Hong Kong Golf Club helps to uphold city’s business-friendly image

Hong Kong housing

Letters

Published: 4:48pm, 29 Jan 2018

Why you can trust SCMP

In response to your article on the study to reclaim, for housing purposes, the land on which the Hong Kong Golf Club stands (“5,000 flats could be built on Hong Kong golf course, government study finds”, January 7), I wish to express my view from a multilateral perspective.

First of all, due to land scarcity, Hong Kong generally lacks sizeable sporting venues for conducting business events and client activities. From the metropolitan and global city perspective of Hong Kong, golf courses provide important settings for engaging in business activities, and accommodating business clients.

Secondly, there are only two officially public golf courses in Hong Kong and only one of those – Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course – is a full 18 holes. This is extremely low density for a city with a population of over seven million.

Singapore, on the other hand, has as many as 17 full 18-hole golf courses, and three courses open to the public. Hong Kong will pale and may even lose its competitiveness as a global city should we move to close down golf courses.

Tour stars question government plans to bulldoze Hong Kong Golf Club

The Hong Kong Golf Club has a long heritage of serving Hong Kong. Over the years, the club has increasingly opened up its facilities to the public. In recent years, thanks to the support from the club, many new golf talents have emerged in Hong Kong, such as Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching, the 24-year-old who became the first Hongkonger to qualify for the LPGA Tour in December; and the sport has gained a stronger foothold in the city, as more children from all walks of life are beginning to take up golf training as part of their curricular development.

Last but not least, with its tremendous amount of charitable and community work, the club gives back to Hong Kong society.

I fully understand the dire situation in terms of land scarcity for housing development in Hong Kong, but I believe we need to strike a balance to maintain Hong Kong’s position as a global financial and business hub.

Wayne Fong, director of corporate affairs, Citi Hong Kong

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Hong Kong Golf Club upholds city’s position as global financial hub

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