A meeting of great play and great taste: Whisky enthusiasts tee off at Sentosa Golf Club for the inaugural Glenfiddich Golf Invitational
The grand winner secured a coveted voyage to the renowned William Grant & Sons distilleries in Scotland.
With its long legacy of playing host to prestigious events such as the Singapore Opens, Sentosa Golf Club welcomed another landmark play on Jul 5, with the inaugural Glenfiddich Golf Invitational.
The event unfolded at Serapong Golf Course, ranked 55th in Golf Digest’s World Top 100 Greatest Golf Courses for 2022 to 2023 and recipient of the Asia’s Best Golf Course accolade at World Golf Awards 2022. Against this idyllic yet challenging backdrop, players showcased exceptional skill in an afternoon of golfing excellence.
“As a family-owned distillery since 1887, we pride ourselves in cultivating a tight-knit community, whether we are in Scotland or Singapore,” said Will Peacock, global luxury director at William Grant & Sons (WG&S). “Serapong Golf Club was the perfect backdrop for such an occasion and Glenfiddich’s partnerships with Adidas and BMW were hugely successful in creating an unforgettable experience.”
GLENFIDDICH ON THE GREEN
A gathering of 80 guests marked the Glenfiddich Golf Invitational, each securing their position by virtue of possessing the Glenfiddich 30 Year Old. The expression hails from the Time Re:Imagined series, a trio of whiskies crafted by malt master Brian Kinsman.
Upon arrival, attendees were met with a welcome package encompassing a stylish J. Lindeberg shirt and the newly released Adidas MC80 spikeless golf shoes.
BMW’s sponsorship of a BMW iX introduced an element of competition through a hole-in-one challenge. Additionally, the automobile company offered a “nearest to the pin” award, with the enticing prize of a BMW weekend driving experience for the winner.
In line with the thematic essence of the Glenfiddich Time Re:Imagined series, the games integrated novel challenges. Hole 2 took the form of the Suspended Time Challenge, where the longest suspension of a golf ball mid-flight earned participants a special reward. This challenge paid tribute to the precise time of bottling for the Glenfiddich 30 Year Old, creating a symbolic “frozen” moment in its maturation journey. Hole 5 showcased the Cumulative Time Challenge, which gauged the longest and most precise distance achieved off the tee – a nod to the accumulation of flavours through remnant vatting in the 40 Year Old.
The Simultaneous Time Challenge was the pièce de résistance at the eighth hole, epitomising the synchronised efforts demanded in producing Glenfiddich’s 50 Year Old. This challenge entailed a collective endeavour, wherein teams that accomplished sinking all putts in the fastest sequence secured victory. This paralleled the making of the 50 Year Old, which took concerted tending from three generations of malt masters to distill its flavour.
A TOAST TO GOOD PLAY
Beyond the fairways, the Glenfiddich Golf Invitational was a rendezvous of kindred spirits, fostering conversations and camaraderie among participants. This was accompanied by refreshments, including the spirited High Ball – a canned variation of the Glenfiddich 12 Year Old.
As twilight settled, players transitioned to an evening of live musical performances, dining and whisky appreciation. A curated menu was designed to harmonise with the nuanced flavours of Glenfiddich’s offerings. Be it the bold 21 Year Old Gran Reserva with its hints of smoke, oak and lime, or the opulent 23 Year Old Grand Cru that boasts notes of sweet brioche, sandalwood and pear sorbet, each dram found its resonance with its carefully paired dish. Also featured was the 26 Year Old Grande Couronne – its lavish patisserie sweetness delivering cafe creme, brown sugar and a lasting oak finish.
The menu included an encounter with the Glenfiddich 22 Year Old – an exclusive to WG&S private clients. Finished in rare ex-Palo Cortado sherry casks, the Gran Cortes whisky added a unique dimension to the tasting experience, evoking the essence of a spiced fruit cake.
AN EVENING OF GREATS
Bolstered by their familiarity with the Glenfiddich 30 Year Old, guests could also explore an array of rare Glenfiddich bottles in the hall – each displayed with insights into their story, craft and design.
The 40 Year Old, housed within a sculpted Jesmonite cylinder, unveils an evolving palate encompassing dried fruit, dark chocolate, black cherries and a subtle wood smoke finish. This distinctive character is achieved through a unique vatting process, where remnants from previous batches are integrated into the subsequent cask selection – a pioneering technique exclusive to Glenfiddich.
Meanwhile, the 50 Year Old emanates a regal aura with its antique gold hue. By combining maturations from three distinct American Oak refill casks, further harmonised in a final cask, the result is a majestic dram. With an aroma redolent of citrus notes, Madeira cake and muscovado sugar, the profile unfolds into a refined interplay of sun-dried vanilla, sultanas, oak spice, dried fruit and flowering geranium.
The whisky packaging itself is a unique work of art inspired by half a century of climate data from the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. Data artist Manuel Jiménez García used this information to create a bespoke algorithm, resulting in the distinct shape of the decanter. The bold structure not only serves as an aesthetic masterpiece but also reflects the five decades of environmental changes that influenced the whisky’s character.
The prize-giving ceremony, where achievements from the day’s gameplay were acknowledged, was a highlight for the guests. Prizes from sponsors Adidas and Taylormade were joined by ultra-rare editions of Glenfiddich bottles. Among these were Glenfiddich-branded decanters exclusively available at the distillery, as well as a single cask bottle flown in specially for the event.
The night’s grand prize of a visit to Scotland and a Glenfiddich distillery tour was awarded to Ching Lee Ling, who received the claim onstage.
“It was wonderful to spend the day with friends who share the same passion for golf and whisky. Throughout the event, I was consistently amazed by the quality, level of detail and personal touches that went into the experience,” shared Ms Ching. “I’m excited by the privilege of visiting the Glenfiddich distilleries in Scotland and experiencing the exquisite hospitality I’ve often heard spoken of.”
This meeting of great play and great taste has paved the way for the return of the Glenfiddich Golf Invitational. Echoing the positive reception, Peacock looks forward to “crafting more unique and exceptional experiences for our whisky-loving community in the coming months and years”.
“The Glenfiddich Golf Invitational was designed to create a memorable and exclusive experience for our private clients,” he explained. “We wanted to elevate the traditional golfing experience to one that would speak to the maverick spirit that Glenfiddich embodies.”
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