Blue Heron

Augusta National has “Amen Corner” and Blue Heron also has an equivalent – “Heron's Pick”.

Blue Heron Golf Club opened in March 1992 as Club700 Golf Club, which was limited to 700 members. The course was co-designed by American architect David Rainville and local architect Myeong-gil Kim. Rainville came to prominence in the late 1970s when he was in partnership with Billy Casper. The duo renovated the old Torrey Pines South course in San Diego and paved the way for the tournament venue it is today.

Beverage company Hite-Jinro bought Club700 in 2002 and changed the name to Blue Heron Golf Club in homage to a flock of herons that nested nearby. Two years after Hite-Jinro‘s acquisition, the course was renovated to create a more challenging, risk and reward course. The course was lengthened, mature pines planted and even meandering creeks were constructed.

These changes resulted in the birth of a genuine championship venue that has since gone on to host the KLPGA’s major tournament, the HiteJinro Championship. For those left pondering our opening statement, the golfer who best negotiated the final four holes (“Heron's Pick”) during the HiteJinro Championship, won the event and the champion coincidentally went on to claim the title of “Korean Player of the Year”.