The first golf club in Singapore is instituted

The Singapore Golf Club is the earliest golf entity in Singapore, formed on 17 June 1891 under the leadership of John Tankerville Goldney, a judge commonly known as Justice Goldney.^[1]

On 30 January 1891, at the annual general meeting of the Singapore Sports Club, members agreed that golf be played on the grounds of the racecourse, under the auspices of the Singapore Sports Club. The move was initiated by Goldney and supported by R. N. Bland, leading to the formation of the Singapore Golf Club six months later, in June 1891.^[2]

On 1 February 1891, Goldney and Bland personally inspected the grounds and selected the locations for the nine greens and tees. The links of the golf course were subsequently prepared by a paid coolie.^[3] A provisional committee formed on 24 February the same month gave their approval for the formation of the golf club on 1 April. At the first official club meeting held at the Cricket Club on 8 June 1891, a nine-member committee was formed – Goldney was elected as its first president, G. P. Owen as the honorary secretary and R.N. Bland as the treasurer. Subscription fees were set at $6 per year, with an entrance fee of $2.^[4]

The golf club was formally opened on 17 June 1891. J. B. Robertson became its first captain, formally elected in 1893, although he had been serving since 1891. He also doubled up as honorary secretary upon Owen’s resignation in August 1891.^[5]

To mark the club’s opening on 17 June, several games were played in the evening. Distinguished guests came to watch, with then Governor Cecil Clementi Smith and his wife arriving at 4.45 pm as guests-of-honour. A special daylight display of fireworks by a Japanese pyrotechnician added to the festivities, and special parachute-like balloons were launched to slowly descend over the heads of the spectators. Tea, soda and whisky were freely served on the occasion. Goldney did the honours of making the first tee-off dressed in a traditional red British golf jacket, set with a row of gold buttons.^[6]

Even before the golf club was officially established, a game was played between Penang and Singapore on 20 May 1891.^[7] The first competitive match was played on Christmas 1891 in Singapore, with the Penang Golf Club competing for the Straits Golf Challenge Cup, later known as the Interport Challenge Shield. A. L. M. Scott from Penang won the game, making him the first interstate champion.^[8]

Golf was played regularly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A golf clubhouse was officially opened on 27 January 1894. Its cost of $3,000 was paid for by the Singapore Sporting Club and it was rented out to the golf club at about $20 a month.^[9]

Ladies played golf on the course as early as 1898.^[10] In 1895, a total of 12 women played in the club competition.^[11] By 1898, the ladies were competing for monthly medals, with J.D. Saunders winning the first medal.^[12]

Unfortunately, in 1895, the polo club players sought the same grounds for their game, causing tensions with members of the golf club, whose concern was that the greens would be ruined by the polo players. A special general meeting convened in June saw a large majority of the golf club members pressing for action against the polo players from the garrison, who invariably withdrew from playing on the racecourse.^[13]

In 1898, however, when the polo players again sought to use the same grounds, they gained the approval from the Sporting Club to play twice a week – on Mondays and Thursdays – but the conflict continued to brew for years.^[14]

The expense of upkeeping a golf course at the racecourse led the club to seek alternative grounds. On 31 August 1924, the last golf game was played at the course before the club moved to new grounds at Bukit Timah.^[15]

References
1. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2, pp. 338–339). Singapore: Oxford University Press. Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS]; Reutens, L. (1993). The eagle & the lion: A history of the Singapore Island Country Club (pp. 17–18). Singapore: The Club. Call no.: RSING 367.95957 REU.
2. Makepeace, Brooke & Braddell, 1991, Vol. 2, p. 338; Singapore Sporting Club. (1891, January 31). The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. Josey, A. (1969). Golf in Singapore (p. 15). Singapore: Asia Pacific Press. Call no.: RSING 796.352 JOS.
4. Makepeace, Brooke & Braddell, 1991, Vol. 2, pp. 338–339; Josey, 1969, pp. 15, 17; Reutens, 1993, p. 18.
5. Makepeace, Brooke & Braddell, 1991, Vol. 2, p. 339.
6. The Singapore Golf Club. (1891, June 18). The Straits Times, p. 2; Golf in Singapore. (1891, June 18). The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Vijayan, K. C. (2013). First among equals: The SICC at 50 (p. 33). Singapore: Straits Times Press. Call no.: RSING 367.95957 FIR; Josey, 1969, pp. 17–18 20; Reutens, 1993, p. 19.
7. Josey, 1969, p. 16; Untitled. (1891, May 21). The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. Makepeace, Brooke & Braddell, 1991, Vol. 2, pp. 339–340; Josey, 1969, p. 26.
9. Makepeace, Brooke & Braddell, 1991, Vol. 2, p. 341.
10. Josey, 1969, p. 22.
11. Reutens, 1993, p. 21.
12. Josey, 1969, p. 22.
13. Makepeace, Brooke & Braddell, 1991, Vol. 2, pp. 342–343; Hutton, W. (1983]. The Singapore Polo Club: An informal history 1886–1982 (pp. 18–27). Singapore: Girdwood Enterprises. Call no.: RSING 796.3530605957 HUT.
14. Josey, 1969, p. 27.
15. Reutens, 1993, pp. 24, 26.