Park golf a hole in one for older adults out to socialize, exercise

Older adults play park golf during a regional competition in Daegu on Oct. 17, 2024. [NEWS1]

 
Park golf, a low-cost, low-impact “mini golf in the park,” is rapidly transforming daily life for older Korean adults, who say the sport offers exercise, social connection and even improved health — fueling a nationwide boom that has outpaced the supply of courses.
 
Oh In-seon, 64, picked up park golf six years ago after playing regular golf. Introduced by a friend, she quickly embraced the simplified game, which requires just one club for both tee shots and putting.
 
 
“Even if you make a mistake, it’s not as stressful as golf,” said Oh. “It’s easy to learn, and even beginners can play a full round. It’s especially great for older women. If you walk around for four hours with your friends, there’s no time to feel depressed. Golf can cost about 300,000 won [$204] per round, but park golf is affordable even if you play daily.”
 
A total of 65 percent of people in their 60s and 57.7 percent of people in their 70s or older participate in regular physical activity, according to a 2024 survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and park golf is becoming a popular form of exercise.
 
“Age isn’t a barrier,” said Oh, smiling. “I recently played a round with my 90-year-old father. He had such a great time — it felt like I was being a good daughter.”
 
Oh also teaches at Dongguk University’s Park Golf Advanced Program, reflecting how deeply the sport has become a part of her life.
 
At a course in Chuncheon, 83-year-old Kwon Joong-heon plays with his wife and another couple three times a week.
 

Young students and teachers play park golf at a field in Cheorwon, Gangwon, on Sept. 29. [YONHAP]

 
“It’s hard to walk 10,000 steps on your own, but with park golf, you get in 8,000 steps easily by playing two rounds,” he said.
 
Kwon’s wife, 79-year-old Lee Young-ae, said, “It’s such a joy to socialize while walking on grass and getting sun. I used to suffer from low bone density, but my doctor told me last year that my levels are normal now. I believe it’s thanks to park golf.”
 
“It’s a social sport that keeps older adults healthy,” said Lee. “Isn’t this a national benefit? The government should invest more and build more courses.”
 
“My husband grumbles when I ask him to walk along Gongji stream, but he comes along without a word if I say we’re going to play park golf,” said 72-year-old Lee Kyung-soon, who was playing with Kwon and his wife.
 
Shin Jung-yeol, a 70-year-old who participated in the Sancheoneo Park Golf Tournament in Hwacheon, said he plays nearly every day from 10 a.m. to noon at a well-equipped course in Yangyang, Gangwon. A certified sports instructor, he also teaches the sport to elementary school students.
 

People in sportswear play park golf during a summer heatwave at a field in Daegu on July 31. [YONHAP]

 
“Even kids enjoy it,” Shin said. “It’s a great sport for physical, mental and social health.”
 
Yoon Mong-ryong, a 68-year-old in his second year of playing park golf, has already entered several tournaments this year, including the Seoul City Association Cup and Seocho District Association Cup.
 
“I played golf for years, but park golf makes it easy to participate in competitions,” said Yoon. “Competing gives me more motivation.”
 
Kwon Hyuk, an official from the Korea Park Golf Association, said the organization will host or sponsor more than 70 tournaments this year, while the number of local competitions hosted by the 220 city and county chapters is too high to track.
 

People play park golf at a field in Gangwon on April 3. [YONHAP]

 
“There are more courses opening in local areas, but in Seoul, demand is so high that it’s hard to get a reservation,” said Shin Bong-tae, a professor who teaches at Dongguk’s park golf program. “Clubs have long waiting lists. Since there’s no place to build park golf courses in Seoul, screen park golf courses have been rapidly increasing in recent years.”
 
“We plan to develop park golf not just as a sport for older adults, but as a shared activity for both younger and older generations,” said Jo Yeong-seok, the secretary general of the Korea Park Golf Association.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE HAY-JUNE [[email protected]]