Golfers Cry Foul, Critics Say Govt Missed The Cut

Golfers cried foul and critics said the government had missed a cue as officials announced that it has accepted its task force's recommendation to use part of the Fanling course for housing.

The Hong Kong Alliance of Golfers expressed disappointment over the government's decision, saying it will do little to tackle the territory's housing shortage.

The alliance's spokesperson, Kenneth Lau, said Hong Kong now risks losing the chance to host international golfing events like the Hong Kong Open, which is detrimental to sports development in the city.

Lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok, who chairs the pro-Beijing Business and Professionals Alliance, said the party has “strong reservations” against the land supply announcement. He warned that the use of the golf course for housing may be subject to challenges when going through environmental impact assessments.

He said reclamation and use of country park areas which have less ecological value is better than using the golf course which has environmental and historical value.

The decision also riled people like Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Wan who was calling for the whole site to be taken back. He said the government should take the interests of the general public as its priority, rather than "vested interests".

While the pro-establishment Federation of Trade Unions generally welcomed the government's response to the recommendations of the Task Force on Land Supply, its lawmaker Alice Mak was disappointed that the government had decided to leave most of the golf course alone.

Mak said the government should have kept the option of using the land for housing in future, while looking to develop another course elsewhere.