One day ahead of the 57^th Hong Kong Open when the world’s leading golfers will compete for the City’s oldest professional sporting title, hundreds of local fans turned up at the inaugural “Community Open Day”, part of the grassroots program to introduce golf to a broader audience and make the UBS Hong Kong Open more accessible to the public than ever before.

More than 350 youngsters accompanied by their parents took advantage of the UBS Hong Kong Open Community Golf Day at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.Some youngsters are from three of this year’s tournament charity (Friends of Asia) beneficiaries Playright Hospital Play Services, InspiringHK Sports Foundation and the Autism Partnership Foundation’s Aoi Pui School.

The kids enjoyed a fun day out, with many visiting a golf course and playing golf for the first time. Part of the family-oriented community program included arts & crafts, introductory golf programs, rope-skipping and other interactive games. All registered participants of the Open Day also received two complimentary season passes for the tournament.

The Hong Kong Rope Skipping Club staged an exciting performance for the audience. Among them is the rope-skipping world recorder holder Mr Timothy Ho Chu Ting, who represented Hong Kong and set a world record of 500 skips in three minutes at the Rope Skipping World Championships in the US in 2012.

“Giving back to the communities we operate in is in the DNA of all of our sponsorships at UBS. We are excited at the wide array of community activities instituted around this year’s UBS Hong Kong Open and were delighted to see so many excited children on the course today getting their first experience of golf,” said Ms Kathryn Shih, Head of UBS Wealth Management APAC.

Star golfers Victor Dubuisson and Miguel Angel Jimenez were on hand to meet with the children and general public, providing both practical tips and inspiration to the young fans.

With support from the Hong Kong Government’s Mega Events Fund (MEF) and the return of long-time supporter UBS as title sponsor in 2015, the UBS Hong Kong Open has expanded its outreach and created new partnerships with a number of service organizations and charities. Together with key partners and sponsors, the Organisers have implemented a series of new community initiatives:

• Free Thursday: a new scheme offering free admission to the tournament on the event’s opening day, giving visitors, local golf enthusiasts and new fans an opportunity to watch some of the world’s greatest golfers and experience the unique atmosphere of the beautifully traditional Hong Kong Golf Club at no cost on Thursday 22nd October.
• HK Special Olympics Golf Clinic: Children with special needs will have an hour of golf clinic with star golfers Li Hao Tong and Padraig Harrington on Thursday afternoon provides everyone with the opportunity to be a “Gift to the World.”
• Education Tour for Hong Kong Polytechnic University Students: 22 marketing students to have an education tour of Championship on Saturday morning covering the Club, the Village, Tournament Operations, Media Centre, Marquee and Structures.Designed and customized for the aspiring sports management students, the behind the scene tour is first of its kind in the City to give the local students one-of-a-kind experience to a major sports events.
• Students Reporters Day for Hong Kong Baptist University Students: 15 students from School of Communications will have a chance to practice their journalism skills at the City’s prestigious sporting events.

UBS Hong Kong Charity Cup: Working with Friends of Asia, the official charity of the Championship, Organizers has created a new post-event charity tournament to raise funds for its community initiatives. The 2015 UBS Hong Kong Charity Cup will take place at the Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling on 28 October.

• Blind Sport Federation Fun Day: A outreach program ensuring the underserved groups will have a chance to experience the sports and enjoy a day of fun at the Hong Kong Golf Club.