26 Nov 2025

Ng Yap, MST Golf’s visionary CEO, aims to build a business that will ‘make a positive impact in people’s lives through golf’. Words By Chuah Choo Chiang

What began nearly four decades ago as a simple idea to import U.S.-made air coolant spray cans for vehicles has since transformed into a multimillion-dollar, public-listed company now recognised as Southeast Asia’s leading golf retailer and service provider.

“With our hot weather, I thought it would be like printing money,” laughs Ng Yap, as he recalls that early business venture. Today, Ng is Group CEO of MST Golf, which operates 52 stores across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and with plans to venture further afield into Vietnam and Thailand.

MST Golf has certainly grown to become synonymous with premium golf retail and services. It operates eight stores across Singapore, including three MST Golf Super Stores at Suntec City, Scotts Square and City Square. It is the exclusive distributor and retailer for a wide range of renowned golf brands, catering to golfers of all skill levels.

The company’s growth in Singapore is of key importance for various reasons, and its presence in the city state took a combination of clear vision and relentless drive to grow to what it is today. When MST Golf first entered the Singapore market in 2000, its maiden outlet at Far East Plaza measured at approximately 500 square feet only. Fast forward to 2022, and its flagship MST Golf Super Store at City Square, located at Kitchener Road, opened its doors with an impressive 16,000 square feet, and showcases more than 60 brands across equipment, apparel, accessories and tech-infused services.

This retail hub also houses The Golf Lab SEA Performance Centre, offering the latest gizmos and data-driven swing analysis, personalized learning, and club optimisation programs. Seven technical hitting bays complete a holistic retail and learning experience tailored for today’s golfers in Singapore.

For every successful business venture, the genesis often provides inspiration or a funny anecdote, and Ng’s foray into golf was rather fortuitous.

After graduating from the University of Iowa in the 1980s, an era marked by technological innovation, the rise of MTV and the dominance of golf greats like Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo, Ng began his career as a civil engineer in New York City. However, the entrepreneurial blood that flows through his veins, inherited from his father, a local trader in their hometown of Sekinchan, Malaysia, eventually led him down a different path.

Ng abandoned the coolant idea, and other ideas that included selling decorative festive lights, and began trading second-hand golf clubs despite not being golfer himself. As luck would have it though, Ng’s boss in the U.S. engineering firm was a golf nut, and numerous golf equipment magazines was often lying around in the office and caught his attention.

He then found a supplier of used golf clubs, shipped them back to Malaysia to his childhood friend, K.P. Low who then resold the items and tripled their investment. In 1989, Ng and Low founded MST Golf. 

“We got into it purely by accident and we kept evolving from selling used clubs to grow our business in Malaysia,” said Ng.

“Then, we moved into Singapore with our first store in Far East. It took us time to launch our first Super Store concept in the market as we needed to convince Suntec City’s CEO to visit our Super Stores in Malaysia a few times to show him what was lacking in Singapore golf retail, and he eventually agreed to provide the required floor space.”

The persistence has since paid off in a big way. Suntec City offered 5,000 square feet to launch their first MST Golf Super Store in 2017 and it has since expanded to over 7,000 square feet. Two other MST Golf Super Stores located at Scotts Square (8,600 square feet) and City Square (16,000 square feet) are now part of the company’s expanded footprint to deliver high-end retail experiences to golfers and consumers that no other can deliver.

“Many of our Singaporean customers and brand partners asked us to bring the Super Store concept across from Malaysia. Now, it’s become one of our major success stories. We always felt Singapore golfers were under-served as the smaller golf shops struggled to meet evolving consumer needs.”

Ng attributes MST Golf’s rise in Singapore to several factors: a deep understanding of how to navigate a high-cost retail environment, a customer-first approach and a willingness to evolve. Yet the early years were not without struggle.

“We went in operating like a Malaysian company,” Ng admitted. “But things began to stabilise when Dato’ Loh Ah Joo, a Singaporean golf retail veteran, joined us. He brought invaluable experience and local insights, emphasizing cost control and efficiency.”

Ng’s business partnership and direct involvement with Sports Direct UK also offered valuable lessons in running a large-scale retail business. These learnings played a key role in amplifying MST Golf’s operations which culminated in the company’s public listing on the Malaysian stock exchange in 2023, a milestone that has fueled its ongoing expansion plans into new markets like Thailand and Vietnam.

“We have to keep evolving our retail concept to stay ahead,” Ng added. “Singapore is a tough retail environment, with high rental and manpower costs. We struggled in the early years after getting our foot in the door. Dato’ Loh was a key transition as he ran operations the Singaporean way which was to be very cost conscious.

“Personally, my involvement with Sports Direct allowed me to understand better how a multibillion retailer runs its business. We adapted and used good practices to revamp how MST Golf operates and what you see today is the making from our last eight to 10 years in business.”

MST Golf reported a record-high revenue of RM327 million in its 2024 annual report. However, profit-after-tax fell to RM4.8 million, due primarily to a revenue drop in Singapore from RM115 million to RM93 million. Ng cited factors such as currency fluctuations, shifts in consumer sentiment and the closure of Marina Bay Golf Course in 2024 as headwinds to the golf retail industry. The launch of its Indonesian operation, which now has six stores, also changed wholesale dynamics as Singapore had previously served as a distribution hub for the Indonesian market.

Still, Ng is optimistic and believes MST Golf will bounce back strongly.

“This is the first time we’ve faced a setback. But this is a market with strong spending power and great golfing culture,” he said. “With numerous world-class golf events held here annually which provides growth opportunities to the game, our team is actively working with our brand partners on sales activations to boost performance.”

A key innovation in MST Golf’s evolution has been the introduction of The Golf Lab at City Square and Scotts Square. These tech-driven centres provide personalized club fitting, swing analysis and coaching, all under one roof alongside its retail operations.

“We believe in technology,” said Ng. “Golf is a technical sport, and today’s younger golfers are more informed. They ask questions about products they intend to purchase and we’ve adapted. In countries like the U.S., U.K., and Australia, they have strong PGAs which create a large pool of professionals in both teaching and club-fitting. Hence, we’ve brought in expatriates to help deliver that same quality here, while developing our local talent.”

As a proudly homegrown Malaysian brand established in 1989, MST Golf’s journey from a small trading business to becoming a leading golf retailer making its mark in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia is a testament to its resilience, vision and passion for the game. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the company has over the years evolved beyond retail to offer a comprehensive ecosystem of golf-related services under one brand. These include event management, corporate merchandise, wholesale distribution, coaching and club fitting – positioning the company as a one-stop destination and pioneer for everything golf.

Looking ahead, MST Golf is presently investing into an enhanced e-commerce platform that goes beyond traditional product sales and services. The goal: to create a digital ecosystem supporting the entire golf lifestyle, including golf tourism.

“E-commerce currently accounts for over one percent of our group’s turnover,” Ng said. “We recorded a 26 per cent growth in Singapore in this segment last year, although it is due from a low base. We do see big potential in expanding this area of our business, including golf travel offerings. Our surveys have shown strong interest among Singaporeans for golf holidays abroad, and we’re building a platform to support that.”

 

In line with the Group’s 35th anniversary, the company has also renewed its mission statements:

• To deliver world-class experiences in everything golf.
• To build the best team and workplace, where collaboration, empowerment, and excellence thrive.
• To support and elevate the golf industry and foster a sustainable golf community.

The Group’s 35th anniversary also marks a renewed commitment to strengthening its connection with the communities it serves. Its anniversary tagline, “35 Years of Growing Together”, reflects MST Golf’s gratitude to customers, brand partners, golf clubs, landlords, and all industry stakeholders who have been part of its journey, and its continued dedication to growing the game and delivering exceptional experiences at every level of golf.

The company, Ng stressed, will continue to strive and live up to its ambitions in meeting the needs of golfers and promoting values that the game is renowned for, including honesty, integrity and excellence.

One of MST Golf’s key community tools is the ilovegolf loyalty programme, which has grown to 160,000 members, including 20,000 Singaporeans. Here, MST Golf frequently organises social events and tournaments in Johor Bahru, offering its Singaporean members affordable and accessible alternatives to the city-state’s increasingly limited and more expensive golf course options.

Ng also noted demographic shifts: the average member age has dropped from 60 to 50, and a growing number are under 45. Additionally, 70 per cent of total purchases in Singapore are taken up by women under 45, a demographic showing strong potential. Women also make up 11 per cent of ilovegolf members, a figure Ng sees as a growth trend.

“While we feel the pie is shrinking in Singapore due to closures of golf courses, we see this as an opportunity to increase our market share. We will continue to be aggressive with in-market activities through our ilovegolf platform and in partnership with the brands whom we work with,” he said.

One concept that has flourished in Malaysia but has yet to debut in Singapore is MST Golf Arena. This concept blends high-tech indoor golf simulators with dining and fun social experiences, all within the Super Store environment. “We’ve opened four Arenas in Malaysia and two in Indonesia, always alongside our Super Stores,” said Ng. “We’re open to bringing the concept to Singapore, but space and cost remain as our challenges. If a mall operator is ready to explore this with us at the right price point, we’ll consider it.”

So, what’s next for MST Golf in Singapore?

“I believe golf will continue to thrive in Singapore. There are no affordability issues — it’s a premium market where our products and services will always have value and be in demand. With all the major golf brands being based here, our performance in Singapore is also crucial to our regional standing. With eight well-positioned stores across this city state to serve the needs of our customers, we remain focused on delivering premium products and high-quality services,” Ng said.

“Access to golf will become more limited in Singapore. But Singaporeans are resourceful. I’ve had conversations with the Singapore Golf Association officials and they are exploring partnerships with Johor Bahru and Batam golf courses to provide more playing opportunities for its members too.”

The journey for a small-town kid like Ng has certainly been rewarding and fulfilling with plans afoot to venture into Vietnam and Thailand soon. But while its businesses look poised to grow, Ng will ensure he remains in the game for the right reasons.

“For K.P. and me, we’ve come a long way from a small town. We didn’t set out to build a legacy or anything like that. We simply wanted to do our best in a business opportunity and make a positive impact on people’s lives through golf,” he said.

“Golfers are very passionate. Multibillionaires can talk about golf with anyone. It brings people together. We will continue to look at ways to spread this game to more people through MST Golf. It’s a magical sport.”