The Singapore Island Country Club’s historic Bukit Course was recognised as the Best Golf Course in Singapore at the 2022 World Golf Awards (WGA).

Held at the Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island in the United Arab Emirates on 15 November 2022, the high-profile WGA recognises and rewards excellence in golf tourism and awards top golf courses at the annual event. WGA results are derived from votes received from professionals in the golf travel and tourism industries as well as golf tourism consumers.

The accolade for SICC’s Bukit Course comes at an opportune time as the course gears up to celebrate its centennial in two years’ time. Idyllically abutting Singapore’s MacRitchie Reservoir, the course has played host to numerous international tournaments including the 1969 World Cup, the 1993 Johnnie Walker Classic, Rolex Masters (1973 to 1998), numerous Singapore Opens (1962 to 1995) and the Caltex Singapore Masters in 2001. Golf legends such as Steve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman, among many others, have also graced its fairways.

From an architectural perspective, it is one of a handful of golf courses outside of the United Kingdom designed by James Braid, winner of five British Opens and a member of the World Golf Hall of fame. Braid parlayed the naturally undulating terrain into a layout with great variety that places a high premium on shot-making, rewards creativity and courage, while giving golfers of all abilities a multitude of ways to play each hole.

Despite its modest footprint — playing at just under 6,200m from the tips — the Bukit Course, with its large mature trees, gentle hills, and sloping fairways, make for one of the few true traditional classic parkland layouts. It is par excellence for those seeking a traditional golfing experience.

The legacy Braid leaves behind has also been a bastion of wildlife and botanic conservation – made more significant as Singapore progresses through its continual urban development. The Bukit Course boasts more than 2,500 fully-grown trees of more than 100 varieties, and is home to diverse wildlife, including smooth coated otters, pangolins, prolific bird life and families of indigenous long-tailed macaque monkeys.

The Bukit Course has also recently been awarded the coveted GEO Certified status and joins an illustrious group of global golf clubs leading the way in accelerating sustainable practices. Administered by Scotland-based GEO Foundation (GEO), the award is a comprehensive modern certification, developed to the highest credibility standard, to help golf facilities, developments and tournaments demonstrate and be recognised for their environmental and social responsibility.

Commenting on this notable achievement at World Golf Awards 2022, Club Captain Ivan Chua lauded the SICC team. "Achieving this international recognition underlines a truly exceptional team effort to elevate the golfing experience here at SICC. Like SICC's rich heritage, playing at the Bukit Course is akin to a trip down memory lane. This parkland-style course is home to various birds and wildlife, with so much history and stories about the Course. We are truly humbled and very proud to offer an experience of exceptional golf to our members and guests. This award is particularly significant as we commemorate our Diamond Jubilee in 2023, cherish our heritage and celebrate to an amazing journey beyond.”

Formed in 1963, SICC today has more than 7,800 members and features three golf courses totalling 63 holes, a wide variety of F&B outlets, sports, social and leisure facilities across two locations in central Singapore.