DGCC hoping to host 3rd Sarawak Championship
KUCHING: Damai Golf and Country Club (DGCC) is hoping to host the Sarawak Championship again this year.
Its general manager Roslan Mohd Salleh said the prestigious tournament, entering its third edition, is part of the Asian Development Tour (ADT).
He said DGCC would also play host to a big number of national and international tournaments.
“The international events will help promote our club among visiting golfers especially those from overseas.
“This is also good for our state because there will be a lot of foreigners who are coming together with their family members and friends,” he said, adding that it would also promote Sarawak as top golfing destination.
According to Roslan, the highlights in the club's calendar of events also include the inaugural Damai Amateur Masters Golf Open Championship which is sanctioned by Sarawak Golf Association (SGA) and the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA).
“It is indeed exciting for us to organise and play host to the inaugural masters event because it is another prestigious championship for the local golfers to compete against their counterparts from other states,” he added.
DGCC has received many golfers from the Peninsular Malaysia and outside the country this month.
According to Roslan, most of the golfers, including those from South Korea, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are taking advantage of the good course conditions at DGCC which is still playable during the prevailing wet weather.
“We have received a lot of bookings even though during the monsoon season and there were a lot of foreigners who were having a short year-end vacation in Sarawak,” said Roslan on the encouraging response during the club's year-end promotion.
One of the reasons for the influx of golfers playing at DGCC in the last quarter of the year is the rescheduling of events which were affected by the haze that hit Sarawak in August and September.
“There were a lot of corporate events that had to be postponed and cancelled because of the haze problem but most of the organisers had brought forward to the early part of the new year,” said Roslan on the large number of events being held at DGCC since Jan 4.
Meanwhile, over 100 golfers took part in the Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) – Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) friendly golf tournament recently held at DGCC. The event was graced by Sarawak State Secretary Datu Jaul Samion.
The nett event was won by Joseph Blandoi from Sarawak Land Custody Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) who carded a four-under par 68 while Abdul Rais Drahman finished second with just one stroke adrift and Andrew Ngisun came in third.
The gross event saw Awang Mazelan Awang Bakeri from the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation emerging victorious with 76 strokes while Raymond Ling Seng Kiat finished second with an 81 and Kedung Luhat was third with 84 strokes.
In the inter-team event, NREB emerged victorious after they carded a total score of 1,115 strokes based on the best 15 nett best scores during the one-day tournament.