"To enjoy park golf healthily for a long time, you need to select equipment suited to your physical condition and skill level through consultation and test swings."
Oh Young-geun, CEO of Giga Golf, made this remark in an interview with Seoul Economic Daily at the company's Osan headquarters on Monday. "The era of buying any club online is ending, and the park golf club market is evolving toward consultation-based sales," he said.
Oh acquired the Japanese brand "GIGA" in 2010 and established a Korean subsidiary selling golf equipment. In 2018, he founded "Giga Park Golf" and shifted focus from golf to park golf. Rather than competing on price in the online market, Giga Park Golf maintains field operations centered on approximately 250 dealerships nationwide. The strategy aims to build consumer trust by directly monitoring regional demand and providing on-site after-sales service.
"Just as people upgrade from compact cars to sedans, consumers are naturally changing equipment as their skills improve," Oh said. "Only companies that guarantee management and trust will survive."
The company's focus on technology development and customized club sales has yielded positive results. Sales of the "GP Series" park golf club brand, which consolidates expertise from both golf and park golf clubs, have grown approximately 30% since launch. The brand gained word-of-mouth recognition by applying 100% carbon shafts for quality and earning customer trust through offline consultation sales.
Oh is also promoting park golf culture through tournaments emphasizing communication over competition. Following events in Ulleungdo and Vietnam, the company recently completed the industry's first screen golf tournament bearing an equipment maker's name. "I'm working to build a company that makes park golf clubs I would gladly use when I become a senior," Oh said. "I want to establish a park golf culture where anyone can share enjoyment for a long time."