Paul Riley, head golf professional at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course in Sai Kung, qualified through the Australian Professional Golf Association, and played for four years on the Asian and Australian Tours before switching to coaching.
I joined the Jockey Club as head golf professional at Kau Sai Chau three years ago after coaching in Singapore where I was director of golf at the Orchid Country Club. With two courses and a third opening soon the facility is Hong Kong's busiest by far because it's the only public course.
When I arrived there were only four golf professionals, but now we have eight qualified through the Hong Kong PGA, and four professional golf assistants under training. The team is the biggest in Hong Kong and growing all the time, due to the high demand for professional golf tuition and the increasing popularity of the game here.
Coaching is in great demand because the local culture is that people want to learn properly, not just play for the sake of playing. I coach every day of the week, from private tuition to our most popular group courses that introduce new players to the game.
The coaching covers every aspect, from rules and etiquette to learning how to swing the clubs. I train students on the driving range, putting greens and practice bunkers, as well as on the golf course.
My job also involves video-cam analysis, so students can see exactly where they are going wrong. Before video cams were introduced, instruction could be a nightmare. I was wasting half my time trying to convince students of their faults. But the camera doesn't lie. It's feedback they can trust.
We introduce about 240 new players of all ages to the game each week, which shows its growing popularity.
