"I believe we were recognized for our efforts to break free from the membership-only framework and bring the joy of golf as a sport to general golfers as well."
Kim Hee-kyu, General Manager of Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Songdo, Incheon, described the driving force behind receiving the grand prize at the 2025-26 Seoul Economic Daily Top 10 Korean Golf Courses awards ceremony held at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 12th.
Jack Nicklaus GC has indeed broken down the barriers of what can be an exclusive membership golf club and focused solely on golf. "By hosting various golf tournaments, we contributed to the general public and enhanced our brand, creating value that other golf courses cannot match," Kim said. He added, "Through hosting major international events such as LIV Golf and the DP World Tour Genesis Championship in 2025, we gained extensive know-how across all areas of golf course operations, including course management, hospitality, and facility maintenance. By filling in our gaps through that experience, we earned continued positive responses from members, which created a virtuous cycle of reinvesting in the golf course, leading to our current brand power."
Kim attributes Jack Nicklaus GC's growth to the overall improvement in Korea's golf course industry. Pursuing growth amid fierce competition required greater efforts in golf course management to survive, which became another driving force behind winning the grand prize. "Recently, golf courses are making aggressive investments leveraging their unique characteristics," he said. "To keep pace, we are continuously striving for development and growth by creating food and beverage menus unavailable elsewhere and planning special events."
Jack Nicklaus GC plans to take a breather this year and prepare for its next leap forward. The club will reduce annual rounds played and significantly increase staffing to focus on course management and strengthen its foundation. "This year, we have carefully laid out various plans to strengthen our fundamentals," Kim emphasized. "Through this period, we will build the fundamental strength to maintain our title as Korea's premier golf course for years to come."