Seokho Lee, CEO of Seowon Valley, "The Best Course is the Best Service"

35 Years of Golf Course Ties, Leading as a Professional Manager
Excitement in Hosting Golf Tournaments and Establishing Golf Teams
Chairman Choi Deung-gyu Supports Green Concert Sharing
"We Will Create a Golf Course Customers Want to Return To"

There is a golf course manager in Korea who is currently experiencing the busiest time. He is CEO Lee Seok-ho, who is responsible for operating Seowon Valley CC in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 23rd, he confessed, "I really don't know how time has passed," adding, "I was busy for 10 months preparing the course for the LPGA Tour event." From the 19th for four days, the Seowon Hills course at Seowon Valley successfully hosted the BMW Ladies Championship, the only LPGA Tour event in Korea.

CEO Lee has a long history in golf courses. He started with Vision Hills CC in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, in 1988. He recalled, "I was able to learn about business approvals, land acquisition, and permits," and "It was so popular that it recorded the highest price at the time of sale." Afterward, he moved through Cheongju Even Dale, Jecheon Hildesheim (now Kings Rock), and Gimpo Seaside before settling at Seowon Valley in 2016. He has been working here for eight years now.

Lee Seok-ho, CEO of Seowon Valley, emphasized, "The best service we can offer customers at the golf course is the finest course."

CEO Lee has a strong supporter: Chairman Choi Deung-gyu of Daebo Group and Seowon Valley. Born as the son of a poor farmer, he built a group encompassing construction, distribution, information and communication, and leisure. CEO Lee expressed gratitude, saying, "The chairman's love for golf is truly exceptional. He has a heart to share with those in need," and "Even if it means financial loss, he actively supports the golf course. As a CEO, it makes me want to work here."

CEO Lee is a good golfer. His best score is 2 under par at Pocheon Ildong Lake. He said, "I've shot even par several times. My handicap is 5." He started golf while working at Vision Hills. He practiced at the driving range every day for three years and even earned a teaching pro certificate. He explained, "I learned golf because I thought I couldn't run a golf course business without knowing golf." Since becoming a golf course CEO, the number of rounds he plays has decreased. "Here, I play rounds with the chairman once or twice a year. I think I play about six times with other golf course CEOs," he said.

This is the view of the 14th hole at Seowon Hills Course in Seowon Valley, featured in the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship.

This year, CEO Lee went all in on Seowon Hills. The design and construction costs amounted to 3 billion KRW, and losses from the golf course not operating normally reached 2 billion KRW. This was possible thanks to Chairman Choi's bold decision. CEO Lee worked overnight to transform the course into a tournament-ready course. The course change was decided in January, design finalized at the end of March, and from April to August, all efforts were poured in. Everything except the greens was changed. The number of bunkers increased from 56 to 81, and all surrounding landscaping was altered. He recalled, "We made the turf perfect, but the course had problems due to the August heatwave. All employees stayed up without sleep preparing for this tournament." He added, "There is much to learn from hosting tournaments," and "It feels like the golf course is being upgraded to the next level."

Since CEO Lee took office, golf-related businesses have increased. In March last year, he founded the Daebo Golf Team. It consists of six members, including Kim Ji-hyun, Kim Yoon-kyo, and Jang Eun-su, who play on the KLPGA Tour, and Choi Min-cheol, Go Gun-taek, and Oh Seung-hyuk, members of the KPGA Korean Tour. Go Gun-taek had a 'big hit' this year with three wins. CEO Lee smiled, saying, "I am also the team manager," and "It has been very rewarding as it promotes both the golf course and the group." Last month, Seowon Valley hosted the third Daebo House D Open on the KLPGA Tour. Next month, the LG Signature Players Championship, the final event of the Korean Tour season, will take place. He said, "I felt the golf course grow through tournament events," and "It is also enjoyable to let general amateurs experience the quality of tournament courses," smiling brightly.

Seowon Valley has been practicing neighborly love through free Green Concerts since 2000.

Seowon Valley is famous as a golf course of sharing. The Green Concert, started on the last Saturday of May every year since 2000, is a representative example. It is the world's only large-scale free charity event held on a golf course. The fairways and greens are transformed into stages and seats, and Korea's top musicians perform to raise large sums for charity. Every year, about 40,000 people fill the seats. The cumulative attendance has exceeded 500,000. Seowon Valley also fully supports discovering promising players and expanding the base of golf. CEO Lee emphasized the significance, saying, "I think giving up our precious home ground is an act of generosity and sharing." Five hundred employees participate in this event, and it costs more than 600 million KRW annually.

CEO Lee dreams of a golf course where everyone is responsible. He emphasizes to employees, "Don't just have a microscope; you also need a telescope." He believes that focusing only on one's own work can lead to prejudice. He said, "It is necessary for employees to interact and work together on each other's tasks. Being able to do various jobs builds the ability to respond in emergencies." CEO Lee added, "If this culture takes root, it can become the best golf course." He emphasized, "The name of our course's 18th hole is IBB (I'll be back). We will create a golf course that customers want to return to."

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