Golf gatherings are injecting new life into rural South Korean communities facing population decline.
On May 28, the Jicheon Golf Club (President Cho Nam-je; Operations Committee Chair Lee Sang-gi) held the 3rd annual Jicheon Residents' Friendship Golf Tournament at Seven Valley Country Club in Jicheon-myeon, Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, organizers said.
The event drew 23 teams and 92 players — a notable turnout for a township-level rural community.
In the competition, Kwon Jung-heum (Sin 2-ri Industrial Complex) won the men's division, and Park Ha-young (Simcheon-ri) took the women's title.
Awards were given across 14 categories, including first place in the Sin-Perio division (Ryu Kyung-hee). The club also introduced a photogenic award to foster camaraderie and add a bit of fun during the rounds.
Notably, 30 participants raised ₩1,540,000 (about US$1,155) in the "Love Birdie" fundraising drive. They plan to continue collecting donations at events in the second half of the year and will donate the total to neighbors in Jicheon-myeon at year-end.
Through last year, the club had raised a total of ₩3,870,000 (about US$2,903) in Love Birdie donations and distributed the funds as local aid, bringing tangible support to the community.
The Jicheon Golf Club was launched in 2021 at the suggestion of former Jicheon-myeon head Lee Sang-gi. Its stated goals are to promote communication and harmony among residents and to stimulate the local economy by encouraging exchanges between resident businesses and financial institutions.
The club held its first Jicheon Residents' Friendship Golf Tournament in 2024. It is operated under President Cho Nam-je and the secretariat (Secretariat Director So Nam-young; Deputy Director Yeo Taek-gyun) and counts about 80 members, including four advisers, an operations committee chair, eight vice presidents and 15 directors.
The club stages the Jicheon-myeon Residents' Friendship Golf Tournament in the first half of each year, the President's Cup in the second half, and quarterly rounds to strengthen ties among members.
"We will continue leading efforts to make Jicheon-myeon a better place to live through ongoing community and charitable activities," President Cho Nam-je said.
