The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course at Sai Kung has been honoured with the inaugural Asian Golf Course Environment Award, while its East Course has been named "Best New Golf Course in Asia" in the annual award scheme organised by Asian Golf Monthly magazine, the region's leading golf industry publication. The awards recognise the efforts made by the course management company to create an environmentally-friendly golf course offering top-class services to the public.
The Asian Golf Course Environment Award was added for the first time this year to recognise courses that have made great efforts to protect the environment. A judging panel comprising the publishers and environmental experts selected the winner based on criteria such as water quality management, biodiversity, energy saving and chemicals reduction. The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course received acclaim from the judges on all counts.
Meanwhile, the new East Course, which opened in April this year, was voted "Best New Golf Course in Asia" in a poll of the publication's readers.
The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course has been built and operated with a strong commitment to environmental protection. In 2005,it became only the fifth course in Asia and the first anywhere in China to beclassified as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Wildlife,recognising its high standards of environmental management. During the planning and construction of the East Course a number of environmental measures were proactively implemented, including a closed drainage system, protection of sensitive streams and the restoration of eroded slopes. Further new ground will be broken in late 2009 when solar-hybrid powered boats are introduced on the ferry service between the Golf Course and SaiKung pier to help save fuel, cut emission and reduce marine pollution.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Director, Charities, Mr William Y Yiu, notes that concern for the environment has been at the fore in managing operations since the facilities opened to the public in 1995 and that it was very encouraging to see the latest awards recognizing the efforts of the Golf Course in environmental management and promotion of the game of golf in Hong Kong.
Bringing sport to the community at large has long been a prime objective of The Hong Kong Jockey Club. Opened in 1995, The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Courseis Hong Kong's only public golfing facility and aims at making the sport accessible to all, as well as providing golf training to young people.
