Golf

The establishment of the Melaka State Golf Gallery was inspired by His Excellency the Governor of Melaka, Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, who has a deep passion for the game. With his full support, his aspiration was fulfilled by the Melaka State Government through the Melaka Museum Corporation (PERZIM) in 2011.

People in general are not very familiar with golf. In Malaysia today, golf is still considered a foreign game and is confined to the elite and senior leaders in view of its high membership fees. This gallery is the first of its kind in Malaysia and is likely to become a centre for reference, information and exhibitions relating to golf, especially in Melaka.

The establishment of the Melaka State Golf Gallery is in line with the government’s aspiration to develop golf as a sport in Malaysia while providing the opportunity for the public to learn more about the game. Besides, the effort is done to further assist the Federal Government and Melaka State Government to make the country particularly Melaka and generally Malaysia as the “Golf Choice Destination” of this region.

It is hoped that the establishment of this gallery will receive encouraging response from the community as a whole.

The theme of the gallery has been designed to portray faithfully through its various elements and exhibits the objectives of its establishment. The theme of the exhibits will include the history of golf, golf in Malaysia (its history), golf competitions involving dignitaries, and golf equipment, even an old gold set. In addition, the exhibits will also display information on golf competitions and some of the most prominent and oldest golf courses in Malaysia.

The displays at the Melaka State Golf Gallery will consist of suitable dioramas, graphic panels, artifacts and other appropriate exhibition materials.

Objectives of establishment of the Museum:-

1.To highlight the history of golf to the general public.

2.As a centre of information, exhibitions and reference relating to golf.

3.As an academic based tourism product capable of bringing much benefit.

4.As a means of promoting interest among the public in golf as a game, presently seldom being participated by local communities.

5.Help to promote golf tourism.

Believed to have originated in Scotland about 1,100 years ago, golf is among the oldest sports in the world. A game resembling golf is found in the Dongxuan Record, an 11^th century Chinese manuscript. It is also stated that on 26 February 1297, a game using a club and a leather ball was played in a town named Leonen ann de Vecht in the Netherlands. A player had to hit a ball repeatedly towards a distant target hundreds of metres away and the player with the highest number of hits would be the winner.

However, golf as a modern game is believed to have originated in Scotland in the 15^th century. Golf requires the player to use several types of equipment including wood, iron and putters.

History has it that the game of golf in Scotland grew out of a shepherd flinging stones into rabbit holes in the vicinity of the famous Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. The word, golf, has its origin in the Dutch word, kolf, meaning staff, club or putter.

Golf is played in an open space called a golf course which has a series of holes. The oldest golf course in the world is the Musselburgh Old Links Golf Course in Scotland. Evidence shows that golf was played here in 1672. History also records that Queen Mary of Scotland played at this course in 1567. For Malaysians, golf is still considered a game for the elite because it is most often played by dignitaries.

Tun Abdul Razak was well known as a golf enthusiast and had a handicap of 16. He spent his leisure time especially on weekends playing golf. Through golf, Tun Abdul Razak not only found peace of mind in the game, it also served as a platform for discussing the country’s performance with his golf buddies.

The golf course in Fraser’s Hill, Pahang was one of his favorite golf courses. His deep interest in golf had been passed on to all his children, especially, to Dato’ Seri Najib Mohd, the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Some Malaysian professional men golf players are;

Danny Chua

Ben Leong

M. Sasidaran

S. Siva Chandran

Airil Rizman Zahari

Shaaban Hussin

Md. Rashid Ismail

Mohammad Ilya Jamil

Kenneth De Silva

R. Nachimuthu

Some Malaysian professional women players are;

Kelly Tan Guat Chen

Vivienne Chin Ven Yi

Isza Fariza Ismail

Nur Duriyah Damian

Iman Ahmad Nordin

Celeste Aisien Lo

Getrude Lee

Ardilla Ali Rahman

Nur Dahiyah Damian

Joanne Akip Siran Lagan

Sharon Lay May Yen

Genevieve Ling I-Rynn

Nur Diyanah Damain

Yong Mei Kuan

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews was founded on 14 May 1754. It has undergone numerous transformations and changes over the past 250 years, and is the pride of Britain. From a small area, it grew into a club with 2,400 members from all over the world. By end of the 19^th century, the club had become the regulatory body and authority for all golf clubs in the United Kingdom and even for some golf clubs abroad.

... more at the Museum...from history to beyond...