2014 Hong Kong Open

Fifty years same course. HIK Open the first stop to Asia, years ago.  Now with rising China, those billions of Chinese people with a  stupendously long cultural history, have seen the merits of chasing the bitter white pill along the ground with metal headed stick.  So the best of the mainland golfers will be here.

And Ernie Els, and MAJimenez, current Title Holder who reigns now in his fifth decade, and rising star Korean/Jewish/USA   DLipsky, among many others. Weather v nice, dry for weeks.

I'll be there for sure on Thursday, maybe Sunday.  Will tote camera, and make a snap.

Oh man I didn't realize the Match Play tourney and Hong Kong Open were the same weekend. I assume the Golf Channel will feature the match play but who knows?

Also looking forward to your pictures Joe!

Good start from Dutch youngster Daan Huizing, at -4 he's T3. Unfort. a bogey at the last hole. He needs to finish in top 5 this tournament or next week to keep his Tour Card (is my calculated guess) after his first year on the European Tour. Colsaerts and Els are also high on the leaderboard at -4.

Title defender and multiple winner Jimenez is outside the top 100 at +2.

Apparently he had some bad food poisoning last night.

http://www.supersport.com/golf/european-tour/news/141016/Food_poisoning_hits_Jimenezs_title_bid

Colsaerts screwed up. Yesterday T3 at -4, today +9 (!) and a missed cut. Jimenez will also not see the weekend. Huizing -2 today and at T5. Hopefully he can retain his card.

WHOA! wtf happened!?

That's really a shame, I like watching his swing.

No idea, his scorecard was full of bogeys and double bogeys.

Home pix of HKOpen.

Don''t know why so big.  Anyway, after the 40 minute big bus ride from home i have arrived at the MTR, light rail, train station.  Going to either stop but will exit train at Sheung Shui. Then walk 15 mins to golf course.

Found the course.  Here are some of the pros warming up on the practice chipping green.

I'll try to shrink these pix.

More later.

Practice range.  Course itself more than 100 years old. Set up during the glory years of the British Empire.  The houses were different then, for sure.

Putting green.

Sponsor.  Hard time finding big sponsors here now.  All the money and attention is going to the mainland.  Reliable outlook is this will be the final year, at least if no big sponsor is found.  Certainly the HK Golf Club cannot continue to put up such funds. They have spent plenty this year on the Open.

The rough. Seems deep enough.  Ball on fairway.

Here's the final dump.

The 18th green, just beyond the pond.  Only a few years back,  from this very bunker  Rory McIlroy blasted out to the same set pin.  He, and the  big crowds of the final day,  watched the ball roll along the green carpet 30 feet and drop into the cup.  For the immediate WIN.    Oh, those vids of Rory  then show the boy of joy and pleasure.  Please note the crummy air, heavily polluted by noxious gases, mostly from very nearby mainland China. This time of year the world rolls and now the winds here are dry and from the north, and polluted by  the cities on the mainland. It's a vast chimney.

I can't see this pix now but think this one shows the modern method of keeping young folks employed.  Give them a job. Anyway, no giant video screens here.   Frankly guys, i despise those ugly, venal electronic intrusions onto my vision.

The beer tent, one European  brand offered, at about ten US for big cup of good, cold and foamy lager  . HK is not a cheap place to exist. Land ownership not in play here, as all is owned by the socialist government of China, with puppet govt in HK. Extreme land rental costs drive many shops down fast, and labor laws mandating HK30 dollars per hour, minimum wage. This place is massive magnet to every other Asian who needs a job.

Del Moral. And caddy.  He ball deep in rough.  I was advised to observe 'no photos' rule. Which i mostly did.  These photos constitute a tiny fraction of the things i saw on the course. DMoral had 150 to giant double green, elevated some.  He could see 2 flags, one far. He wanted closer flag. She offered no comment and he smashed out onto green. A good shot.

What? Where?  Location here, near Sheung Shui, Hk, close to border city of Shenzhen.    Until reclamation of territory by 'motherland' , many illegal immigrants from mainland snuck into HK for jobs, reasonable life. Now, different. Border crossing takes half a million ticks per day, holidays more. The MTR train, 16 cars long, each holding 200, train every 4 minutes, in one hour moving an entire small city.  Shenzhen is home of Mission Hills Resorts and twelve fab golf courses. Cost me as guest 1000 RMB, each game,   five years ago.  Plus 100 caddy tip. If make HIO, really pay out to all caddies in group. It's a money world.

Tee box 18.  Holes here have names too. Recall the photo with DelMoral, that hole was named 'Graves'. On this very site, 110 years old, tigers roamed. Truly. Since land cannot be owned by club, they only lease the land, some local folks want the govt to 'reclaim the land for sky high housing.  Chines tradition is gravesites with good 'feng shui' is best for ancestors. So hillsides with view of sea, tops for the dead. Many graves predate site and were not removed when shovelers arrived to make golf.  This hole, the final one is named 'Ultimate'.  The colorful little hut may be original fixture, in the traditional chinese style. Now it\s food and toilet. But is center of action wtih 3 tee boxes, and 5 greens nearby.   Entire set up here has 3 entire courses and 2 are used to make composite lay out. By far and away the most valuable club membership in this city. Said to need 5 mil US to join, then wait 5 years.

Can't see photo.  Will upload and tell later.

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OK.  Few more.  Previous photo of tree parade, mostly 'broadleaved paperbark' an Australian pest tree, but certainly the most common tree here. . This tree so bad, it's labeled a 'noxious weed' in parts of USA. Esp So. Florida, so don't bring any home from travels. Many trees here, some 100 yrs and more.

Mr. Wong, i believe.  He won the citywide HK Amateur title, thereby gaining a spot in Open. Fourteen years old and defeating guys twice his age, that would be men, also playing the golf for many years, in their prime now of 28 years old, but beaten by youngster. Lose face big time. I think no am made cut this year.

Needs attended to. Crowds small this year. Last year 40 toilets.

With neighbors so close, and mostly so poor, it's easy to learn why the locals want to oust the golf club from this prime land.  The land is leased only, no freehold here so club gets nervous at times about future. There is no other land available in HK for good golf.  A few driving ranges, which are temporary till housing developer decides to build a few 'houses', like above.  Current political news from HK indicates dis satisfaction, by some, with political reality. The reality is the CCP, chinese communist party, is totally in charge and they will not, cannot, tolerate any discussion of change since all change threatens the party. Before too long, HK will morph into just another coastal chinese city, without any personal freedoms or voice in government. Sad, as it's a lovely place.

End of photos and tour of HK Golf Club.

Tourney over.  Scott Hend, Australia, defeats Philipino AQue in one hole playoff.  EEls 5 behind leaders at end.

This may indeed be the final hurrah for the Hong Kong Open.

It's been a pleasure for me to visit the great club at Fanling, to play golf there and observe the pro golfers during the tourney this year and the past 4 years.