Organizer threatens to pull golf tournament from HK if govt pushes forward with Fanling course housing plan

Organizers of an international golf event said on Monday it would reconsider choosing Hong Kong as the host should the SAR government pushes forward with a housing plan at the Fanling golf course.

The Aramco Team Series - the world's largest women's golf competition - is set to take place at the Fanling course in October.

The news came after Championship Director of the competition Victoria Jones and Asian Tour CEO Cho Minn Thant flew in from Singapore to make representations at a Town Planning Board meeting on behalf of the Hong Kong Golf Club – which opposes the housing proposal.

They warned that pushing forward a housing plan on eight of its holes at the golf course will put the nail in the coffin for the city hosting international golfing events.

Jones said there is no alternative to the Fanling course as it is the only venue in the city suitable for large-scale golf tournaments, and that the plan would see Hong Kong miss out on hosting international events in the future.

She also said her team would reconsider choosing Hong Kong as the location for hosting the competition.

Andy Kwok Wing-leung, club captain at the Hong Kong Golf Club, also told reporters that any changes to the golf course would undermine the venue’s status as one of the world’s top golf venues for hosting international events.

Meanwhile, a former director of planning, Ling Kar-kan, voiced his support for the housing plan, which he said would help ease the plight of people living in sub-divided units.

Ling said the plan is in line with the SAR government’s pledge to the public, with the plan already taking into account the need for housing and preservation.

He also called on the Town Planning Board not to focus only on the opposing views as people were always late to learn about the benefits brought by the plans.