Live music, picnic hampers, visits from Santa and VR Golf programmes to feature at ‘Hong Kong’s Great Day Out’
A range of new entertainment will be available to visitors to this year’s UBS Hong Kong Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling (8-11 December) as the organizers welcome the public to ‘Hong Kong’s Great Day Out’.
An expanded Spectator Village will host an array of activities including: the main tournament scoreboard; video screens broadcasting all of the on-course action; enhanced food and beverage offerings; interactive games; a golf improvement zone; and sponsor booths.
Swing into happy hour with live music
For the first time, the Spectator Village will host live music during and after play, transforming ‘Hong Kong’s Great Day Out’ into a night to remember.
A host of Hong Kong’s top street artists and buskers will add to the festival atmosphere with live performances taking place throughout the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday with mini-concerts staged immediately after play on Friday and Saturday evening. Hong Kong bluesman, Ram Cheung, will perform on Friday evening, while on Saturday, eight-piece funk, reggae, and soul band, The Red Stripes, will take the stage.
Cocktails will be available every day for an hour after play the Johnnie Walker Bar as the party continues well after the last putt is holed.
Santa spreads seasonal cheer
Ahead of his own gruelling round at the end of next month, Santa will be enjoying the UBS Hong Kong Open from his Grotto in the Spectator Village, where he will receive well-behaved boys and girls of all ages, pose for photos, and share the seasonal spirit.
Further cheer will come for those in need with the return of the UBS Hole in One Charity Challenge, under which the first professional player who cards a hole-in-one on the 12th Hole during tournament play will trigger an automatic donation of US$10,000 to Operation Santa Claus.
For the second year, the organisers will support the UBS Hong Kong Open Charity Cup which will raise funds for local charities. Last year, in excess of HK$2.3 million was raised, making it the single largest fundraising event on last season’s European Tour. Donation boxes will be in the Spectators Village to encourage visitors to share the spirit of the season with the four charitable beneficiaries.
Picnic hampers
There are few better ways to enjoy a great day out than with a picnic lunch on the beautiful Championship Course at Fanling. In another first for the event this year, gourmet UBS Hong Kong Open Picnic Hampers will be available to enjoy in the Village or on the course at the Hong Kong Golf Club. Available for two or four people, the branded hamper boxes come with a waterproof picnic mat, and include salad, smoked salmon, sandwiches, chocolate brownies, fruit and mineral water.
Enjoying the UBS Hong Kong Open experience
Immersive, fan-friendly activities will take place in the UBS Public Lounge. They include a chance to step inside the golf shoes of a Tour pro in a series of virtual reality golf simulations including an on-tee action sequence that puts the viewer on the green at the famed 18th Hole. The program recreates what the players see from the ball flight to hearing fellow players’ comments about their swing.
Other VR programmes include: an on-the-green masterclass that helps teach the viewer how to sink a tournament-winning putt; and a unique behind-the-scenes experience starring defending UBS Hong Kong Open champion, Justin Rose, that walks you through a day in the life of a Tour professional.
Spectators can also take home a memento of their tournament at the UBS Hong Kong Open photo corner, where fans can have their photo taken in a variety of UBS Hong Kong Open themed green-screen backgrounds.
Reflecting UBS’s sponsorship of contemporary art, children attending this year’s tournament will have free entry to the UBS Junior Art Hub programme, a hands-on learning and entertainment experience comprising art-themed activities including sand art, face painting and spin-bike art.
7,000 UBS Hong Kong Open golf caps will be given away during the tournament for free to spectators that download the new UBS Engage App.
“A primary objective in sponsoring the UBS Hong Kong Open is to enhance the accessibility and appeal of the event. The expanded entertainment on offer during
this year promises to attract
spectators of all interests and ages and will help broaden awareness of the game,” said Amy Lo, Head of UBS Wealth Management, Greater China, & Country Head of UBS, Hong Kong.
Jeffrey Lam, Chairman of the Mega Events Fund Assessment Committee said: “We are delighted that with the support of the Mega Events Fund, the organizers of the ‘UBS Hong Kong Open’ are able to further enhance the attractiveness of this iconic sports event by introducing new elements in arts and entertainment. These will definitely enrich the travel experience of visitors from all over the world.”
Kenneth Lam, Captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club said: “With one of the best fields coming to Hong Kong for some time, we know that inside the ropes, the UBS Hong Kong Open will be a great success. Much of our focus this year has therefore been on how we can replicate the excitement that we see on course, in the off-course entertainment. With a significantly enhanced Spectator Village, we have developed an experience that caters for every member of the family and lives up to our promise of making the 2016 UBS Hong Kong Open ‘Hong Kong’s great day out’.