Uiryeong Eco-Friendly Golf Course in the 40,000 KRW Range Achieves Record High Sales

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Wook] “If you go to Uiryeong Eco-friendly Golf Course, you can fully enjoy 18 holes and get exercise for around 40,000 won per person, but going to a private golf course costs at least 200,000 to 300,000 won per round, so there’s no reason to splurge and go there.”

The eco-friendly golf course operated by Uiryeong-gun, Gyeongnam, has achieved its best-ever performance.

Since its opening in 2008, Uiryeong Eco-friendly Golf Course recorded 54,865 visitors, a 9.5% increase compared to the previous year, and revenue of 2.165 billion won, up 7.9%.

The golf course’s record performance this year is largely due to word of mouth about its “affordable green fees.” Uiryeong Eco-friendly Golf Course, the first in the nation to be directly operated by a local government, offers services at 45,000 won on weekdays (23,000 won for residents) and 60,000 won on weekends (30,000 won for residents) for 18 holes.

An eco-friendly golf course operated by Uiryeong-gun, Gyeongnam. [Image source: Uiryeong-gun Office]

Word of mouth about it being a “golf course that does not use chemical pesticides” also plays a role. Uiryeong Eco-friendly Golf Course manages its courses in an eco-friendly way, including manual weeding by labor input.

The eco-friendly golf course received the Grand Prize in the Green Management category for two consecutive years at the Korea Green Energy Excellent Company Awards sponsored by the Korea Environment Corporation and the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation Institute. In 2015 and 2016, it was selected by the Ministry of Environment as a golf course that does not use chemical pesticides.

Uiryeong Eco-friendly Golf Course operates with “no caddies” and “manual carts,” which has excellent effects on golfers’ health. After one round, golfers walk more than 6 km.

An official from the eco-friendly golf course said, “This year, we will do our best to enhance customer service satisfaction by replacing greens, reinforcing turf reseeding, and replacing the clubhouse heating and cooling systems.”