WARREN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB GETS A FACELIFT

After 12 months of renovation, the 18-hole par-72 golf course at Warren Golf & Country Club is finally ready for play.

Members at the Choa Chu Kang-based property can now enjoy the same challenging layout as before, but with key upgrades to the greens and bunkers.

Jack Wong, assistant golf manager at the private club, said this upgrade was important and necessary for the continued enjoyment of the course. It has seen local grasses creep into and overtake its greens in the 16 years since it moved from the nine-hole facility at Folkestone Road.

"We have done a lot of work to improve an already good layout," said Wong. "We have removed all the local grasses on the greens and replaced them with TifEagle, which is proven to be suitable for our climate."

Said the Malaysian-born, US-educated manager who had previously worked in a golf course in Arkansas: "We are looking forward to good, consistent greens and in time to come, hopefully a championship to be held here."

The most impressive improvement is the bunkering. Using imported sand from Malaysia that slides across the club face easily, the irrigation has also been upgraded at all 18 greens and 66 bunkers to ensure that rain no longer has an adverse effect on the game.

"It is almost welcoming to land into these bunkers, if only to be able to execute soft sand shots," said Sunil Kaul, a visitor and newly signed SPH Golf Card member who recently played the course.

He can now look forward to continue playing at Warren after the country club signed a partnership with SPH Golf Club for a preferential rate of only $82 (less GST) for weekday play.

Wong said: "We are looking forward to welcoming members of SPH Golf Club and having them experience the hospitality of Warren Golf & Country Club."

The club's facilities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, two children's pools, indoor playground, outdoor jacuzzi, steam and sauna rooms, as well as tennis, squash, table tennis and badminton courts. It also has a gym, a 10-lane bowling alley, billiards, jackpot and gaming rooms as well as six dining facilities.

A new social transferable membership is now for sale. At only $2,888 with an instalment scheme available, it is suitable for families with complimentary supplementary memberships given to spouses and children under the age of 21.

During this period, they have also opened a new Tee Garden facility that is a lavishly fitted event space located adjacent to the clubhouse. It is a tented site that can sit more than 300 guests amid a garden scene, making it an ideal location for holding private events and personal parties alike.

Interested parties can contact Warren's membership department at 6586-1219/250/238 or e-mail membership@warren.org.sg.

To sign up for SPH Golf Card and enjoy preferential rates at Warren, visit www.sphgolf.com