International golf tournaments are magnets for golf fans in Greater Bay Area

The city is back into the swing of things as the Hong Kong Golf Club hosted the World City Championship at the Fanling golf course last week, laying down the marker in Hong Kong’s status as a mega sporting event capital and further popularizing golf as a sport for the entire community.

The announcement earlier this year that the World City Championship (WCC) would be held at Hong Kong Golf Club from March 23 to 26 arrived like a beacon of light. After years of pandemic restrictions that saw large-scale sports events either scrapped or postponed, the return of golf gets people smiling from ear to ear as the city regains normality.

“Following a three-year hiatus, we are keen to put Hong Kong back on the international golf stage with the WCC,” said Danny Lai, CEO of the Hong Kong Golf Association. Headlined by international and local stars including New Zealand’s Michael Hendry, and Hong Kong’s own Taichi Kho (who eventually made history as the first local golfer to win an Asian Tour title), the WCC is the first international golf tournament held in Hong Kong since 2020 and it’s been selected as one of the three Asian tournaments in The R&A’s Open Qualifying Series (OQS) – one of golf’s most historic events. 

The WCC is just the first of three top-flight golf events taking place at the Fanling golf course this year, with the women’s Aramco Team Series penciled in for October and the Hong Kong Open in November, all of which heralds the long-awaited return of Hong Kong to the global golfing calendar. And it is understood that plans are in the pipeline to host the National Games 2025 in the Fanling site, in collaboration with the cities of Macau and Guangdong Province.

The popularity of golf has grown fast in recent years, and it is widely acknowledged that golf is an effective means of connecting people to each other, transcending borders and boundaries. While much has been made about the valuable opportunities brought about by the rapid development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), Hong Kong is also fully leveraging its strengths to propel the growth of golf in the region.

The Hong Kong public aside, the WCC game has also drawn many golf fanatics from mainland China specifically for the tournament. Woods Dong, a member of an 80-person golfing tour group from Shenzhen, arrived in Hong Kong on March 26 as early as 7am. He said that in his home city, many university alumni golf teams and amateur teams regularly take part in amateur tournaments for networking and exchange purposes. “As soon as we heard that the WCC would be held in Hong Kong, a captain of my university alumni golf team immediately started arranging this trip to take our team members to Hong Kong and witness this magnificent tour in person,” he noted.

With Hong Kong’s well-established contacts and venerable status in the international golf scene, Lai believes we are well-placed to spearhead golf in the GBA. “Over the years the Hong Kong Golf Association has maintained close collaboration with the golf associations of Guangdong and Macau. There are exciting plans ahead for international tournaments in Hong Kong,” Lai said.

As well as showcasing Hong Kong as a major venue for Asian golf, Lai said that the WCC is part of the concerted efforts to share the excitement of golf with the Hong Kong public and visitors from around the world. “It’s so encouraging to see many spectators taking to the Hong Kong Golf Club for the WCC,” Lai remarked. “Not everyone is an avid golfer but we hope that, through this event, more people will get to appreciate the fantastic facilities, colorful history and challenging golf course in Fanling, as well as the fundamentals of golf.”

Complementing the HKSAR government’s “Hello! Hong Kong” campaign to attract international visitors to the city, the Club waived entry fees across the WCC tournament week, allowing spectators and the general public to watch proceedings for free, and enjoy a host of bonus entertainment in the field – from international cuisine and golf clinics, to live music concerts and outdoor wellness workshops, as well as a Classic Car Show in collaboration with the Classic Car Club of Hong Kong.

On the third day of the tournament, there was plenty on offer out on the pristine open terrain. While veteran golfers teed off across the sprawling range, surrounded by throngs of spectators, visitors were having a blast at the ‘WCC Village’. In one of the booths, adults and children took their first swings to log the entire 18-hole rounds on simulators; in another, a couple of families were learning in guided tours about the fascinating history and ecology of the Fanling heritage site.

Golfing is often regarded as a luxury and an elite sport, so the event offered what was the first golf experience for many. Jo Lu and her young son, who were present at the March 25 match, said a friend recommended them to participate: “As children’s exposure to golf is largely through television, this is a great opportunity for them to experience the game first-hand, not to mention an awesome outing for the whole family.” This comment chimed with another parent, Yin Choi Ping, who applauded the WCC for providing the community with access to golf they may not otherwise have.

Lai Tak Lat, 19-year-old, likewise has never played golf before so he joined his classmates in attending the game that day. “I was quite fascinated by the ‘zing’ sound as a perfect swing sent the ball airborne in a flash, with everyone cheering and clapping,” Lai said, adding that he would love to go to similar golf events again for they are incredibly eye-opening experiences. 

With the just-concluded WCC having remade the urban golf experience, and the National Games on the horizon, the future bodes well for golf in Hong Kong and beyond, with communities benefitting from the facilities that are accessible to all who wish to enjoy it – no matter their age or where they live.

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