Famed for hosting some of the most prestigious golf events in Asia, The Serapong at Sentosa Golf Club has borne witness to countless remarkable moments in its storied history.

Following further success in 2023, it has secured its place alongside the most esteemed golfing destinations in the world after being named the ‘World’s Best Golf Course’ at yesterday’s  World Golf Awards in Abu Dhabi, joining illustrious venues such as the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie, Augusta National, and Shinnecock Hills in recent years to have claimed this honour.

With an unrivalled reputation for excellence, The Serapong often receives praise from top players who have graced its fairways. Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, who emerged victorious at the SMBC Singapore Open in 2017, shared his admiration for the course’s outstanding layout and conditioning, saying: “The Serapong is one of the best conditioned courses I have ever played. Players enjoy playing fair courses and this is something I found at Sentosa Golf Club. It was difficult and challenging, but also fair and I loved this during my victory there.”

Sadom Kaewkanjana claimed the SMBC Singapore Open in 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/SPORTFIVE.

This is a sentiment echoed by fellow Asian Tour star and 2022 SMBC Singapore Open champion Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand: “It is not only one of the most favoured course amongst Asian Tour players but undoubtedly one of the most challenging as well for many golfers. With a perfect design and great conditioning, it has so many great holes, including the first three that work through the hillside before dropping down towards the lagoon and the coastline.”

Earlier this year, The Serapong, having staged the Singapore Open from 2005-22, welcomed the LIV Golf League for the first time as Talor Gooch landed the first back-to-back triumph on the circuit. The American came through a play-off with Spaniard Sergio Garcia, a former winner of the Singapore Open five years ago, with Brooks Koepka a shot back.

American Koepka, who would go on to lift the PGA Championship only a few weeks’ later, emphasized The Serapong’s allure as a ball striker’s paradise: “It’s a ball striker’s golf course. You’ve got to leave yourself some good opportunities from the fairway. These greens are just so pure that you can roll it in pretty easy if you just start it on line.”

Phil Mickelson has been a regular visitor to Sentosa Golf Club for the past 20 years.

For two days, Phil Mickelson was also in contention at Sentosa Golf Club and the six-time Major winner gave an interesting insight into his preparations to tackle The Serapong.

“You’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full six, seven, eight iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well. If I want to play well here, those are the areas that I really need to focus on,” said the American.

The Serapong has always been a jewel in the Singapore golfing crown but the renovations in 2020 have now elevated it to a new level, after the fairways were replaced with fresh grass and new drainage infrastructures, tee boxes re-lasered to reinstate a tabletop flat finish, and bunkers given new liners with new white sand to improve consistency, texture, and playability for decades to come.

When Garcia played there in April, he made special mention of the ‘pure greens’. He said:  “It’s a course that I enjoy. I feel like if my game is a little bit on, and I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, give myself  a lot of birdie opportunities, and then the greens are so pure that if you’re rolling it with a little bit of confidence, you can make some putts.”

Sergio Garcia won on The Serapong in 2018 and lost in a play-off there this year. 

Alongside being named the best course on the planet at the awards, there was additional cause for celebration as The Serapong also collected the award for Singapore and Asia’s Best Course.

These endorsements from the world’s best players, combined with its recent accolades, have firmly establish The Serapong as an icon of world golf and Singapore, inviting golfers from around the world to explore its magnificence.