Changwon Special City Cares for Senior Health by Expanding Park Golf Courses

Master Plan Establishment, Targeting 500 Halls Based on Expected 16,000 Members in 2026

Jinho Gu, Director of Culture, Tourism, and Sports Bureau, Changwon City.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Song Jong-gu] Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam announced on the 29th that it has established a ‘Park Golf Course Master Plan’ to expand the supply of park golf courses and promote efficient operation.

With the recent rapid increase in the senior population participating in sports, demand for park golf has also surged explosively. Reflecting the reality of insufficient facilities, the city selected the ‘Changwon Special City Park Golf Course Master Plan Establishment’ as a pledge task for the 8th local government administration to establish and supply new park golf courses and set future operational directions.

Since October, the city has formed and operated a Park Golf TF team to establish the ‘Changwon City Park Golf Course Master Plan’ focusing on three main principles: ▲expanding balanced park golf infrastructure to resolve regional imbalances ▲forming public consensus through phased and systematic project promotion ▲preparing efficient operation plans for park golf courses.

Currently, there are a total of 7 park golf courses with 213 holes operating within Changwon city, with a total of 110 clubs and about 8,000 members. Although the number of members is rapidly increasing, supply has not kept pace with this demand, causing facility shortages and user inconvenience, leading to continuous civil complaints demanding the expansion of park golf course development.

Unlike other sports, park golf courses require large-scale land and project costs for development, and administrative procedures such as urban planning facility decisions take a long time to complete, so balanced and systematic supply is necessary.

Changwon city set a goal to create (operate) 500 holes by 2026, which is double the current capacity, to accommodate 16,000 users, based on an annual expected increase of 2,000 members, in order to establish a master plan that meets various criteria such as the increase in park golf members and location.

Additionally, the location of park golf courses was reviewed focusing on available land within existing parks, rivers, and development-restricted areas, emphasizing securing large-scale sites and preventing prolonged project periods due to difficulties in funding. To avoid concentration in specific areas, balanced candidate sites were selected by region.

Currently, five park golf courses are under development, with 60 holes scheduled to be supplied by 2024. The 18-hole park golf course at Sahwa Park in Uichang-gu is being developed as a private park special project and is planned to be donated upon completion.

The city is prioritizing self-driven projects in Masanhappo-gu and Jinhae-gu, where park golf infrastructure is lacking, developing 9 holes at Gapo Sports Park in Masanhappo-gu, 9 holes in Jinjeon-myeon, 6 holes in Jinbuk-myeon, and an 18-hole park golf course in Yongwon, Jinhae-gu.

Future park golf courses will be developed in stages according to systematic facility plans with scale and characteristics to lead the development of park golf in Changwon city. Currently, eight candidate sites with a total of 227 holes are under review, selected to meet diverse demands such as ▲large-scale certified park golf courses capable of hosting international competitions ▲park golf courses near residential areas for use as venues for community sports.

Since public acceptance is paramount for sports facilities, the city plans to actively reflect residents’ opinions and expert advice in the development of park golf courses.

There have also been requests to develop park golf courses in Gaeumjeong Park and the idle land of Naeseo Gwangryeocheon, but park golf course development plans near residential parks and river areas will be reflected and promoted after forming public consensus.

Furthermore, since park golf courses have been operated mainly by members under consignment to associations, the city has reviewed improvement directions from various angles due to ▲civil complaints such as inconvenience for non-members ▲arbitrary expansion due to rapid increase in park golf members.

Going forward, the city plans to establish detailed operation plans for park golf courses, including ▲establishing city-affiliated institutions or consigned operating corporations ▲introducing a prior reservation system ▲enacting ordinances for fee charging ▲maintaining existing park golf courses and auxiliary facilities.

Gu Jin-ho, Director of the Culture, Tourism and Sports Bureau, stated, “With the establishment of this master plan, we will do our best to make Changwon a ‘Park Golf Mecca’ where any park golf enthusiast wants to visit.”

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