'KLPGA Championship Battleground' Lakewood Introduces "Walk-Through Sterilizer"

"All-Out Effort to Block COVID-19: 'Virus Eradication with Ultraviolet Rays,' KLPGA Adds 'Quarantine Guidelines' Including Social Distancing and Disinfectant Spray Distribution"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist] "Introduction of walk-through ultraviolet sterilizer."

The Lakewood Golf Course in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do, the battleground for the first major KLPGA Championship (total prize money 3 billion KRW) of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, which kicks off on the 14th, is making every effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). This tournament is especially significant as it marks the resumption of the tour after a long 5-month hiatus since the 2020 season opener, the Hyosung Championship held in Vietnam last December.

It is drawing even more spotlight as it is the first among professional golf tours worldwide, including Korea. It is scheduled a month ahead of the PGA Tour's Charles Schwab Challenge on June 11, and more than two months earlier than the LPGA Tour. In Japan, both men's and women's golf events are uncertain as to when they will be held. This is why the KLPGA is preparing the tournament with utmost caution, stating that "there must be no gaps in quarantine."

Lakewood has established a dual quarantine system by installing a sterilizer worth about 10 million KRW (pictured) along with a thermal imaging camera. It is a walk-through type security checkpoint style, similar to those installed at airports or major facility entrances, which all players and tournament officials must pass through upon entry. Harmless ultraviolet rays are emitted during the passage process to eliminate viruses and bacteria. Players' breakfast and lunch are transported from the buffet restaurant of the parent company, Le Meridien Seoul Hotel.

The KLPGA Tour has also created detailed quarantine guidelines including health questionnaires and temperature checks, maintaining a 2-meter distance between players, banning handshakes, providing disinfectant sprays for personal equipment, and mandating mask-wearing before tee-off and immediately after rounds. Caddies are required to wear masks during play and are instructed, "Do not touch bunker rakes and flags with bare hands." Even family members are prohibited from entering player-only areas such as exclusive spaces, restaurants, and practice ranges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.