PONDERS by Ponderosa ISSUE 26 - Ramadan Issue

KDN: PP16888/09/2012 (030643) 

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF PONDEROSA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 

Affiliated to the Kuok Group 

ISSUE 26 

2022 

FREE COPY

PONDEROSA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB NEWSLETTER 

MY SHARING … 

“Great things are meant to be shared ! 

FREEBIES 

SCAN ME 

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GET FREE DESSERT IN 

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(WITH MIN SPEND 

OF RM 50) 

At Hop Sing Chinese 

Restaurant 

*Scan to access freebie together 

with reservation 

Ponderosa has marched into a terrific start of year 2022 

with more new members signing up and guests visiting 

us. Furthermore with more upgrades around the club, 

Ponderosa is adding more comfort and convenience to 

your entitlement. Thank you everyone for sharing your 

greatest moments with Ponderosa. 

We are proud to present to you the ever-improving 

Ponderosa. Not only have we expanded our affiliations 

by signing up with more than 10 golf clubs nationwide 

since last year, Ponderosa has also hosted a series of 

member events both within the club and outside the 

club. The soon-to-be upgraded sports facilities shall 

also provide more motivation for leisure and training. 

Those who have been around are aware that we are in 

the process of upgrading our toilets for the comfort 

of users. We want our members to feel proud of their 

membership with Ponderosa. 

As part of year 2022’s resolution, Ponderosa aims 

to go more digital and we encourage all members 

to embrace the convenience and power of cashless 

payment. It all started with e-statements in place of 

printed statements to reduce paper usage, then we 

incorporated other Go Green efforts through looking 

at our food packaging and waste management. These 

initiatives had been rewarding and had enabled 

Ponderosa to be sustainable for the future. 

Moving forward, Ponderosa shall remain as the preferred 

venue for hosting tournaments, functions and events by 

offering one of the most-well-maintained golf courses 

with value-for-money experience. We would like to 

invite more members and guests to join the next level 

of networking and improved lifestyle, always available 

at Ponderosa. 

At Ponderosa, we care to share great things with you! 

TAN KAI YANG 

General Manager 

PONDERS newsletter is published by Ponderosa Golf & Country Club (No. 3, Jalan Ponderosa 1, Taman Ponderosa, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor) 

& Printed by Sin Hua Printing [No 7 & 9, Jalan Anggerik 3/2, Taman Anggerik, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor]. Copyright of articles, contributions and 

photos which are published are the property of Ponderosa Golf & Country Club.


PERSONA... 

86 and he hit a Hole-in-One! 

Although elated, Tan had mused in his speech, 

“Having reached this age, there is nothing much 

to seek for. Just to maintain peace of mind and 

doing my best in everything I do.” 

Nevertheless, it was a victory that motivates 

other younger golfers yet to achieve a Hole-in- 

One that age is never a factor. It is a matter of 

passion, attitude and practice. 

Mr Tan only started playing golf when he was 

around the age of 60 as he felt that exercising 

is the prerequisite to staying healthy, especially 

important after retirement. Golf is only one of 

his many pursuits which include jogging, going 

to the gym and going for walks. 

On why he chose an interest in golf at a late age, 

he explained that other than an intrinsic love for 

exercise, the flexibility of timing to play the sport 

gave him the means to blend both social and 

domestic life. 

Mr Tan Ah Chin is the oldest person in Ponderosa’s 

history to hit the coveted prize! 

Amidst a celebrative environment in one of 

Ponderosa’s meeting rooms, Mr Tan was feted by 

his good friends cum golfing kakis when he hit a 

Hole-in-One at Par 3 of Hole No 12. 

“Not only does it allow me to mingle with my 

usual Kakis, it also gives me precious time with 

my family”. His normal routine would be to teeoff 

at 7:00am to finish his game by 11:00am, with 

the rest of the day devoted to household chores 

(which pleases his better half), gardening and 

generally spending time with loved ones. 

Winning is not 

everything. You 

can’t win all 

the time but 

with the right 

attitude , you 

become winner 

of your life !


CHALLENGE OF THE CHAMPS @ ORNA 

GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, MELAKA 

The Winners of All Winners emerged at the Grand 

Final of the 9-Hole Golf Challenge on Friday, 21 

January 2022 with 32 participants, who qualified 

based on merit points of the whole series of the 

9-Hole Challenge at Ponderosa in 2021. 

TOP TEN SCORERS 

Champion: Cheong Yaw Khang 

2nd Place: Tang Sim Cheow 

3rd Place: Diana Tay


Participants chilling at our newly-affiliated Club in Melaka 

9-HOLE GOLF CHALLENGE CALENDAR 

for 2nd Quarter of 2022 

Winners of every series of the 9-Hole Golf Challenge will have their names listed on a plague at 

the Café, and will compete in a Grand Final organised either at Home Club or at an Off-site Club 

at the end of each year’s run.


FRIENDS OF PONDEROSA 

Building Bonds through Golf … New Affiliated Clubs 

ORNA GOLF & COUNTRY 

CLUB, MELAKA. 

Batu 16, Jalan Gapam 77200 Jasin, 

Melaka. 

Tel : 06-521 0333 

Email : ogcc@ornaresort.com.my 

It is located just seven minutes from the Ayer Keroh interchange of the North South Highway and 25 

minutes from the Melaka city centre, and your welcome is marked by a distinctive looking Clubhouse. 

Named as one of the toughest and most challenging golf courses in the south, American Andy Dye’s 

characteristic heavily mounded fairways, set between uphill slopes will require both wit and skill. 

CLUB RATE 

DAMAI LAUT GOLF & COUNTRY 

CLUB, PERAK 

Hala Damai 2, Jalan Damai Laut 

Off Jalan Teluk Senangin 32000 Lumut 

Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia 

Tel: 019-574 2113 

Email: info@dlgcc.swissgarden.com 

A par-72 championship buggy-tracked course which is located within Damai Laut in Perak. Its defining 

course by the sea and surrounded by lush greenery is anything but breath-taking. One of Ronald 

Fream’s masterpieces which is routed through a tropical landscape with nine holes overlooking the 

Straits of Malacca and the other nine over the estuaries of the Dinding River. 

CLUB RATE


KELAB GOLF 

DIRAJA, PAHANG. 

Jalan Padang Golf 

25050 Kuantan, Pahang 

Tel: 09-567 5811 

Email: kgdphg@yahoo.com 

A matured links course, the Pahang Royal golf course is only a short distance from the famed Telok 

Chempedak beach, Kuantan. With the South China Sea in view, swirling winds often pose a challenge 

to golfers while holes near to the forest demand accuracy as hazards come in the form of tall trees, aside 

from bunkers and water features. 

KELAB GOLF 

DIRAJA PEKAN 

Jalan Padang Polo 26600 Pekan 

Bandar DiRaja Pahang 

Tel: 09-422 4193 

Email: golfpekan@yahoo.com 

SANDAKAN GOLF & COUNTRY 

CLUB, SABAH 

P.O. Box 541 90000 Sandakan 

Sabah, Malaysia 

Tel: 08 966 0557 

E-mail: sdkgolf178@gmail.com 

Sandakan Golf & Country Club offers 18-hole golf course on a strategic and scenic stretch along Mile 

6 North Road endowed with a well-equipped modern Club House with a full range of F & B services 

as well as a comprehensive range of other Sports and Recreational Facilities.


CITARASA SERANTAU 

For Break Fast with our popular Dulang Sets 

From 3 April – 8 May 2022, breaking fast at Ponderosa 

will be a journey of taste featuring the Johorean Malay, 

Indian to Chinese selections served in a Dulang. 

Eating out of a Dulang is the resurgence of an 

age-old tradition of communal eating especially in 

Kampungs. Here at Ponderosa, we re-enact the 

break fast to once again, be served in a Dulang 

and to bring home the meaning of togetherness, 

unity and harmony. 

For Bookings and Enquiries, contact 019-758 8093


DO’S & DON’TS – 

YOUR HARI RAYA ‘NEW NORM’ 

ETIQUETTE 2022 

(An adaptation: Article by Stephanie Yap [2019, May 16 - www.iproperty.com.my/lifestyle]) 

DO: Check what time to arrive 

Although you have been invited to an open house, 

it is only good manners to check with your host. 

Moreover, with social distancing as the norm, it 

will allow your host to manage the crowd. Be on 

time. 

chemicals as well. 

DO: Greet the host 

Remember your manners and to greet your host 

by wishing them a Selamat Hari Raya. Amidst 

the precarious COVID period, the word ‘Selamat’ 

has deep meaning for everyone. 

Also remember the norm of greetings now. 

Avoid shaking hands or the ‘salam’ with kissing 

the hand of the host. Do the palm on your chest, 

or at most do a light fist bump. 

DON’T: Overstay your welcome 

Even if the host is your good friend, remember 

that he/she will have guests coming in and out 

of the house and they’d need to make time to 

entertain them. So the best thing to do is take 

your leave if you see people starting to arrive. 

Moreover, due to the practice of standard SOPs, 

too many people in the house are not allowed. 

DON’T: Wear clothes that are too revealing 

Out of respect, do away with shorts, mini-skirts, 

sleeveless tops, body-hugging dresses even if you 

feel comfortable with them. Be modest, but you 

don’t have to cover every inch of your body. A 

simple t-shirt and jeans will also do, or to rise to 

the occasion take out that rarely worn traditional 

Malay dress / batik shirt you have hanging in your 

wardrobe. Your host will be warmed. 

DO: Help yourself with the food but mind your 

SOP 

The beauty about Malaysians is their pride in 

their diverse cuisines and share of festivity fare. 

If anyone has the audacity to tell us that ‘Chicken 

Rendang should be crispy” he will not hear the 

end of it from Malaysians on social media! 

Hari Raya is the time to savour among the best of 

Malaysian food and do your host’s effort justice 

and keep topping up! It’s only once a year. But 

remember to respect the SOPs put to you. 

DO: Help out wherever you can 

It is good manners to clear your own plate after 

eating, or at least take it into the kitchen and 

leaving it at the sink. Don’t leave the soiled plate 

there as you leave the table. If you are sitting 

at the table with other guests, be helpful by 

passing dishes to them if they find it difficult to 

reach. The host will appreciate it because they 

may be busy entertaining other guests at the 

same time. 

DON’T: Open the Raya packet in front of people 

It’s a NO NO! Especially if you’re visiting with 

kids, remind them not to open the packets until 

they’re home. You don’t want them running 

around tearing open the Raya packets and 

counting the amount they received in front of 

the host as it is discourteous. 

DON’T: Eat with your left hand 

If you choose to follow the custom and eat with 

your hands, you should always receive or handle 

food with only your right hand. The left hand is 

often deemed as “unhygienic” as it is typically 

used to clean oneself after using the washroom. If 

you have sanitised your hands earlier, remember 

to wash it off first otherwise you will be ingesting


MUD TO THE RESCUE … 

“With the quickening pace of environmental degradation as well as the depletion of our collective 

natural resources, the quality of life we experience on Earth is deteriorating at an alarming pace. Experts 

say that individuals, groups, corporations, and governments must act now to contain the threat to 

the very existence of mankind and all other forms of life. The challenge before us now is the reversal 

of the existing situation through the enrichment of the environment and conservation of the natural 

resources for a sustainable future for us and for our children” – Green Earth Society, Johor. 

MUDBALLS FOR RIVER CARE 

Throwing mudball into rivers 

GES teaching students how to make mudballs 

Mudballs are made using the EM 

technology from Japan which is a 

combination of mixing ordinary clay, 

red earth or top soil with EM Activated 

Solution and fermented to create naturally 

occurring micro-organisms. These act to 

purify water and hence improve water 

quality that revives aquatic life over time. 

LAKE CARE@ 

PONDEROSA 

In March and in conjunction with the resorts’ 

revival of its Let’s Bond 4.0 – H2O & More, 

where we celebrate and raise the awareness 

of the importance of water, Ponderosa and 

Green Earth Society (GES) collaborated to 

make and throw mudballs into its many lakes 

and ponds, not forgetting the river dividing 

Ponderosa and Permas Jaya.


THE NEEM TREE 

NATURE’S AMAZING REMEDY TO BETTER AIR QUALITY 

Do you know that the Neem Tree is the most 

researched tree in the world and is said to be 

the most promising tree of the 21st century? 

This is because it can help to combat deforestation, 

soil erosion and is able to reduce excessive global 

warming. It has a high rate of photosynthesis and 

therefore releases more oxygen into the air in 

the day as compared to other tree species, while 

absorbing carbon dioxide during the night. A 

member of the Mahogany family it is a hardy, fastgrowing 

tropical tree up to 30 metres in height, 

which provides good shade with long spreading 

branches and moderately thick foliage. 

What is further 

amazing about the 

Neem Tree is that 

its fruits, leaves and 

bark have Ayurvedic 

medicinal properties.


NEEM TREES @ PONDEROSA 

FOR SHADIER, FRESHER AIR ON THE GOLF COURSE 

GES and Ponderosa embarked on an initiative to plant Neem Trees along Hole 3. The first batch of 

trees were planted by several Social and Golf Committee members on 28 February 2022. 

Director, Steven Goh, marks the tree planting by 

signing on the banner 

Social Committee Member, Lena Lim and sister 

Lydia Lim having fun with planting under the sun 

Golf Committee Members, Mah Chee Wah and Tan Zi Yond doing their part to plant a neem tree 

ENVIRONMENT CARE WITH GREEN EARTH SOCIETY 

The Green Earth Environmental Care Association (GES) was founded by Mr. P. 

Sivakumar in 2013, and was established as a body of NGO’s carrying out various 

activities related to environmental ecosystem care in Johor. GES is funded 

through public donations, personal contributions, and grants and is run by 

members and volunteers who are dedicated to environmental reform and with 

goals to mobilize a mass movement through education and awarness. 

To donate or sponsor projects, contact Elisha: 016-716 5565


IN CELEBRATION OF THE MOST 

IMPORTANT GADGET IN OUR LIFE 

(Adaptation: Articles by Akayi Soe [2020, May 16 - www.buymobiles.net] and Dimas Pardo [2018, Jan 30 – https:// 

ehorus.com]) 

Mobile phones have become an everyday addiction – no longer just a tool of communication but 

an indispensable gadget that could never be allowed to leave our sides. More so now, with the 

MySejahtera we cannot go anywhere without it. 

So to celebrate the gadgets that we’ve come to depend on so dearly, here are 10 mobile phone facts 

that you probably didn’t know. You may not believe all of them but let’s have fun and appreciate the 

technology that has been bestowed upon us. 

1. The first mobile phone was HUGE and cost 

about USD4000 

The first mobile phone was likened by the local 

Malaysian to a handy, hand held weapon! It was 

even nicknamed as “Da Ge Da” literally translated 

as “Big Big Brother”. The Motorola DynaTAC 8000x 

was very large compared to phones today. This first 

cell phone was very expensive when it was released 

in the US in 1984 with a retail price of $3,995! 

2. Mobile phones are dirtier than toilet handles 

Your smartphone goes just about everywhere 

with you - which means that it picks up a whole 

load of germs along the way. A used smartphone 

carries around 18 times more ‘potentially harmful’ 

types of bacteria than a toilet seat. So when you 

sanitise your hands, sanitise your phone too! 

and placing alarm clocks on bedside tables, 

preferring the clock and the alarm clock features 

in our smartphones. Soon they will completely 

disappear while the vintages become prized 

collectors’ items. 

5. Scientists can charge phones using urine 

Yeeewwww!! But no kidding. BBC had reported 

that scientists in Bristol have developed a way 

of charging phones using urine, as urine is an 

unending supply of waste product. An energy 

converter which turns organic matter directly 

into electricity can be installed in bathrooms 

to harness the urine and produce sufficient 

electricity to charge mobile phones. After all, 

people enjoy using mobile phones while doing 

their ‘business’ - no? 

6. We check our mobiles around 150 times a 

day 

The average person unlocks their phone around 

150 times each day as it is said that we check our 

phones every 6 minutes on average. And you 

wonder why it becomes a crime to use mobile 

phones while driving?! 

3. Your mobile is more powerful than a spaceship 

According to www.zmescience.com, an iPhone 

could be used to guide an Apollo-era spacecraft to 

the moon, at the same time perform instructions 

120,000,000 times per second faster than the 

spacecraft itself. 

4. Watches and alarm clocks will disappear 

Statistics say that around 60% of users have 

stopped wearing watches on their wrists


7. Losing your phone has become a Phobia 

It’s a real ailment and even has a name! 

According to Healthline.com, ‘Nomofobia’ 

shortened from “no mobile phone phobia,” 

describes a fear of not having your phone 

that’s so persistent and severe it affects daily 

life. Symptoms include anxiety, difficulty in 

breathing, trembling, perspiration, agitation, 

disorientation and heart palpitations of over 

100 beats per minute. 

8. More people have mobiles than toilets 

globally 

A UN report provided a stunning statistic that 

more people now have mobile telephones 

around the world than have access to a flush 

toilet. Six of the world’s seven billion people 

have mobile phones - but only 4.5 billion have 

a toilet and now UN is so concerned with 

the finding that they have launched a global 

campaign to improve sanitation. 

This is the Falcon Supernova Pink Diamond 

IPhone 6, which has a case made of 18-carat 

gold and has a large pink diamond on its back. 

A toy for the ultra-rich and famous! 

10. The best-selling mobile phone is the 

Nokia 1100 

Early users will remember those years when 

NOKIA was the household name in mobile 

phones. Although many locals remember the 

highly hardy Nokia 3310 better, the Nokia 1100 

considered as one of the toughest phones ever 

created is the best-selling to date, having sold 

250 million units. 

These were also the earliest phones which 

started the frenzy of interchangeable colourful 

covers. 

9. The most expensive mobile phone in the 

world costs … 95.5 million dollars!


PONDEROSA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 

SPORTS WEEKLY ACTIVITIES 2022 

DAY & TIME 

Monday 

9.00 A.M. 

ACTIVITY 

AEROBIC 

Monday 

7.00 P.M. 

MUAYFIT 

Tuesday 

7.00 P.M. 

KICKBOXING 

Wednesday 

7.00 P.M. 

MUAYFIT 

Thursday 

9.00 A.M. 

FITNESS CIRCUIT TRAINING 

Thursday 

7.00 P.M. 

YOGA 

Friday 

9.00 A.M. 

KPOPX FITNESS 

Friday 

7.00 P.M. 

ZUMBA 

Saturday 

10.00 A.M. 

4.00 P.M. 

READYSTEADYGOKIDS 

Tennis Lessons / Swimming Lessons / Diving Lessons / Personal Training and Paintball Games 

are by appoinment only. 

PADDOCK TENNIS COURT MULTI-PURPOSE STUDIO 

For More Information, Please Contact us at Sport Department : 016-702 7852 sports@ponderosagolf.com

PONDERS by Ponderosa ISSUE 26 - Ramadan Issue

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