[One Day Ten Thousand Characters] Why a Park Golf Course is Emerging in Hwacheon-gun at the 'Sancheon-eo Festival'

The Sancheoneo Festival held every January in Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do, is a well-known local festival worldwide, alongside the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival and the Boryeong Mud Festival. The '2023 Ice Country Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival' held last January attracted 1.31 million visitors. Another product Hwacheon-gun is preparing is park golf. The Sancheoneo Park Golf Course, which opened in July 2021 along the Bukhan River in Hanam-myeon, is a representative example. Choi Moon-soon, the mayor of Hwacheon-gun, promotes it by saying, "In Hwacheon-gun, you can enjoy a naturalistic prestigious park golf course on the beautiful Bukhan Riverbank, where you can fully feel the clear and clean sky and fresh air, blending with nature for a comfortable and high-quality leisure experience." The Sancheoneo Park Golf Course has a total course length of 1,416 meters, with Course A having 9 holes and Course B having 9 holes. There is also a park golf course in Yongam-ri. The general fee is 5,000 won, but Hwacheon residents can use it for free, and equipment rental such as clubs is also available.

The 2023 Hwacheon National Couples Park Golf Tournament held last June at Sancheoneo Park Golf Course
[Photo by Hwacheon-gun]

As of May, there are 25 park golf clubs active in the Hwacheon area, which has a population of about 24,000. The membership is about 800, and it is expected to exceed 1,000 within the year. Since the opening of the Sancheoneo Park Golf Course in July 2021, nearly half of the approximately 600,000 cumulative visitors have been local residents, with the rest being tourists from outside. Hwacheon-gun stated, "Park golf in Hwacheon has firmly taken root as a community sport loved not only by outsiders participating in large tournaments but also by residents living in the area," adding, "Exchanges between each club are active, playing an excellent role as a venue for community harmony."

Scenery of Hwacheon Sancheoneo Park Golf Course
[Photo by Hwacheon-gun]

Park golf is easy to learn and uses only one club to hit the ball, making it simple to play. It costs little and involves a lot of walking on grass, providing exercise benefits. It requires less space than regular golf courses, making land development easier and more accessible. Since it does not strain the body, it is suitable for the elderly. Gangwon-do has more than 30 park golf courses, with additional ones planned. According to Gangwon Ilbo, the number of park golf courses in the province increased from 5 in 2015 to 23 in 2020, and 34 this year. Samcheok City is developing two 18-hole park golf courses in Miro-myeon and Dogye-eup areas to serve as venues for local club members and participants in national tournaments. When the park golf course in Goseong-gun, scheduled for completion in December this year, is established, all 18 cities and counties in Gangwon-do will have park golf courses.

Seorak Resort landscape where the park golf course will be established [Photo by Kumho Resort]

Seorak Resort, operated by Kumho Resort, will also operate a park golf course for family customers starting in August. Kumho Resort focused on the popularity of park golf as a sport that people of all ages can easily enjoy and created a park golf course that highlights the charm of Seorak Resort, where visitors can admire the beauty of Ulsanbawi Rock in Seoraksan.

The newly established park golf course is a 9-hole course on a 4,298㎡ grass plaza, consisting of seven par-3 holes and two par-4 holes. All holes range from about 30 to 70 meters, utilizing the sloped terrain as is, and bunkers, which are obstacles on the course, were placed to add fun elements. In line with the concept of a family park golf course, the course is designed for all age groups to enjoy together. Kumho Resort directly manages and operates the facility.

Kim Sung-il, CEO of Kumho Resort, said, "In line with the 'sportcation' trend that pursues health and enjoyment together, we established a park golf course so that family customers visiting Seorak Resort can experience healthy enjoyment while admiring the magnificent scenery of Seoraksan," adding, "We will continue to position Seorak Resort as a representative recreational facility in the Gangwon region where the whole family can enjoy, with content that maximizes Seorak Resort's unique differentiating points."