Family games par for course at HK Open

Michael Shum

The Hong Kong Open's spectator village will be making an entertaining return to Fanling Golf Course with family-friendly activities on the sidelines of the November 9 to 12 tournament.

This is the first time the Open has been upgraded to be one of 10 events held under the Asian Tour's International Series, with Hong Kong golden boy Taichi Kho and international stars such as 2022 The Open Championship winner Cameron Smith, Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch and Graeme McDowell.

Admission to the Open is free on November 9 and 10, while a pass for the weekend will cost HK$200 a day or HK$300 for the two days. Fans under 18 enjoy free entry throughout the tournament.

"The kids are sure to enjoy a spell-binding week in Fan Ling with roving magicians, free face painting, bouncy castles and arts workshops daily," organizers said.

"And alongside all of the tap-in putts on course, there will be plenty of toe-tapping in the village with music throughout the week, while daily free yoga classes on the village lawn offer a different way to get the body moving," they added.

The Open will also welcome the world champion team from the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association for performances on Saturday, which will offer "a magnificent exhibition of dynamic and imaginative rope skipping."

The organizers added: "Fans itching to show off skills in golf and other sports can try a variety of free games like golf simulators, miniature golf and rugby skill games on site."

Illustrator and mural artist Bo Law Ho-kwong and his team will also host a workshop from November 10 to 12, when visitors can make their mark on five outsized mural canvases featuring Law's designs.

Hong Kong Golf Club will also hold a special exhibition to share more on "A Century of Heritage and Ecology at Asia's Oldest Championship Golf Course" and introduce the club's efforts of more than a century to advance the sport and preserve and protect the important ecological and heritage significance of its Fan Ling site.

In addition to free parking, there will also be complimentary shuttle bus services throughout the tournament from Sheung Shui MTR, Central IFC Mall and Kowloon Tong MTR.

"We will also organize a booth from November 2 to 7 at Olympian City, where people will get the opportunity to take part in mini-games and get admission tickets for the tournament on Saturday, so that they can watch the tournament and also enjoy themselves in the spectator village as well," organizers added.