Before noon there were some up to a couple of metres long that appeared at least ankle-deep. At every break in play, LCSD staff trudged around trying to stamp down the biggest clods.

He blamed “extreme heat in August and September” for affecting the turf and said the cost of the pitch was HK$31 million, not HK$100 million which has been widely reported and I repeated.

Well Raymond, it seems you were right and I was wrong. Spot on.

This begs several questions: 

• Accepting HK$31 million as the correct figure, why was it spent on another sand-and-grass pitch of the same or similar type that has proved inadequate for decades? 
• What are the credentials of the aforementioned “local and international turf experts” who appear to have experience in race track and golf course management but little in stadium pitches?
• Why was a hybrid grass-and-artificial-fibre pitch – now the norm in most of the world’s best stadiums – not installed?
• Was a cost-benefit analysis of the different options at least carried out? If not, why?
• In fact, why was there not an open tender?

 I requested answers to these questions and more from the LCSD and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, whose money – our money – paid for the  “renovation”. 

A Jockey Club spokesperson said the cost of the entire project – including replacement of underground irrigation etc – was HK$30 million, and that a sand-based pitch was chosen “taking account of the suitability of the design for Hong Kong conditions and the timescale available to implement the project”.

Lack of space for “an extensive back-up nursery” was cited as reason for not going with other pitch options. Experts who oversee HK’s racetracks advised.

They did not provide minutes of meetings or explain why the project was not put out to tender. 

In the interests of openness, the full Jockey Club statement is below. The LCSD had not replied before our print deadline, despite being given 72 hours to do so. If they do, that will also go below. Update: they eventually replied, see below.

He closed by saying that with “a stricter approach to scheduling events and activities”, the pitch could be “maintained at a high level”.

So as long as we don’t actually play on it, the pitch will be perfect. A triple kow-tow to the LCSD from me. 

A Jockey Club spokesperson said: 

"The Club was invited by the Government to participate in the 12-member Expert Panel on the HK Stadium Turf Pitch Reconstruction Project.  It subsequently provided technical and financial support for the project. The whole process has been a collaborative effort, working in close partnership with the Government and the management of Hong Kong Stadium.  

"After assessing different turf surface design options, the Expert Panel selected and approved a sand-based reinforced turf design. This system has also been widely adopted with proven success for other professional stadia and sports fields in such places as Australia, the United States and Hong Kong, where the Club has used it very successfully at both its racecourses. It is particularly suitable for Hong Kong’s weather conditions due to its superior drainage capability.

"The specific sand-based reinforced turf design was selected taking account of the suitability of the design for Hong Kong conditions and the timescale available to implement the project.  Due to the lack of land available to provide an extensive back- up grass nursery,  ‘Ready to Play’ turf systems were not considered feasible.

"In terms of implementation, the project involved complete removal of the existing turf and soil, replacement of the underground irrigation and drainage systems, reconstruction of a new reinforced sand profile, and the laying of new turf.

"The design was carried out in consultation with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and Hong Kong Stadium and a joint task force was set up to oversee construction. On the Club side, the project team consisted of a Club director, John Ridley, who was previously responsible for overseeing the construction of the Equestrian Olympics Facility and who has overseen racing operations and all tracks in Hong Kong with 20 years of experience in turf management.  It also included the Club’s Tracks Manager, Pako Ip, who has over 20 years of turf experience.

"The project was implemented in 4 months with a budget of approximately $30 million. The Club has executed the project, in a professional and efficient manner to ensure the turf pitch was designed and reconstructed according to the highest international standards.

"The Turf Pitch Reconstruction Project was completed and handed over to LCSD’s Sports Turf Management Section and Hong Kong Stadium on 16 July for ongoing management and maintenance.

"The Club also provided further input to LCSD on the on-going maintenance of the pitch, including flying in one of the world’s leading experts on turf management to give advice. The designer StrathAyr also provided a maintenance manual detailing the specific steps recommended for the new turf. In addition, to compensate for the problem of inadequate sunlight on certain portions of the turf, the Club provided two stadium growth lights to supplement the lighting needs of the turf and suggested that additional growth lights be installed and that a back-up grass nursery was essential to enhance ongoing maintenance.

"Generally speaking, depending on the climate and weather conditions, with sufficient sunshine/light supply, adequate water irrigation and good turf management practices, it will usually take around 3-4 months after project completion for the grass to develop solid and deep roots. For the turf to achieve optimal performance, it will take approximately 9 to 12 months."

Reply from Leisure and Cultural Services Department as follows

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) set up an Expert Group on the Hong Kong Stadium Turf Pitch (Expert Group) in August 2013 to advise on the medium and long-term improvement measures for the Hong Kong Stadium (HKS) turf pitch.  The Expert Group comprises local and Mainland turf experts, representatives of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) as well as Stadium users.  All members are either relevant stakeholders or experts in the field of turf pitch construction and management.  With their rich experience and expertise as well as good connections in the field, they have contributed a lot of professional advice for us to formulate medium and long-term improvement measures for the Stadium pitch.  Having examined the pitch conditions, the Expert Grouprecommended and LCSD agreed that the entire pitch should be completely reconstructed as a thorough improvement measure to enhance the long-term quality and durability of the pitch.

The reconstruction project is technically and financially supported by HKJC in full.  The expense of HK$31m is the total cost for the entire project covering removal and installation of the pitch, drainage and irrigation systems. The LCSD does not have any breakdown of the expenses involved.  

There were thorough deliberations in the Expert Group on the system design of the turf pitch, choice of turf species and reinforcement agent, as well as the time table of the reconstruction project.  Having regard to the local climatic condition and past experience, the Expert Group considered that the original turf species, i.e. Hybrid Bermuda grass to be over sown with perennial rye grass during winter, should continue be used for the reconstruction turf pitch.  The Expert Group, upon thorough deliberation, also agreed that mesh elements should be adopted to reinforce the natural turf pitch to improve its load bearing capacity and stability.