“You can look forward to Korea’s first Olympic golf course,” said Kim Kang-ho, Vice Chairman of Gunsan Country Club, his eyes lighting up as he opened his tablet PC to explain the newly planned course.
Kim, son of Gunsan CC co-founder Kim Chun-dong, is an internal medicine physician by training. While operating Seoul Medicare Screening Center in Mapo, Seoul, he has participated in Gunsan CC’s management since 2021. In 2023, he successfully led the renovation of the tournament course, earning recognition as a course developer.
Kim is now focused on another major project. If the 2036 Summer Olympics are held in Jeonbuk Province, golf events are planned for Gunsan CC, and he is creating a course to showcase to the world.
“We plan to renovate the existing Jeonju and Iksan courses for the Olympics. We’ve contracted David McLay Kidd, who designed Bandon Dunes in the United States,” Kim said. “We will sequentially transform the remaining courses to create entirely new 81 holes.”
Q: You’re originally a doctor. What sparked your interest in golf courses?
“Since we frequently hosted tournaments at our golf course, everyone talked about the need for an international tournament course. In 2006, I went to Scotland for an academic conference but couldn’t get a tee time at Carnoustie because a junior tournament was being held there. I was deeply impressed that even world-class courses like Carnoustie host junior events. That’s when I developed a desire to build such international-standard courses and host various tournaments.”
Q: I heard you contributed ideas to the tournament course renovation.
“Touring courses in Scotland and America helped me develop my own perspective. An Se-won, CEO of Design Interflora who handled the design, actively incorporated feedback from our staff overseeing construction, resulting in an excellent course. But honestly, I was terrified at first.”
Q: What do you mean by terrified?
“Once we started tearing up the course, the responsibility kept me awake at night. The pressure to complete it well drove me to the course from sunrise to nightfall. I maintained that routine for eight months. During the course shaping phase, we redesigned the first hole nine times. Just before completion, heavy rain collapsed all the bunkers.”
Q: Managing 81 holes isn’t easy. Is there an overseas golf resort you model after?
“If I had to name just one, it’s Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in the United States. It has five courses, three of which rank among the world’s top 100. I believe Gunsan is the only place in Korea that can achieve what Bandon Dunes has.”
Q: Why are you so confident Gunsan CC is the ideal location?
“We have vast land capable of accommodating four to five courses in one complex, plus coastal terrain. Being flatland rather than mountainous is also an advantage. Gunsan CC is the most suitable place to turn my vision into reality. We’re currently pursuing renovation of the Jeonju and Iksan courses and plan to redesign all remaining courses. The ultimate goal is to transform each into a course with its own distinct character.”
Q: Won’t massive investment lead to higher fees?
“We aim to achieve both quality and accessibility. While we’ll have high-end courses, we’ll also create truly affordable public courses—ones you can enjoy without caddies, like neighborhood courses in America. Our goal is to meet the needs of diverse golfers.”
Q: If the 2036 Summer Olympics are held in Jeonbuk, I understand golf events will be held at Gunsan CC.
“The province contacted us for help with the Olympic bid presentation. The day after the presentation, I met David McLay Kidd, who designed the Bandon Dunes course. I asked him, ‘If only one event could be held at your course—the Olympics, PGA Tour, or Presidents Cup—which would you choose?’ He answered, ‘The Olympics, of course.’ So I told him, ‘We made that presentation yesterday.'”
Q: How did David McLay Kidd react after seeing the site?
“He first asked us to secure sufficient land. He said flatland is easier to work with than mountains and allows him to implement everything. He’s currently drawing up designs through video conferences with our team. We’re considering not just player movement but gallery flow as well. We plan to secure ample space for media tents and gallery stands, and bury broadcast cables and various wires underground—creating a tournament-dedicated course never seen before in Korea.”
Q: Can you tell us about David McLay Kidd?
“He’s Scottish. His father was the head of course maintenance at Gleneagles, where the 2014 Ryder Cup was held. He grew up on golf courses. Among Bandon Dunes Golf Resort’s five courses, David McLay Kidd designed the original Bandon Dunes, which opened first. That’s when he gained his reputation. His Mammoth Dunes course at Sand Valley in the United States is also famous. He also designed Castle Course (opened 2008), the most recent of St Andrews’ seven courses including the Old Course. Castle Course is regarded as a masterpiece that reinterprets traditional links in a modern way. David McLay Kidd is a pioneer of naturalism and minimalism, the current trends in course design.”
Q: The Olympic course must add extra pressure.
“Last March, our staff and I toured American courses, and in August we spent 14 days in Scotland examining famous courses. I want to bring various styles like links and dunes to Korea.”
Q: Renovating all remaining holes must take considerable time.
“I expect roughly 15 years from now. Even the Olympic course requires various permits, so construction could start in 2029 at the earliest. We also need to build a new hotel.”
Q: I understand you’re an excellent golfer. Any special golf records?
“In 2010, I made two holes-in-one—once in February in the United States and once in August at our Namwon course. Then in October, my twin sons were born. I consider them my hole-in-one gift.”
Q: Which do you enjoy more—playing golf or developing courses?
“Though it’s stressful, developing courses is actually more fun. I find it rewarding to work head-to-head with designers and bring our plans to life.”
Q: Between hospital and golf course management, which is more fulfilling?
“I spend five days a week on the golf course and two days at the hospital. They’re too different in nature for simple comparison. Medicine is my calling, and hospitals serve a public purpose. Golf courses contribute to local communities through donations and economic revitalization. There’s also the sense of achievement and joy in creating the courses I envision.”
Q: How do you want Gunsan CC to be remembered?
“I want it to be a course that’s fun to visit, feels new every time, and makes people want to return. My bigger dream is to establish a golf school—not just for training players, but as an institution teaching all aspects of golf including course management, golf management, and marketing. If students who learn here get jobs at our golf course or advance overseas, that would bring tremendous fulfillment.”