Final Shot with Ian Gardner

Do you have a favourite course?

I like golf courses and golf clubs that are steeped in tradition and history. For this reason my favourite golf courses are the three courses at Hong Kong Golf Club at Fanling. They do not build courses like these anymore. Each hole is unique and distinctive and full of character. Playing a good round means thinking about every shot and ‘taking your medicine’ when you get into trouble. The best golf course that I have played overseas is Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, for the same reasons. Each hole is memorable and distinctive and you can feel the proud history of great champions and famous tournaments.

Who would be in your dream fourball?

Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer. These three great golfers more than any others, I think, appreciated that the game was greater than they were. They upheld the great traditions of honour and sportsmanship that sets golf apart from almost any other sport in the modern era and they inspired generations of golfers with their values.

What has been your most memorable moment on a golf course?

I’ve made two holes-in-one in my life but the first one was my most memorable moment on a golf course because it was on a par-4: the seventh on the Ruby Course at Discovery Bay Golf Club. I did it in 1988 and I think the hole has been lengthened considerably since then!