Hampyeong-gun, Berhill C.C Golf Course Development Project... Scheduled for Completion in 2023

Long-Standing Challenge Solved with 'Management CEO' Mindset

Conditional Approval for Daedong-myeon Berhill C.C Golf Course Access Road Changed to Donghampyeong IC

Expected to Boost Local Economy and Promote Stay-Type Tourism

[Hampyeong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Chunsu] Hampyeong County has accelerated the project by granting the implementation plan approval for the golf course development project in Daedong-myeon by Verhill Country Club Co., Ltd.

Amid this, attention is focused on the achievement of changing the golf course access road toward Donghampyeong IC to meet the demands of residents and help revitalize the local economy.

In particular, this project promotion is meaningful as it was decisively influenced by public opinion from residents and sports officials that the development project should no longer be delayed for local economic revitalization, along with the strong will of Lee Sang-ik, the mayor of Hampyeong County.

On the 21st, Hampyeong County in Jeollanam-do announced that it had conditionally approved the implementation plan for the Verhill Country Club development project in Daedong-myeon, Hampyeong.

Initially, the project operator, Verhill Country Club, requested Hampyeong County to approve an implementation plan that included creating the golf course access road near Munpyeong IC in Naju.

In response, the county persistently demanded the project operator to change the access road from Munpyeong IC to near Donghampyeong IC to contribute to local economic revitalization.

Especially, after conducting a public opinion survey across nine towns and townships regarding the access road of Verhill Country Club, it was revealed that residents overwhelmingly advocated for changing the access to enter the golf course via Donghampyeong IC.

Accordingly, despite the increased project costs due to design changes, the project operator fully accepted the opinions of Hampyeong residents and decided to change the access road, and Hampyeong County conditionally approved the implementation plan on the 20th.

Hampyeong County is evaluated to have laid the cornerstone for the region’s future development by gathering the opinions of the majority of residents and practicing communication and cooperative administration.

Hampyeong Verhill C.C (public 27 holes) will develop a golf course (27 holes), lodging facilities, and a golf village on a site of 1,602,994.8㎡ located at San 66-2, Geumgok-ri, Daedong-myeon.

The golf course development project in Daedong-myeon, Hampyeong, has been discussed inside and outside the local community since 2006.

In 2008, Hampyeong County approved the implementation plan for the county’s planned facility (golf course) project, but the project was once stalled as the project operator failed to fulfill the project within the deadline (2015).

Only in early 2019 was the project operator changed to the current Verhill Country Club, accelerating the golf course development project.

The project operator completed traffic, disaster, and environmental impact assessments by the end of 2020 and finalized all procedures including Jeollanam-do urban planning review and consultations with related agencies in January this year.

With the final implementation plan approval decision by Hampyeong County on this day, the project operator will submit a construction start report after the approval notice and begin groundbreaking this month.

The county expects various synergy effects once Verhill Country Club is established in March 2023. The most notable is the potential to revitalize the local economy, which has been stagnant due to COVID-19.

Upon completion, property taxes and acquisition taxes on land and buildings will generate about 3.8 billion KRW, and annual tax revenue of about 400 million KRW will be secured during operation.

The economic inducement effect is predicted to reach about 40 billion KRW due to the influx of external population from the golf course, activation of restaurant districts, advancement of local tourism, and contribution to national leisure activities.

With representative local festivals such as the Butterfly Grand Festival and the National Chrysanthemum Exhibition canceled due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the county is focusing on ‘stay-type tourism’ from this year, and the golf course is expected to play a role as a new tourism resource contributing to local economic growth.

Hampyeong County also anticipates various effects such as increasing local fiscal independence, boosting local construction and income, creating jobs, and revitalizing consumption.

A representative of Verhill Country Club said, “Despite the prolonged economic downturn due to COVID-19, golf courses near large cities are so fully booked on weekends that supply is insufficient to meet the demand of golf populations. We will create a prestigious golf course with top facilities that can meet the golf demand in nearby areas and contribute to the development and expansion of golf education and industry in Hampyeong County.”

A county official said, “It took a long time with several conflicts and controversies to approve the golf course implementation plan in Daedong-myeon. This is the best result combining the will and trends of residents and Mayor Lee Sang-ik’s CEO mindset, including changing the golf course access road from Munpyeong IC to Donghampyeong IC in accordance with residents’ wishes.”