SINGAPORE - Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong course has swung its way into Golf Digest's decorated list of the World's 100 Greatest Golf Courses for the first time.

It clinched 58th spot - the highest among South-east Asia courses and the only Singapore one to make the list. Into its second edition, the biennial rankings are based on ratings by 1,800 independent course evaluators and golfers across the globe.

Each course was assessed on seven different categories - shot value, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning, and course ambience. More than 33,600 courses across 206 countries were rated worldwide.

The No. 1 spot was taken by Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, while second place went to Augusta National, host of the annual Masters tournament since 1934.

According to Golf Digest, Serapong fared well in all categories, particularly in shot value, indicating its ability to test the skills of golfers, and conditioning, highlighting the high quality of grass conditions.

The 6,675-metre course also came in for praise for its variety of holes and memorability, which measures how well golfers remember a course.

The latest accolade comes just weeks ahead of the two major championships that will take place on Serapong - the SMBC Singapore Open from Jan 28-31 and the HSBC Women's Champions from March 3-6.

Sentosa Golf Club president Low Teo Ping said: "This recognition is dedicated to the members and staff of SGC who together have contributed immensely in ensuring that the golf course is always in excellent condition.

"It is also recognition of the ability of Singapore to be able to achieve world excellence in its facilities, when it puts its heart and mind into it."

Serapong was opened in 1982, undergoing a $12 million upgrade in 2007 before playing host to golf stars like Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott at the Singapore Open.