Springhills CC in Goyang Cleared to Expand to 18-Hole Course

Notice of Expansion from 9 to 18 Holes in Goyang City
Construction Scheduled for November, Completion Planned for 2027

Springhills Country Club, located in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, will expand to 18 holes.

Goyang City recently announced the designation of a project operator and approval of an implementation plan for the expansion of Springhills CC, located at 348-17 Sanhwang-dong, Ilsandong-gu, from the existing 9 holes to 18 holes as part of its urban planning facility project. With this announcement, the expansion project, which had been delayed for about 12 years, is expected to gain momentum.

Springhills CC opened as a 9-hole course in December 2008. In 2013, the club applied to Goyang City for a change in land use plan, stating the need to expand the existing 9 holes to 18 holes to build a clubhouse, management building, and tee house. The area of the existing 9 holes was 230,000 square meters, while the area for the additional 9 holes to be added is 269,326 square meters.

At the time, the club obtained consent from 90 landowners for the new expansion and submitted the relevant documents to Goyang City. Based on the conditional approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2015, Goyang City proceeded with the process to lift the development restriction zone and approved the change in urban management plan.

This is a panoramic view of Goyang Springhills CC. Photo by Springhills CC

However, citizens and environmental groups strongly opposed the golf course expansion, raising concerns about the possibility of harmful substances such as pesticides from the golf course flowing into the Goyang Water Purification Plant, located about 300 meters away, and held candlelight rallies. The golf course pledged to operate in an environmentally friendly manner, such as using microbial pesticides, but residents did not accept this. Taking into account the opposition from citizens, Goyang City reviewed the designation of the project operator and approval of the implementation plan, and in June 2023 decided not to approve the project.

Goyang City also took into consideration that the golf course had not properly followed the land acquisition procedures and had not fully met the project completion conditions set in 2010 when deciding not to approve the change to 18 holes. Afterward, the golf course supplemented the project conditions and persuaded residents, and reapplied for project implementation in January of this year.

A representative of Springhills CC stated, "We have met the conditions required by Goyang City over the past two years," and added, "Currently, more than 90% of village residents are in favor, and we plan to complete the remaining procedures, start construction in November, and finish by the end of 2027."