Two Singapore courses join IGOLF Laureate Course program

Kranji Sanctuary Golf Course and SAFRA Resort are run by National Services Resort and Country Club, which primarily caters to Singaporeans who have served in the country's armed forces and related services.

In accepting the award, James Sua, noted that a properly managed golf course can be a sanctuary for birds and other wildlife. The combination of mowed turf, landscape, ponds and natural areas on the golf courses provide a conducive environment to a wide variety of wildlife, native plants and trees, he explained.

In presenting the award, IGOLF Chairman Paul Sochaczewski noted the club's long record of commitment to the environment, particularly in maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity.

In 2000, for example, at the Resort's invitation, members of the Nature Society Singapore (NSS), visited the golf courses to conduct an ecological assessment of the wildlife that can be found on the site. The group ventured into some little visited nature hotspots in the Resort and made some interesting discoveries.

They were surprised to find breeding colonies of herons, bee eaters and a few other species of birds within the course boundaries. The number of bird species recorded in total was 48, including 12 confirmed residents and nine migrant bird species.

NSRCC has received numerous environmental awards, and was just the second course in Asia to earn the international Environmental Leaders in Golf Award.

Mr Sua has received the Environmental Steward Award (ESA) by the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America (GCSAA) for his dedication in enriching the quality of the courses at NSRCC for the benefit of wildlife, golfers and their surrounding communities.