파크골프 열풍 어디까지? [리부팅 지방시대] / 연합뉴스TV (YonhapnewsTV)

Although the start of spring has officially passed, the clock at provincial golf courses remains stopped. Even golf courses near the capital area have empty parking lots, and revenue last December dropped by up to 26% compared to the previous year. An official at a golf course in Gangwon Province sighed, saying, "We've given up on marketing. Even with a meal included for 35,000 won, revenue has dropped by over 20%." However, just across a single road, the scenery changes completely. Crowds that make the sub-zero temperatures and the fact that it is a weekday seem insignificant. What has filled the void left by traditional golf is none other than 'Park Golf.' The population has surged eightfold in the past seven years. With overwhelming value for money enjoyed for just a few thousand won and magical exercise benefits that claim "my bent back straightened out," seniors are now picking up park golf clubs instead of golf clubs. This single small ball is changing the landscape of the provinces. Hwacheon, Gangwon-do, which attracts skilled players from across the country by hosting a tournament with a 30 million won prize pool, and Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do, which has become a "holy land for park golf" by overcoming regulations as a water source protection zone. One park golf enthusiast remarks, "Every year, hundreds of people rent out their homes in Seoul and move here." The most powerful alternative to "regional extinction," breathing vitality into local restaurant districts and encouraging outsiders to settle down. We document the scenes where this activity has gone beyond mere leisure to become the cardiopulmonary resuscitation of a collapsing local economy. ▣ Subscribe to Yonhap News TV's documentary channel 'Docu-Digging'    / @docu-digging   ▣ Subscribe to Yonhap News TV YouTube Channel    / @yonhapnewstv23   ▣ The beginning of Korean news: Yonhap News TV http://www.yonhapnewstv.co.kr/