As for golf, the number of on-course golfers has almost doubled from 80,000 in 2018 to 140,000 in 2024. The Singapore Golf Association has also pointed to an increase in the number of young players taking up the sport.
Much has been said about Singapore’s search for a true sporting culture. These latest developments do not seem to bode well for the long-term development of a society where sports and fitness activities are embraced by all.
As with most things in land-scarce and population-dense Singapore, sports is subject to trade-offs between competing demands.
For example, when the leases of golf courses expire, the land can and will be used for other purposes such as housing and industrial facilities.
Currently, just 1.9 per cent of Singapore’s land area is occupied by golf courses. But even as a flailing but enthusiastic golfer, I can see why the relatively large swathes of land needed to lay out a full 18-hole course can be put to more productive use in our small country.
And if the “pok pok” sounds of a hotly contested pickleball match keep families up on a weekday night with school and work looming in the morning, I can empathise as well.
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Much has been said about Singapore’s search for a true sporting culture. These latest developments do not seem to bode well for the long-term development of a society where sports and fitness activities are embraced by all.
QUESTION OF TRADE-OFFS
As with most things in land-scarce and population-dense Singapore, sports is subject to trade-offs between competing demands.
For example, when the leases of golf courses expire, the land can and will be used for other purposes such as housing and industrial facilities.
Currently, just 1.9 per cent of Singapore’s land area is occupied by golf courses. But even as a flailing but enthusiastic golfer, I can see why the relatively large swathes of land needed to lay out a full 18-hole course can be put to more productive use in our small country.
And if the “pok pok” sounds of a hotly contested pickleball match keep families up on a weekday night with school and work looming in the morning, I can empathise as well.
Continue reading...