Spread on expansive grounds in Sai Kung, Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy is the first holistic sports academy in Hong Kong. Targeted towards golf and tennis enthusiasts, it brings together under one roof two illustrious sports centres – the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf and Barcelona’s Bruguera Tennis Academy.
For the uninitiated, Jack Nicklaus is considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all times, winning a record number of 18 major championships. The Hong Kong chapter of his academy offers bespoke golf courses to children and adults on six-hole short courses with 75 hitting stations — including an auto-feed golf ball system that’s quite unique in Hong Kong.
The Bruguera Tennis Academy is as impressive. Named after Lluis Bruguera, world-famous coach and father of Sergi Bruguera, two-time French Open champion, the academy is based in Barcelona and has set up its first international branch here in Hong Kong. With seven outdoor courts, one indoor court, two mini tennis courts for children and even a padel tennis course (the only one in Hong Kong), the academy approaches tennis courses in a holistic way.
But that’s not all! HKGTA also has a dedicated wellness centre, Fivelements, which houses yoga and meditation studios, wellness suites, wellness lounge, Watsu pool and dining rooms and so on for athletes to detox and relax after a hard day outdoors.
It may seem as if HKGTA is a ‘privileged members only’ club, but that’s not the case. Any true sports lover is welcome to join HKGTA, which positions itself very clearly as an academy as opposed to a club. A patron wishing to join the academy is invited to inspect the facilities themselves and can choose from an array of courses, spanning from two to ten years.
HKGTA provides a perfect forum for parents to bond with their children through shared golf and tennis lessons and makes an honest attempt to provide a healthy alternative to long hours of video games. In a world where the virtual is replacing the real at a fast pace, HKGTA may just be the place to play a good ol’ round of tennis and golf and make some friends in the process.
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay