South Springs (Lake & Mountain)

Unveiled in 2009, the Jim Fazio-designed course at South Springs Country Club (known originally as Phoenix Springs Country Club) is owned by the brother of the well-known golf celebrity Seok-kyu Hong, the two-time commissioner on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association.

He also operates the Phoenix Park sister course, which is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that opened for play in 1998.

The Lake and Mountain nines form the 18-hole challenge at South Springs and they extend to 7,271 yards from the back tees. As might be expected from Jim Fazio – “the specialist of visual impact” – there’s no shortage of daring bunkering and dramatic greensites here.

Fairways are constructed with Joong-ji, a type of Korean Zoysia grass (with bentgrass used for all the putting surfaces) and the holes are routed around seven lakes and a number of prominent rocky outcrops.

South Springs epitomises modern Korean golf and its outdoor hot spring facility is one that golfers should make good use of when they’ve finished their round on the course.