SHAH ALAM, March 5 — Keeping over 10,000 people comfortable while out in the open, under the sweltering Malaysian heat, is no easy feat.
So it’s understandable that getting the Kota Permai Golf & Country Club (KPGCC) ready to accommodate thousands of golfing enthusiasts for Malaysia’s national golf tournament requires a lot of running around behind the scenes.
From entertainment to food service, a lot of logistics are involved and in an interview with Malay Mail, Bandar Malaysia Open 2020’s (BMO 2020) head of operations Wong Jay Lyn described what goes into making sure everything is in good order for the tournament.
“Coordinating is the biggest challenge. There is a lot of planning and work being done in the background,” said Wong.
“There is a big 60-metre long exhibition marquee at the entrance. We have 15 to 16 exhibitor booths there.
“Then we have everything else split into different areas. The main area is the VIP hospitality suites, then we have the clubhouse area for members and also the public dining area.”
In total, Wong estimates that there will be between 10,000 and 12,000 people within the vicinity of KPGCC, with over 9,000 passes alone released to KPGCC club members — not including guests, sponsors, players and caddies.
With thousands in attendance and the blistering heat not doing any favours, making sure everyone is well-fed and hydrated while enjoying the sporting entertainment on display calls for a helping hand.
“We have eight hospitality suites, and Sunway Hotel Resort & Spa will be handling all the catering because the clubhouse wouldn’t have been able to manage it on their own,” said Wong.
“It’s about 450 to 500 people for the suites catered for every day of the tournament. Three buffet-style meals a day (breakfast, lunch and high tea), 500 people each meal. So that’s about 1,500 meals a day.”
But it’s a lot more complicated than just handing over everything to the hotel staff, as accommodations have to be made in order for them to prepare quality meals and refreshments for the VIPs.
Among the VIPs include royal golfing enthusiasts such as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
“It took about one to one-and-a-half months just to coordinate. Food is just one part of it,” said Wong.
“But the main mobilisation aspect was most important. We had to make a satellite kitchen for them so they can prepare on-site because they can’t just cook everything at the hotel and bring it here.
“So getting all their equipment in, deciding how much manpower they need and ensuring that they have space to cook, keep the food warm and store their utensils was a big part of the planning process.”
The Sunway staff will need as many hands as they can to keep their guests happy with their menu of local and international delicacies.
“The menu for the hospitality suites will incorporate a mix of Malaysian food with some Western dishes as well,” said Wong.
“There’ll be traditional dishes like nasi lemak, satay and mee goreng, but there will also be dishes like pancakes and pasta too.
“We want to keep it mixed because we have international guests as well. But it is the Malaysian Open, so we want to keep that local touch to it.”
She added that the players and KPGCC members, on the other hand, will be able to get their meals from the clubhouse restaurant, all of which are made to order.
Avid golfing fans in attendance can also get refreshments and quick bites to eat, from 7am to 7pm every day, as there are five food trucks and a Carlsberg beer garden at the public dining area in front of the ninth hole.
Apart from the food aspect, Wong added that handling parking for guests, VIPs and KPGCC members was also a challenge with thousands expected to attend.
“There isn’t enough parking to fit everyone in the clubhouse. We’ve had to allocate 200 spots for VIPs and 150 spots for KPGCC members, so everyone else will have to park outside around the Kota Kemuning area,” said Wong.
“But we have allocated 19 pickup points around the area and there will be shuttles going around to pick people up so they don’t have to walk that far.”
Malay Mail is an official media partner for the Bandar Malaysia Open 2020.
The four-day tournament takes place from March 5 to 8, as top golfing professionals from the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) and Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) battle it out for a US$1 million (RM4.2 million) prize.
For more information about the Bandar Malaysia Open 2020, you can visit the Facebook event page or surf over here.
