It’s unique, rare and *very* special

In the 1950s, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world – and now it is one of the richest. That speaks of the hard work of its people. However they put their minds to it, the quality follows with a distinct South Korean twist. To understand how that manifests itself in golf course design, you first need to know a little about the landscape.

South Korea is about the size of Indiana, and, although it is made up of 3,400 mostly uninhabited islands, 70 percent of its land area is mountainous. Yet it is home to 51 million people and about 500 golf courses. (Indiana, with just 7 million people, has just over 400 courses.) On the contrary, you may realize that the land is very important. For reasons of space, the best tracks in South Korea are often far from Seoul, and make the most of the country’s unusual beauty and natural features.

Take members only Nine bridges, top course in South Korea (and No. 87 on our list of the Top 100 Courses in the World), located on the main island of Jeju Island, in the south of the Korean peninsula. One of the golfers who rate the course, Adam Messix, paints a vivid picture of this area.

“Situated on a beautiful mountain plateau above Jeju City, the design by Ron Fream and David Dale has striking openings throughout,” he said.

“The risk-reward par-5 3 sets the tone for the round, and the fairways on the 6th create exciting options off the tee. The 8th is a spectacular, short par 4 with cleverly designed greens that prove tricky for Tour players in the annual CJ ​​Cup. The angled tee shot on the 11th is tempting and challenging, with birdies and double bogeys – is there a greater complement? – come in even numbers. The finishing hole is a full option, with plenty of places to put your second shot and the ability to carry heroes to stop the eagle on the beautiful island green. Tricky, graphic, challenging and fun, nine bridges hits all the right chords. “

Located on the southeast coast of the country, South Cape Owners Club offers dream golf along its rugged coastline, with ocean views from every hole. The American architect Kyle Phillips produced this masterpiece – a beautiful route with amazing moments in both nine seasons that made him ride over them and into the sea several times. Fashion magnet JB Chung was the visionary behind the creation of the luxury resort, and his custom music room is the perfect place to unwind after a round.

Located northeast of Seoul, Whistling Rock it is surrounded by mountains, with running streams connected to lakes that highlight the hilly landscape. It is noteworthy that the name Korea we descend from Koryo, a dynasty that ruled for nearly four centuries. Loosely translated, it means “the land of high mountains and sparkling streams.” When South Korean conglomerate Taekwang Group decided to develop a private golf club in 2006, its chairman’s marching orders were to create a facility that achieved “harmony between art and nature.” Americans Ted Robinson Sr. and Jr. they designed the first 27 holes and Eric Iverson later modified them with magnificent greens and masterful putting.

Even though the world is not easy to find, the people of South Korea find a way. That’s what happened on the continent Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, where material was brought back from the sea to build the course that hosted the 2015 President Cup. It’s a real urban course with skyscrapers, luxury condos and a bridge serving as a contrasting backdrop.

South Korea’s top-class courses — which, by design, are stunning and very exclusive — feature large, state-of-the-art clubhouses of a type not found anywhere else. Most of the world’s clubs would go broke due to the cost of these facilities. Startup fees can run over $1 million. But South Korea’s elite courses are often linked to powerful corporations. Case in point: CJ Group’s support for Nine Bridges and equally impressive Hasley.

The experience of playing golf on the country’s best courses – which also includes Pine Beach and Robert Trent Jones Jr Anyang CC — is to celebrate the beauty and prosperity of South Korea. In the public eye, the choice is slim. American architects, including Kyle Phillips and Jim Engh, have built public access courses, but public golf is still expensive. Fixing that situation is not easy. Currently, most golf in South Korea, as our partner Josh Sens explained, is found on multi-level driving ranges and a thriving sim scene.

As we said, South Koreans are irresistibly energetic.