Changing the Golf Paradigm
The Okgu-eup area in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, was once renowned for sea salt production. In the 1980s, the area had about 20 salt farms. However, cheap Chinese salt imports and the Saemangeum reclamation project pushed the industry into decline. Plans to build an international motor racing circuit on the abandoned salt farm site fell through during the Asian financial crisis.
The derelict site found new life in 2003. Gunsan Leisure Industry purchased approximately 4.24 million square meters (about 1.28 million pyeong) of land to develop an 81-hole course and resort. After a partial opening in 2005, the facility held its grand opening in May 2007. A 100-room golf hotel was completed in 2011, marking the completion of Gunsan Golf & Resort.
Gunsan Golf & Resort, which quickly gained attention as Korea's largest golf complex, has transformed industry paradigms through various innovations. During construction, no external soil was imported. Workers excavated earth from the site to create waterways and used that soil to build the courses. Subsequent course maintenance has followed eco-friendly practices. As a result, the courses now attract various migratory and resident birds including grey herons, Baikal teals, and whooper swans. Mullet, eel, carp, and shrimp inhabit the waterways. The resort has addressed environmental concerns—the primary objection environmental groups raise against golf course development.
The resort has also pioneered golf popularization. Various golf packages including one-night-two-day and two-night-three-day stays, as well as caddie-free self-rounds, originated at Gunsan. In 2009, the resort led the establishment of the Public Golf Course Association.
