Hansangseok, Standing Auditor of Sophia Green CC, "Reading Golf Is Also Attractive"

‘Another Golfer’ Who Has Never Held a Golf Club in His Life
Published 3 Volumes of ‘Golf Course Stories’ After Nationwide Footwork
Library Opened in Clubhouse to Share Emotions

He had never held a golf club in his life. Yet, there is a ‘golfer’ who is deeply captivated by the charm of golf. That is Han Sang-seok, the Standing Auditor of Sophia Green CC. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 12th, Auditor Han smiled and said, "Golf is not only about playing golf or watching golf," adding, "There is also reading golf." He continued, "Once you understand reading golf, you cannot escape its charm," and smiled brightly, saying, "I am truly a golf enthusiast who loves golf."

Auditor Han graduated from the Department of Philosophy at Chonnam National University. He was far from golf. He worked for a long time in environmental activism and education. Auditor Han suffered hardships during the May 18 Democratic Uprising in 1980. He served as Chairman of the Yeonggwang Nuclear Power Plant Countermeasures Committee, Executive Director of the Gwangju Federation of Civic Organizations, President of Hansol Gongyoung, Chairman of the Gwangju Biennale Project Committee, President of the May 18 People’s Uprising Seoul Memorial Association, Standing Representative of the Gyeonggi Beautiful School Movement Headquarters, and PM of the Ministry of Education’s Shoulder-to-Shoulder School Project, among others.

Hansangseok, Executive Auditor of Sophia Green CC, is an 'Evangelist of Reading Golf.'
[Photo by KGBA]

He had many negative thoughts about golf. Auditor Han confessed, "I was someone who opposed golf," and said, "I thought golf courses damaged ecosystems and used a lot of pesticides." Auditor Han ‘joined’ Sophia Green CC in March last year. During the interview, he was even asked, ‘Can you manage a golf course without playing golf?’ He explained, "I don’t play golf, but I conveyed my love and conviction for golf," adding, "That was positively evaluated, allowing me to work at the golf course."

Sophia Green CC is a 27-hole public golf course located on the slopes of Ogapsan, a famous mountain in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. It is 100% funded by The K Teachers’ Credit Union. Above all, it is famous as an eco-friendly golf course. It does not use highly toxic pesticides and strictly follows waste disposal guidelines for grass clippings. Auditor Han analyzed, "The golf course site used to be a black goat ranch. Over the past 21 years, natural destruction has been minimized and re-naturalization has occurred," adding, "Creating a golf course generates revenue and employs people, which are positive aspects." He emphasized, "Golf course management must follow ESG principles," and said, "We must pursue environment, public interest, and transparent management."

Auditor Han has a special love for books. In 1995, he published volumes 1 and 2 of ‘Re-recognition of Yeonggwang Nuclear Power Plant.’ From 2016 to 2022, he released volumes 1 to 5 of ‘Finding the Way.’ After being appointed Standing Auditor of Sophia Green CC, he became deeply immersed in golf. To fulfill his duties, he published three volumes of ‘Golf Course Stories’ in just over a year. Volumes 1 and 2 are introductory books, and volume 3 is an advanced book. They are filled with rich knowledge about golf history, policies, industry, equipment, and more.

The process of creating golf books was interesting. He collected golf books by visiting large bookstores as well as secondhand bookstores. He even went to Jeju Island to obtain three golf books. He amassed a large collection of about 480 books. Auditor Han said, "It was difficult to find golf-related books," and stressed, "If I were doing this because someone told me to, writing the books would not have been easy." He explained, "When I start a task, I am the type to seek the essence properly," adding, "Once I set a topic, I strive to see the results through to the end."

Auditor Han emphasized that golfers who enjoy rounds should also become ‘reading golfers.’ He said, "Reading golf has a different flavor. It has joys and sorrows," and added, "When you read numerous golf-related books, you can feel the emotions golfers experience after finishing a round." There is a phrase Auditor Han stresses to golfers: ‘Heosimjeokta (虛心適打).’ It means that if you empty your mind, you can achieve your goal. Applied to golf, it means you must clear your mind to get the desired shot. Auditor Han said, "Golf is an enjoyable sport where you walk on green grass and breathe fresh air," and added, "You need to let go of greed for scores and enjoy the game with your companions."

Auditor Han is deeply captivated by the charm of golf. He said, "Golf is fun. The charm of golf is that it is a sport without referees," and evaluated it as "a gentleman’s sport where you strictly follow rules and etiquette yourself." He also gave meaning to learning from mistakes and valuing the process over the result. He added, "It is cool to apply rules strictly to yourself and be considerate to your companions," and said, "Golf contains life lessons we need to learn."

The origin of Sophia Green CC’s name is Greek. Sophia means ‘wisdom.’ Combined with ‘Green,’ meaning ‘land,’ it becomes ‘Land of Wisdom.’ Auditor Han’s dream is to share wisdom with neighbors. That is why he created a small golf library called ‘Pulbit Alcheonji’ inside the golf course clubhouse. It includes various fields such as golf lesson books, golf essays, and golf novels. Auditor Han proudly said, "There is no other place in Korea with so many golf books," and added, "Anyone can come and read the books." He plans to continuously add new books as they are published. His goal for this year is to surpass 500 books. He advised, "I hope there are many such libraries at golf courses in Korea," and said, "Amateur golfers should cultivate the sensibility to read books, not just watch videos."