9
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1994
GOLF TO BECOME POPULAR SPORT
BE
GOLF WILL BE ANOTHER ELITE SPORT THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL
YEAR, THE ABLE TO TAKE UP EASILY AND AT AFFORDABLE CHARGES FROM NEXT
SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR JAMES So, SAID THIS (TUESDAY) AFTERNOON.
THE
DID COMMUNITY ENCOURAGING MORE PEOPLE
MR SO SAID EFFORTS TO BRING SPORTS TO
MORE FACILITIES AND STOP AT BUILDING PARTICIPATE.
NOT
TO
IT ALSO MBANT DIVERSIFICATION, HE ADDED, "EXPOSING THE BE COMMUNITY TO THOSE SPORTS WHICH FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER MAY WITHIN EASY REACH".
NOT
KONG,
IN A SPEECH TO THE LIONS CLUB OF SOUTH KOWLOON, HONG SO SAID A PUBLIC GOLF CENTRE WAS BEING PLANNED ON KAU SAI CHAU IN
FUNDED BY THE ROYAL KUNG, WHICH WAS A GOVERNMENT PROJECT BUT KONG JOCKEY CLUB AT ABOUT $500 MILLION.
MR
SAI
HONG
THE GOLF CENTRE WILL CONSIST OF TWO FULL-SIZE 18-HOLE WITH ONE OF THEM BEING OF CHAMPIONSHIP STANDARD.
COURSES,
MR SO SAID CONSTRUCTION OF GOLF COURSES HAD TENDED TO ATTRACT CRITICISMS FROM ENVIRONMENTALISTS.
"THIS IS
IS
UNDERSTANDABLE GIVEN THE AREA OF LAND THAT REQUIRED FOR SUCH FACILITIES AND THE USE OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILISERS FOR TURF MANAGEMENT.
"BOTH THE JOCKEY CLUB AND THE GOVERNMENT ARE VERY CONSCIOUS ABOUT THESE COMMENTS.
"WE HAVE THEREFORE MADE IT A POINT TO BE PARTICULARLY CAUTIOUS RIGHT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE KAU SAI CHAU GOLF CENTRE FROM THE START, MR SO SAID.
111
THE SITE FOR THE CENTRE HAD BEEN CAREFULLY CHOSEN, HE SAID.
KAU SAI CHAU
INHABITED AND NOT FREQUENTED
VISITORS.
IS
SPARSELY
BY
IT WAS USED AS A FIRING RANGE FOR MANY YEARS AND CONSIDERABLE EROSION HAD TAKEN PLACE AS A RESULT.
MR SO SAID: "WE BELIEVE THAT BY TURNING THE SITE INTO A PUBLIC USE GOLF CENTRE, WE WOULD NOT ONLY PRESERVE THAT PART OF THE AREA FOR
RECREATION, BUT FOR
ALSO IMPROVE THE LANDSCAPE ON THE ISLAND
SIGNIFICANTLY.'
ATTENDING TO
"WHOLE
PROJECT IS
MR SO ADDED THAT NO EFFORTS WERE BEING SPARED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVED AND THE
ENVIRONMENTALLY LED".
APART FROM THE "ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY,
TRANSPORT STUDIES ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND
WERE ALSO CONDUCTED AND NO ADVERSE IMPLICATIONS WERE ENVISAGED, HE SAID.
/PREPARATORY AND