[Caddy Story] "This Is How You Spend Money"

②Old Golf Bag

A Life Where Money Is a Means, Not the Goal
Living with a Balanced Approach to Work and What Matters

In the 1990s, when I was working at Anyang Country Club (CC), a golfer's status was often judged by their golf bag. One day, a guest walked in carrying a noticeably worn golf bag. I thought to myself, "There won't be any over-par scores today."

The strange thing was that another member, who was considered quite prominent at the time, treated this guest with great respect. When I asked about him, I was told that he was far wealthier than anyone else, traveling on business during the best seasons in each country, playing golf, and sightseeing. It was also said that his wife always accompanied him on every trip.

Perhaps because I knew the background, the once humble-looking golf bag began to seem impressive. I thought he was not a person full of pretension and arrogance, but rather modest and unpretentious. Though my English was limited, I mustered the courage to ask him, "I meet many wealthy people like you here, but not all live life the way you do. How can one live such a life?" He smiled gently and replied with just one sentence: "They are all stupid!"

Looking back now, I believe he was telling me to live a life where money is not the goal but a means, and to maintain a balanced life between work and what is truly important. In an era when people competed over who had the more expensive golf clubs, he stood out as a very rare guest. Among wealthy golfers, he remains a memorable figure who taught me, "This is how you spend money."

Many years later, while flipping through TV channels to watch the Tokyo Olympics, I happened to see him again. His wife was still by his side. If I ever meet him again, I would like to ask, "At the moment you conclude your life, will you say, 'It was a happy life'?"

Kim Young-mi, Director of the Korean Talent Development Center