Advertisement
Opinion | Face it, the Hong Kong Golf Club needs a friendly landlord more than the doomed Old Course
- Any legal challenge would be folly after Carrie Lam condemns century-old course to build housing
- The reality is the government can crush them with the swing of a club
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
The Hong Kong Golf Club cannot win. It’s at the mercy of the government and will have to swallow a course concession if it wants to survive.
Advertisement
That means surrendering the century-old Old Course at Fanling and being grateful the government will continue granting a new lease for the remaining 140 hectares of land – at least until 2027.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s endorsement of the land supply task force taking back the 32 hectares of land (eight holes out of the 18) for housing development is simply a political decision.
Parts of the golfing community are outraged, parts had already accepted the inevitable, others tried to launch save-the-golf-course campaigns, while the club mounted a charm offensive, emphasising it and the game is not just for the super rich.
Advertisement
Advertisement