As institutions for academic excellence, Hong Kong's schools are frequently lauded as being above par.
But that same high level of classroom performance has not been replicated in the SAR's sporting arenas,.
Although soccer, basketball and athletics feature on the curricula of Hong Kong schools, there's no masking the fact that sport in general, with its limited career opportunities, is a low priority.
Hardly surprising then that non-mainstream activities such as golf have struggled even to have a look in. Just consider that not so very long ago the only children to be exposed to the sport here were the sons and daughters of members of Hong Kong golf clubs.
That more than 100 children will tee-off at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club in today's Hong Kong Schools Championship is evidence that times, and attitudes, are slowly changing.
Credit for that is due largely to the Hong Kong Schools Golf Association (HKSGA) which, under the co-chairmanship of Mike Baker and David Elliott, is working with Hong Kong schools to raise the profile of the Royal and Ancient game.
The message, it seems, is filtering through with no fewer that 20 schools entering teams for today's championship. Among the incentives for competitors at Clearwater Bay is the prospect of representing Hong Kong in the International Final of the Golf Foundation Team Championship for Schools, to be held at Royal County Down Golf Club in Northern Ireland in May.