[Field 3GO] Jade Palace Golf Club 'Prime Golf Course'

Norman Design Woldubong Ridge and Valley
2017 Hanwha Classic Tournament Course
High-Class Private Club, Hotel-Grade Chef Cuisine
Popular Walks at 'Little European Arboretum' Jade Garden

Golf culture is gradually changing. It is shifting from a personal hobby to a family leisure activity. Golf is no longer just a pleasure for golfers but a sport to enjoy with family. Due to this change, a golf course being good alone is not enough to be the best. There must be food and attractions along with excellent field conditions. We introduce the ‘Field 3GO’ golf courses that are perfect for spending happy times with golf.

Jade Palace is an eco-friendly golf course established in a prime location according to the principles of pungsujiri (Korean geomancy).

◆EnjoyGO= Recently, the movie has become popular, surpassing 10 million viewers. Due to the influence of Phantom, interest in auspicious sites with good energy is increasing. Among golf courses, which is the best auspicious golf course? Jade Palace in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do is gaining attention. It opened in 2004. It is a high-end golf club that serves only a small number of customers in a pristine natural environment.

Jade Palace is an auspicious site where mountain peaks, rivers, and sky harmonize. It was created along the ridges and valleys of Woldubong, which stands at 453 meters above sea level. It is a plateau-type course with gentle elevation differences between ridges and valleys. The open landscape is impressive. Feng shui-wise, the Bukhang River raises the peaks of Bonapsan, Mulan Mountain, and Woldubong. The energy is good. Woldubong, which seems to overlook the course, gives a majestic and sacred feeling. Next to the teeing ground of the 15th hole, there is a rock with the ‘Wijiryeongbi’ inscription carved by feng shui expert Choi Chang-jo.

Jade Palace is a challenging course featuring 71 bunkers.

Jade Palace is the first golf course in Korea designed and constructed with direct involvement by Greg Norman (Australia), a world-renowned golfer and course designer. It maximizes the natural terrain features and appropriately balances difficulty. It demands challenging and progressive play from golfers. Jade Palace features ‘Sand faced bunkers’ that stimulate golfers’ competitive spirit. There are 71 bunkers and six ponds of various sizes. Since 2017, it has been the tournament course for the Hanwha Classic, a major event on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour.

It boasts a top-class course. The principles of fairway and green management and operation are strictly followed. It closes every Monday and during summer and winter seasons. Both weekdays and weekends follow a one-way play system. Tee-offs are at 15-minute intervals on weekdays and 10-minute intervals on weekends. You can enjoy a different level of leisure and private rounds. Before the round, a professional golfer provides swing checks and golf stretching coaching services. You can experience various premium services such as field lessons. It is one hour away from Seoul, boasting excellent accessibility.

The Jade Palace Clubhouse is a high-end golf club where business and relaxation coexist.

◆EatGO= Jade Palace is a high-class membership club. It operates with about 200 exclusive members. It is the best place to socialize with companions. The elegant clubhouse designed by the world-renowned design group WZA stands out. The lobby combines business and relaxation spaces. Recently, through a large-scale clubhouse renewal, it has been reborn as a high-class private social club.

The restaurant offers a panoramic view of the beautiful course scenery. Spaces are separated and sightlines blocked to prevent interference among customers. There is also a dining room where hotel-level chefs carefully prepare meals. A newly introduced wine cellar room is available. You can taste Sevens Stones wine from St. Helena in Napa Valley, famous for producing top-tier cult wines.

Jade Palace has a wine cellar room that houses the finest Seven Stones wines.

Most ingredients are domestically sourced. Webfoot octopus, pork, beef, chicken, rice, napa cabbage, and red pepper powder are all produced in Korea. Texas barbecue is popular. It uses the low-and-slow method, smoking slowly at 125 degrees Celsius for 6 to 18 hours. The meat is tender and has a deep flavor. Red sea bream rice pot, abalone rice pot with chwinamul (a wild vegetable), and Seoul-style beef bone soup are breakfast menu items. Chinese dishes such as sweet and sour pork, spicy garlic chicken, and five-color yangjangpi are also waiting for customers’ choice.

◆SeeGO= Around Jade Palace is Jade Garden, a botanical garden that aims to be a small Europe in the forest. It covers about 160,000 square meters, maintaining the natural terrain as much as possible. There are 24 themed gardens. Utilizing the natural valley terrain, the flowers, trees, architectural styles, and building layouts are designed in a European style. It houses 3,000 species of plants including rhododendrons, maple trees, irises, and blueberries. It is divided into 24 sub-gardens including a dry garden, wedding garden, moss garden, and rhododendron garden.

Jade Garden is a beautiful arboretum that embodies a small Europe in the forest.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

The walking trails such as the Wood Scent Path and Forest Breeze Path around the botanical garden are impressive. The Wood Scent Path is covered with wood chips on the ground. It offers good accessibility to various themed gardens. The Forest Breeze Path is shaded with dense trees and cool, making it ideal for walking in summer. Each course takes about 40 to 60 minutes one way. All courses start at the ticket office and end at the Gardener’s Cottage or Sky Garden at the highest point.

There are convenience facilities such as Honeybee’s Cottage, where you can rest and have a drink during your walk, and Studio Jade. While touring the botanical garden, some areas have steep slopes, so comfortable shoes are recommended over dress shoes. Night openings are held seasonally. Shuttle buses run between Gulpongsan Station on the Gyeongchun Line and the botanical garden. Collecting animals, plants, or rocks is prohibited. Kickboards, bicycles, and drones are also not allowed.