How the Hong Kong Golf Club at Fanling has nurtured women golfers and the Olympic dream

I am writing to express my disappointment that the Hong Kong government plans to take back 32 hectares of the Hong Kong Golf Club (“Housing to be built on Fanling golf course, Hong Kong government confirms”, February 20). Golf lovers are all keenly aware of the importance of maintaining the Fanling golf course in its entirety for the development of golf and sports in Hong Kong.

The area is of great ecological value and has a rich heritage, and the China Ladies Professional Golf Association (CLPGA) Tour has given rise to many fond memories on this incredible course. The sport of golf as a whole will be threatened by this seizure, and we lament that future generations in Hong Kong and Greater China might be robbed of the chance to hone their skills on its links.

In 2015, we received an invitation from the Hong Kong Golf Association asking us to help Hong Kong amateur player Tiffany Chan ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In order to compete in Rio, she needed to have the chance to compete for points internationally and achieve a world ranking in the 400s. Through our efforts, Ms Chan successfully took part in several CLPGA tournaments and earned world ranking points. Due to this hard work, she became the first and only Hong Kong golfer to represent Hong Kong at the Rio Olympics.

Over the years, the Hong Kong Golf Association and Hong Kong Golf Club have joined forces to build a platform to help players advance to the Olympic Games. Players from all over the world come to Hong Kong to participate in the EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open. CLPGA Tour has sanctioned and promoted these tournaments over the years.

Golf is a programme at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and elite athletes from all over the world will participate in this event. It is unfortunate that to this day, Hong Kong has only one candidate for golf although it could have sent two players to the Tokyo Olympics.

The EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open is not just a tournament. Players from all over the world will come to Hong Kong for the event. They will come in the spirit of friendship and for world ranking points to advance to not only the Olympics but also other major international tournaments. This Hong Kong tournament will also be broadcast on television to over 120 countries.

If vital parts of the Fanling course are lost, the effects will be serious and irreversible. For this reason, we ask the Hong Kong government to reconsider this decision and we pledge our continued, unwavering support for golf in Hong Kong.

Jennifer Li, executive director, China LPGA Tour, Beijing