(SINGAPORE) The New York Tribune, in 1916, described the game of golf this way: 'Golf is, in part, a game; but only in part. It is also in part a religion, a fever, a vice, a mirage, a frenzy, a fear, an abscess, a joy, a thrill, a pest, a disease, an uplift, a brooding melancholy, a dream of yesterday, and hope for tomorrow.'

In Singapore, golf has also become a charitable pursuit. And a big one at that.

By most estimates, more than $10 million has been raised for various charities on Singapore's fairways so far this year. And with an average of at least one event teeing off every day at any one of Singapore's 13 golf clubs, this figure could more than double by year- end, say industry insiders.

The most recent 'big event' held earlier this month saw about 120 golfers, including Cabinet ministers, MPs, corporate chiefs and well-wishers, tee off at the PAP Community Foundation golf tournament at Tanah Merah Country Club. In the process, they also raised some $620,000 for various welfare groups and charity organisations such as the Moral Family Service Centres in Marine Parade, MacPherson and Serangoon.

This came on the heels of SingTel's golf event several weeks earlier, which raised some $680,000 for the Touching Lives Fund, which will benefit about 30,000 youngsters aged between two and 25 in five charitable organisations. The amount raised was a record in the event's six-year history.

AIA-SCS Charity Golf raised over $700,000 to fight cancer in July, while Mendaki managed to raise over $500,000. And over a quarter of the $1.06 million for charity raised by NTUC this year came from golf.

Even golf clubs have taken an active interest in charity golf. Besides allowing free use of their facilities, many also actually play host.

On May 1, several hundred golfers gathered at the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) for its annual May Day Charity Open, and in the process contributed some $753,300 to various charities in Singapore. And Seletar Country Club hosted its annual Seletar Mercedes-Benz Charity Golf Tournament, which raised over $420,000.

Indeed, golf has emerged as the perfect vehicle for fund raising.

'It's a good way of having some fun, networking, entertaining and helping the needy, all at the same time,' noted Elgin Ong, assistance marketing communications manager at Warren Golf and Country Club.

Event organisers note that the key ingredient of the game is its ability to reach deep into the well-heeled segment of society.

'If you or I want to try to raise funds for charity through traditional channels, we have solicit via dozens of letters, flyers and phone calls,' said a veteran golf event specialist. 'But when we organise a charity golf event, we get the likes of the Lee Foundation and businessmen like (commodities tycoon) Robert Kuok, (popiah king) Sam Goi, Chua Thian Poh (chief executive of Ho Bee Investments) and others donating tens of thousands of dollars just to buy flights to entertain associates while also giving to worthy causes.'

Many charity golf events sell by 'flights' (a flight denotes a group of four golfers playing together), with corporates and wealthy individuals buying flights at $10,000 or more each. For example, the Lee Foundation, which specialises in philanthropic pursuits, often donates tens of thousands of dollars upfront to these events, organisers say.

Many corporates also see charity golf events as a civic responsibility.

Daimler-Chrysler SEA Pte Ltd sponsors up to 80 charity golf events, offering its premium cars as hole-in-one prizes.

'Golf, like motorsports, is a key element of our branding,' said the company's marketing manager, Patricia Ho. 'But golf, in particular, also enables us to reach out to the community and give something back, thus allowing us to live up to our goals of being good corporate citizens.'

With some 200,000 regular golfers in Singapore - and with the numbers increasing - the popularity of golf as a charity fund-raising medium is set to rise.

'More and more charitable causes are jumping on the bandwagon to use golf events as a source of income,' confirmed Albert Khor, general manager of Raffles Country Club, which hosts dozens of these events every year.

The challenge then, caution some observers, is to ensure that donor fatigue does not kick in.