1976-1978, SPORT

At this juncture, it is pertinent to chronicle a story of historical interest. In 1976, the Committee had a most pleasant surprise when informed that "a silver cup belonging to Ipoh Golf Club" engraved "1910" was found in the rubble of a small building in the village of Long Phuoc in Phuoc Tuy, Vietnam by a US Army Colonel in 1966. Unable to find out where Ipoh is, Col. Lewis H Goad took this monthly medal prized trophy to America, and then to New Delhi, and only after 9 long years was he finally informed that Ipoh is in Malaysia. When this bit of news was published in the Straits Times, the curator of Muzium Negara contacted the Committee and indicated in his letter that the museum was very short of contributions for its sporting trophy collections, and requested that the "Vietnam" trophy be donated in view of its interesting historical background. After displaying this trophy at the club house for several months, it was finally sent to its permanent home in the National Museum where it now reposes.

 Following this story, two more silver trophies of this Club awarded in its early days were also recovered. One was the "Ipoh Golf Club Monthly Medal 1909" trophy and the other engraved "Armistice Medal". The winner of both these trophies was the late Mr. PG Short, a past president of this Club. Unfortunately, the custodian of these trophies, Mrs. Nellie Corbett, the daughter of the late Mr. PG Short, is unable to fill us on the early history of the Club.

Once again, the PTC, this time under the chairmanship of Mr. JP Hannah made available its considerable resources of men and money, and the Perak Turf Club Sports Club (PTCSC) was born. 

For the next 18 years, the 68 year old wooden clubhouse continued to welcome not only generations of golfers from all over the country at the annual golf championships hosted by the Club, but had staged numberless dramatic performances and social functions the like of which will probably never be seen again.

On November 10, 1968 the then President of the PTCSC, the late Almarhum DYTM Raja Muda Perak, Raja Musa Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Aziz, declared open the new $500,000 club house. This was the culmination of a farsighted and ambitious scheme by the then PTC's dedicated Chairman, Dato Yeoh Cheang Lee, to create for Ipoh a first class sports complex which included facilities for squash, billiards, a six-lane fully air conditioned bowling alley, and a spacious dining hall and kitchen.

Bowling soon proved to be a new popular sport for members. The low rates of entrance fee to join the Club, and a still existing levy of 50 cents per bowling game for members, which many consider the cheapest in the world, soon resulted in an influx of new members until the Club counted well over 1200 names in its membership register in 1973. 

A new annexe to the dining room, situated on top of the bowling alley was built by PTC and officially declared open on 19 August 1973. PTC also constructed a new kitchen adjoining the new annexe to the dining room and made improvements to the men's changing rooms.

Members had long felt the need for a swimming pool as a worthy amenity to complement the Club's existing facilities, but when the motion was put to a vote, it was surprisingly defeated at a meeting held on 16 March 1975. Despite this setback, the incoming 1976 PTCSC Committee under Club President Tan Sri Radin Soenarno Al-Haj, secured majority support from members, and also succeeded in getting PTC to agree to contribute a dollar for every three dollars PTCSC collected. Construction work on the 30m by 16m pool commenced in early 1980. The swimming pool complex, which includes two additional squash courts, was finally completed and in use from 31 August 1981 and duly declared open on 23 September 1981. 

The opening of the swimming pool complex created a new atmosphere at the Club. The number of wives and their children patronizing the Club increased tremendously, especially in and around the swimming pool complex.

A new chapter was added to the 78 year old distinguished history of the Club when PTC finally decided to lease the Club land and buildings with their contents to PTCSC for an annual nominal sum. Having now received the mandate for autonomy, an EGM was held on Thursday 23 November 1978. In his opening address, the then Club President, Tan Sri Radin Sornarno Al-Haj reiterated the PTC's decision to cease any further financial assistance to the Club from 1979. After an unanimous 'aye' from all members present, the Royal Perak Golf Club (RPGC) was born on 1 January 1979 with the word 'Royal' incorporated in its name by Royal Charter, with the consent of DYMM Sultan Perak, the Patron of the Club.