Sentosa Club to score double bogey as golf brokers beat price yips

Will its peers take the same course?

As the government free up land to pave the way for housing projects, golfers are mulling over the next best move to deal with possible changes in golf club membership prices.

According to Lee Lee Langdale, club membership specialist and director at Singolf, "as various degrades will happen to SICC and TMCC, it can be expected that Sentosa will be the most sought after membership with an increase in its price.

Although SICC and TMCC will be affected in different ways, both will have most of their courses available for another 16 years (until 2030) and 21 years (to 2035) respectively. Taking into account that the total number of courses available in Singapore will be reduced, it seems likely their market prices will remain around recent levels.’’

One of SICC’s two 18-hole courses at the Bukit location will be reallocated as a public course. It will be managed by the labour movement for the general public and for the labour movement, when its lease expires on 31 December 2021.

Meanwhile, no new lease will be offered to Keppel Club as its lease expires on 31 December 2021.

‘’Keppel’s lease will not be renewed, so golf there will cease in 2021. Purchase of a membership can therefore best be looked at as a term membership. As this course’s fate has been strongly rumoured for many months, it can be expected that the price of its memberships will continue at recent levels," says Lee.

As for the other clubs, Lee notes "with leases running for 26 more years, prices for Changi and Seletar can be expected to retain their recent levels, with perhaps some increase reflecting that they will now have assured tenure."

Additionally, the Orchid Country Club lease will be renewed till 2030 only. "The price for a membership is expected to decline to take into account the limited time," adds Lee.