Fears golf will suffer if Fanling course is redeveloped for housing in Hong Kong

Local golf may have a bleak future and the Hong Kong Open professional tournament is at risk if the courses at Fanling are lost to new-town development, say leaders of the sport in the city.

William Chung Pui-lam, president of the Hong Kong Golf Association, said growth of the game - recently made an Olympic sport - would suffer if the Hong Kong Golf Club's three-course, 170-hectare facility at Fanling were lost to housing.

"Any disruption would certainly have a detrimental effect [on the development of the game in Hong Kong]," he said.

Chung is the first senior golf official to comment on suggestions that the club's land in the northeastern New Territories be redeveloped for housing.

Chung, a member of the club, was last month re-elected for a second stint as president of the association. He refused to comment on the future of the open, but said support from golf clubs was vital for the growth of the game.

The Hong Kong Golf Club has refused to comment, but will address the issue at a committee meeting on Monday. "We are currently reviewing all the information and will be making a formal statement soon," said general manager Keith Williams.