17 TEE BOX Golfplan reroutes seven holes at Sembawang Golfplan is leading a renovation of the golf course at Sembawang Country Club in Singapore. Sembawang started in 1967 as a ninehole course laid out by British Royal Marines. Ten years later it became an 18-hole layout, which was remodelled in 2013 by New Zealand architect Chris Pitman. “Over the past 12 years, the golf course has served the members well,” said Jerrom Tan, the club’s marketing executive. “However, over time, it has experienced wear and tear, with those effects more strongly felt in a tropical climate. Often, blind holes are the culprit of dangerous and slow play. From unnecessary waiting to hasty shots, golfers may not always make the right assessment.” Golfplan’s work includes reversing the routing of holes eleven to seventeen, renovating greens, bunkers and tees, regrassing fairways with Stadium Zoysia and greens with Primo Zoysia from Sports Turf Solutions, as well as irrigation and drainage upgrades. “The routing changed on seven holes and these now slice into the course rather than out, thus, adding protection to the adjacent properties and roads,” said David Dale, partner at Golfplan. The landing area on the fourth hole is being lowered and trees that were on the inside of the dogleg have been removed, reducing the blindness for the shorter hitters. “We have also had to pull the green back away from the entry road as this is being expanded by the airbase for improved access,” says Kevin Ramsey, partner at Golfplan. “We have designed four new greens and preserved three of the original greens from the seven holes that we rerouted. All green surfaces are being softened to add more pinnable areas.” Bunkers are being redesigned. “All bunkers are being reimagined with repositioning and reshaping to improve access, playability and visual aesthetics,” said Dale. “CapillaryFlow and Loksand are creating better drainage and more stable bunker faces.” “Overall, we feel we are improving the playability, safety and strategy of the golf course and when reopened it will feel like a new experience for members,” says Ramsey. Work began in December 2024 and the club expects to reopen the course in May 2026. Photo: Sembawang Country Club Golfplan’s Kevin Ramsey and David Dale visit Sembawang, with renovation work well under way
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