Gapyeong Benest (Maple & Pine) - South Korea

Like Anyang Country Club (formerly Anyang Benest), three other private “Benest” clubs and one public facility, Gapyeong Benest is one of five Korean golf centres that come under the corporate banner of Samsung, the multinational conglomerate company.

Designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2004, the 27 holes at Gapyeong Benest are configured as three returning nines, each of which is named after the trees that predominate on that loop.

The “Maple” and “Pine” circuits combine to form the premier 18-hole course here, even though the 3rd on the “Birch” nine, a downhill par four, is said to be the signature hole on the property.

Trademark Nicklaus design traits are featured on all three nines here: wide fairways that reward good driving, long fairway bunkers which punish wayward tee shots and well-protected, undulating greens that severely test approach play and putting skills.