Founded in 1889, the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling stands as one of Asia’s oldest and most revered golf institutions. With over 135 years of history, it has become a cornerstone of professional golf, having hosted more elite tournaments than any other club across the continent.
For more than six decades, championship golf has been at the heart of HKGC. In addition to hosting the HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong for its third consecutive season, the club has been the proud host of the Hong Kong Open since its inception in 1959. This makes it Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event and one of the continent’s most prestigious titles. Since 2023, the course has also hosted an event on the Asian Tour’s International Series.
Anthony Kim, who recently won LIV Golf Adelaide, perfectly encapsulated the challenge: “It’s one of the shorter courses we play, but it’s strategic. You have to pay full attention to every single shot.”
Nick Pugh, caddie for Ripper GC’s Lucas Herbert, is intimately familiar with the course from his years on the circuit. “It’s beautiful,” said Pugh. “I’ve been coming here for years. I started caddying here on the Asian Tour in Hong Kong at the old Hong Kong Opens, and the golf course just has a really traditional feel. It’s more of an old-school, tree-lined layout. The golf course is short, but you can’t overpower it. There are a lot of doglegs, and precision is key at this place.”
Paul Casey of Crushers GC hits his shot from the 12th fairway during the final round of the LIV Golf Hong Kong 2025. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf)
The emphasis on precision over power perfectly sums up what makes Fanling so special. It's a course for thinkers, where placement and strategy trump sheer length, rewarding those who respect its classic design.
Cameron Smith, Captain of Ripper GC, knows the course well and has had success here, finishing second at the LIV Golf Hong Kong in 2024 after narrowly losing to Abraham Ancer in a playoff. For Smith, the true test (and thrill) comes from the greens. “You get a lot of putts here that you don’t get anywhere else,” he said. “Some of the 10-foot putts here will break 2 or 3 feet, which doesn’t happen every week. I feel like if I can be creative and see the ball dropping in on the sides of the holes, it’s a feeling I like and it almost makes me more focused and better prepared before the putt. Yeah, it just feels good here.”
Peter Uihlein of RangeGoats GC hits his shot from the 18th fairway during the final round of the LIV Golf Hong Kong 2025 at Hong Kong Golf Club Fanling. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf)
What truly sets the Hong Kong Golf Club apart is its incredible consistency. Alongside Augusta National, the iconic home of the
