Game On

The historic Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling is a local and global jewel on the sporting map. It's also, contrary to popular belief, the city's most publicly used golf course. China Daily Lifestyle Premium tees up with club vice-captain William Doo Jr

Last November, British golfer Aaron Rai won his first European Tour title at the 60th Hong Kong Open, held at Fanling's Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC). With his win, the 23-year-old Rai may well have set off something of a global evolution - he is of Indian descent and, along with a group of newly emerging Indian players that includes Rookie of the Year Shubhankar Sharma, may be a catalyst for greater golf awareness and accessibility on the Indian subcontinent.

At a time when increasing participation in the sport is the primary concern of all bodies running the game, the HKGC's contribution is hugely significant. While raising awareness is not a term that sits symbiotically with a game many associate with elitism, expense and male domination, the HKGC has taken huge steps in encouraging more Hong Kong citizens of all ages to discover the pulling power of golf.