Kim Il-jun, CEO of Quro CC, "It was a good decision to host the tournament"

After Acquiring Kyungki CC in 2018 and Switching to Public Course, Sponsoring 3 KLPGA Dream Tour Events "Rated as the Best Course"

[Asia Economy Reporter Noo Rae] "It was a good decision to host the tournament."

Kim Il-jun, CEO of Quro CC (pictured), is serving as the host for three events on this year’s Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Dream (2nd division) Tour. The first round of the Q Capital Partners Dream Challenge with a total prize of 100 million KRW was held in August, followed by the second round on the 7th with a total prize of 240 million KRW, and the final Q Capital Partners Dream Tour Championship with a total prize of 200 million KRW is scheduled for the 25th.

"I wanted to hold the tour since last year," said CEO Kim, smiling as he added, "I took it as an opportunity to upgrade the course. I feel most proud when it is evaluated as comparable to prestigious golf courses nearby." Quro CC is a public golf course with a 27-hole layout and a 30-year tradition located in Gonjiam, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. It opened in 1994 as a members-only course called Gyeonggi CC but went through difficult times including frequent disputes and lawsuits that led to court receivership.

After being acquired by private equity firm Q Capital Partners in 2018, it transformed into a public course. With CEO Kim appointed as a professional manager, the course underwent structural improvements and within three years became renowned enough to host the Dream Tour. Over the past three years, 20 billion KRW has been invested to renovate the course, improve excellent green management, and upgrade the clubhouse. Special attention is given to maintaining the highest quality greens.

Qroo CC Pinehill Hole 6 Overview

Built on mountainous terrain, the course is narrow and short in length but is praised for its high level of differentiation. The rough is maintained in three stages, with the longest reaching 85mm. This means accuracy is essential to successfully attack the holes. The green speed is usually maintained between 3.2 and 3.6 meters. Even tour players find it difficult to score under par. In fact, only 12 players scored under par in the first round of the Q Capital Partners Dream Challenge first event.

"I thought a lot about how to change the image of the golf course," said CEO Kim, adding, "I believed the best way was to improve the quality of the course and the service of the staff. Now, I have confidence that we are not behind any other golf course." He inspects the course three to four times a week, carefully checking player flow to help ensure the best possible play.

Pine Hill is feminine, Oak Hill is masculine, and Rocky Hill is an adventurous course. The 7th hole at Pine Hill (par 4) features the longest ‘Snake Bunker’ in Korea on the right side of the fairway. Quro CC is excellently accessible, located just 40 minutes from the southeastern Seoul area. In 2018, lighting was installed on 18 holes to allow night rounds, and the LED lights cause minimal glare, making it easy to clearly see the ball’s trajectory at night, which is very popular.