"Round·Luxury Accommodations·Professional Practical Lessons... Winning with Differentiation"

[Golf Course Story] ④-Seven Valley Country Club
Emphasizing Authenticity with Regional Golf Course Names
Two of the World's Top 100 Golf Courses Designed by Experts

Seven Valley Country Club (CC), representing Chilgok-gun in Gyeongbuk, is named after the local area itself. According to Chilgok-gun, the name Chilgok originates from the fact that the summit of the local mountain Gasan (Chilbongsan) is surrounded by seven low peaks and seven valleys are formed there. The golf course name highlights the region's authenticity by using the English words for seven (seven) and valley (valley). Located adjacent to Gumi and Daegu, it attracts many golfers mainly from the Daegu and Gyeongbuk areas, but its well-maintained courses combined with private accommodations have also gained popularity among visitors from the Seoul metropolitan area.

Seven Valley CC Valley Course with a panoramic view of Chilgok-gun's landscape

◆ Continuous Challenges Along the Hills= The Seven Valley CC course generally features deep and gentle hills and valleys. The early holes in the round require players to climb steep hills to target the pins. The fairways are surrounded by 'neodeolji-dae,' a rocky slope formed during the Korean Peninsula's ice age about 113,000 years ago, which can be challenging for beginner and intermediate golfers.

The 'devil's hole' at Seven Valley CC is the 7th hole on the 'Seven' course. It is a 504m par 5 with bunkers on the left side of the fairway and water hazards on the right, making the tee shot tricky. Just before the green, there is a wider water hazard on the right, requiring strategic play. The golf course advises, "Although it is a short par 5 hole, even small mistakes are unforgivable, so it is wise to play it with three strokes without greed."

A popular hole is the 6th hole on the 'Valley' course. Nestled along the slopes of Jabongsan, the hole slopes downhill to the cup, offering an open view. From there, golfers can see the lake in the distance and the scenic views of Chilgok-gun. It is a 428m par 4 hole, and golfers who can hit 240m from the teeing ground can look for birdie opportunities by clearing the water hazard.

Seven Valley CC opened as an 18-hole members-only golf course in October 2009. Tony Cashmore (Australia), who designed two of the world's top 100 golf courses, was responsible for the course design and participated directly in the design for two years. It was designed as a PGA tournament champion course to be suitable for hosting world-class competitions. The course aims to be eco-friendly, preserving the natural valleys, streams, and forests. In May 2016, it was converted to a public golf course to promote usage. Kim Seo-i, the director of Seven Valley CC, said, "Considering the reputation that the course is challenging, we are gradually making changes such as widening the fairways on some holes," adding, "We are also considering expanding facilities, including adding more holes in the future."

◆ Private Rest and Industry-Academia Integrated Education= Seven Valley CC also offers package products that combine accommodation so golfers can fully enjoy the natural scenery of Chilgok-gun while having a leisurely round. The representative facility is 'Seven Stay,' opened in 2021. Located on the upper floor of the clubhouse, it provides a private space to relax while overlooking the golf course scenery. It features a barbecue facility on the terrace and an outdoor hinoki bath to relieve fatigue, offering a differentiated experience. Starting this year, 'Seven Village,' a luxury townhouse complex, was established near the golf course. It offers three types of units?45 pyeong, 52 pyeong, and 55 pyeong?with garden-attached duplex structures, each with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, making it ideal for family travelers.

Seven Village, operated as a luxury townhouse at Seven Valley CC

The Daegyeong CEO Academy, where active professionals from the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) and the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) serve as instructors providing field lessons to improve golf skills, is another distinctive program promoted by Seven Valley CC. This industry-academia integrated education pursued by Yujin Seon, founder and chairman of Daegyeong University and chairman of Seven Valley CC, has been incorporated into the golf course programs.

Started in 2019, the Daegyeong CEO Academy selects 24 participants mainly from active entrepreneurs through screening and conducts weekly 9-hole field lessons and practical play from April to October for each cohort. Director Kim said, "It is the only program that excludes classroom-based theoretical education and offers a curriculum focused on improving golf skills," adding, "It helps with business management and builds a network for frequent communication, so participant satisfaction is very high." From this year, the '2030 Golf Academy' has been introduced for MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) entrepreneurs born after 1988.