In a move that seeks to foster junior golf as the sport prepares for its return to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Mission Hills Group have announced that all junior golfers under the age of 16 will benefit from free access to three of the resort operator’s golf courses in 2013. Green fees for junior golfers from all over the world will be waived for the Zhang Lian Wei-designed Zhang Course in Shenzhen and the Stepping Stone and Double Pin Courses at Mission Hills Haikou. All three courses are considered among the best par-3 layouts in Asia.
But it’s not just local golfers that stand to benefit as Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group and Secretary General of One Asia, Tenniel Chu pointed out: “We very much hope that this will benefit junior golf development right across the region as people increasingly see China as a top golfing destination for junior development tournaments and golf leisure. Junior golf development has always been a central pillar of our strategy. With golf now set to return to the next Olympics, these exciting developments will provide a clear pathway for junior golfers to play their way to Brazil in the next four years.”
Mission Hills has long been an active promoter of the junior game in China and has been involved with a number of initiatives to bring the world’s leading players, instructors and events to the region. The club was the venue for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in 2009 and has hosted numerous other junior tournaments, including the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final and the Mission Hills Nike Golf Junior Championship.
The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Golf Association, Iain Valentine, commented: "This is a very welcome boost for junior golf in the region and Mission Hills must be applauded for this initiative. I'm sure that it will be of great benefit to Hong Kong junior golfers and hope that it will lead to many more youngsters taking up the game."
Visit the Mission Hills website - www.missionhillschina.com - for more information.
