They sign petition urging NParks to let 32-year-old facility in East Coast stay in business
Estelle Low, Straits Times 22 Mar 09;
Long-time customers of Parkland Golf Driving Range are swinging hard into action.
Upset that the facility closed on Friday after a run of about 32 years, some 200 golfers have signed a petition urging the National Parks Board (NParks) to let it stay in business.
The public driving range in East Coast Parkway, which was built in 1977, was due to shut down last October. However, the lease was extended to last Friday to allow leaseholder Pan-West more time to make new plans, an NParks spokesman said.
'We have decided to take the opportunity to reconfigure the area to free up some park space, and to bring in new recreational activities that can better complement the coastal character of the park,' the spokesman added.
The spokesman noted that there are 'similar facilities in the vicinity like the Marina Bay Golf Course'. Plans for the site are being finalised.
The organiser of the petition is Mr Stephen Ong, 58, who has been a Parkland patron for 30 years.
'I feel very sentimental about it because this is where many golfers in Singapore and I started playing golf. It is the meeting place for us and where we forged strong friendships,' said the owner of Eagle Golfing Network, which organises golf events and tournaments.
When The Sunday Times visited the site at 11pm last Friday, over 30 golfers and their families were still present and reluctant to leave.
Despite the no-frills ambience compared to newer ranges, patrons said they were sad over the decision to close the range.
Operations manager Mohamed Fadir Mohamed Ali, 42, who visited the place almost every day in the last five years, said: 'This is my second home. The people here are all very friendly - it reminds me of my kampung days.'
The driving range also used to house eateries such as the Singa Inn seafood restaurant and Artz Pizza, a pizza joint.
But golf was the main draw and two farewell parties were held on Thursday and Friday at the range.
