5th Round Of WAITGC 2014 To Play Out In Sarawak

KUCHING, 25 AUGUST 2014 – It is an exciting time for golf enthusiasts as the 5th round of the World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship (WAITGC) tees off at the prestigious Samarahan Country Club and Damai Golf & Country Club in Kuching, Sarawak from 25 to 28 August.

The four-day fifth qualifying round of the annual WAITGC 2014 organised by Tourism Malaysia will see a participation of 20 teams, with two teams each from Indonesia and Australia, five teams each from Brunei and Malaysia, and six teams from Singapore.

The tournament will be held at the Samarahan Country Club, formerly known as the Sarawak Club Golf Resort. The Club boasts of a 35,000 sq. feet clubhouse, an 18 hole course, 25 bay driving ranges, as well as many additional facilities such as an Olympic sized swimming pool, children splash pool, terrace cafeteria, bar, function rooms, and a spa.

The scenic and challenging par 72 golf course meanders through a beautiful rainforest jungle, and is considered by many as one of Sarawak’s must-play golf courses. To date, SCC has hosted the World Golfers Championship, World Amateur Team Championship, Sarawak Amateur Open, and Sarawak Inter-Club Team Championship among many others.

The second venue is the Damai Golf & Country Club is the first Arnold Palmer designed golf course in Malaysia, with an impressive international standard 18 hole, par 72 golf course. Established in 1996, it borders on the foothill of Mount Santubong, hugging the beaches, rocky outcrop and mangrove forest of the South China Sea, providing a brilliant backdrop for its golfers.

The club boasts of signature courses, the Mountain Nine and Ocean Nine, which are remarkably different in character. The front Mountain Nine offers challenging golf in a rugged, natural rainforest setting, as it follows the natural contours of the mountain foothills, while the back Ocean Nine hugs the South China Sea and features scenic fairways and beautiful beaches with the coastal ranges in the distance. The club also offers facilities such as a grass driving range, practice areas, golfer’s café, pro shop, and locker rooms.

Golf tourism has been identified as one of the key priority projects to increase the nation’s tourism contribution to the economy, and has in fact been underscored in the country’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). Last year, golf tourism receipts amounted to RM 304 million compared to 296 million in 2012, and this year, Malaysia aims to push that figure to RM 310 million.

WAITGC is Tourism Malaysia’s initiative to promote the country as a top-of-mind golf destination in the region, attracting more than 500 international amateur golfers and spouses annually. It is played in Strokeplay gross for the gross category and Stableford for the nett and senior category. Since its debut in 1994, WAITGC has emerged as a well-regarded tournament and one of the highly anticipated golfing events in the region.

The World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship is managed by the Golf Club Managers Association of Malaysia (GCMAM) and sanctioned by the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA). 

-Tourism Malaysia.