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Jockey Club doubles the fees
 
Apparently unperturbed by an economic
slowdown in the territory, the elite Hong Kong Jockey Club has doubled its
individual membership fees to HK$250,000 (US$32,000).
The price is still a far cry from the HK$1.8
million it costs to join Hong Kong's most expensive private club, the Clearwater
Bay Golf and Country Club.
The Jockey Club increased the fee from
HK$120,000 in July and says it does not believe the higher price would turn off
potential members, given its long waiting list.
"In fact, the waiting period has
grown... it will take at least two years if you join the queue now," said a
club spokeswoman on Friday.
While unemployment has soared and many are
suffering from salary cuts or freezes, the two recessions in the last five years
have left the rich in this territory relatively unscathed.
Sales of foreign-made luxury items have
remained strong, a clear sign that the super-rich continue to be unaffected.
Full-members are allowed to use boxes at race
meetings and clubhouse facilities at the two racecourses in Happy Valley and
Shatin. After a year, they can apply to own racehorses.
Club memberships are very hot items in this
capitalist city and a deep passion for gambling among many Hong Kong people
gives the jockey club an added attraction.
"We feel the new membership fee better
reflects the value of the club and it is still competitive with other
clubs," said the spokeswoman.
It costs between HK$200,000 and
HK$300,000 to get the cheaper memberships at comparative clubs in Hong Kong.
- 3 August 2002 REUTERS
Jockey Club chips in $134m for new public
golf course
The Jockey Club has come to the rescue of golfing-mad
Hongkongers by putting up half the money for a third course on Kau Sai Chau.
The 18-hole course on the island off Sai Kung, home to
Hong Kong's only public golf courses, will ease the strain on the existing two
courses.
When the $250 million course opens, in 2008 at the
earliest, an estimated 500 golfers a day will be able to enjoy public facilities
in Hong Kong.
The Jockey Club said yesterday it would contribute
$134 million late next year through its charities trust to subsidise
construction. The rest will come from the centre's accumulated cash flow.
Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course, which has been
operating since 1995, is a community project between the government and the
Jockey Club.
A Jockey Club spokesman said the 18-hole North Course
could accommodate 220 people a day, while the nine-hole South Course could take
68. The new course's capacity is about 220.
There is no joining fee at Kau Sai Chau and a round on
the 18-hole course for a Hong Kong ID card holder over 21 is $440 on weekdays
and $580 at the weekend. Those under 21 pay $190 and $250, respectively.
By contrast, a round at Fanling - one of the four
private courses in Hong Kong, along with Shek O, Clearwater Bay and Discovery
Bay - is $1,200. There is also a hefty membership fee to join these upmarket
clubs.
"The Jockey Club decided to grant another subsidy
as the [Kau Sai Chau] course has been flooded with people, and golfing has
become much more popular," the Jockey Club spokesman said.
The management company has yet to reveal the design of
the course.
Government sources had said earlier that a new course
would be built on Lantau, but no plans have been confirmed.
Apart from the public golf courses in Kau Sai Chau,
the government also has two public driving ranges.
The Tuen Mun Golf Centre, covering an area of 48,500
square metres, was opened in 1995 - the same year as the first golf course in
Kau Sai Chau.
It was the first public golf driving range in Hong
Kong. The two-storey range has 91 bays, practice greens and bunker facilities.
The centre, located in Lung Mun Road near Castle Peak
Bay, is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department but was funded
and built by the Jockey Club.
The department also runs a smaller driving range in Wo
Yi Hop Road Sports Ground, Kwai Chung.
That range, which has 15 bays, is only open on
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Both driving ranges charge $48 for their golfing
package, which gives enthusiasts an unlimited supply of golf balls for an hour
in one driving bay. - by Carrie Chan SOUTH
CHINA MORNING POST 21 Aug 2004
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