Malaysian-born British citizen Steve Kenny serves as an
on-the-ground general advisor for the Canggu Club, the first
private international club on Bali. A former Marketing Director
of Barclays Banking Group in Asia Pacific, Steve lived and
worked in Jakarta and Hong Kong for 10 years. In late 2000
he decided the time was right to make his move to Bali, breaking
all contacts with his previous career to demonstrate his commitment
to a new life. Steve is a great raconteur, a conscientious
member of the community, and unable to suppress a passion
for the island and its future.
What is a private international member’s club?
Social, recreational and sports facilities as they exist in
Bali are usually hosted by tourist facilities such as hotels
and restaurants. A private club is a place where people can
carry out all these activities with a sense of community in
a non-tourist setting. There is a very large community here,
both resident and frequent visitor and, as with many other
locations around the world, a club such as the Canggu Club
is able to provide first-class facilities which meet the obvious
demand.
Don’t many of Bali’s high-end hotels have private
membership clubs that fill that definition?
In reality it is not really possible to compare a club with
a hotel in that a hotel offers facilities primarily to temporary
guests whereas the club’s mission is exclusively to
serve its members on a long-term basis. Some hotels obviously
provide some facilities which we are providing but the Club
offers the complete package including a number of “firsts”
such as a floodlit properly turfed sports pitch and a large
indoor sports hall.
Why didn’t the owners base the club in the mountains
such as in Bedugal, or in the Lovina area of north Bali?
There were two prime drivers: securing sufficient land to
encompass sufficient facilities including a large sports field,
and the Club needed to be in close proximity to major centers
of residential population. Our 3.5 hectares in Canggu met
both these criteria and is one of the prime areas to which
villa development is being steered now and in the future.
Why did the owners choose a colonial style of design for the
clubhouse?
The prime drivers were to create something different as opposed
to following standard palimanan-style villa architecture;
to create something timeless as the Club is here to stay as
a central feature of the Bali community. Choosing an ultra-modern
style which could be out of vogue in 10 years would not fit
part of the Club’s mission of creating permanency; and
above all to create an environment where members can really
relax in a comfortable and informal setting. Colonial is not
really the correct word to use in describing the Club’s
environment; it is much more a laid-back plantation-style
with many components of modern living.
What is the typical profile of an adult member? What kinds
of families join the club?
One of the challenges we faced in concepting the Club was
that Bali has a very diverse range of residents and the Club
needed to cater to a broad cross-section. This is the reason
why there is no typical profile save that adult members have
joined for any number of reasons: sports facilities and participation
in Club teams, the gym and aerobics center, joining ladders
at the tennis and squash center, or access to Club events
and social activities. Family members are primarily residents
in Bali who see the Club as a key venue for all members of
the family, either together or at different times. The Club
membership is 60% driven by resident membership.
Does the club offer a lot of fun things to do for children?
Facilities for children was the easiest area of the Club to
concept out as, in reality, facilities available to Bali resident
kids outside of their schools is really pretty pathetic given
the size of the community. The Club caters to all ages, from
the toddlers’ crèche to the teenagers’
rooms (with X-boxes, table games, movie room, etc.), to the
Splash Park with learn-to-swim pool and mini-slide, to the
Sports Hall which will be equipped with proper gymnastic and
indoor sports equipment and a lined playing court for a variety
of games. The Sports Academies will be a major feature of
Club life and the touchstones here are professional coaching,
a stimulating environment, excellent equipment and facilities.
The Academies will focus on key sports with Soccer and Swimming
already launched with another Soccer Camp planned for December
with Gymnastics and Tennis to follow in 2006.
Why is Bali uniquely suited to host a club such as this? Why
not Phuket or China Beach in Vietnam?
All venues have their time and place for introduction of a
club. Phuket’s time will come and there are apparently
plans afoot. Vietnam is developing rapidly. One of Vietnam’s
first clubs was Sedona Town and Country Club in Saigon which
was nurtured and made a vibrant component of Saigon living
by Barry Le Cornu who joins us as our first Club General Manager
in January.
To learn more about the Canggu Club, refer to their website:
www.cangguclub.com <http://www.cangguclub.com/>
or phone +361 782 4180.
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact : <pakbill2003@yahoo.com>
Copyright@2005 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa
at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
