Joe Hardwick, a doyen of golf in Asia and a name synonymous with the Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC) through the last four decades of the 20th century, has passed away aged 91, writes Spencer Robinson
Universally known as ‘Joe the Pro’ and an honorary member of the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland, Hardwick served the Fanling club as Head Professional for just a few months shy of 30 years.
During an illustrious career, Hardwick touched the lives of many thousands of golfers in England, India and, most of all, Hong Kong.
After a five-year stint at India’s Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Hardwick joined Royal Hong Kong, as it was then, in August 1965. There he would remain until retiring on March 31, 1995 – signifying the end of an era at one of the world’s best known golf clubs.
Upon his retirement, Hardwick estimated he had delivered in the region of 72,000 lessons in Hong Kong, to go with more than 25,000 he gave at his previous work places.
Among his famous students were three Hong Kong Governors – Sir David Trench, Lord David Wilson and Chris Patten – while he entertained and played with dozens of luminaries including Bob Hope, British comedians Jimmy Tarbuck and Bruce Forsyth, Formula One champion Nigel Mansell and England Test cricketer Colin Cowdrey.
He also found time to play a total of more than 3,600 rounds over the three 18-hole layouts at Fanling and had eight holes-in-one on six different holes.
He teed-up more than 25 times in the Hong Kong Open with a best finish of 25th in 1972. His favourite memory was firing a 67 in the third round in 1971 when paired with five-time Open champion Peter Thomson.
Internationally, he represented Hong Kong in five World Cups, the last of which was in Palm Springs in 1976. He returned to the national team 10 years later, earning a place in the Hong Kong side for the Alfred Dunhill Cup Eastern Zone qualifying round in Singapore alongside Yau Sui-ming and Alex Tang.
In 1987 he joined the likes of Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Bob Charles and Neil Coles as a participant in the inaugural British Open Senior championship at Turnberry.
A vocal supporter for the construction of public golf facilities, Hardwick was also the driving force behind the formation of the Hong Kong PGA in 1969. There were originally five members. It now comprises almost 200 members.
Dominique Boulet, current HKPGA Chairman, said: “Joe was a pioneer of the game in Hong Kong and he meant a great deal to me and all the other young pros who were starting out in their careers.”
Today, local professionals compete for the Joe Hardwick Trophy at the HKPGA Championship while any club pro that makes the cut at the Hong Kong Open is awarded the Joe Hardwick Cup.
Born in Newquay, England, Hardwick was the son of a doctor who turned pro on April 1, 1953.
Married to Shirley, he was the father of two daughters, Nicola and Joann, who was two months old when Hardwick took up his post in Hong Kong. Joann, better known as Jojo, followed in her father’s footsteps in becoming a teaching pro at the club.
For his part, after leaving Hong Kong, Hardwick divided his time between London and Portugal’s Algarve where he continued to play golf well into his 80s.
Upon standing down at Fanling in 1995, Hardwick said: “When I arrived in Hong Kong, I never imagined I would stay for as long as I have. I’m proud to have been the pro at such a famous club that is steeped in history and tradition for so long.
“I always tried to impress on new Fanling members the importance of preserving the club’s traditions. Playing golf is not the only part of the game. Sportsmanship, honesty and club spirit are of far more significance.”
Reflecting on Hardwick’s passing, Andy Kwok, current HKGC Captain, said: “Joe did so much in taking the sport into the community and raising the profile of the game so this is an incredibly sad day for Hong Kong golf.
“An incredibly popular and hard-working professional, Joe was held in very high regard by everyone who knew him and was one of the club’s great characters.”