. A fresh record for our
family with Dad at three, Mum at two and sister
Elaine at one."
› NEW STAFF
Chantelle Mui Siew Foong Position: Manager
Members & Guest Services Department
Qualification: Cambridge A-Level. Experience
includes working as Customer Service
Manager and in the VIP fleet for the Royal
Family of Kuwait and Diplomats.
Date Of Joining: 3 August 2015
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Job function: Report to the Club House Manager
and responsible for managing Food & Beverage
and Events, Communications & Front Desk and
Housekeeping section.
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MEMBERS NEWS
› RSGC GOLF PRO
ARC OF THE GOLF SWING
By Russell Maw, RSGC Golf Pro
The best advice I heard was to create a wide circle with the club head. To do this, you have to turn your body and extend the club away
from you. (Pic 1)
In Pic 4, notice my right elbow is bent 90 degrees and away from my body. At the top of my backswing, my hands are higher than my
head showing good scratch and mobility. Too much wrist or elbow cock will destroy your ARC and result in many missed shots. So the
answer to good golf is a wide swing.
Remember practice is key.
1
2
3
4
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MEMBERS NEWS
› ADMINISTRATION SUB COMMITTEE REPORT
THE ROLE OF THE ADMINISTRATION SUB-COMMITTEE
By Chang See Tum
The Administration SubCommittee (ASC) is reestablished for the new
committee term 2015/2016
after the portfolio was
dropped for a year for the
period 2014/2015. I have
the honour to serve as ASC
Chairman for this new term.
Previously when the function
of HR and IT were part of
ASC’s purview, I had the
privilege to serve both as
a sub-committee Member
as well as a Convenor for a
number of years. Among the
roles taken by ASC then were
overseeing the development of
work processes for the various
departments, negotiation in
Collective Agreement with
the staff union, staff welfare
and, of course, other related
administrative matters.
For the period when the
ASC was omitted, Human
Resource and Information
Technology Sub-Committee
(HRITSC) was the order. It
looked after Human Resources
and IT-related matters. Now
with HRITSC still remaining
an independent portfolio,
what roles would the new ASC
play without the functions of
HR and IT within its purview?
The Captain and I had a
discussion on the Term of
Reference for ASC. Apart
from overseeing the normal
administrative matters, we
identified two specific projects
for ASC to undertake. The first
is to improve and make a more
secure centralised filling and
documentation system. The
other would be to conduct an
audit and archive any relevant
articles now stored in various
locations all over the Club.
The need to introduce a
more secure and centralised
storage of important
documents and files is because
often we encounter difficulties
in retrieving them due to
the sizable records kept in
each different departments.
We need references to past
records of meetings and
documents to facilitate
administrative decisions.
The storage of
important documents
such as correspondence on
legal matters, land lease
agreements, land titles,
banking receipts and others
of highly P&C matters will
need to be re-evaluated and a
more secure and safe system
with back-up copies need to
be introduced.
We also recognised that
RSGC, being 123 years old,
is a well-established Club
with a rich heritage. We have
a Heritage Room located
next to the foyer displaying
a collection of our trophies
and photographs. There is an
abundance of photographs,
trophies, documents and even
fascinating memorabilia lying
somewhere in the Club. These
old articles might depict
certain events of significance
which we would like to
treasure. To our knowledge,
we do not remember if there
was any audit done on these
items or any concerted
attempt to restore or to
conserve them. In view of
this, ASC wishes to carry out
an exercise to scour through
our storerooms and old
cabinets to perform an audit
of our “discarded or forgotten
items” and if relevant or
applicable, clean, recover and
catalogue them.
Without any curatorial
experience among the
management and ASC,
the process of selecting,
developing and classifying the
inventory could be futile for
this ambitious attempt. The
challenges I foresee, among
others, would be finding
space for the collections and
more importantly, labelling
these articles.
We haven’t considered
engaging the services of a
professional. But is there
anyone willing to offer
their expertise for this
challenging task?
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Liv(er)ing
SPECIAL FEATURE
IT UP!
As Prince Court Medical Centre (PCMC) prepares for the launch of its Liver Centre, we talk to Dr. Hj.
Mohamed Ismail bin Merican, Consultant Hepatologist & Internal Medicine Specialist, and Dr. Harjit Singh,
Consultant General, Hepatobiliary & Transplant Surgeon, about the importance of liver care and screening.
Words By Prince Court Photos Prince Court
dr. hj. mohamed
ismail bin merican,
consultant hepatologist & internal
medicine specialist.
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“You only have one liver. It’s a very important organ. It does a lot
to detoxify the body,” emphasised Dr. Hj. Mohamed Ismail bin
Merican, Consultant Hepatologist & Internal Medicine Specialist at
Prince Court Medical Centre (PCMC).
“The alarming rate of fatty livers in Malaysia is a cause for concern
as it will eventually lead to liver damage (cirrhosis), liver cancer and
liver failure,” explained Dr. Harjit Singh, Consultant General, Hepatobiliary & Transplant Surgeon, when asked what worries him most
about the livers of Malaysians. “Associated with fatty livers are other
equally serious health-related problems including obesity, high blood
pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol levels.”
“Many people with liver disease don’t even know it,” Dr. Ismail revealed. “You can be infected with a hepatitis virus and carry it around
for many years without showing symptoms. Chronic hepatitis can
lead to complications and gradually worsening disease. In Malaysia,
many people with hepatitis B probably catch it from their mothers
at birth. If you have hepatitis B, it is important that you alert your
family members, spouse or partner to have their blood checked for
hepatitis B. Those found to be negative, should be vaccinated against
hepatitis B. Catching the disease from the mother at birth is more
likely to lead to chronic disease.”
Dr. Ismail explained the different types of hepatitis: “Symptoms
of hepatitis A, which is very contagious, are fever and jaundice but it
doesn’t lead to chronic liver disease. Most people recover from it and
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there is a vaccine for it.
“Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood products and body fluids – by sharing needles, through sex or from mother to baby. Some
patients experience a short illness and then recover while with others it becomes chronic. Most liver cancer cases are associated with
hepatitis B. The good news is that there is a vaccine for it.” In a
move to eradicate it, since 1989, it has been Malaysia’s national
policy to vaccinate all newborns against hepatitis B.
“Hepatitis C, a disease that was only discovered in 1988 – 89,
is transmitted by blood through sharing needles,” explains Dr. Ismail. “For some it is a short-lived infection but for others it can lead
to chronic liver disease and liver cancer as well. Unfortunately, at
the moment there is no vaccination or a universal cure as such for
hepatitis C. There is medication that can cure it but it only works
on some patients under specific circumstances and is very expensive. We are working on a more affordable drug with the Drugs for
Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), but that will take some time.
Hepatitis C is also usually asymptomatic and for this reason is usually only discovered when it is at an advanced stage. The only symptom is fatigue but it doesn’t manifest in every patient.”
CARING FOR YOUR LIVER
Tips from the doctors at PCMC’s Liver Centre.
1.Have a healthy lifestyle. Basically, this means abstinence from
alcohol, doing regular exercise (perhaps half an hour a day) and
eating a good balanced diet with fresh vegetables and fish and
not too much fat.
2.Maintain a normal Body Mass Index (BMI). “Overeating in itself
can be lethal to the liver,” says Dr. Harjit Singh.
3.Avoid uncooked and partially cooked shellfish prepared in an
unsanitary environment.
4.Avoid taking drugs or medication unnecessarily. Avoid drugs
that are not prescribed or not registered with the Drug Control
Authority. This also applies to unprescribed herbal or traditional
medicine. Some have been known to lead to hepatic failure.
5.Do not share needles, shavers, toothbrushes or other
personal items. Avoid tattooing or body piercing unless it is done
with a brand new needle in a hygienic environment. Hepatitis B
and C (and HIV) are transmitted through blood and body fluids.
6.Practice safe sex.
FROM THE MEMBERS
ANTELOPE HORNS
AND A SULTAN'S WINGS
BY PETER THOMSON
A
n excerpt from Peter Thomson’s
book The Wonderful World of
Golf (Chapter Nine: Antelope
Horns and A Sultan’s Wings)
It was on an August day in 1957 on
the Padang, the town green of Kuala
Lumpur, that the Union Jack was lowered
and a new flag raised to mark the end of
colonial rule. Now, every time the hour
of midnight approaches on August 31, a
man on a platform, at each anniversary,
tears glistening in his eyes, raises his
hand and cries: “Merdeka!’’ (Freedom!)
Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman of
Malaysia, has been at the helm through
years of bitter insurrection; the conflicts
between races and religions and the
times of doubt and despair about the
country's future.
But the Tunku, say his friends, remains
a simple, happy man. His love of children
is well known: he has adopted more than
half a dozen.
Visitors to his rambling old house in
Kuala Lumpur have difficulty in picking
out his children from those of his
relatives, his gardener or his cook. They
all play together and have full rein, often
interrupting their elders' conversations.
'I love being with children,’’ the Tunku
told an interviewer. “I enjoy their love
and trust. Often they play impish pranks
on me. But I don't mind. They make you
forget your worries. With them around I
usually feel years younger.'’
Tunku Abdul Rahman has loved sport
since he was a small boy.
He restricts his own sports today to
golf, poker and attending turf meetings,
but is active in sport promotion. He has
seen to it that soccer in Asia is boosted
Tunku at the signing of the Malaysia A greement in L ondon in 1963
by his help with the annual Merdeka
tournament. He finds time to write
and some years ago published a novel
which was later made into a film. It had
modest success.
At the end of 1966 he had completed a
much more ambitious project - the story
of ‘’The King With Fangs’’ depicting life
in the 7th-12th centuries when Hindu
culture held sway and the kingdoms of
Kedah (his own royal line) and Thailand
had the same cultures and customs.
Asian film magnate Runme Shaw heard
of the project and acquired film rights
to the story. When Shaw approached
the Tunku he found the PM not only
interested, but enthusiastic about writing
his own film script. The Tunku selected
the men and girls to play the various roles
in the court scenes and personally taught
them the customs and etiquette of the
period. He also formed a Malay Royal
Dance Troupe for the village scenes, with
the girls recruited from royal households
in West Malaysia, among them the
Tunku's (adopted) daughter, Mariam.
The Tunku is also a generous man. He
has just selected a set of expensive golf
clubs as a present for President Marcos
of the Philippines who, at the last count,
had 39 sets. And he sent a second set of
Australian-made clubs to a high-ranking
Indonesian dignitary. “There are,’’ says
Mike Kelly, the pro, “only two electric
golf-carts allowed to be used on the course
- which is flat anyway - that of the PM and
of the King.’’
Play a round of golf with the Tunku
and you will find him approachable, gay
and not too worried about his fault of not
getting his weight over to his left foot
early enough when his hands are in the
strike position. He enjoys the sport and
the companionship. “'He has a zest for life
and makes no claim to be an intellectual
giant,’’ say his friends.
“I sense what my people want,’’ the
Tunku will tell you between shots,
“because I am close to them. I know
their needs.’’
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FROM THE MEMBERS
GROOMING JUNIOR GOLFERS
BY SHARIFAH INTAN
Aimen Sho
G
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olf is becoming child’s play as
parents nurture their kids at
young ages. In Malaysia, junior
golf tournaments provide an avenue for
young golfers to brush up on their skills
while junior golf academies have sprung
up to groom young talent.
Experts tell us that the role of parents
is important in the development of
young golfers. In fact, in many ways,
they are considered the “assistant coach.’’
And parents themselves will tell you
nurturing junior golfers requires financial
commitment, time investment and a
desire to see their child succeed.
We spoke to some parents and a
Malaysian Open champion on their
experience in developing young golfers.
Stewart Ginn –
Retired Touring Golf Pro
The former Junior Golf Sub-Committee
Member and two-time Malaysian Open
champ is keen to help juniors succeed in
golf and was very much involved in the
RSGC AmBank Junior Amateur Open
2015. “If you want to promote golf to the
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Stewart Ginn
young, you need to create opportunities
for them,’’ he said.
“In other countries, kids have
opportunities to play golf at the age of
six or seven. In the US, Australia and UK,
driving ranges and public golf clubs are
widely available. In Malaysia, only those
from privileged backgrounds have access
to golf clubs.
He felt that the Club is going in the
right direction with the introduction
of the Junior Golf Development (JGD)
programme, but juniors need more access
to play on the course. Stewart explained,
“Juniors learn by playing on the bigger
courses with other adults. The juniors
at RSGC, however, only get to play on
the Sulaiman Course which is more of
a training area. That’s not sufficient to
develop their golf skills.”
Speaking from his own experience, he
added, “I learnt to golf well by playing with
adults. I was given a lot of opportunities
and mentorship.’’
According to Stewart, RSGC has
restrictive rules which he feels should
change with the times. “RSGC juniors
have to pass a golf test before they are
allowed access to the course.’’ To promote
juniors’ golf game, he suggested opening
up the course to them after peak hours.
They could be accompanied by an adult
Member, not just a caddy.
“The JGD programme requires a threepronged approach – Introduce juniors to
golf, give them opportunities and educate
them on the game. Once the juniors
have reached a certain level, I can help
them to decide on which direction to
take – whether to play professionally or in
amateur tournaments.
“In Asia, the priority is on academic
achievement. Kids face a lot of other
pressures. The school curriculum is
focused on having lots of homework which
leaves them with little time for sport.’’
Stewart said the juniors here lag behind
others in the region. "The Koreans and
Thais, for example, are coming up on the
world circuit. They are hungrier, more
disciplined and willing to work hard."
Ahmad Shaharuddin
“My son Aimen Sho used to accompany
FROM THE MEMBERS
me to driving ranges and developed
an interest in golf. At first, it was selfcoaching, but as he grew older, we noticed
he was struggling with his swing. My
wife and I received a lot of feedback and
constructive advice on the way forward
for Aimen.” Finally they agreed to enrol
him into a golf academy where he could be
trained on both the physical and mental
aspects of the game.
“I am pleased with his progress,
said Shaharuddin. “He has shown
determination to follow his dreams.
We supported his decision by enrolling
him in one of the more intensive golfing
academies in Japan. He is now undergoing
the programme for a minimum of one year
(which started in mid-January 2015) and
it may be extended for a second year. We
have yet to see where he goes from there!
But we have high hopes.”
He agreed that Asian tradition places
education ahead of everything else. “But
some of us may be destined for other
things, perhaps to follow in the footsteps
of great sportsmen and women such as
Lionel Messi, Tiger Woods, Chong Wei (my
local hero), and Nicol David etc. If you look
at most of the top ranking golfers in the
world now, most of them are university
graduates with diplomas and degrees.’’
Shaharuddin credited the JGD
programme for sparking his children’s
interest in golf. “The programme got
parents to make an effort to bring their
kids for golf trials. RSGC has a respectable
number of juniors actively showing
up at the driving range, putting green,
chipping green and on the course itself.
The Club’s commitment to organising
junior monthly medals and hosting
bigger junior competitions, such as the
Nick Faldo junior series is testimony of
their pledge. Kudos to the Committee
who has the vision and fought for this
development. These juniors are our future
Ambassadors, Committee Members,
Captains and Presidents.”
“With the JGD programme, there are
more junior Members training at the Club.
Aimen made many friends and from there,
I saw his competitive nature develop.
He tends to work harder to be ahead of
other talented juniors. So I do think the
programme has improved his game.”
According to Shaharuddin, “The
programme committee provides qualified
coaches to undertake the responsibility
of building potential future golfing
enthusiasts. The RSGC juniors who have
acquired the right attitude are the ones
with fully involved parents.
“The key to grooming junior golfers
is for both the Club and parents to be
supportive. You cannot force juniors to
like the game. I have seen many RSGC
juniors carrying our Club’s banner by
participating in various golf tournaments.
The spirit of comradeship, a sense of
belonging and the pride of representing
RSGC can be seen on their faces; an
attitude we all want to see in our juniors.”
He agreed that playing with adults can
elevate juniors’ level of maturity and gain
a better understanding of the game in
particular on golfing ethics, morale and
humility. “Having said that, I thought
the rules currently adopted by RSGC
for juniors are justifiable. As long as the
juniors have a proper handicap card, they
are allowed to play all courses on weekdays
and the new course on weekends.”
“Personally, I learned that my own
impatience was my worst enemy. I have
changed Aimen’s golf instructors so
many times that it has affected his golf
swing very badly. Aimen became more
confused hence his game deteriorated.’’
Shaharuddin's advice to other golf parents
is to seek recommendations for good
coaches and pick one. “Finally, spend as
much time as possible with your junior on
proper golf courses and take them to as
many different courses locally and abroad.
This would definitely elevate their skills.’’
Edmund Low
Kelly, 10, started playing golf at the age of
five. “From the start, I sent her for proper
junior group lessons at various academies.
I never tried to teach her myself. I feel
that her achievement is probably due to
our encouragement. My wife and I spent
a lot of time taking her to practices and
competitions. She has the right focus and
attitude as a golfer. I hope that she will
be good enough to play college golf and
hopefully get a scholarship.’’
edmund and kelly low flanked by elaine liew and shahrir roose
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FROM THE MEMBERS
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He said he would support Kelly all the
way if she was keen to pursue golf as a
career or to try for college golf. “Studies
are also important and I will not let her
neglect that either. So, there should be a
balance between both.”
‘’Kelly has never been in RSGC’s JGD
programme. My eight-year-old son Ryan
is currently in the programme. I feel
that the JGD is mainly to attract new
young golfers.
“In terms of training, coaching and
facilities, I feel that RSGC can do better
but it’s more than sufficient for a
beginner’s programme. Most importantly,
we need to guide them all the way.”
According to Edmund, “Juniors in
RSGC have the best access to the course
compared to many other courses in
KL. The restrictive rules are meant for
golfers (juniors and adults) who have not
passed their golf test. However, the JGD
programme needs more structure and
better coaches to bring our juniors to the
next level.’’
He added, “Being a golf parent is a tough
job and requires (a lot of) time, money
and dedication. We have to constantly
take the children for practice, lessons and
competitions. Many times I have sacrificed
my own golf game to play with Kelly to
the extent of making my friends play
with her!’’
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Khor Yew Teik
Min Li (Junior Club Champion-Girls) got
involved in the RSGC JGD programme
when it was run by her coach Chong
Chee Ming in 2007, when she was seven
years old. (Chee Ming, former RSGC
Junior Club Champion and Men’s Club
Champion, plays golf on the Malaysian
PGA). Min Li also takes lessons
with an American Coach in the Gold
Coast, Australia.
“For kids to take interest in golf and
improve their game, parents have to be
committed and supportive. They have
to understand that they need to seek
out and pay for good coaching. They also
have to listen to the coaches’ instructions
and help reinforce whatever the coaches
do with their kids.”
“The RSGC JGD programme brought
in the numbers,’’ said Yew Teik. “At
one stage there were 50 juniors. But
whether that translated into juniors
playing golf actively is another thing.’’
(The weekend programme which caters
to different levels consists of three onehourly sessions.)
min li and yew teik
Yew Teik added that juniors come
under a lot of family pressure to focus
on their studies. “But nowadays, the
good universities are very selective. Wellrounded kids who have something more
to offer than just academic performance
stand a better chance in getting into the
good universities. These universities
look for scores from state amateur
tournaments, USGA, AIGA or similar
national tournaments as the fields are
usually competitive.’’
Min Li agreed with Stewart’s
assessment on RSGC juniors lagging
behind. “I would say that juniors at KGPA
(Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam) and
KGNS (Subang National Golf Club) are
stronger than us because they are more
committed and dedicated. They also have
more playing experience than us. I think
that the biggest problem for juniors is
the amount of time they need to devote
to their golf game especially when
studies are more important. It helps if
the juniors have at least one golf-playing
parent to encourage them when they
start out.’’
FROM THE MEMBERS
RAINTREE TENNIS
FRIENDLY TENNIS MATCH AGAINST RAINTREE CLUB AT RSGC
BY DR SEKARAN NAIR
congratulations all around
The t wo Team C ap tains
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sharing a common bond
T
he club hosted the Raintree Club
tennis section to friendly matches
on Saturday 25 July. Matches got
underway promptly at 4.15pm in spite of
a continuing drizzle which later stopped
to render the rest of the evening a very
pleasant one.
While the official score was four
matches to three in favour of the
Raintree Club, the main part was spent
in unofficial friendly matches with the
players mixing around in a truly friendly
atmosphere. An interesting feature of
the evening was the presence of some
junior players from both clubs who put
up a good show and which augurs well
for the future of tennis.
The guests were treated to the usual
welcoming tea, beverages and a good meal
catered by Modestos. When thanking us
for a good evening, our guests were also
appreciative of the rare opportunity to play
on well-maintained grass courts - a feature
that many of us at RSGC take for granted.
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FROM THE MEMBERS
2015 BRITISH OPEN, ST ANDREWS
DREAM COME TRUE
BY AI-DEE WONG
I
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t has been my lifelong dream
to watch Adam Scott play live.
Thirteen hours on the plane, five
hours on the train, three hours in the
Emergency Department at St Thomas’s
Hospital, countless hours of hobbling on
crutches, the dream finally turned into
reality. What’s more, at St Andrews, the
home of golf.
The 2015 British Open was held
from 16 to 20 July at the Old Course in
St Andrews (Fife, Scotland). In the 17
years of my golfing life, I had never once
seen a major golf tournament live. This
trip to Scotland was initially planned
so my family and I could play the St
Andrews golf course. My parents had
been to St Andrews twice, where they
watched Tiger Woods win back-to-back
Open Championships (2000 & 2005)
on the Old Course, but never had the
opportunity to play the course. I was
determined to take this chance to finally
adam sco tt
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watch Adam Scott in action while my
parents will have to wait a couple more
years to fulfill their dreams.
The family also took the opportunity
to kill two birds with one stone, as we
were to stop in London for a week before
heading to Scotland for the tournament.
Unfortunately, I had the best and worst
time of my life. You could say I literally
shopped till I dropped!
I had a slight accident when shopping
in the busiest part of Oxford Street. Well,
slight might be an understatement, as I
could not even stand up after I fell. My
dad had to get me up and help me over to
the bench in the store (thankfully it was
a sports shop so they had seats around).
To cut the long story short, I had to be
taken to a hospital in an ambulance, had
an X-ray done, was put on crutches and
told not to put any weight on my knee as
it might aggravate the injury. (I had never
seen a paramedic on bicycle- she was the
first to come to my aid before the arrival
of the ambulance).
I was thinking to myself, “How in the
world am I going to watch Adam Scott
now?” Anyway, I sacrificed a couple of
days of shopping in London to let the
knee heal; there was no way I was missing
the golf tournament.
On 16 July, we left London and headed
towards St Andrews where upon arrival,
we were greeted by a cold, wet and gloomy
Scotland. The weather did not deter us or
the thousands of people from attending
The Open; the roads were jam-packed.
Our initial plan was to only attend the
second day of the tournament, it being
the safest bet, in case Adam did not make
the cut. As it turned out, Adam played
a very good second round and was in
contention throughout the competition.
My first 18-hole odyssey was a mixed
bag of ups and downs. The up was of
course being able to watch my golfing idol
ai-dee wong on crutches (right) and her sister
FROM THE MEMBERS
in person and the downside was having to
do it on crutches (the entire Wong family
at home had warned me not to work the
injured knee). At the end of that round,
it was worth the agony as Adam thrilled
spectators, myself included, with his deft
skills. Besides, he is much better looking
in real life than in photos.
My day was made on the 13th hole
when Adam walked past and waved at me,
as my siblings, dad and I were cheering
him on whilst flying the Australian flag.
When he smiled at me, that experience in
itself is worth a lifetime of memories. “GO
ADAM!” we all screamed.
I never knew that 18 holes of golf would
be so exhausting carrying a set of crutches
instead of clubs.
The third day of the tournament was
rained out, making the competition run
into a Monday finish. I had wanted to
follow Adam again on the Sunday, but to
my greatest disappointment, my parents
had already made plans for us to go to
Dundee to visit friends. Imagine my
elation when I heard that I could attend
the final round on Monday. I have to
thank the golfing gods for that.
Moving the third round was not good
for Adam as he only managed a 2-under
round while the other competitors
leap frogged him. He started the final
round three shots behind the leading
pack. The final day was probably
the most exciting and also the most
disappointing experience of my first
live golf tournament. Excitement: I
witnessed 11 holes of sheer golfing
magic as Adam amassed a 6-under score
to lead the tournament at 15-under
par. My world crashed as Adam went
bogey, bogey, bogey, and double bogey
to end the tournament way behind.
Still, the experience is and will be one
to remember for a long time to come.
I cannot wait to be back for another
edition of this major tournament.
St Andrews is truly the marvel that
everybody speaks of. Just looking at the
bunkers on the course is a nightmare for
any golfer. The most talked-about hole in
golf, The 17th Road Hole, is a ‘‘seeing is
believing’’ experience. As I stood behind
the tee, I could only see a hotel in front
of me. Imagine having to drive over that
monstrous structure.
Walking down that hole along the
road with the train running along on
the right hand side is just unbelievable
but the walk across the Silken Bridge
on the 18th is probably the greatest
golfing experience a golfer can have. The
history behind it just blows our minds. I
cannot imagine that this course is over
600 years old.
One last thought: I hate Zach Johnson.
He took the famous Claret Jug away from
my idol. See you in 2020 for the next
edition of The Open at St Andrews.
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FROM THE MEMBERS
MY LONDON
BY EZANI ABU BAKAR
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ondon is dear to me. I had lived
there for more than 25 years as
a student, career professional,
husband and father. I return often
because it holds special memories for me.
I used to live in Little Venice, London
W9 not far from Paddington Railway
Station and near the pretty place where
three canals meet. There is an island
named after Robert Browning, the poet,
who frequented the area. One canal goes
towards, and ends, at Paddington Basin
nearby. Another goes towards London
Zoo, Camden Lock and onwards towards
East London and the River Thames. The
third canal takes you to Birmingham
and beyond.
Many celebrities live in this area. Once,
I had a regular jogging route around
the canals and I would stop outside the
house of actress Joan Collins to do some
stretching exercises. Sadly I never got
invited in.
There is a canal path that would
take me past Golborne Road, which
leads to Portobello Road. There are
some awesome French and Portuguese
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patisseries on Golborne Road. My
personal favourite is Lisboa Patisserie
which serves good coffee and superb
Pastel de Nata (Portuguese egg custard
tart). Robert Bacon, the artist, used to
get his daily fix of Pastel de Nata here.
I usually order a coffee and two of the
pastries, one for me and one for a friend
who was never going to arrive.
A walking distance away from home
is the London Central Mosque. I would
walk past the venerable Lords cricket
grounds to get to the mosque. The huge
mosque with two levels of prayer areas is
also known as the Regent’s Park Mosque.
It is sited in Regent’s Park. Yusuf Islam
(previously known as Cat Stevens) is a
regular visitor.
On the last day of Ramadan 2015,
fasting began at 3.09am and ended at
9.14pm. Normally, Eid prayers are held
on the first two mornings of Eid. The
mosque provides six morning shifts
(one every hour from 6am onwards) for
Eid prayers, to accommodate the sheer
number of worshippers.
The khutbah (sermon) is in Arabic and
English. If Eid fell on a working day, I
would attend one of the early morning
prayers in my suit and tie, complete my
prayers, and then go off to work.
One of the enjoyable things to do
at the peak of summer is to watch
television, especially as I love sports.
There would be live telecasts of
Wimbledon, the British Open, horse
racing and cricket which would last the
whole day. So, I would ensure that there
were sufficient snacks and soft drinks to
sustain me.
Malaysians love food and I am no
exception. My favourite Pakistani
restaurant called the Lahore Kebab
House on Commercial Road, London E1
serves to-die-for lamb krahi gosht and
quail curry. I once had the privilege of
hosting dinner there for fellow Members
Past Captain Eddie Soo, Past Captain Lee
Tuck Chew and the late Kadar Shah. The
quality of the food has not changed in all
these years.
Stories of my London would be
unending but this is all I have to share
for now.
RSGC Facilities & Amenities
FACILITIES &
AMENITIES
Golf Courses:
RECREATION &
EXERCISE
OUTLETS
Opening Hours: 7am to 7pm. Make
flight bookings at Front Office or call
03 92063251/252
Ballroom Dancing:
Pro Shop:
Thursday 11.30am to 12.30pm;
Friday 2pm to 4pm
Instructor: Eric Tan (012 3212083)
Daily 7am to 7pm (03 92825090)
Golf Lessons:
Line Dancing/Social Dancing:
by Golf Professionals from
Juara Dunia Rajah Kelly 016 2727626
Russell Maw-012 6016256
Junior Golf Development
Programme by Juara Dunia
(Rajah Kelly-016 2727626) on
Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 am to
12.30 pm at the Driving Range
Swimming Pools:
Daily 7am to 9pm
Lessons by Desmond Yeo
(017 8726688);
Natalya Simak (016 2247176)
Junior Swimming Development
Programme:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
7pm to 8 pm by Desmond Yeo.
Tennis Courts:
Daily 7am to 10pm (hard courts);
10am to 7.30pm (grass courts)
Lessons by Aziz Shazali (017 3141431)
Junior Tennis Development
Programme:
Saturday and Sunday 5pm
to 7pm by Aziz Shazali.
Gymnasium:
Monday, Wednesday 10am to 11.30am
Instructor: Bronya Bishorek
(012 2991787)
Aerobics:
Saturday 10am to 11am
Instructor: Erica Lam (012 9796568)
Pilates
Monday 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Instructor Hani Gooi (012 2878717)
Bridge Games:
Monday, Wednesday 9.30am to 1pm
Coordinator: Hildah Lee
(016 2813432)
Tai-Chi:
Tuesday & Friday 7am to 8.30am
Instructor: Koh Ah Tee (016 6602998)
Tae Kwan Do:
Saturday 5.30pm to 6.30pm
Instructors: Low Koon Lin
(03 77267737)
Low Leong Tuck (017 8737778)
Barber Shop:
Barber Masdari
(03 92063292 or 012 2475005)
Monday to Thursday 3pm to 7.30pm ;
Saturday 1pm to 7.30pm
Sunday/Public Holidays Noon to
7.30pm; Closed on Friday
Ladies' Hair Salon:
Hair Stylist: Jennifer (03 92063293)
Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm;
Closed on Sunday/Public Holiday
Men’s Massage Room:
Daily 1pm to 7 pm (Please call Men’s
Changing Room
03 92063304 or Poolside Office 03
92063232 for bookings.)
Masseur Alex Yim (012 6667132);
Masseur Alvin Lee (012 3937768)
Ladies’ Massage:
Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm
(including Public Holidays)
Masseuse Cynthia Lee (012 3107398)
Reading Room:
Daily 9am to 9pm
Card Room:
Daily 7am to midnight
Slot Machine Room:
Daily 7am to 10pm (03 92063290)
Personal training programme:
Mark Pajich (03 22824613)
Sunday to Friday Noon to 2am;
Saturday/Eve of Public Holidays Noon
to 3am.
Squash Courts:
Children’s Playroom and
Playground:
Daily 7am to 9pm
Daily 9am to 7pm.
(For more details on Sports & Recreations, please contact the Sports Department at 03 92063243/244 or email sports@rsgc.com.my)
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TOURNAMENTS |SOCIAL EVENTS
P70 TOURNAMENTS /// P74 RESULTS /// P75 ORDER OF MERIT /// P76 RAINFALL /// P77 OBITUARY /// P78 SOCIAL EVENTS
PG 69-73
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TOURNAMENTS
› THE ANNUAL INTER-CLUB MATCH BETWEEN THE RSGC
AND KELAB GOLF NEGARA SUBANG
OLD FRIENDSHIPS, OLD RIVALRIES
Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 August 2015
By Ezani Abu Bakar & Kam Omar
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This annual home and away match was
held on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 August
2015, starting at RSGC on the Saturday
morning, on the Old Course, and
ending at the Kelab Golf Negara Subang
(KGNS) on the Sunday morning, on the
Kelana Course.
Despite the Hari Raya open house
season both Clubs managed to wrangle
60 pairs of players to compete for
the Datuk Musa Hitam Trophy, a
competition that was inaugurated in
1982. The Saturday game at RSGC in
particular had logistical issues due to the
running of the inaugural KL City Grand
Prix causing the closure of certain city
roads nearby.
The format played at RSGC was Four
Ball Better Ball (Match Play) while at
KGNS the format was Four Ball Better
Ball (Stableford Points). Each winning
pair would score two points and a draw
would count as one point each for the
two pairs.
The teams arrived early at RSGC on
the first day of competition for a quick
breakfast at the Banquet Hall. The sky
overhead was murky and overcast with
portent of an early shower. The two
Captains, Ariff Omar Hess of KGNS
and Wong Lee Ming of RSGC led their
respective teams out for what promised
to be a battle royal between the two
proud Clubs. Every pair was out to beat
the other despite the laughter, chit-chat
and friendly side-bets.
Abdullah Sani Karim (President,
KGNS) and partner Ariff Hess were allsquare against President Yong PohKon
and Captain Wong Lee Ming going into
the final hole on the Old Course. From
230 yards out, Sani flighted his ball onto
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the green, next to the flag, for a ‘gimme’
birdie to win the match!
It was not a great start for RSGC
considering that our President and
Captain rarely lose on home ground.
The other early RSGC pairs met tough
opposition and failed to deliver despite
the home ground advantage. In the top
half of the draw, we were lagging seven
points to KGNS’ nine points.
In the meantime the weather stayed
cool and dry. The conditions were perfect
for a comfortable round of golf. The
KGNS players were obviously enjoying
our Old Course. They were giving us a
good run for our money!
“It was enjoyable to play on RSGC’s
slick greens”, said Peter Tan Soon Thean
of KGNS, whose team handled the
fairways and greens very well to end
the day only 10 points adrift of RSGC’s
36 points. This was a thin margin to
protect as we will be playing on their
home ground next and traditionally, we
have always found ourselves on the losing
side there!
Perhaps, a saving grace for us was
that the championship course at KGNS
was not available due to renovations. As
such, we would be playing on the shorter
Kelana Course, which is a walking course.
The KGNS’ players are used to having
golf carts on their championship course
but now they will have to walk the course
for a second day running. The Kelana
Course also has narrow fairways and slow
greens. They would have as much trouble
as we would have to adjust from the fast
greens the day before. Suddenly, the odds
seemed to be on our side!
As the day wore on, under a clear and
sunny sky, our players brought out their
‘A games’ and took on the challenge of
protecting our 10 point margin. The
Stableford point system meant that we
would have to play every hole and pick
up as many points as we can to keep up
with or better our opposite numbers. As
the results trickled in, we realised that
many of our pairs had done very well,
scoring well under our handicaps. The
KGNS team obviously had played well
too, but significantly, the close matches
were going our way. There were many
heroes on the day, none more so than our
James Teh and Alex Song who compiled a
score of 49 points to win the Best Pair for
RSGC. Congrats James and Alex!
At the enjoyable lunch and prizegiving, President Sani Karim of KGNS
gave his speech and remarked that the
camaraderie between the two clubs
ensured that everyone had a thoroughly
enjoyable time. He thanked everyone
for taking part in the event and, for him
personally; it was a pleasure to catch up
with friends. Sani announced the scores
and graciously presented the Datuk Musa
Hitam Trophy to Captain Wong Lee Ming
for RSGC’s winning overall score of 68
points to KGNS’ 52 points.
We look forward to many more years
of friendly rivalry between the two highly
esteemed clubs.
INTER CLUB MATCH KGNS VS ROYAL SELANGOR GOLF CLUB ( HOME / AWAY )
SATURDAY, 8TH AUGUST 2015 ( RSGC ) SUNDAY, 9TH AUGUST 2015 ( KGNS )
Saturday, 8th August 2015
Novelty Prizes - RSGC
Nearest to the Pin
Saturday, 8th August 2015
Novelty Prizes - KGNS
NAME
MEASUREMENT
4th Hole Old Course
Kamarulzaman Omar
9’2”
17th Hole Old Course
Lim Eng Siang
Nearest to the Line
Nearest to the Pin
NAME
MEASUREMENT
4th Hole Old Course
Lim Boon Ka
9’6”
16’
17th Hole Old Course
Aizat Ariff Hess
7’4”
NAME
MEASUREMENT
Nearest to the Line
NAME
MEASUREMENT
6th Hole Old Course
Mohd Reza
2’0”
6th Hole Old Course
Tan Aik Mong
OTL
12th Hole Old Course
Faiz K Ahmad
1’5”
12th Hole Old Course
Kenneshwaran
A/L Kandiah
OTL
INTER CLUB MATCH KGNS VS ROYAL SELANGOR GOLF CLUB ( HOME / AWAY )
SUNDAY, 9TH AUGUST 2015 ( KGNS )
RESULTS DAY 2 AT KGNS
RSGC TEAM
NAME
1st Pair
2nd Pair
3rd Pair
H’CAP
RSGC
James, Teh
15
RSGC
Alex Song
22
RSGC
Novan
15
RSGC
Amirul
15
RSGC
Chan Hu Mimg
11
RSGC
Chan Ming Yang
12
KGNS
Gooi Liong Kee
9
KGNS
John Lum Cheng Siew
12
KGNS
Foong Mun Chiew
17
KGNS
Terence Poon
12
KGNS
Chua Kof Hwa
10
KGNS
Woon Hui Num
17
KGNS
Michael Hong Fuan Ken
23
KGNS
Kenneshwaran Kandiah
18
1st 9
2nd 9
Total
25
24
49
26
21
47
20
26
46ocb
26
22
48
21
25
46ocb
22
24
46ocb
25
25
50
KGNS TEAM
1st Pair
2nd Pair
3rd Pair
BEST OVERALL PAIR
RSGC VS KGNS
DATO MUSA HITAM TROPHY
INTERCLUB MATCH
RSGC
KGNS
SATURDAY 8.8.2015 AT RSGC
35
25
SUNDAY 9.8.2015 AT KGNS
33
27
68
52
TOTAL
Winning Team: RSGC
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●
71
TOURNAMENTS › LADIES
› THE LADY GOLF CAPTAIN’S PRIZE
THE LADY GOLF CAPTAIN’S TEAM VS LADY GOLF VICE CAPTAIN’S TEAM
Wednesday 29 July 2015
●
72
Both these matches were played
together.
The format of The Lady Golf
Captain’s Team vs the Lady Golf Vice
Captain’s Team was Texas Scramble.
To make it interesting, we decided
on Strokeplay rather than Matchplay,
otherwise the outcome of which
team won would be too obvious. In
addition, there were Novelty Prizes
to be won.
We had 24 players who signed
up. So with 12 pairs, both Ai-Leen
and I picked our teams of six pairs.
Ai-Leen’s team wore blue tee shirts
and I chose pink for my team. It
was supposed to be a fun game and
everybody played in the spirit of the
format.
At lunch, everyone was anxiously
waiting for the results, but Ai-Leen
decided to keep us all in suspense
till after lunch. The Vice Captain
won with 389 points while the
Captain’s team only managed to get
372 points. The pair with the best
nett score also came from the Vice
Captain’s Team. It was none other
than Ai-Leen Tan and her partner
May Ho. Together they scored
57 nett.
Congratulations to the Lady Golf Vice
Captain and her Team!
The Lady Golf Captain’s Prize
The five Novelty Prizes was the
Captain’s Prize and the following:
• The prize for Nearest to the Pond
at Hole No. 15 of the Old Course
(Driving only) was won by a very
gutsy Zuraidah Ismail, who
actually hit towards the pond and
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got to 2ft 4inches before the pond.
This was after I, her partner, told
her that my drive was in the
bunker but she still went for it.
• Nearest the Line on Hole No 9,
2nd Nine New Course, was won by
Salmah Din at 4ft 5inches.
• Nearest the Pin on Hole No 17, 1st
Nine New Course was won by Liow
Foong Kwan at 20ft.
• Nobody won the Bull’s Eye on
Hole No 4 of the New Course but
June Chow came nearest the pin at
11ft 1 inch.
The Golden Girls’ Competition
The format of play was Stableford.
Although it was a small field of
14 ladies, we all had a good time.
Modestos laid out a beautiful table
for lunch for the Prize Giving.
The winner, Sawako Nishioka
(18) came back with 39 points and
the runner-up was Sakiko Aoki (18)
with 36 points.
Hopefully next year we can get
more ladies to play that is, if they
don’t mind revealing that they are
over 55 years of age!
TOURNAMENTS › LADIES
B. G. Cup
Unfortunately we had to cancel this
competition. It looks like Knockout
Competitions played over four
rounds are not popular with the
ladies as we had earlier cancelled the
Newboult Cup, another Knockout
competition. At the time of writing
only four pairs had signed up.
Moving forward, I would like to
remind the Ladies that the Triangular
Interport at RSGC between RSGC,
Hong Kong Golf Club and Singapore
Island and Country Club will be
played on 17 and 18 November
2015. The Ladies Golf Section will
be working with a very tight budget
and therefore leaving us no choice
but to charge ladies for participating.
We will be charging ladies RM250
for playing over one day and RM300
for two days. We would also like to
inform the Ladies in advance that the
official uniform for the Triangular
Interport will be green pants, shorts
or skirts with RSGC tee shirts. When
we choose the Captain’s Colour, we
will provide the tee shirts.
So far only 10 ladies have signed up
for the SICC vs RSGC match. We hope
that we can have a team of at least 20
before we leave for Singapore.
Another reminder, the Kelab Golf
Negara Subang vs RSGC match is on
Friday 4 September. The entry list is
up, so please do sign up.
LADY GOLF CAPTAIN’S TEAM VS LADY GOLF VICE CAPTAIN’S TEAM
WEDNESDAY MORNING, 29 JULY 2015
Lady Golf Captains Team
389
Lady Golf Vice Captain’s Team
372
Winning Team: Lady Golf Vice Captain’s Team
LADY GOLF CAPTAIN’S PRIZE
Nearest the Pond
Hole No 15-2nd Nine Old Course
Zuraidah Ismail
2’ 4”
●
Nearest the Line
Hole No 9 – 1st Nine New Course
Salmah Din
4’ 5”
73
Nearest the Pin
Hole No.17 – 2nd Nine Old Course
Liow Foong Kwan
20’ 6”
Nearest to the Pin
Hole No.4 – 1st Nine New Course
June Chow
11’1”
GOLDEN GIRLS COMPETITION
FRIDAY, 31 JULY 2015
Winner
Sawako Nishioka (18)
39pts
Runner-up
Sakiko Aoki (18)
36pts
› HEADS UP FOR SEPTEMBER:
9 September - Monthly Medal and the Qualifying Round for the Ladies Selangor Cup (Strokeplay).
11, 14, 18 & 21 September - Ladies Selangor Cup Matchplay.
29 September - Ladies Club Morning 9 holes (Strokeplay).
30 September - Ladies Committee’s Prize.
THE CIRCULAR
RESULTS
A/B/C MEDAL
SATURDAY MORNING – 6 JUNE 2015
MODE OF PLAY - BOGEY OLD COURSE
THE ROYAL SELANGOR GOLF CLUB
A/B/C MEDAL - STABLEFORD
A - MEDAL
NEW COURSE - 1ST NINE NEW COURSE / 2ND NINE NEW COURSE
Name
Winner
Runner-up
SATURDAY MORNING – 25 JULY 2015
H’CAP
SCORE
Faiz K. Ahmad
Mak Choong Moon
5
12
+1ocb
+1
Liew Kim Seng
Long Shen Yung
11
11
+4
+1
Ball Sweep
1st Nine
2nd Nine
B - MEDAL
Winner
Aw Wy Kean
18
38pts
Runner-up
Megat Iskandar
15
34pts
Ball Sweep
1st Nine
2nd Nine
Aw Wy Kean
Ally Azwin
Robert Frager
Ali Shahrir Roose
18
18
15
14
}
●
74
1st Nine
2nd Nine
Kenneth Yap
Kenneth Yap
Roslan Yahya
Sunny Teh Aik How
20
20
20
24
+4
}
0
RESULTS OF THE AUGUST
MONTHLY MEDAL:
DIVISION 1
Winner
Eriko Tokodoro (16)
33 points
Runner-up
Stella Chau (12)
32 points
Winner
Sakiko Aoki (18)
34 points
Runner-up OCB
Kanae Yutani (22)
34 points
Winner
May Ho Ngee Min
32 points
Runner-up OCB
Anisah Khadar
32 points
DIVISION 11
DIVISION 111
Jamie Flynn
Jordan Chan
11
12
41pts
40pts
Dilsher Singh
Jordan Chan
9
12
24pts
21pts
Winner
Shu Suehiro
18
38pts
Runner-up
Jose R. Baranano
15
34pts
James Teh
15
13
19pts
Chan Ming-Yang
Shu Suehiro
18
20pts
2nd Nine
+4
-1
SCORE
B - MEDAL (13-18)
1st Nine
20
23
H’CAP
Ball Sweep
-1
Kenneth Yap
Phng Wee Liang
THE CIRCULAR
Winner
Runner-up
Ball Sweep
Ball Sweep
1st Nine
2nd Nine
Name
19pts
C - MEDAL
Winner
Runner-up
A - MEDAL (0-12)
C - MEDAL (19-24)
Winner
Runner-up
Mohamad Fadzil Man
Liew Hoong
21
20
36pts
35pts
1st Nine
Phng Wee Liang
21
22pts
2nd Nine
Mohamad Fadzil Man
21
19pts
Ball Sweep
ORDER OF MERIT 2015
LADIES AS AT JUNE 2014
MEN AS AT JUNE
2014
MEN
JUNIORS AS
AT JUNE 2014
JUNIORS
LADIES
AS AT AUGUST 2015
PLACE NAME
1
2
3
4
4
6
6
8
9
9
11
11
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Carl Lai
Edmund Low
Mak Choong Moon
Zulfikar Hashman
Liew Kim Seng
Ali Shahrir Roose
Shazal Yusuf
Mohamad Halim
James Teh Kai Weng
Mohamad Fadzil
Thomas Chun
Faiz K Ahmad
Kamarulzaman Omar
Syed Hazrain Razlan
Leroy Chiam
Ally Azwin
Tg. Ahmad Mudzaffar
Eddie Siew
Tunku Muin
Dilsher Singh
TOTAL
POINTS PLACE NAME
665
565
545
540
540
490
490
475
465
465
435
435
430
400
395
390
370
360
345
330
1
2
3
4
5
6
6
8
9
10
10
12
13
14
15
15
17
18
19
20
Yoko Sakamoto
Rika Lai
Sawako Nishioka
Eriko Todokoro
Sakiko Aoki
Rahmah Arshad
Siti Zainab Abdullah
Mika Nishimura
Kanae Yutani
Lilian Liew
Yasmin Yusuff
Anisah Khadar
Runa Nishida
Linda Lim
Chiyomi Suzuki
Chow Kwai Keng
May Ho Ngee Min
Liow Foong Kwan
Amy Lim
Ainon Aznam
TOTAL
POINTS PLACE
490
465
415
410
395
385
385
370
350
320
320
315
300
295
265
265
255
245
225
215
TOTAL
POINTS
NAME
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
12
14
15
15
17
18
18
18
18
18
Boys
Leong Chun Yan
Nicholas Mark Tay
Aiden Kei
Justin Chan Mann Shen
Chong Wei Keat
Daniel Tok Jun Xiang
Ryan Lee Wei Jian
Jamie Flynn
Leon Lau Chun Mun
Navjosh Singh Rikraj
Imran Teh
Chan Yen Yu Daren
Jordan Chan Mann Kit
Ryan Chia Wern Jien
Daniel Djerfi
Nitin Devin Arun
Edward Ng
Nicholas Fong Shien Wei
Tan Yin Sebastian
Danin Devin Arun
Kyle Wong Shen Young
Liew Kye-Foong
330
290
240
230
225
215
175
150
145
100
95
90
90
75
30
30
20
15
15
15
15
15
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
12
14
14
Girls
Khor Min Li
Mah Kit Yi
Mariah Izabelle Merican
Leong Shu Jian
Kelly Low Ka Yan
Dania Lau Sook Wan
Morita Kirari
Tan Pinqi Sophia
Naveena Rikhraj
Natasha Wong
Mana Morita
Julia Talvela
Wong Ai-Lee
Claudia Lim Zhe Yen
Low Wei Qian
425
305
195
180
195
180
105
90
65
50
30
20
20
15
15
THE CIRCULAR
●
75
RAINFALL (mm)
› 2007 – 2015
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
January
236.0
317.1
342.0
168.6
223.0
200.0
301.0
174.0
107.0
February
193.0
114.5
328.0
164.0
281.0
214.0
240.0
33.0
83.0
March
312.0
306.5
402.5
296.5
305.0
208.0
179.0
202.5
177.0
April
544.5
435.5
281.0
344.5
381.0
267.0
514.0
360.0
334.0
May
236.0
103.5
125.0
472.0
399.0
302.0
357.0
481.0
209.0
June
475.0
172.5
159.0
120.0
176.0
43.0
31.0
101.0
153.5
July
281.5
64.5
98.0
331.0
105.0
276.0
140.0
79.0
120.0
August
146.5
210.0
355.0
135.5
201.0
180.0
262.0
141.0
-
September
161.5
112.5
318.0
251.0
169.0
236.0
198.0
187.0
-
October
342.5
355.0
224.0
133.0
389.0
425.0
250.0
505.0
-
November
280.0
321.0
355.0
255.0
284.0
633.0
613.0
338.0
-
December
240.0
246.0
313.0
150.0
388.0
477.0
240.0
244.0
TOTAL
3448.5
2758.6
3300.5
2821.1
3301.0
3461.0
3325.0
2845.5
RAINFALL 2011- 2015
700
●
76
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
2012
THE CIRCULAR
Sept
Oct
2013
Nov
2014
Dec
2015
OBITUARY
We wish to convey our condolences to the families of our Members who passed on recently.
Thong Yaw Hong (T0441-0)
15.6.1930 – 28.5.2015
Kol. (B) Mohamad bin Munip
(M0900-0)
31.3.1939 – 18.7.2015
Admitted as Ordinary Member on 6.11.1978
Admitted as Ordinary Member on 7.11.1988
Zainol bin Mahmood (Z0116-0)
16.4.1937 – 23.7.2015
Syed Salleh bin Syed Othman (S0938-0)
4.3.1947 – 15.8.2015
Admitted as Ordinary Member on 15.3.1993
Admitted as Ordinary Member on 7.6.1993
Jeffrey Adzman Middleton (J0222-0)
14.8.1961 – 16.8.2015
Admitted as Ordinary Member on 20.9.2004
●
77
THE CIRCULAR
SOCIAL EVENTS
› GOLFERS, GET FIT!
By Sharifah Intan
●
78
Golfers spend hours at the driving
range perfecting their swings
and trying different techniques
to improve their scores. But
according to Mark Pajich, one
important strategy golfers tend to
overlook is fitness.
“Golfers did not used to take
fitness seriously until Tiger Woods
and Arnold Palmer proved that
being in good shape could improve
their game,’’ said Mark, a TPI
Certified Level 1 Coach at RSGC.
“The majority of great players today
realise that if you have a workout
plan, you will notice an increase
in drive distance, endurance and
better control.’’
The Titleist Performance
Institute (TPI) is the world’s
leading educational organisation
and research facility dedicated
to the study of how the human
body functions in relation to the
golf swing. Their programmes are
suitable for juniors to seniors aged
five to 95.
What the golfer needs to
accomplish in a workout is to
increase flexibility, mobility, balance
and core strength, said Mark. An
internationally accredited Master
Personal Trainer with the Australian
Institute of Fitness, Mark has been
the director of Pinnacle Fitness Sdn
Bhd in Malaysia since 2001 and
offers personal training services.
He uses a TPI physical screening
process to identify areas that
are holding golfers back from
performing the motions required in
their golf swing. He explained that
TPI has studied over 12,000 golfers
at all levels of ability and with all
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sorts of physical limitations. Using
their experience, TPI has compiled
a physical screening assessment to
help golfers train the right way. “The
assessment finds your limitations.
It measures what you can or
cannot do.’’
The screening process determines
the golfer’s range of motion,
strength, flexibility, stability and
balance to execute the golf swing
correctly. Mark also includes a submaximal cardiovascular fitness
test and measurements of body
composition, and muscular strength
and endurance.
Once the screening is completed,
the results are used to create an
exercise plan unique for that golfer
as "everyone is different’’. The
plan may include fitness training
(cardiovascular fitness), strength
and flexibility exercises, physical
therapy exercises, swing techniques
and biomechanics.
Golf requires flexibility in the
body to increase the golfer’s
rotational range of motion. Tight
muscles restrict the motion to
swing a golf club. Since a game of
golf can last for hours or days in a
tournament, golfers also need to
withstand long periods of physical
activity. Mark cited the example
of the juniors competing in a
three-day tournament. They tend
to lose steam after the second
day. Cardio circuit training such
as press ups, squat jumps and sit
ups builds endurance and protects
you from fatigue. Poor endurance
impacts your swings, accuracy and
general competitiveness.
Functional training which is
similar to physical therapy exercises
builds the muscles of the body
that are used during golfing. For
example, use of leg muscles helps
a golfer establish stability before
hitting the ball. Muscles in the
upper body are used to hit the ball.
Balance exercises helps you
improve your swing and control
your shots. It helps the golfer
transfer momentum from the legs
to the upper body during the swing
while remaining in control. Being
unbalanced in a golf swing is like
hitting a ball that is bouncing, Mark
pointed out.
He works with LPGA golfer Lim Siew
Ai, a TPI-certified Swing Coach,
to come up with a programme to
improve technique. Siew Ai looks
after the Swing mechanics while
Mark focuses on the fitness regime.
Senior golfers face challenges
specifically related to their
physiological changes,’’ said Mark.
“The cardiovascular system by
age 65 can have a 20-30 percent
decrease in cardiac output.
Maximum oxygen uptake decreases
while loss of muscle mass and
strength, decreased flexibility, joint
degeneration, as well as the loss of
sensory sensations such as eyesight,
balance and hearing, all occur
naturally as we age.
“The biggest challenge for
senior golfers is finding the right
programme to complement their
current ability and this is where
TPI excels.’’
Mark also recommended warm
up exercises which “99.9 percent
of RSGC golfers neglect to do.’’ He
suggested warming up two days
SOCIAL EVENTS
1
3
before a big game – 10 minutes of
light cardio followed by 10 to 15
minutes of stretching.
To get you started, here are
two exercises to improve balance
and stability:
1.Single Leg Rainbow Pass:
This exercise is excellent for
increasing balance and stability on
the standing leg while working on
scapula stability and range of motion
through the shoulders.
Holding a medicine ball in your
right hand, stand tall on your right
leg. While maintaining balance,
try to pass the ball over your head
to your left hand and lower your
hand down to your side. Repeat the
procedure passing the ball back to
your right hand.
2.W-Turns: This is a great
exercise for loosening up the thoracic
spine and helping to maintain a
stable posture through your swing.
Place a golf club directly across
your shoulders and behind your
neck. Grab both ends of the golf
club with your hands (This should
make your arms form the letter
W). Get into a good stable five iron
posture and make big shoulder turns
back and forth. Try not to lose your
posture as you make each turn.
2
1
3
●
79
2
For more information please
contact Mark Pajich on
012-300-2204 or at
mark@pinnacle.net.my.
Please feel free to your
questions and he will try to
answer some of them in next
month’s issue.
THE CIRCULAR
SOCIAL EVENTS
› SHANGHAI NIGHT
AN EVENING WITH JANET LEE
Banquet Hall
30 July 2015
By Sharifah Intan
●
80
Diminutive diva Janet Lee proved
that good things do come in small
packages. Her rich, powerful voice
belied her petite frame as she dazzled
the crowd with Chinese hits from
five decades.
Wearing a glittering black qi
pao with a red flower in her hair,
the sultry songstress opened
her performance at the Banquet
Hall with the seductive ‘Carmen
(Habanera)’ show tune in Mandarin
to the delight of the audience.
Accompanied by the quartet jazz
band WVC TRiO +1 which includes
saxophonist Julian Chan, Janet
belted out songs made popular by
Gealan, Yao Shu-Yong, Teresa Teng,
Bai Kwang and Zhuo Xuan.
Known as the Shanghai Jazz go-togirl in town, she has been developing
her own brand of music since 2009.
Standout songs included the melodic
THE CIRCULAR
‘Fragrance of the Night’ and Li Xiang
Lai’s classic, ‘A Songstress’ Life’.
Janet turned up the beat with the
sassy ‘Big Spender’ made famous by
Shirley Bassey. The upbeat ‘Rose,
Rose I Love You’, ‘Shanghai By Night’
and ‘Classic Love Without End’ were
also given the thumbs-up by the
appreciative audience.
Of course, how could we forget
the hauntingly beautiful ‘Shanghai
Beach’? Janet held the audience
spellbound as she belted out
the 1980 classic. She ended her
performance with a flourish –
‘Historia De Una Amor’ which
elicited calls for encores from
the audience.
In between sets, the guests were
served a visual feast of Oriental
grandeur in three fashion shows.
The first display which kicked off the
evening was a showstopper. Models
wearing ornamental headgear
showed off exquisitely embroidered
attire inspired by the court dress of
the Tang Dynasty. The period (618907) was considered the prosperous
“golden age’’ in ancient China,
famous for its poetry and artistry.
The other two shows featured floral
cheongsams and evening gowns in
an array of bright colours. All the
collections came courtesy of Dione
Codys boutique in SS2, Petaling Jaya. The guests lapped up the evening
with gusto. Colourful qi paos, cheong
sams and Chinese tunics dotted the
room as the Members took to the
Shanghai theme with relish. They did
not go unrewarded for their effort.
Prizes for the Best Dressed went to
Lee Choong San, Albert King and
Mak Choong Moon in the Men’s
category while Jennifer Mok, Dato
Jaime and Jacqueline Trood won in
SOCIAL EVENTS
●
81
the Ladies’ category.
Member Chu Kok Wai thoroughly
enjoyed the entertainment and the
fashion show. He watches the TV
drama series ‘Empress of China’ so
the Tang Dynasty fashion show struck
a chord with him. “I can also relate to
the songs. When asked to pinpoint
his favourite, he said, “I enjoyed all of
them. It brought back memories of
BB Park (nightlife hub) in the 60s!’’
His niece Joss Cheong said it
was an interesting show. “The
music is not from my era although
I’m familiar with some of the
music while growing up.’’ Tunku
Muinuddin’s wife Nicola said it
was a pleasant environment for
a gathering of close friends. She
enjoyed the music although she
would have liked to have seen a wider
repertoire of songs.
All in all, it was an evening not to
be missed. For only RM70, Members
got a taste of the opulent world
of Old Shanghai and its beautiful,
immortal music.
THE CIRCULAR
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
TIME
3
20
7
8
31
14
26
20
31
Thu
Sun
Wed
Thu
Sat
Sat
Thu
Sun
Thu
Sept
Sept
Oct
Oct
Oct
Nov
Nov
Dec
Dec
Country & Western Night
Classical Music
Oktoberfest
Wine Tasting
Kids Halloween Dance Party
President’s Royal Gala Dinner
RSGC Deepavali Open House
Kids Christmas Party
New Year’s Eve Countdown Party
8:00 PM
3:00 PM
5.00PM
6:00 PM
8:00 PM
8:00 PM
7:00 PM
3:00 PM
8:00 PM
●
82
THE CIRCULAR