[Field 3GO] Gamgok CC 'Golf Course Preferred by Golfers'

Ogapsan Foot Hills Public Je Regular 18-Hole Course
Beach Bunker, Exposed Rock, Ecological Wetland Scenery
Modern Clubhouse, European-Style Facilities
Popular Handok Medical Museum and Ban Ki-moon Peace Memorial Hall

Golf culture in Korea 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 the best. There must be food and attractions along with good field conditions. We introduce the ‘Field 3GO’ golf courses suitable for spending happy times with golf. This time, it is Gamgok Country Club (CC) located in Gamgok-myeon, Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk.

Gamgok CC is a golf course where you can experience outstanding natural scenery and a unique challenge. Photo by Gamgok CC

◆EnjoyGO= Gamgok CC opened in April 2022. It is a public 18-hole regulation course located on the foothills of Ogapsan Mountain. It covers 1,038,163㎡ with a par 72 and a total length of 7,040 yards. Pinnacle Golf, who designed Sophia Green, Cheongdo Grace, and Kazakhstan Yashi Golf & Resort, was responsible for the design. Each course offers various scenic changes such as lakes, streams, beach bunkers, exposed bedrock, ecological wetlands, and themed gardens. Amidst the outstanding natural scenery, all golfers encounter exciting and moving courses with unique challenges. In July, the SK Telecom Adaptive Open for golfers with developmental disabilities was held here. Gamgok CC provided the winner and runner-up with a training space to play 12 rounds (18 holes each) over one year, once a month.

The course consists of the flat Peach course and the mountainous Glen course. It is a place where various distances per hole, beautiful courses, and surrounding natural scenery harmonize. Comfortable tee shots, detour spaces for golf beginners (golfer + children), and wide green spaces make golfers feel at ease. Having clear attack points is advantageous for making scores. It is a dynamic course with excellent shot value using all clubs. It is a golf course that attracts the interest of high-level golfers.

Gamgok CC clubhouse is impressive with its modern and simple design. Photo by Gamgok CC

From the 6th hole of the Peach course, you can see Chungju’s Gukmangsan and Boryeonsan Mountains. The holes are generally arranged facing southeast. The autumn foliage is beautiful. When the ball is in the rough, the distance varies depending on whether it is against or with the grain. If the ball falls into the rough, a stable green attack is recommended. The greens are relatively easy. There are no two-tier greens, and there are not many difficult lies. The tee boxes are made of bentgrass. The management of the fairways and greens, which use Korean-type grass, is also excellent.

Each hole is set strategically. It is not boring and has excellent differentiation. It is a mountainous golf course. The fairway undulation is severe. There are many dynamic holes with uphill and downhill slopes. The green fees are relatively affordable. Self-rounds are also possible. Accessibility is not bad. It is 5 minutes from Gamgok IC on the Jungbu Inland Expressway and 50 minutes from Dongseoul IC. It can be reached in an hour from Yongin. It is practically a metropolitan area golf course.

At the lobby of Gamgok CC clubhouse, you can enjoy the view of the course visible through the large windows. Photo by Gamgok CC

◆EatGO= The clubhouse of Gamgok CC has a modern and neat feel. It is spacious and simple. The cute animal sculptures inside are impressive. The golf course view through the large windows is artistic. The auxiliary facilities are decorated in a European style. This is a favorable point for guests. The restaurant offers special gourmet dishes. In the morning, beef bone and cabbage hangover soup and mushroom perilla soup are served.

At Gamgok CC Restaurant, you can enjoy dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. Photo by Gamgok CC

The Kaisendon, a single-person set menu, is also famous. It is a refined meal made by simmering abalone, eel, and octopus in Japanese style, served as a seafood rice bowl topped with salmon pickled in sea salt and fresh dill. There is also Chungcheong-do style pork kimchi soup rice that lets you taste the flavor of hometown. Autumn delicacies such as crispy Yuringi (fried chicken in vinegar sauce), chicken wings and French fries that go well with beer, and clear cod soup are also available. You can have a light snack at the shade house. The best is the soup tteokbokki. The price is cheaper compared to other golf courses.

At the Handok Medical Museum, you can see various medical artifacts from both Eastern and Western medicine. Photo by Korea Tourism Organization

◆SeeGO= In Eumseong, there is the Handok Pharmaceutical Museum. It was established in 1964 as a cultural project commemorating the 10th anniversary of Handok (formerly Handok Pharmaceutical). It is Korea’s first corporate museum and a specialized museum. The Handok Pharmaceutical Museum houses about 20,000 Eastern and Western medical artifacts, including 6 treasures and 2 tangible cultural assets of Chungbuk. Through various medical artifacts used in Korea, China, Japan, other Asian countries, and Europe, you can see how diseases were fought in the past. You can view the exhibition more vividly through the 19th-century German pharmacy and Dr. Fleming’s laboratory, as well as a traditional Korean herbal medicine shop, all restored to their original state.

The Ban Ki-moon Peace Memorial Hall is an interactive exhibition space where visitors can learn about dreams and visions. Photo by Ban Ki-moon Peace Memorial Hall

The Ban Ki-moon Peace Memorial Hall is also worth visiting. He served as the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN). It was created as an educational space that can present dreams and visions to youth who will become future global leaders and embody the spirit of the UN. The site covers 7,803㎡ with a building area of 2,856㎡. It is configured as a participatory exhibition space combining various fields such as art, play, experience, and education. It is a complex healing space equipped with educational rooms such as a multipurpose room, conference room, and Dream Tree learning room, as well as resting areas.