Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses
SINGAPORE – Four golf courses will close permanently by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses in the coming years.
The Ministry of Law (MinLaw), which oversees land policy and administration, on July 7 said the leases or tenancies of Mandai Executive Golf Course, Warren Golf & Country Club, Orchid Country Club and Tanah Merah Country Club's Garden course will not be renewed as their land is needed for future plans.
This continues recent moves to reclaim golf course land for other uses. For instance, the Marina Bay Golf Course was
closed in June 2024 and will be partially occupied by the upcoming Bay East Garden, which is currently being developed.
The leases of another two courses – Singapore Island Country Club's (SICC) 18-hole Bukit course and Keppel Club's 18-hole Sime course – will also expire on Dec 31, 2030.
Thereafter, the land occupied by these two courses will be split between an operator that will run an 18-hole public course and the National Trades Union Congress – which currently operates Orchid Country Club through NTUC Club – said MinLaw in a statement.
How the land will be parcelled and allocated is being studied, the ministry added. It did not say how long the lease for these courses would be.
The first of the four courses to close is the public 9-hole Mandai Executive Golf Course, which is on a tenancy that runs until Dec 31, 2026.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Construction starts on Cross Island Line Phase 2; 6 MRT stations in S'pore's west ready by 2032
Singapore New SkillsFuture requirements from April 2026 to mandate regular training for adult educators
Singapore MPs should not ask questions to 'clock numbers'; focus should be improving S'poreans' lives: Seah Kian Peng
Singapore Sequencing and standards: Indranee on role of Leader of the House
Asia Australian woman found guilty of all counts in mushroom murders case
Singapore askST Jobs: Facing intrusive demands from your employer? Here's what you can do
Singapore Life After... blazing biomedical research trail in S'pore: Renowned scientist breaks new ground at 59
Its land will be used by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to
develop an Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre . MOE has previously said that the campsite will be one of three new campsites to be built by 2032.
Another two courses will close in 2030, and their sites have been zoned for residential use, according to
the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Draft Master Plan 2025 .
They are the 18-hole Warren Golf & Country Club in Choa Chu Kang, which has a lease that expires on Oct 31, 2030, as well as the 27-hole Orchid Country Club in Yishun, which has a lease that expires on Dec 31, 2030.
Finally, Tanah Merah Country's Club's Garden course will close after its lease expires on Dec 31, 2035.
'Given its proximity to Changi Airport, the land is being studied for uses that have synergies with the airport to support economic growth,' said MinLaw, adding that more details on the site's future use will be announced closer to 2035.
Following the closures, Singapore is set to have 12 remaining golf courses after 2035, including the existing Bukit and Sime courses.
Of these, two have leases that are expiring in 2030 and will be offered renewals until Dec 31, 2040 – the 18-hole course in Kranji under the National Service Resort & Country Club and Sentosa Golf Club's 18-hole Serapong course.
Another seven are on leases that expire in December 2040.
They are: SICC's 18-hole Island course and 27-hole New course, Changi Golf Club's 9-hole course, Laguna National Golf Resort Club's two 18-hole courses, Seletar Country Club's 18-hole course, the 18-hole course at National Service Resort & Country Club (Changi), Sentosa Golf Club's 18-hole Tanjong course and Tanah Merah Country Club's 18-hole Tampines course.
The Government will review whether to renew these leases beyond 2040 in future.
The last course at Sembawang Country Club has 18 holes and is operated by the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) under a license agreement. The course sits on state land allocated to Mindef.
MinLaw said in deciding on whether to renew the leases of golf courses, it considered competing land demands such as housing, economic activities, transport infrastructure and essential services.
'The demand for land for national uses will become more acute in Singapore, and this will impact the amount of land available for golfing over time,' said the ministry.
'The Government will balance the access to golfing facilities by private golf club members and the general public so that there can be golf courses catering to different segments of the golfing community.'
The ministry noted that leases of golf courses are for a fixed term, with a publicly-known end date, to allow course operators and golf club members to make informed decisions.
'This also ensures that land occupied by golf courses can be returned to the state and redeveloped for more pressing national needs in a timely manner,' said MinLaw.
The ministry said the Singapore Golf Association and the National Service Resort & Country Club will set up a second Centre of Excellence to provide more training opportunities for Singapore's national team and promote golf among youth.
It added that the centre will provide dedicated weekly slots for the golf association to facilitate national and youth team training, and expose athletes to different types of golf courses.
This complements existing weekly trainings conducted by the golf association in other clubs, said MinLaw.
The new centre adds to an existing Centre of Excellence at Keppel Club's Sime course which develops youth golfers, the ministry said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
2 hours ago
- AsiaOne
$3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties , Singapore News
SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) has taken four law firms and one lawyer to task for anti-money laundering breaches over the purchase of properties in the $3 billion money laundering case, with one of the practices receiving the maximum penalty. In a press release on July 15, MinLaw said it is supporting the Director of Legal Services (DLS) in conducting inquiries into the law practices that were involved in the conveyancing of the real estate seized in an anti-money laundering operation in August 2023. It said the DLS conducted investigations into 24 law practices that were involved, and 11 of the probes have been concluded. The DLS heads the Legal Services Regulatory Authority, which is a department under MinLaw that oversees the regulation of all law practice entities and the registration of foreign lawyers in Singapore. The DLS has ordered two law practices to pay financial penalties of $30,000 and $100,000 respectively. A third law practice was issued a statutory notice of the intention to order it to pay a financial penalty of $70,000. A final decision will be made after receiving and considering the firm's written representations, if any, MinLaw said. The ministry added that the DLS privately reprimanded a fourth law practice, and also referred one lawyer to the Law Society of Singapore for disciplinary action. MinLaw did not name the four law practices and the lawyer that have received enforcement action in its press release. The Straits Times has contacted the ministry for more information. The DLS has decided it will not be necessary to take further regulatory action against seven other law practices. Said MinLaw: "The DLS is considering the inquiry findings for the remaining 13 law practices, and whether any lawyers concerned should be referred to the Law Society of Singapore for disciplinary action." Among its roles, the Law Society maintains the standards of conduct of the legal profession in Singapore. MinLaw added that a law practice that breaches its anti-money laundering obligations can face regulatory control action against its licence. In response to queries from The Straits Times, a MinLaw spokesperson said law practices found to have breached their anti-money laundering obligations under the Legal Profession Act may be given a warning, ordered to pay a penalty of up to $100,000, or have their law practice licence suspended or revoked. A lawyer who breaches his or her anti-money laundering obligations can face disciplinary proceedings, which could result in monetary penalties, suspension from legal practice or disbarment. Singapore's largest case of money laundering involving $3 billion in cash and assets saw 10 foreigners arrested in multiple islandwide raids here on Aug 15, 2023. The nine men and one woman, who were originally from Fujian, China, were jailed, deported and barred from re-entering Singapore. MinLaw noted that all law practices and lawyers are subject to anti-money laundering obligations under the Legal Profession Act. These obligations include analysing money laundering risks relating to each client and performing customer due diligence measures that are commensurate with the client's risk profile. A law practice or lawyer also must file a suspicious transaction report (STR) with the police if they suspect the client may be engaged in money laundering, MinLaw noted. It added that if a law practice or lawyer decides to continue to act for the client despite these suspicions, it should substantiate and document the reasons for the decision. It must also adopt enhanced customer due diligence and monitoring measures. MinLaw said law practices must also have internal anti-money laundering policies, procedures and controls that fulfil the regulatory requirements and are sufficiently robust. The ministry said it issued a guidance note to the legal industry on June 23 to highlight the responsibilities of law practices and lawyers under their statutory anti-money laundering obligations. The note covered areas including analysing client risk, identifying material red flags, establishing a client's source of wealth and the timeline for filing an STR. MinLaw said that while Singapore has a comprehensive anti-money laundering regime, the landscape is constantly changing as new money laundering risks and methods emerge. It added: "Everyone has a role in ensuring that Singapore's anti-money laundering systems continue to be robust, from the law enforcement agencies, to the service providers such as the financial institutions and law practices, to the general public." The law firms and lawyer were the latest to be dealt with in relation to the $3 billion money laundering case. On July 4, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said nine financial institutions were given $27.45 million in composition penalties, and action was taken against 18 staff. MAS said the financial institutions did not adequately check on customers' sources of wealth, even though there were discrepancies in the documents they had provided. Eight of the nine institutions did not adequately investigate suspicious transactions flagged by their own systems. For the staff, breaches included failure to detect or adequately assess multiple deficiencies during the onboarding of higher-risk customers. [[nid:719802]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Australian govt confirms A$3.4 billion funding for 2032 Brisbane Games venues
Brisbane was awarded hosting rights for the Games in 2021 but political wrangling over the venues meant the final plans were not decided until March this year. – The Australian government has confirmed that it will contribute A$3.435 billion (S$2.88 billion) towards the A$7.1 billion cost of building the venues for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, clearing the way for the start of construction. Queensland taxpayers and private finance will provide the balance of the money for the 17 new and upgraded venues for the Summer Games under the funding deal announced by the state and federal governments on July 3. 'The Sydney 2000 Games left an incredible legacy and many Australians have memories that have lasted for decades,' Federal infrastructure minister Catherine King said in a statement. 'We are ready to deliver a Brisbane 2032 Games that will leave the same incredible legacy for Queensland. 'The Australian government's commitment of A$3.4 billion towards the Games venues is the single largest contribution any Australian government has made towards sporting infrastructure in this country.' Brisbane was awarded hosting rights for the Games in 2021, but political wrangling over the venues meant the final plans were not decided until March 2025. Organising committee chief Andrew Liveris welcomed the announcement as a 'significant shift in forward momentum'. 'I thank the Australian and Queensland governments for moving swiftly following the Australian government's recent return to office to agree on intergovernmental funding that will ensure physical works can get under way,' he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains Business Singapore financial sector growth doubles in 2024, assets managed cross $6 trillion in a first: MAS Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar Singapore Real estate firm PropNex donates $6 million to Community Chest for 25th anniversary Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT gets 15.8 per cent capacity boost with new trains Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years The main stadium, which is estimated to cost A$3.7 billion, will be built in the city's Victoria Park and seat 60,000 during the Olympics, and 3,000 more for Australian Rules football and cricket matches after 2032. A new aquatics centre to host swimming will also be built nearby at an estimated cost of A$650 million. 'Today's landmark agreement is the beginning of a new partnership that sets the pathway to deliver 2032 as the best Games ever,' said Queensland's Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie. We've also launched procurement on four key projects to kickstart the delivery of world-class venues in the delivery plan. 'I can also announce that we will start site investigations at Victoria Park for Australia's most exciting sporting precinct, which will be home to the new main stadium and the new National Aquatic Centre.' Liveris said in May that he did not think any ground would be broken on the two major new venues until the end of 2026. The federal government has already committed A$12.4 billion for local transport improvements that the Queensland government believes are necessary for 2032, the statement said. In other news, National Hockey League players will take part in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy for the first time in 12 years. In a meeting on July 2 at the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Switzerland, representatives from the NHL, the players' association, and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) executed an agreement confirming the players' participation next winter in Italy. The agreement also covers NHL players taking part in the 2030 Winter Games in France. 'This is a tremendous day for international ice hockey and for fans across the globe,' IIHF president Luc Tardif said. 'At the initiative of the IIHF, we have worked collaboratively with NHL and NHLPA in close collaboration with the IOC and Milano Cortina Organising Committee to make this a reality. Bringing the best players in the world back to the Olympic Games in 2026 is a major step forward for our sport.' NHL players last took part in the Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014. REUTERS
Business Times
4 hours ago
- Business Times
Australia and China call for more dialogue, cooperation at leaders' meeting
[BEIJING] China is ready to work with Australia to deepen bilateral ties, President Xi Jinping said during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday in Beijing. The meeting between the two leaders comes as China tries to capitalise on US President Donald Trump's sweeping trade tariffs by presenting itself as a stable and reliable partner. Chinese officials have expressed interest in expanding a decade-old free trade deal and cooperating in artificial intelligence. China was willing to 'promote further development in the China-Australia relationship,' Xi said in remarks at the start of the meeting. Australia valued its ties to China, its largest trading partner, and welcomed 'progress on cooperation' under the free trade deal, Albanese said in response, adding that Australia's national interest would guide Canberra's approach to the relationship. 'Dialogue needs to be at the centre of our relationship,' the prime minister said. 'I welcome the opportunity to set out Australia's views and interests and our thinking on how we can maintain peace, security, stability and prosperity in our region.' Albanese is expected to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang later on Tuesday. He has previously said resources trade, energy transition and security tensions would be key topics for discussions in Beijing. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Australia, which regards the United States its major security ally, has pursued a China policy of 'cooperate where we can, disagree where we must' under Albanese. In the run-up to the visit, China signalled repeatedly it was open to deeper cooperation. On Tuesday, the state-owned China Daily newspaper published a glowing opinion piece about the visit and said it showed countries with different political systems could still cooperate. However, any cooperation is likely to be constrained by long-standing Australian concerns around China's military build-up and the jailing of Australian writer Yang Hengjun. Beijing has also separately criticised Canberra's increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese's pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership. Australia's exports to China, its largest trading partner, span agriculture and energy but are dominated by iron ore, and Albanese has travelled with executives from mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue, who met Chinese steel industry officials on Monday, at the start of the six-day visit. Bran Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said Australia's Bluescope Steel would also be at Tuesday's business roundtable, along with China's electric vehicle giant BYD, Chinese banking executives, Baosteel and state-run food group COFCO. 'First and foremost we use fixtures such as this to send a signal that business-to-business engagement should be welcomed and encouraged,' Black told Reuters on Tuesday. REUTERS
