JakartaPost-July 6
The city state’s land crunch has led to the closure of many of its public golf courses, including the recent shuttering of the Marina Bay Golf Course, its last public 18-hole course, prompting enthusiasts to seek golf vacations overseas. Indonesia aims to become a top golfing destination in the region as Singapore has been shutting courses, providing a void for neighboring countries to fill. The city state’s land crunch has led to the closure of many of its public golf courses, including the Marina Bay Golf Course, its last public 18-hole course, last weekend, prompting enthusiasts of the sport to seek golf vacations overseas. “As Singapore has become more expensive and less affordable, we could provide [a golf tourism destination replacement] in Riau Islands, which has geographical proximity,” said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno on Monday. Located less than an hour’s ferry ride from Singapore, the province is home to seven private and three public golf courses on Batam and Bintan Islands, respectively. Furthermore, demand for golfing has been growing in Indonesia, with the minister pointing out increased interest from both international tourists and domestic players flocking to courses in Jakarta and Bali. Sandiaga suggested that the country capitalize on the sport’s growing popularity for tourism development under the government’s “10 New Balis” initiative, which seeks to promote destinations beyond the famed resort island “[Through golfing], we can improve tourism awareness in these super-priority destinations.” Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2024/07/06/indonesia-tees-off-on-golf-tourism-as-singapore-courses-dwindle.html.
