Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea

One of a number of South Korean enterprises that Nicklaus Design has been involved in since the opening of the Golden Bear’s Mountain and Lake nines at Phoenix Park in 1998, the 18 holes at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea are situated within a modern residential development in the Songdo International Business District.

Songdo is an ambitious multi-billion dollar “smart city” project which lies just over an hour’s drive from Seoul, on the shores of the East China Sea and it utilises more than 1,500 acres of reclaimed land along the Incheon waterfront.

A substantial amount of soil was shifted to shape the fairways here and the course is set out in two returning nines, named Urban and Links, with holes on each circuit routed around sizeable housing components.

Water hazards form an integral part of the strategic test and over half the holes on the card feature ponds or lakes that come into play either off the tee or close to the green.

In October 2015, golfers worldwide enjoyed the course at close quarters on television when the International Team played the United States Team in the 11th edition of the Presidents Cup. The US team won for the sixth successive time with a 15½–14½ victory.

The Jack Nicklaus Korea course hosted the third edition of the UL International Crown on the LPGA Tour in 2018; it’s the first time the event was staged outside the USA. South Korea came out on top of the eight-nation event, with the women professionals of the home country beating the England and the United States teams into second place.