Taking away Hong Kong Golf Club would be detrimental to the development of the game, warns HKGA chief Danny Lai
- Golf Association has launched a development plan but it needs facility support
- Hong Kong needs golf courses to host the 2020 world team championships
Taking the Hong Kong Golf Club away for other land use would be detrimental to the game at all levels, a senior official warned on Sunday.
Speaking ahead of the government’s final review on land occupied by private sports clubs, Danny Lai, chief executive of the Hong Kong Golf Association, said it was imperative that they keep the Fanling facility.
Coinciding with the Hong Kong Golf Association’s 50th anniversary, a three-pronged plan was launched to develop golf at all levels – from grass roots level to elite. But Lai said this plan would fail without proper facility support, currently run by the clubs with flagship Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling – occupying the biggest area of 170 hectares – at the fore.
The Fanling facility is one of the 18 options put forward by the government-appointed task force for consultation to help remedy Hong Kong’s chronic shortage of space for housing.
“The clubs have been providing all the training facilities for our players, especially the Hong Kong Golf Club and this is pivotal to the future of golf development in Hong Kong,” said Lai.
