With a history going back more than 40 years, the SMA Annual Golf Tournament 2024 took place on 9 October at the Orchid Country Club this year, where we saw 88 golfers from different medical specialties and fields come together for a day of golfing, congeniality and fun.
Despite some worries with the dark, looming clouds, the 23 flights of golfers had a successful shotgun tee-off at 1.30 pm and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon of game on the Orchid Country Club's course, where they aimed for the awards and prizes in store. With many regular participants and familiar faces, the atmosphere at the post-game dinner resembled that of a reunion party; golfers caught up with classmates, colleagues and fellow hobbyists, eager to find out how each fared for the day.
As dinner progressed, our Platinum Sponsor, Summit Planners, shared with the golfers the services they provide, which include estate planning and trust services. Soon after, cheers and applause roared through the Emerald Suite as the results of the day were announced by the emcee, Dr Tay Jam Chin. With a total score of 64 points, Dr Lim Yon Kuei Bernard won the Best Nett prize, crowning him the convenor for SMA Annual Golf Tournament 2025! Hopes were high when it came to the Best Team award, which was once again won by the GP team this year. Specialist golfers were understandably disappointed but nevertheless cheered on their colleagues who had once again done well on the course.
One such golfer, O&G specialist Dr Heng Tung Lan, had picked up golfing only about ten years ago at the persuasion of a friend and has participated in the Tournament a couple of times since, making new friends and acquaintances along the way. Dr Heng strongly encourages golfers to join the Tournament as it is not only a nice occasion to meet old and new friends, but also a rare opportunity to enjoy an affordable and good golf game.
It was no easy feat putting together this Tournament, made possible only with much effort and time put in by the Secretariat staff, who worked tirelessly in the background to reach out to potential sponsors and golfers. We also thank convenor Dr Adrian Tan for his steadfast support of the Tournament, bringing in the Gold Sponsor contact and spreading the word among his friends to ensure that this Tournament would proceed without fail.
SMA believes in organising these games and opportunities for our Members, with the help of volunteer doctors like Dr Adrian Tan, to gather medical professionals with similar interests. We hope that more from the medical fraternity will join us in organising and also participating in the SMA Special Interest Groups' (SIGs) games and activities. To indicate your interest in joining our SIGs, visit https://bit.ly/4ia6cl8 or email membership@sma.org.sg today!
Dr Adrian Tan shared with us during a brief conversation before dinner why he was determined to keep the SMA Annual Golf Tournament going despite the challenges.
Q: You have been a regular participant of the Tournament for many years now. Why do you value these tournaments?
A: I started participating ever since I joined private practice more than 20 years ago. There is a regular bunch of doctors whom I golf with regularly, both locally and overseas, and some of them are also here today. Golf is a social game where it is a good way for us to spend four or five hours together with family, friends and fellow professionals, which is beneficial for those of us who may not get to see one another frequently or work in different clinics and specialties. It is also a precious opportunity to catch up over a meal, bond over friendly competition, and get some healthy dose of Vitamin D therapy. This is why I feel strongly that we should continue to host these annual tournaments.
Q: We understand that there were some challenges this year. Would you like to share more?
A: Yes, we almost did not manage to host this year's Tournament due to a lack of sponsorships. However, I believe that once you have got something like the SMA Annual Golf Tournament going, you need to keep the momentum, and I really did not want to break it in the year which I was the convenor! It is getting difficult to organise these tournaments, especially given the increasing costs of the games. The draw for many of the participants is the affordability of the SMA Annual Golf Tournament fees, and thus it was important to bring in sponsors to keep the Tournament going. Liena (SMA Secretariat) has been doing a very good job managing the base cost, but the truth is that with increased costs, someone will have to pay more. My word of advice to the next convenor is thus to start early and work together with the SMA team to bring in sponsors to keep the Tournament going.
Q: Last but not least, what are your hopes for the SMA Annual Golf Tournament?
A: It is not easy to get more than 80 golfers for a shotgun tee-off since everyone is busy with various commitments in life, but we thankfully managed to achieve it this year. My greatest hope is thus to see more people join us in the future games!
"Fellowship with regular golfing buddies, meeting colleagues from other specialties, and the opportunity to play on rarer golf courses are a few of the reasons why I have been joining the SMA Annual Golf Tournament for the past 20 years. Every year, I will reach out to my friends to form a flight once the SMA announcement for the Tournament is received!"
– Dr Andrew Khoo, SMA Life Member
Posing for a group shot before tee-off