‘Hot Trend’ Park Golf… “Stay Healthy While Walking”

Rapid Increase to 398 Park Golf Courses Nationwide
Membership Soars to 161,557 This Year
Daegu Yeongjin College Establishes Park Golf Management Department
Enjoyable, Accessible, Easy to Learn, and 'Popular'

The enthusiasm for Park Golf is heating up.

Park golf in Korea is experiencing rapid growth. The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Park Golf Course in Gangwon is generating revenue by hosting tournaments.
[Photo by Hwacheon Sancheoneo Park Golf Course]

While it has mainly been enjoyed by the elderly, it is recently spreading to middle-aged people as well. A nationwide boom in the creation of park golf courses is also underway. According to the Korea Parkgolf Association, the number of park golf courses nationwide increased from 226 in 2019 to 254 in 2020, 303 in 2021, 329 in 2022, 361 in 2023, and 398 in 2024. This is a remarkable 70% increase compared to 2019. By the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces, Gyeongbuk has 62 courses, Gyeongnam 60, Gyeonggi 43, and Jeonnam and Gangwon each have 36, among others. The number of members has also steadily increased, surging from 45,478 in 2020 to 64,001 in 2021, 106,505 in 2022, 142,664 in 2023, and 161,557 in 2024.

The Korea Parkgolf Association is very active. It is an organization under the Korea Sports Council. Starting with the Daegu-Ulsan Park Golf Federation in 2007, it completed the establishment of 17 metropolitan city and provincial associations nationwide by 2018. Through 8 committees, a board of directors, and a general assembly, it is further spreading park golf. The Korea Parkgolf Association explained, "The number of park golf courses is exploding because it can be used at low cost in urban areas and the short courses make it easy for the elderly to access."

Universities have also established departments related to park golf. Yeungjin College in Daegu established the nation's first 'Park Golf Management Department' in 2022 and produced its first 21 graduates this year. There are 91 students enrolled, with an average age of 62. They are learning about park golf practice, related industries and business, management, marketing, basic accounting, and financial technology.

The popularity was also felt at the 2024 Rural Love Park Golf Tournament last month. Since last year, 561 agricultural and livestock cooperatives and 2,768 members participated in the preliminary rounds, and 577 who passed the regional preliminaries competed in friendly competition. A representative from the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) tour who observed the tournament also paid attention to the impact of park golf. "At first, it was mainly for people with disabilities, but now ordinary people are starting to take interest. Many women in their 50s also play. It allows for brisk walking. You can complete 18 holes in 1 hour and 20 minutes, so there is no physical burden. It seems to be a sport that ordinary people can easily enjoy."

Park golf played on grass is an excellent exercise for health and dementia prevention.
[Photo by Korea Park Golf Association]

Park golf is a restructured sport of golf. It is a mini golf game enjoyed in small green spaces such as parks. It is characterized by being created in urban parks or idle land so that men and women of all ages and people with disabilities can enjoy it together. It supports weak knees and helps with diabetes and depression. It is excellent for dementia prevention. Park golf started in Japan in 1983. It was introduced domestically in 2000, and in 2004, a 9-hole official Han River park golf course was established in Yeouido, Seoul.

Park golf has many advantages. Anyone can access it. It is easy to learn. It is economical with low costs, reducing financial burden. Since all holes must be walked, it provides a lot of exercise. You are close to nature and walk on grass. Walking on flat ground does not strain the body. It has the same expected effects as regular golf. Above all, it is located near cities, making it easily accessible. Korean society is rapidly changing into a low birthrate, super-aged society. In the era of '100 years of age,' it is a sport with vision. It is a sport that three generations?grandfathers, fathers, and children?can enjoy. It is also attractive to walk the green fields under warm sunlight with family, friends, and colleagues while chatting.

When playing park golf, you must observe etiquette that shows consideration for your companions.
[Photo by Korea Park Golf Association]

Park golf is also playing a significant role in driving the local economy. In Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province, hundreds of club members visit every week. Although the number of registered members with the association steadily increases every year, park golf courses are severely lacking. As of last year, the number of registered members nationwide increased by 66%, but the number of park golf courses increased by only about 10% annually. In Jeju, as of last year, the daily capacity was 766 people, but the actual number of users was 995, meaning 229 people could not use the course each day.

Local governments across the country are competitively promoting the establishment or expansion of park golf courses. Daegu City plans to build 4 park golf courses (totaling 108 holes) on the Geumho Riverside site and expand 2 others. Jeonnam has set a goal to create 100 park golf courses by next year. Chungnam will establish or expand 30 park golf courses by the end of the year. Local government heads are directly committing to the construction of park golf courses. The popularity of park golf is expected to spread even further.