Malaysia's oldest golf club lies in the heart of Kuala Lumpur with the city skyline as a backdrop.
Established in 1893, The Royal Selangor Golf Club ( RSGC ) is located off the ever busy Jalan Tun Razak, which is only about 10min drive from the Petronas Twin Towers!
How did it begin ?
Golfing was already a sport that was not new to Kuala Lumpur during those days. Already a 5-hole golf course was laid out in the Lake Gardens but there was no club formed then.
It all started when a group of coffee planters thought it was a good idea to have a golf club in Kuala Lumpur. On Jan13 1893, a meeting to the effect was published in the Selangor Journal, which was the only publication serving as a newspaper and official bulletin during those days.
The original site of the club was located at Petaling Hill, an 80acres of hilly land located around the present day Victoria Institution, the Methodist Boys School, Stadium Merderka and Stadium Negara.
Work on the course started almost immediately and five months later, the 1st annual general meeting was held. It was formally opened on Aug 21 1893,with 30 founding members. Entrance fee then was fixed at $5 with a monthly subsciption fee of .50ct per head. The 1st Resident General of the Federated Malay States, Sir Frank Swettenham, served as President of the club from 1897 to 1898.
In 1918, the Club had to be moved to another location as Petaling Hill had to be reclaimed by the Government to be converted into a public park. A new site at Circular Road ( Present Jln Tun Razak) was identified. This new site was partly occupied by the Forestry Department and also some mining concerns. Tembusu trees and pond holes are some of the legacies left down by the previous tenants. Work began on the new site in 1920 and since then, RSGC grew by leaps and bounds in terms of memberships and facilities.
Golf tournament during the opening of the new club House at Circular Road in 1921.
1942- 2nd World War ...the clubhouse was used as an arms training school by the Japanese Occupation Forces. The courses were converted into vegeable , tapioca and banana patches, while part of it was used as an airstrip and barracks were built. By the time the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the club was left in a derelict state. Thanks to the effort of a Tom Verity, he was able to rehabilitate the golf course with the help of prisoners of war using primitive tools.
Today, the Royal Selangor Golf Club is a premier golf club in the country and one of the best in the region. It has over 6.000 members, comprising Royalty, ministers, foreign diplomats, corporate leaders, captains of industry and professionals.
